Chandigarh to Jaisalmer With a Dog
Roughly 920km by road, which is around 15 hours of driving. Almost nobody does this by car with a dog. Train or plane is the sensible route.
One page, both legs. Whether you are leaving Chandigarh or heading home from Jaisalmer, the planning is identical.
Do not drive this one
This is a 920km haul and the road version is not worth it. Take the train, alighting for Jaisalmer at Jaisalmer station, connected to Jodhpur and Delhi.
Leaving Chandigarh
Jaisalmer lies south west of Chandigarh, roughly 920km by road. Chandigarh is built for leaving. The grid empties onto the highways without the tangle most Indian cities have, and hill routes northward are the natural direction. The constraint is the hills rather than the city: weekend traffic to Himachal builds from Friday evening and does not clear until Sunday night.
Of the 57 destinations we cover, Jaisalmer is the 25th closest to Chandigarh.
Closer from Chandigarh, if this is further than you wanted
- Chandigarh to Ranthambore , about 13 hours, wildlife in Rajasthan
- Chandigarh to Jodhpur , about 12 hours, heritage in Rajasthan
- Chandigarh to Mukteshwar , about 11 hours, hill in Uttarakhand
Jaisalmer in one paragraph
Desert heat is a serious risk for dogs outside deep winter, and sand reaches burning temperatures. Camel safari operators generally do not accommodate dogs. Nights get genuinely cold in winter.
The full Jaisalmer guide explains what the place is actually like with a dog rather than in a brochure.
Veterinary access at the far end
Limited. Basic care in Jaisalmer town, with anything serious meaning a long drive to Jodhpur, roughly 5 hours.
Ask which clinic the locals use rather than which is nearest. They are often not the same place. Emergency vets by city.
Timing it from Chandigarh
Hot summers and genuinely cold winters, with a comfortable spring and autumn. Easier than most north Indian cities for a dog.
Summer heat and Diwali.
Set that against Jaisalmer, where the advice is to go november to february and avoid March to September. The overlap between those two windows is your actual travel season, and it is usually narrower than either one suggests on its own.
Doing this journey with your dog
At around 15 hours of driving this is two days each way, which is the argument for the train. Take a photograph of the dog on your phone the morning you leave. It sounds morbid and it takes ten seconds, and if a lead slips at a fuel stop four hours from home it is the difference between describing a brown dog and showing one. Add your number to the collar tag before a 15 hour trip rather than after it.
Our breed climate checker scores how your breed copes with the conditions at Jaisalmer, and the travel hub has the other 56 destinations if this one turns out to be the wrong fit.
Questions people ask
How far is Jaisalmer from Chandigarh?
Roughly 920km by road, south west of Chandigarh, which is around 15 hours of driving. At that distance almost nobody drives it with a dog, and the figure is an estimate rather than a looked-up number.
Should I fly or take the train from Chandigarh to Jaisalmer?
The train wins on almost every measure except duration. No weight limit, you stay with the dog throughout, and you control the temperature and the water. Flying out of Chandigarh means handing them over at a counter and getting them back at the far end.
Can I drive from Chandigarh to Jaisalmer with a dog if I want to?
You can, but it is two full days each way, which is four holiday days spent in a car. Consider whether the dog gains anything from it.
What is the best time to visit Jaisalmer with a dog?
November to February. Avoid March to September, because extreme desert heat.
Do I need to book pet friendly stays in Jaisalmer ahead?
Yes, and confirm by phone rather than trusting a listing. Properties marked pet friendly frequently turn out to mean small dogs only, or specific rooms, or an undisclosed fee. Get the size limit in writing.
What should I pack for Chandigarh to Jaisalmer?
Water and a collapsible bowl, their own food rather than a new one, the physical vaccination card, any medication, a spare lead, poo bags and an old towel. The vaccination card is the item people leave behind and then need.
These figures are calculated rather than driven. They are close enough to plan a route and choose a stop, and not close enough to book anything that depends on the minute.
The rest of the planning
Dates, stops, packing and the order to do things in. The planner covers what this page does not.
Open the plannerMore on Jaisalmer: the full destination guide.