Sam Sand Dunes · Kanoi · Jaisalmer
Our own jeeps, our own drivers, and a dune belt they have driven every evening for years. Twenty to thirty minutes over the sand, or a longer run out towards the villages and the border road.
Jeep safari at Sam
This is the part most camps do not mention. At Sam, a lot of jeep safaris are sold by one camp and driven by whoever is free that evening, with a vehicle nobody in particular is responsible for. Ours are our own, kept at the camp, driven by men from Kanoi and the villages around it who have run this dune belt for years.
It matters in three ways. The driver knows which dune holds its shape after a week of wind and which one has gone soft, so you get a proper run rather than a cautious crawl. If your train is late we can push the safari back an hour instead of telling you the vehicle has gone. And if something goes wrong, it is our jeep and our problem, not a phone number that stops answering.
The ride itself is short and deliberately rough: up the face of a dune, along the crest, down the far side, then out to a high point to stop for photographs before heading back for the folk evening and dinner at the camp.
Why it matters whose jeep it is
Ride options
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All three start from the camp at Sam, 40 km west of Jaisalmer. Rates depend on the route, the number of guests and whether you want the jeep to yourselves, so we quote for your date.
The standard run, and the one included with most overnight stays at the camp. Up and over the dune belt near Sam, with a stop at a high point for photographs, timed so you are back on foot for the sunset.
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Out past the main dune belt towards Kanoi, the village tracks and the open scrub along the old border road. Chinkara and desert birds are common in the early evening, and you get past the stretch every camp uses within the first ten minutes.
Your own jeep and driver, out for first or last light, stopping wherever the light is good rather than following a fixed route. No other group in the vehicle and no schedule pulling you back for dinner. Book it the evening before.
The evening that works best
If you are doing both — and plenty of guests do — take the jeep first. You cover ground quickly, get the noise and the adrenaline out of the way, and then slow right down on a camel for the last half hour of light. Doing it the other way round makes the sunset feel rushed.
The whole sequence takes about ninety minutes and lands you back at the camp in time for the folk programme, dinner and the bonfire.
Straight answers
Good to go
Better to skip it
Nobody is pushed into the jeep. Tell us and we will put you on a camel, a cart, or simply drive you out to a good dune to sit and watch the sun go down.
Practical bits: hold the bar, keep phones and sunglasses in a zipped pocket, tie back long hair, and wear something you do not mind getting sand in. Sandstorms or unseasonal rain can stop a run going out, in which case we move it or refund that part.
Ways to book
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We quote a current rate for your date rather than publishing prices that go stale. Message us and you get a firm figure with nothing added afterwards.
Jeep only
Jeep + evening
Jeep + stay
Jeep safari FAQ
The dune run is usually 20 to 30 minutes. The longer route out towards Kanoi and the village tracks takes about an hour, and a private photography trip runs as long as the light does.
It depends on the route, the number of guests, and whether you want the jeep to yourselves or are happy to share. Message us with your date and we will send the current rate, fixed before you book.
Ours. They are kept at the camp, maintained by us, and driven by men from Kanoi and the villages nearby who run this dune belt every evening. That is why we can move a safari when your train is late.
Up to six, depending on the vehicle. Smaller groups can book a private jeep rather than sharing, and larger groups go out in several jeeps together.
Yes, and that is the point of it. Hold the bar, keep phones in a pocket. Skip it if you have back or neck trouble, or if you are pregnant — the camel ride or the cart is the better call.
For children old enough to hold on, yes, and it is usually the part they remember. For very small children we suggest the camel cart or simply driving out to a dune to watch the sunset.
Yes, and it is the best way to do it. Jeep first to cover ground, then the camel ride into the sunset. The whole sequence takes about ninety minutes.
Late afternoon, roughly an hour before sunset, when the heat has gone and the sand takes colour. Sunrise runs are quieter and better for photographs, and can be arranged for guests staying the night.
No. It can be booked on its own, or with the folk programme and dinner, and we can drop you back to Jaisalmer afterwards.
Usually yes, if you message before mid-afternoon — the run has to go out before sunset. Private jeeps and photography trips need a day's notice.
Sunglasses, a cap or scarf against the wind, and shoes you do not mind filling with sand. Keep phones and cameras in a zipped pocket during the run, and carry a jacket from November to February.
Sandstorms and unseasonal rain do occasionally stop a run. If that happens we move it to another time, offer an alternative, or refund that part of what you paid.
Send the date and how many of you there are. Same-day rides are usually possible if you message before the afternoon.
Sam Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer