Gujarat Grand Wildlife Circuit: Lions, Wild Asses

Route: Arrive Ahmedabad airport, transfer to hotel, about 20 km

Your driver meets you at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Nothing is planned. Tomorrow starts the wildlife programme, and you meet your naturalist in the evening for a briefing on the three habitats you will visit: salt desert, dry forest and grassland.

Your naturalist goes through the target species for each stop, the safari rules and the kit worth carrying: binoculars, a 200 to 400 mm lens if you photograph, layers for cold mornings, and neutral clothing.

Experience of the Day

• Airport pickup and check-in

• Evening briefing with your naturalist

• Early night

Food

Recommended: Agashiye, the rooftop restaurant at House of MG, for a Gujarati thali.

Must-Try: Gujarati thali: dal, kadhi, farsan and sweets.

Activities to Do

• Rest

• Wildlife briefing

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Short walk on the Sabarmati Riverfront

Route: Ahmedabad to Dasada, about 90 km, 2 hours by road, then an afternoon safari

Dasada is a village on the edge of the Little Rann of Kutch, about 82 to 95 km from Ahmedabad depending on the route. The Rann is a seasonal salt marsh. The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary covers about 4,954 sq km and was set up in 1972. It is the last home of the Indian wild ass, called ghudkhar locally.

The state's wild ass population was counted at 7,672 in the 2024 census, up from 6,082 in 2020. Most live in and around the Little Rann. Your first safari runs from mid-afternoon into the low light, when the animals come out to graze and the salt flats change colour.

The sanctuary is entered by jeep with a forest guide and your naturalist. Stay in the vehicle, keep voices low, and let the guide set the pace.

Note: The sanctuary is closed during the monsoon. October and November are reported as the best months for wild asses, and the trip is timed for the dry season.

Species to Look For

• Indian wild ass, the star species and often seen in groups on the flats

• Chinkara and nilgai in the scrub at the edge

• Desert fox and Indian wolf, less often seen

• Cranes, pelicans and flamingos on the wetter patches

Experience of the Day

• First afternoon safari on the Little Rann

• Sunset over the salt flats

• Night at a lodge on the Rann's edge

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your lodge, a Kathiawadi meal.

Must-Try: Bajra rotla with garlic chutney and buttermilk.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Dasada

• Afternoon safari

Route: Little Rann sanctuary, local, about 80 km in safari

The dawn safari is the one to do for wild asses and birds. The cold light gives clear views across the flats, and the animals are on the move before the heat.

Midday is for rest and, if you like, a visit to a salt pan. The Rann's salt is worked in the dry months by families known as Agariyas, who live and work on the flats. Your naturalist arranges an introduction and explains the process. The sanctuary is under pressure from salt panning, which is part of why the wild ass count matters.

The afternoon safari goes to a different sector. Look for raptors on the ground and on the bushes, and for the desert fox, which is most likely at dusk.

Note: Entry and camera fees at the sanctuary are set by the forest department. Foreign visitors pay a higher rate, and the guide and jeep are booked as part of the trip.

The Human Story

The Agariya salt workers spend months on the salt in harsh conditions. Buying a small packet of hand-raked salt or simply talking with them respects the work.

Species to Look For

• Indian wild ass herds and foals

• Harriers and other raptors hunting over the flats

• Sandgrouse and larks at the water's edge

• Chinkara, desert fox and jungle cat if you are lucky

Experience of the Day

• Dawn safari

• Salt pan visit with the Agariyas

• Afternoon safari in a second sector

Food

Recommended: Lunch at your lodge.

Must-Try: Kathiawadi thali.

Activities to Do

• Dawn safari

• Salt pan visit

• Afternoon safari

Route: Dasada to Sasan Gir, about 350 km (estimated), 6.5 to 7 hours by road

Today is the longest drive of the trip. The road runs south-west across Saurashtra, through Surendranagar and Rajkot, into the hills around Junagadh and then to Sasan Gir. The distance is estimated by combining the segments, and your driver confirms the exact figure and time.

You arrive by mid to late afternoon, in time to settle in, meet the Gir naturalist and rest before two days of safaris.

If you would rather not do 350 km in one day, an overnight stop in Rajkot or Junagadh splits it, and adds one night to the trip.

Note: This is the longest drive of the trip. An overnight in Junagadh or Rajkot is offered as an option and priced separately.

Experience of the Day

• Drive across Saurashtra

• Arrival at the forest edge

• Evening at the lodge

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your Gir lodge.

Must-Try: Gujarati thali with fresh rotla.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Gir

• Gear check

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Junagadh overnight to split the drive, adds one night

Route: Sasan Gir, safari zones set by permit, local

Gir is the only place in the world where wild Asiatic lions live. The 2025 census counted 891 lions, up from 674 in 2020. The forest is dry deciduous woodland, and the lions share it with leopards, herds of chital and sambar, nilgai and mugger crocodiles. Maldhari herders live in and around the forest.

You go in on two safaris today, in different zones where permits allow. The vehicle carries a licensed forest guide and driver, occupants stay seated, and the route is set by the permit. Your naturalist reads the signs: alarm calls from langurs and chital, pug marks on the track, and vultures.

Sightings are never guaranteed. Two safaris today and one more tomorrow give three chances.

Note: Gir is closed to safaris from 16 June to 15 October. Permits are released about 90 days ahead and sell out in winter. Jeep seating and whole-vehicle booking are confirmed at booking.

The Human Story

The Maldharis have herded in Gir for generations. Your naturalist explains how they and the lions have shared the same ground.

Species to Look For

• Asiatic lion, including cubs when in season

• Leopard, more often at dusk and dawn

• Chital, sambar and nilgai

• Mugger crocodiles at the water

• Vultures, eagles and owls

Experience of the Day

• Morning jeep safari

• Afternoon jeep safari

• Evening naturalist talk

Food

Recommended: Meals at your lodge.

Must-Try: Bajra rotla with jaggery and ghee.

Activities to Do

• Morning safari

• Afternoon safari

• Evening talk

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Devalia Safari Park, a fenced zone, if a jeep slot is unavailable

Route: Sasan Gir to Bhavnagar, about 267 km via Junagadh, 5 to 5.5 hours by road

The third safari is at dawn, when the forest is quiet and the big cats are most active. After breakfast, drive to Bhavnagar, about 267 km, through Junagadh and across Saurashtra to the Gulf of Khambhat coast.

Bhavnagar is the former capital of a princely state. Take a short walk near the hotel in the late afternoon, and rest. Tomorrow morning is for the city and the afternoon for Velavadar.

Species to Look For

• Dawn is the best time for Gir's lions and leopards

Experience of the Day

• Dawn safari in Gir

• Drive to the Gulf of Khambhat coast

• Evening in Bhavnagar

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your hotel.

Must-Try: Bhavnagari gathiya, a fried gram-flour snack, from a local shop.

Activities to Do

• Dawn safari

• Drive to Bhavnagar

Route: Bhavnagar city, then Velavadar, about 45 km, 1 to 1.5 hours

Spend the morning in Bhavnagar, where the Nilambag Palace, a 19th-century palace of the former rulers, is the main sight. Your guide confirms what is open.

After lunch, drive about 45 km to Velavadar. The Blackbuck National Park was set up in 1976 and covers 34.08 sq km of grassland, scrub and saline flats along the Gulf of Khambhat. It is India's main blackbuck reserve, with more than 3,000 animals.

The park is open from 6:30 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 to 6:30 pm. You use your own vehicle, and a forest guide is compulsory. The afternoon safari catches the herds in the low sun.

Note: Velavadar is closed from mid-June to mid-October because of monsoon flooding. November to March is the best time to visit.

Species to Look For

• Blackbuck herds, with males and females together

• Indian wolf, at its best near dusk

• Nilgai, jackal, jungle cat and striped hyena

• Harriers over the grass in winter, including marsh, pallid and Montagu's

Experience of the Day

• Nilambag Palace, Bhavnagar

• Afternoon safari at Velavadar

• Evening at the park lodge

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your Velavadar lodge.

Must-Try: Simple Gujarati meal.

Activities to Do

• Bhavnagar morning

• Drive to Velavadar

• Afternoon safari

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Takhteshwar Temple, a hill temple with views over Bhavnagar

Route: Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, local

The dawn safari is the best time for wolves and for harriers lifting off the grass. The blackbuck are also at their most active.

The midday break is at the lodge. The afternoon safari goes to another part of the park. Winter roosts of harriers and sandgrouse gather at dusk, and the light on the grass is at its best.

The lesser florican, a rare bustard, is reported here, but it breeds in the monsoon when the park is closed, so it is not a winter target.

Species to Look For

• Blackbuck bucks in display and does with fawns

• Wolf, with luck

• Harriers at the roost

• Sandgrouse, larks and pipits

Experience of the Day

• Dawn safari

• Afternoon safari

• Sunset over the grassland

Food

Recommended: Meals at your lodge.

Must-Try: Bajra rotla and local vegetables.

Activities to Do

• Dawn safari

• Afternoon safari

Route: Velavadar to Ahmedabad, about 160 km, 3.5 to 4 hours by road

Take a last short dawn safari, then breakfast and the drive back to Ahmedabad. You arrive in the early afternoon.

The afternoon is free. Your naturalist compiles the trip's species list with you. If you have energy, walk in the old city or visit Sabarmati Ashram, where Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1930.

Experience of the Day

• Final dawn safari

• Trip species list with your naturalist

• Free afternoon in Ahmedabad

Food

Recommended: Farewell dinner in the old city.

Must-Try: Gujarati thali.

Shopping

Law Garden night market for textiles and handicrafts.

Activities to Do

• Dawn safari

• Drive to Ahmedabad

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Sabarmati Ashram

• Manek Chowk night market

Route: Ahmedabad hotel to airport, about 20 km

Your driver takes you to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Onward flights at any time can be accommodated.

Experience of the Day

• Airport transfer

Food

Recommended: Breakfast at your hotel.

Must-Try: Local snacks.

Activities to Do

• Departure