Bikaner also hosts an International Camel festival that draws worldwide visitors. The delicacies such as Thandai, Bhujias, shopping items such as Ivory and Lacquer, and beautiful paintings are other major attractions. There are so many forts, palaces, and temples that a traveler can visit while traveling to Bikaner.

Tourist Attractions to see in Bikaner are:

Junagarh Fort: The most important and intricate place to visit in Bikaner is Junagarh fort. The magnificent fort was once called Chintamani and then renamed Junagarh fort. The fort houses several impressive palaces built in red sandstone and marble, and tourists can enjoy an enticing array of palaces, balconies, kiosks, and windows. The different palaces of Junagadh Fort are Karan Mahal, Phool Mahal, Anup Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Ganga Mahal, Bikaneri Havelis. The fort depicts the royal history and lifestyle of Maharajas of that time.

Karni Mata temple: The Karni Mata Temple also known as Rat Temple is located 30km away from Bikaner in a small city called Deshnoke. The Mata temple is called Rat Temple due to the presence of more than 25,000 black rats that are worshipped and food eaten by them is served as Prasad. The Karni Mata fair is held two times a year. The first and larger fair takes place from March to April and the second in October- November during the Navratras.

Lalgarh Palace: Another sightseeing of Bikaner is Lallgarh Palace situated in the city of Bikaner of Rajasthan. The palace is now a Heritage Hotel and works under the National Heritage Trust. The palace got its name as Lallgarh because it is built with red sandstone. The palace has drawing rooms, Grand Hallways and Halls, Royal Lounges and World’s fourth largest Library.

Bhandasar Jain Temple: Constructed by Bhandasa Oswal, the temple is dedicated to the 5th Tirthanakar Sumatinatha. The temple is the oldest in nature and famous for its mirror work and gold leaf paintings.

Ganga Government Museum: The state’s best museum displays the Harappan Civilisation and Gupta Dynasty artifacts. The museum has paintings, arts and crafts, woven carpets, clay pottery, ancient coins and Rajput weaponry on display for visitors. Another museum of the city is Prachina Museum in the Junagarh fort which hosts royal costumes, textiles, and royal accessories.

Gajner Palace: Gajner Palace is located on the banks of Gajner Lake. Maharaja Ganga Singh built the palace as a hunting ground for his family but now the place has been converted into heritage Hotel offering activities like boat rides, desert safaris, bird watching, and sports activities.

National Research center on Camel: For tourists having an interest in animals, National Research center on the camel is on their must to visit list. Here traveler can see variety of camels and their behavior. Camel riding and Camel Safari are the peculiar features of Bikaner. Every year a camel fair is celebrated in Bikaner in which tourists flock from everywhere. It is organized annually in January month. In the fair, camels dressed up in bright and colorful ornaments and reins.

To see the vibrant colors of Bikaner city, royal artifacts, historical palaces, to shop Bandhani dresses, and eat relish delicacies, a traveler must hire a guide to roam in the city. A guide can help you explore those areas that a traveler even can’t think of.

Ways to reach Bikaner

The city of Bikaner in Rajasthan is easily reachable by Road and Rail transport. Bikaner is well connected to the major cities of Rajasthan and other parts of India. The nearest airport to Bikaner is Jodhpur which is more than 200 km far away from Bikaner. It will take approx 4-5 hrs from the airport to reach Bikaner.

The best months to visit Bikaner are from October to February as in these months weather remains favorable to roam in the city and travellers can enjoy sand dune area. The camel fair occurs in the month of January only so tourists visiting during this time can enjoy the fair too. In other months apart from October to February, Bikaner experiences an extreme hot climate. However, to enjoy the camel ride, royal music, and folk dance while sitting in the sand dunes, these are the best months.