Gujarat Grand Comprehensive Circuit

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

Your driver meets you at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and takes you to the hotel. Nothing is planned. This is a three-week trip, and the first day is for sleep and for adjusting to the time zone.

Your trip manager calls in the evening to go through the route, the long driving days and the permits already arranged for you.

Experience of the Day

• Airport pickup and check-in

• Evening call with your trip manager

• 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

• Trip briefing

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Short walk on the Sabarmati Riverfront if you feel like it

Route: Ahmedabad old city, Sabarmati Ashram and Adalaj Stepwell, about 40 km local

Ahmedabad became India's first UNESCO World Heritage City in 2017. Begin in the old city, where the pols, gated lanes of carved wooden houses, kept each community in its own cluster. Your guide arranges a visit inside one, then goes on to the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, known for its carved stone jali windows.

After lunch, visit Sabarmati Ashram, where Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1930 and from where he began the Dandi Salt March on 12 March 1930. Then drive about 20 km north to Adalaj Stepwell, completed in 1498. It is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, foreign visitors pay Rs.250, and the shaft is several degrees cooler than the street above.

In the evening, walk through Manek Chowk, a jewellery market by day that turns into a night food market after the shops close.

The Human Story

Many pols are still lived in by the families who built them. Your guide arranges entry with a resident, so the visit is by invitation.

Experience of the Day

• A walk inside an old-city pol

• Sidi Saiyyed Mosque jali windows

• Sabarmati Ashram

• Adalaj Stepwell

• Manek Chowk after dark

Food

Recommended: Lunch in the old city.

Must-Try: Khichdi and kadhi, the Gujarati comfort meal.

Shopping

The Khadi shop at Sabarmati Ashram for handspun cotton.

Activities to Do

• Guided pol walk

• Sabarmati Ashram

• Adalaj Stepwell

• Manek Chowk

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Law Garden night market for mirror-work textiles

Route: Ahmedabad to Bhuj, about 340 km, 6 to 6.5 hours by road

The road runs north-west over flat farmland and salt pans. Kutch is almost an island, with the Gulf of Kutch on one side and the Little and Great Rann, salt marshes that flood each monsoon, on the other. That isolation shaped its rulers, crafts and dialect.

You reach Bhuj by mid-afternoon. Walk to Hamirsar Lake, in the middle of town, where families gather at sunset. The palaces are for Day 8.

Note: Bhuj is where you meet your Kutch guide, who stays with you through the Rann and Dholavira.

Experience of the Day

• Drive across the Gujarat plains into Kutch

• Hamirsar Lake at sunset

• Shroff Bazaar in the old town

Food

Recommended: A Kutchi thali at a family-run restaurant in the old town.

Must-Try: Kutchi dabeli, the sweet-spicy potato roll with peanuts and pomegranate.

Shopping

Shroff Bazaar for Ajrak block-print cloth, mirror-work embroidery and silver.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Bhuj

• Hamirsar Lake

• Old-town bazaar walk

Route: Bhuj, Bhujodi, Hodka, Dhordo, about 85 km direct, plus stops

Start at Bhujodi, a weaving village about 8 km from Bhuj, where Vankar families weave shawls on handlooms. Continue north into the Banni grasslands to Hodka, known for leather work, embroidery and mud houses with painted walls. Both are places where the crafts are made, so you can watch the work.

You reach Dhordo in the afternoon and go out to the White Rann for sunset. It is a salt marsh: the monsoon floods it, and in the dry months the water evaporates and leaves a bright salt crust. The crust reflects almost all the light that falls on it, which is why the plain glows at sunset and under a full moon.

Dinner and the night are at the tent camp, in a tent with a proper bed and attached bathroom.

Note: The White Rann is a border zone. Every visitor needs an entry permit, and foreign nationals give passport and Indian visa details. We apply before you arrive. Tent City at Dhordo runs in the cooler months, roughly November to February.

The Human Story

The Vankar weavers and Hodka artisans sell from their own homes. Buying there keeps the money in the village.

Experience of the Day

• Weavers at work in Bhujodi

• Hodka's painted mud houses

• Sunset on the White Rann

• Night in a tent at Dhordo

Food

Recommended: Dinner at the Tent City restaurant, a Kutchi and Gujarati buffet.

Must-Try: Bajra rotla with smoked aubergine and garlic chutney.

Shopping

Bhujodi for woollen shawls; Hodka for leather goods and embroidery.

Activities to Do

• Craft village visits

• Sunset on the White Rann

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Rann Utsav evening programmes, when the festival is running

Route: Dhordo and the Banni grasslands, about 40 km local

Go out for sunrise, when the salt is at its whitest and the air is cold enough to need a jacket. Camel rides on the salt start at about 6:30 am. After breakfast, spend the morning in the Banni villages, where herders and artisans live in low mud houses.

Return to camp for lunch and a rest in the middle of the day, when the light is hard. In the afternoon go back to the salt for sunset. If your dates fall around a full moon, stay for moonrise, when the whole plain turns silver.

Kala Dungar, the highest point in Kutch, is an optional sunset alternative on the same permit.

Note: Kutch dates can be set around a full moon on request. The Rann nights are Days 4 and 5.

Experience of the Day

• Sunrise on the salt

• Banni village visits

• Sunset, and moonrise on full-moon dates

Food

Recommended: Camp dinner at the Tent City restaurant.

Must-Try: Kutchi khichdi with ghee and buttermilk.

Activities to Do

• Sunrise on the salt

• Banni villages

• Sunset

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Kala Dungar viewpoint, about 90 km return, same permit

Route: Dhordo to Dholavira, about 180 km (estimated), 3.5 to 4 hours by road

The road east from Khavda is a long, empty stretch across the Rann's edge. The section from Ekal to Dholavira, about 100 km, is known as the Road to Heaven. Wild asses, foxes and flamingos are sometimes seen from the road.

Dholavira is a Harappan city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 27 July 2021. It flourished from about 2650 to 1450 BCE, covered about 47 hectares, and was built entirely of stone, unlike most Harappan towns. It has a citadel, a middle town and a lower town, and a system of stone reservoirs and channels that stored and moved water. Archaeologists found a stepwell 73.4 m long and a signboard of ten Indus script characters.

Visit in the afternoon, when your guide can walk you through the layout. You return in the early morning for a second look in softer light.

Note: The Dhordo to Dholavira distance is estimated by combining the Bhuj to Khavda and Khavda to Dholavira road segments. Your driver confirms the exact route and time on the day.

Experience of the Day

• Drive along the Road to Heaven

• Citadel, reservoirs and stepwell at Dholavira

• Sunset over the ancient city

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your Dholavira resort.

Must-Try: Home-style Kutchi meal.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Dholavira

• Guided walk of the Harappan site

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Dholavira Fossil Park, if time allows

Route: Dholavira to Bhuj, about 220 km, 4 to 5 hours by road

Return to the site in the morning. Early light shows the stonework and the water channels more clearly than the afternoon sun.

Then drive back to Bhuj, about four to five hours. Dholavira is a dead end, so this is the only day of the trip that repeats a road. It leaves the next day free for Bhuj and Mandvi.

Experience of the Day

• Morning at the Harappan site

• Drive back through Kutch

• Evening in Bhuj

Food

Recommended: A Kutchi thali at a restaurant in Bhuj.

Must-Try: Kutchi dabeli.

Activities to Do

• Dholavira morning visit

• Drive to Bhuj

Route: Bhuj to Mandvi, about 58 km, 1 to 1.5 hours, plus local sightseeing

In the morning visit the Aina Mahal, commissioned by Rao Lakhpatji around 1750 and designed by Ram Singh Malam, a Kutchi craftsman who spent 18 years in Europe. Its Hall of Mirrors is the best-known room. Next door, the Prag Mahal is a 19th-century Italianate palace. Both keep their own hours, and parts are closed for restoration.

After lunch, drive about 58 km to Mandvi, a port town on the Gulf of Kutch. Mandvi is reported for its beach, its wooden shipbuilding yards and the Vijay Vilas Palace, a 20th-century summer palace of the Kutch rulers. Your guide confirms what is open. Spend the late afternoon on the beach and watch the sunset.

Note: Opening hours at palaces change. Your guide checks on the day and reorders the visits if needed.

The Human Story

Mandvi's shipwrights build wooden vessels by hand and by eye. Your guide can arrange a stop at a yard where work is going on.

Experience of the Day

• Hall of Mirrors at the Aina Mahal

• Prag Mahal

• Mandvi beach at sunset

• A shipbuilding yard, if work is going on

Food

Recommended: Seafood or a thali at a beachside restaurant in Mandvi.

Must-Try: Fresh grilled fish, or Kutchi dabeli.

Shopping

Mandvi for handicrafts and embroidered textiles.

Activities to Do

• Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal

• Drive to Mandvi

• Beach at sunset

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Kutch Museum in Bhuj (allow 1 hour)

Route: Mandvi to Jamnagar, about 310 km, 6 to 6.5 hours by road

Today you leave Kutch and cross into Saurashtra. The road runs east out of Kutch and then south-west across the top of the Saurashtra peninsula to Jamnagar. It is the longest drive in the west of the trip.

You arrive in the late afternoon. In the evening visit the Bala Hanuman Temple on the shore of Ranmal Lake. Devotees have chanted Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram here without a break since 1 August 1964, and the temple is in the Guinness Book of World Records for it.

Note: The Mandvi to Jamnagar distance is reported at 306 to 323 km depending on the route. Allow the full day.

Experience of the Day

• Drive out of Kutch

• Evening at Bala Hanuman Temple

Food

Recommended: A Kathiawadi thali in the city.

Must-Try: Jamnagar kachori.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Jamnagar

• Bala Hanuman Temple

Route: Jamnagar to Dwarka, about 141 km, 3 hours by road

Start at Lakhota Lake. Its island fort is reached by two causeways and holds a small museum of sculpture and antiquities. Jamnagar is also known for bandhani tie-dye, sold in the old-city bazaar.

The road to Dwarka runs west through flat coastal country. You reach the town in the early afternoon. In the evening walk to Gomti Ghat, where the river meets the sea, and watch the lamps come on around the Dwarkadhish Temple.

Note: Cameras and phones are not allowed inside the Dwarkadhish Temple and are left at a free counter. Sources differ on non-Hindu access to the inner sanctum, so your guide checks on the day.

Experience of the Day

• Lakhota Lake and island fort

• Bandhani bazaar

• Gomti Ghat at dusk

Food

Recommended: A vegetarian thali near the temple.

Must-Try: Fresh sugarcane juice on the drive.

Shopping

Jamnagar old city for bandhani scarves.

Activities to Do

• Lakhota Fort

• Bandhani market

• Gomti Ghat

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary near Jamnagar, October to March

Route: Dwarka, Nageshwar, Okha, Beyt Dwarka, about 80 km in all

Visit the Dwarkadhish Temple at first light, when queues are shortest. It is dedicated to Krishna, whom tradition places here as king of Dwarka.

After breakfast, go to Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, then on to Okha and across the Sudarshan Setu, a 2.32 km bridge opened on 25 February 2024, to Beyt Dwarka, the island where Krishna is said to have lived. Return for a free afternoon.

Note: Photography is restricted at Beyt Dwarka's shrines too. Your guide tells you where cameras and phones are allowed.

Experience of the Day

• Dawn darshan at Dwarkadhish Temple

• Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

• Sudarshan Setu and Beyt Dwarka

Food

Recommended: A Gujarati thali near the temple, vegetarian throughout.

Must-Try: Temple prasad, a small sweet.

Shopping

Shops near the temple for shell handicrafts.

Activities to Do

• Temple visit

• Nageshwar

• Beyt Dwarka

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Gopi Talav pond, about 20 km from Dwarka

Route: Dwarka, Porbandar, Somnath, about 233 km, 4.5 to 5 hours by road

The road follows the coast to Porbandar, where Mohandas Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869. Visit Kirti Mandir, the memorial beside the family's house, then continue to Somnath.

Somnath is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It has been raided and rebuilt many times, and the present temple was completed in 1951. It stands on the shore, and a pillar on the sea wall carries an inscription about the empty ocean south of this point. Return for the evening aarti.

Note: Phones and cameras are not allowed inside the Somnath complex. Dress modestly.

Experience of the Day

• Kirti Mandir

• Somnath Temple on the shore

• Evening aarti

Food

Recommended: A vegetarian thali in Somnath.

Must-Try: Fresh tender coconut water.

Activities to Do

• Kirti Mandir

• Somnath Temple

• Evening aarti

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth on the morning of Day 13

Route: Somnath to Sasan Gir, about 45 km, 1 hour by road

Attend the morning aarti, then drive an hour inland to Gir. Check in, have lunch and rest before the afternoon safari.

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

The safari is by open jeep with a licensed forest guide and driver. Occupants stay seated and the route is set by the permit. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Note: Gir is closed to safaris from 16 June to 15 October. Permits are released about 90 days ahead and sell out in winter, so they are booked as soon as dates are confirmed.

The Human Story

The Maldharis, a pastoral community, have lived in the forest for generations. Your naturalist explains how people and lions have shared the same ground.

Experience of the Day

• Morning aarti at Somnath

• Afternoon jeep safari

• Evening at the forest-edge lodge

Food

Recommended: A Kathiawadi thali at the lodge.

Must-Try: Bajra rotla with jaggery and ghee, and sev tameta.

Activities to Do

• Aarti

• Afternoon safari

• Naturalist talk

Optional Nearby Excursions

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

Route: Sasan Gir to Diu, about 100 km, 2.5 hours by road

The second safari starts at dawn, when the forest is cool and quiet and the big cats are most active. After breakfast, drive to Diu, arriving in the early afternoon.

Diu is an island town linked to the mainland by a bridge. The Portuguese held it from the 16th century until 1961, and it still has their fort, whitewashed houses and churches. Visit Diu Fort and St Paul's Church in the afternoon. Diu is a Union Territory with its own rules, and alcohol is legal here.

Experience of the Day

• Dawn safari in Gir

• Diu Fort and its sea walls

• St Paul's Church

Food

Recommended: A seafood restaurant in Diu.

Must-Try: Fish curry and rice.

Shopping

Seashell crafts in the old town.

Activities to Do

• Dawn safari

• Drive to Diu

• Diu Fort

Optional Nearby Excursions

• A sunset walk on the fort's western wall

Route: Diu local sightseeing, about 30 km in all

This is a rest day. Naida Caves, old quarry chambers with openings that let in shafts of light, are worth an hour. Nagoa Beach is a long curve of sand with calm water, and Ghoghla Beach is quieter. Panikotha, a small fort island off the coast, is reached by boat.

There is no fixed programme. Swim, sleep or walk through the old town.

Note: Alcohol bought in Diu cannot be taken into the rest of Gujarat.

Experience of the Day

• Naida Caves

• Nagoa Beach

• A quiet lunch by the water

Food

Recommended: A beach restaurant at Nagoa.

Must-Try: Grilled fish with Portuguese-style seasoning.

Shopping

Seashell handicrafts in the old town.

Activities to Do

• Naida Caves

• Beach time

• Panikotha by boat

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Panikotha island fort by boat (allow 2 hours)

Route: Diu to Palitana, about 168 km, 3.5 to 4 hours by road

Drive north-east along the coast to Palitana, a small town below Shatrunjaya Hill, the holiest site of the Shvetambara Jains. The temples on the hill are not open at night, and no one stays up there after dark, so the climb is done by day.

Spend the afternoon resting and, if you like, walk to the foot of the hill with your guide to see the start of the path. Your guide briefs you on the climb and on the rules at the top, including food and dress.

Note: Shatrunjaya is closed to devotees during the monsoon. Plan this trip for the dry season.

Experience of the Day

• Coast road drive

• First view of Shatrunjaya Hill

• Briefing on the climb

Food

Recommended: A Jain vegetarian meal in town.

Must-Try: Simple Gujarati thali.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Palitana

• Foot of the hill walk

• Climb briefing

Route: Shatrunjaya Hill, then Palitana to Kevadia, about 333 km, 6 to 6.5 hours by road

Climb Shatrunjaya at first light. The path has over 3,500 stone steps, and the complex has about 863 temples, of which about 108 are large. Construction began in the 11th century, the temples were damaged in later centuries and rebuilt from the 16th. The main temple honours Adinatha, the first Tirthankara. Food is not carried or eaten on the hill.

Allow the morning for the climb and descent. Carried chairs are reported as available for those who prefer not to walk all of it.

After the descent, drive to Kevadia, about 333 km. You arrive in the evening.

Note: This is the hardest day of the trip: a dawn climb followed by a six-hour drive. If you prefer, split it with a night in Ahmedabad (about 185 to 210 km from Palitana), which adds one night and one day.

Experience of the Day

• Dawn climb of Shatrunjaya

• Adinatha temple at the top

• Long drive across Gujarat

Food

Recommended: Breakfast at the hotel before the climb.

Must-Try: Light lunch on the road.

Activities to Do

• Shatrunjaya climb

• Drive to Kevadia

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Ahmedabad overnight instead of the direct drive, quoted separately

Route: Kevadia local, about 30 km

The Statue of Unity is 182 metres tall, opened on 31 October 2018 and is the tallest statue in the world. It honours Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of independent India. The viewing gallery is at 153 metres, and the complex is open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.

After the statue, the afternoon is free. Options include the Sardar Sarovar Dam viewpoint, the Valley of Flowers when it is in bloom, and a boat ride. In the evening a laser show runs on set days.

Note: The Statue of Unity is closed every Monday, including holidays. Departure dates are chosen so this day is not a Monday.

Experience of the Day

• The 153 m viewing gallery

• Sardar Sarovar Dam

• Evening laser show, when it runs

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your Kevadia hotel.

Must-Try: Gujarati thali.

Activities to Do

• Statue of Unity

• Dam viewpoint

• Free afternoon

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Valley of Flowers, when in bloom

• Boat ride on the Narmada

Route: Kevadia to Saputara, about 245 km, 5 hours by road

Drive south-east into the Dang district, where Gujarat meets the Western Ghats. Saputara sits on a plateau at about 1,000 m, with the Maharashtra border only about 4 km away. The road climbs through forest, and the air is cooler.

Check in, then walk to Saputara Lake. In the late afternoon, take the ropeway to Sunset Point.

Note: Kevadia to Saputara is reported at 239 to 248 km depending on the route.

Experience of the Day

• Forest road into the Dangs

• Saputara Lake

• Sunset Point by ropeway

Food

Recommended: Dinner at your hotel.

Must-Try: Local Dang dishes, when available.

Activities to Do

• Drive to Saputara

• Lake walk

• Sunset Point

Route: Saputara local, about 20 km

After nineteen days on the road, today is unscheduled. Saputara has a lake, a sunrise point, a small adventure park and a museum of tribal artefacts. The Dang district is home to Adivasi communities, and the museum is a good starting point for understanding them.

Gira Falls, about 52 km away, and Vansda National Park are optional half-day trips. Falls are strongest after the monsoon.

Note: Saputara is best from mid-March to mid-November, but it is cool and pleasant in winter too. Views can be hazy in the dry season.

Experience of the Day

• Sunrise Point

• Saputara Museum

• A slow afternoon by the lake

Food

Recommended: Lunch at a lakeside restaurant.

Must-Try: Local snacks and tea.

Activities to Do

• Sunrise Point

• Museum

• Lake

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Gira Falls, about 52 km each way

• Vansda National Park

Route: Saputara to Surat airport, about 160 km, 3.5 to 4 hours by road

Drive down to Surat, about 160 km. Surat airport is the nearest, at about 163 km, and connects to Mumbai and Delhi for international flights. Book onward flights after about 3:00 pm.

If you prefer to fly out of Mumbai, the drive is about 245 km via Nashik, an estimate that combines the Saputara to Nashik and Nashik to Mumbai segments. We can quote either.

Note: Distances from Saputara: Surat about 156 to 160 km, Nashik about 79 km.

Experience of the Day

• Descent from the Dangs

• Transfer to Surat airport

Food

Recommended: Breakfast at your hotel.

Must-Try: Light lunch at the airport.

Activities to Do

• Transfer to Surat airport

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Mumbai departure by road via Nashik, quoted separately