Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Fort and Dunes, Khimsar Destination Wedding Venue

A 1523 RATHORE FORT AND A DESERT DUNES VILLAGE: WEDDINGS AT KHIMSAR, NEAR JODHPUR

Khimsar Fort was built in 1523 by Rao Karamsji, the eighth son of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur. It stands on the eastern edge of the Thar Desert in Nagaur district, about 95 km from Jodhpur airport, and the Karamsot Rathores, his descendants, still live in part of the fort. Run by ITC Hotels as Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Fort & Dunes, Khimsar, it pairs 71 rooms in the fort with 18 luxury huts in the Khimsar Dunes Village, an oasis among sand dunes 15 minutes away.

IWP shortlists Khimsar for couples who want the whole place to themselves: a fort for the wedding and a desert village for the mehendi or sangeet, for 100 to 180 staying guests. This page gives you the facts we use when we shortlist it: rooms, venues, distances, best dates and what an Indian wedding here costs.

Khimsar Fort & Dunes at a glance

• Rooms: 89 in total. In the fort, 71 rooms: Standard Rooms (23–33 m², courtyard views), Noble Chambers (33–46 m²) and Royal Chambers (46–65 m²). At the Dunes Village, 18 luxury huts (46–82 m², including Regal Huts of 68 m²). About 178 staying guests at two per room.
• Setting: a 16th-century fort with turrets, a clock tower, courtyards, lawns and a pool inside the old walls; the Dunes Village is a cluster of thatched huts around a small lake in the dunes, reached by jeep, camel or horseback.
• Indoor venues: two halls at the fort, including Rang Mahal, the Hall of Colours (about 150 guests), and one at the Dunes Village.
• Outdoor venues: the fort lawn below the palace façade, the poolside, the fort ramparts, the oasis and Khajur Bagh at the Dunes Village, and the dune-top sunset point.
• Dining: nine venues. At the fort: The Last Sentinel café, Fateh Mahal, Vansh, Fort Ramparts, Akhayraj, The Distant Frontier and The Royal Refuge bar. At the dunes: Jhoompa, a panoramic dining hall, and the Dilruba bar.
• Wellness and leisure: the Vishranti spa, a fitness centre with yoga, the fort pool, tennis, billiards, a home theatre and a children’s play area.
• Experiences: jeep safaris to see blackbuck, chinkara and nilgai, camel rides, fort walks, Rajasthani folk music and dance in the evenings, cooking classes and sunset tea on the dunes.
• Getting there: Jodhpur Airport (JDH), about 95 km or 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours by car; Nagaur railway station 41 km; Osian 60 km, Bikaner 152 km, Jaisalmer 277 km and Jaipur 325 km.

An Indian wedding at Khimsar Fort & Dunes

With 89 rooms across the fort and the Dunes Village, Khimsar sleeps about 178 guests at two per room, so it suits an exclusive wedding for up to about 180 staying guests. Few luxury hotels lie closer, so for a bigger guest list IWP bases the extra guests in Jodhpur, about two hours away, and runs coaches for the main day. Rang Mahal takes about 150 indoors; the lawns and the poolside take the larger functions.

How the celebrations fit Khimsar

• Mehendi by day on the fort lawn or at the poolside, with folk musicians.
• Sangeet at the Dunes Village: dinner by the oasis, a bonfire, Rajasthani dancers and the sunset point for drinks before it.
• Pheras on the fort lawn, with the lit palace façade behind the mandap.
• Reception a dinner on the lawn or the ramparts, or in Rang Mahal for about 150; a Welcomsthalika thali lunch or a jeep safari suits the morning after.

What an Indian wedding at Khimsar Fort costs

These are IWP’s indicative, all-inclusive bands (venue and rooms, food and beverage, décor and production, entertainment, guest logistics and planning), which we price exactly for your dates:

• Intimate, 50–100 guests, 2 days: from about ₹1 crore (US$105,000).
• Premium, 150–250 guests, 3 days: ₹3–5 crore (US$315,000–525,000).

The Premium band covers an exclusive booking of the fort and the Dunes Village. A larger celebration, with part of the guest list staying in Jodhpur and daily transfers, sits in our Royal band, ₹7–10 crore (US$725,000–1.05 million). What moves the number here: season, nights, buyout versus shared, how many functions move between the fort and the dunes, and transfers from Jodhpur. See all wedding venues in Jodhpur, and compare a desert wedding in Jaisalmer and wedding costs in Udaipur.

Best dates

The wedding season here runs from October to March, and the desert is at its best from November to February, when days are warm and evenings are cool enough for bonfires. In 2027 there are no muhurats from August to October; November (11 dates, from 10 November), December (6, from 7 to 14 December), January (9, from 15 January), February (13) and March (7, up to 14 March) give 46 dates inside the season. See our Hindu wedding dates of 2027.

Planning from abroad? Read our guides for couples in the USA, the UK and Canada, or book a 30-minute video call.

Khimsar Fort & Dunes wedding FAQs

How many rooms does Khimsar Fort & Dunes have?

89 in all: 71 rooms in the fort (Standard Rooms of 23 to 33 square metres, Noble Chambers of 33 to 46 and Royal Chambers of 46 to 65) and 18 luxury huts of 46 to 82 square metres at the Khimsar Dunes Village. At two guests per room that is about 178 staying guests, so the two together can be booked as an exclusive wedding for the families and their closest guests.

What does an Indian wedding at Khimsar Fort cost?

IWP’s indicative, all-inclusive bands are from about ₹1 crore (US$105,000) for 50–100 guests over 2 days and ₹3–5 crore (US$315,000–525,000) for 150–250 guests over 3 days, which covers an exclusive booking of the fort and the Dunes Village. A larger celebration, with part of the guest list staying in Jodhpur, sits in the Royal band, ₹7–10 crore (US$725,000–1.05 million).

Which venues at Khimsar Fort can host the wedding functions?

At the fort: the main lawn below the palace façade for the pheras or the reception, the poolside inside the 16th-century walls, the fort ramparts for dinners, and two indoor halls, including Rang Mahal, the Hall of Colours, for about 150 guests. At the Dunes Village, 15 minutes away: the oasis and Khajur Bagh for a mehendi or sangeet dinner, an indoor hall and the dune-top sunset point.

How far is Khimsar Fort from Jodhpur airport?

About 95 km, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours by car, from Jodhpur Airport (JDH), which has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai. Nagaur railway station is 41 km away. Kishangarh and Jaipur airports also work for groups; Jaipur is 325 km by road.

Who built Khimsar Fort?

Rao Karamsji, the eighth son of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur, built the fort in 1523. His descendants, the Karamsot Rathores, still live in part of the fort, and the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb is recorded as having stayed here during his time in Nagaur. Today the hotel is run by ITC Hotels as a Welcomhotel.

What is the best time of year for a wedding at Khimsar Fort?

October to March. November to February is best for the Dunes Village, when evenings are cool; December and January nights are cold, so IWP plans bonfires, heaters and shawls, and April to June is too hot for open-air functions. In 2027 the Hindu calendar gives 46 muhurat dates from November to March and none from August to October.

Can we have a mandap, a pandit, a baraat and Rajasthani food at Khimsar Fort?

Yes. The hotel’s own kitchens do the catering, and IWP builds the menus with the chefs: Marwari dishes such as mutton ka soyta and the Rajasthani thali, plus Indian and international food. IWP brings the pandit, builds the mandap on the lawn and agrees the baraat (on horse or camel), fire, fireworks and music hours with the hotel in advance.

Planning a wedding near Jodhpur? See all wedding venues in Jodhpur, compare Umaid Bhawan Palace for a palace wedding in the city, or tell us your dates and guest count for a venue shortlist and budget estimate within 24 hours.