Our own camp on the dune edge, 42 km west of the city.
Every tier includes the camel safari, the evening folk programme, dinner and breakfast. What changes is the tent itself and how much of the evening is yours alone.
The standard tent, and the one most guests book. Twin beds with proper mattresses on a raised platform, an attached western bathroom with running hot water, and an electric heater through the winter months.
More floor space, a private sit-out with chairs facing the dunes, and room service through the evening. You also get your own bonfire slot rather than sharing the central fire.
Air conditioning, carved Rajasthani furniture, and a private deck facing east so you get sunrise from your own tent without walking anywhere. The tier we put honeymoon couples in.
Beds set out on open sand a short walk from the camp, with a caretaker on watch all night and a bathroom tent nearby. Best on a new moon, when the sky over Khuri in particular is genuinely dark.
The schedule is fixed rather than loose, for one reason: sunset does not wait, and camps that let guests drift end up sending half of them out too late.
The bigger dune field and the one most people picture. All the adventure activities run here, camps are larger with full facilities, and there is a proper road the whole way. The trade-off is that sunset point gets genuinely crowded between November and February. Choose Sam if it is your first visit, if you are travelling with children, or if you want jeep safari and quad biking on the same evening.
Smaller dunes but far fewer people, and a working village alongside rather than a strip of camps. The night sky is noticeably darker, which matters if you care about stars. Fewer activities and simpler camps. Choose Khuri if you have been to Sam before, if you want quiet, or if you are photographing the night sky.
Worth knowing. Plenty of listings advertise a Sam camp and then place guests 8 to 10 km back along the Dhanana road, where there are no dunes at all. Ask for the exact location before you pay a deposit anywhere. Ours is on the dune edge and we will send a pin.
Dinner is a Rajasthani thali cooked on site. Pure vegetarian by default, with non-vegetarian, Jain and no-onion-no-garlic kitchens available if you tell us at booking. Breakfast is poha, parathas, eggs, fruit and chai.
Attached western bathroom in every tent tier, with a geyser for hot water. Water is tankered in daily, so we ask guests to keep showers short.
Mains electricity with generator backup and charging points in every tent. Jio and Airtel work at camp, less so on the dunes. No Wi-Fi.
A jacket between November and February — it drops near 5°C at night. Closed shoes, a scarf for the wind, sunglasses, sunscreen and a torch. Cash, because card signal is unreliable past Sam.
Staff on duty through the night, first aid on site, and a vehicle kept at camp for emergencies. The nearest hospital is in Jaisalmer, about 50 minutes away.
Tents near the reception block on request, and a female attendant on the evening shift. We share your driver's name, photo and vehicle number before the transfer.
It depends on which of the four tents you pick, the date, and how many of you are travelling. Every tier includes dinner, breakfast, the camel safari and the cultural programme. Send your dates on WhatsApp and we will quote the same day. Expect higher rates across the Desert Festival, Diwali, Christmas and New Year.
Every tent tier has a private attached bathroom with a western toilet, shower and running hot water. Camps that describe themselves as budget in Sam often share a bathroom block between six or eight tents — worth asking whoever you book with, because the difference matters most at 6 am in January.
About 42 km west, roughly a 50 minute drive on a good road. Transfers are included in every camp package and we run them in both directions, so you do not need to arrange a taxi at either end.
Aim to arrive by 3:30 or 4 pm. The camel safari leaves for sunset point around 4:30, and if you miss that departure the whole evening compresses. Check-out is 9 am the next morning, with a late check-out available if you ask.
Electricity runs on mains with a generator backup, and every tent has charging points. Jio and Airtel work reasonably at camp but drop off in the dunes themselves. There is no Wi-Fi, which most guests notice for about an hour and then stop minding.
Yes. Tents are on raised platforms with proper beds rather than mattresses on sand, and the camel ride moves at walking pace with a handler alongside. Children under five stay free. For guests with limited mobility we allocate a tent close to the dining area and send a jeep to sunset point instead of a camel.
Sam has the larger dune field, all the adventure activities and bigger camps with full facilities, but sunset point gets busy. Khuri is 45 km south, much quieter, with smaller family-run camps and considerably darker night skies. We operate at both.
We do not recommend April to June. Daytime temperatures cross 45°C, the sand holds heat well past midnight, and most camps in Sam close for the season. If you must travel then, a city hotel with a day trip to the dunes is the sensible version.
Tell us the night, how many people and which tent tier. We will confirm availability and send a location pin straight away.
