Gujarat · 6 days / 5 nights
A sample six-day route that joins two of Gujarat's great temple towns with the lions of Gir. You start at Jamnagar or Rajkot, spend two nights in Dwarka, stop in Porbandar, see the evening aarti at Somnath and end with two safaris from Sasan Gir. Every day can be changed.
Highlights
Day by day
A sample plan — every day can be changed.
Jamnagar → Dwarka · about 140 km, 2.5–3 hours (from Rajkot airport, about 255 km, 5 hours)
You're met at Jamnagar or Rajkot and driven west to Dwarka. After checking in, walk down to Gomti Ghat and join the evening darshan (seeing the deity) and aarti (a prayer ritual with lamps) at the Dwarkadhish temple.
Overnight: Dwarka
Dwarka → Okha and Bet Dwarka → Dwarka · about 75 km in all, with stops
After morning darshan, drive towards Okha, stopping at Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, and cross the Sudarshan Setu to Bet Dwarka. On the way back, visit the Rukmini Devi temple, and end the day with sunset by the lighthouse and the Bhadkeshwar Mahadev shrine on the rocks.
Overnight: Dwarka
Dwarka → Porbandar → Somnath · about 235 km, 5–6 hours
Drive down the coast to Porbandar for Kirti Mandir, the memorial beside the house where Gandhi was born, and Sudama Mandir, the temple of Krishna's childhood friend. Continue to Somnath, arriving in time for the evening aarti, usually at 7 pm, and the light and sound show that follows.
Overnight: Somnath
Somnath → Sasan Gir · about 45 km, 1 hour
Return to the temple for morning darshan, then see the Triveni Sangam, the Gita Mandir at Dehotsarg and Bhalka Tirth, the tirths (sacred sites) linked to Krishna's last days. Drive to Sasan Gir after lunch; in the late afternoon you can visit Devalia Safari Park (closed on Wednesdays) or rest.
Overnight: Sasan Gir
Set out early from Sinh Sadan, the forest department's reception, for a jeep safari with a forest guide while the forest is cool. Rest through the middle of the day and go out again in the afternoon. Sightings are never certain, which is why this trip includes two safaris.
Overnight: Sasan Gir
Sasan Gir → Rajkot · about 160 km, 3.5–4 hours (about 30 km more to the airport at Hirasar)
Drive to Rajkot for your flight or train. If time allows, stop in Junagadh, about an hour from Sasan, for the Uparkot fort and the rock inscribed with Ashoka's edicts.
What's in the price
Usually included
Not included
Your quote lists exactly what is included for your dates and hotels.
Best time to go
Mid-October to March is the most comfortable. Gir's safaris close from 16 June to 15 October, so the full route runs between mid-October and mid-June.
Good to know
Safari permits are sold on the forest department's official website, usually from about three months ahead, and weekends and holidays sell out. They are issued in each traveller's name, and the same photo ID is checked at Sinh Sadan.
Phones, cameras and bags are not allowed inside the Dwarkadhish and Somnath temples, and Dwarkadhish closes for a few hours in the afternoon. Dress modestly; shoes are left outside.
Janmashtami at Dwarka, and Shravan and Maha Shivratri at Somnath, bring very large crowds. If you want to be there for them, book well ahead; if not, travel on other dates.
Questions
Six days is a comfortable length for Dwarka, Somnath and Gir: two nights in Dwarka, one in Somnath and two at Sasan Gir for two safaris. Five days is possible with one night at Gir and a single safari.
The Dwarka, Somnath and Gir tour usually starts at Jamnagar, the nearest airport to Dwarka, or at Rajkot, and ends at Rajkot. It can also start or end in Ahmedabad, about 450 km from Dwarka, with an extra day.
No. Gir is the only wild home of the Asiatic lion, but no safari can guarantee a sighting. The Dwarka, Somnath and Gir tour includes two safaris to improve your chances, and Devalia Safari Park can be added.
Dwarka and Somnath can be visited in the monsoon, but Gir National Park's safaris are closed from 16 June to 15 October. In those months the tour can include Devalia Safari Park, which usually stays open, or leave out Gir.
Yes, with some planning. The Dwarka, Somnath and Gir tour has temple queues and steps, safaris in open jeeps on rough tracks and one driving day of 5–6 hours, and we can add rest stops and choose hotels close to the temples.
Also consider
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Jaipur
Two days from Jaipur by private car for darshan at Khatu Shyam ji and Salasar Balaji, with one night in Salasar.
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