Osian Village & Desert Safari
- Duration
- Full day (7 hours)
- Where
- Bishnoi and Rajput villages around Osian
- Ideal for
- Travellers interested in how the desert is actually farmed and lived in
The Bishnoi took twenty-nine tenets in 1485, several of which amount to a conservation law, and have kept them since; the black buck and khejri trees around Osian survive because of it. A morning here is a lesson in what a desert looks like when it is protected rather than merely inhabited.
Lunch is in a village house, cooked by the household, and the afternoon moves out to the dunes for the ride and the sunset. We pay families directly and they decide what a visit involves.
Highlights
- Bishnoi villages and the black buck they protect
- Khejri woodland, the desert's keystone tree
- Lunch cooked by the household
- The dunes in the evening
Price on request
Experiences are quoted per group, so the price depends on your party size and the day you want.
What's included
Included
- Private vehicle
- Village guide and interpreter
- Lunch in a village home
- Camel ride at the dunes
Good to know
Best time
October to March
Journeys that can include this
6 days · 5 nights
Jodhpur–Osian–Jaisalmer Desert Journey
JodhpurOsianJaisalmer
Osian's dunes and Jaisalmer's are not the same desert — one is quiet and low, the other high and social. Six days, a night in each, and the two cities either side.
6 days · 5 nights
Jodhpur–Jaisalmer Heritage & Desert Tour
JodhpurOsianJaisalmer
Six days weighted towards what people built here: Mehrangarh, the Jain temples at Osian, Jaisalmer's havelis, and the fort's still-inhabited lanes. The dunes are the reward at the end.
7 days · 6 nights
Jodhpur–Osian–Jaisalmer Rajasthan Adventure
JodhpurOsianJaisalmer
The same three places, done actively: a long ride out of Osian, dune walking at dawn, two nights camped rather than hotelled, and a jeep route through country without roads.