Glorious Gujarat

Start point atA - Ahmedabad Airport (AMD),Ahmedabad, GJ

End point atP - Ahmedabad Airport (AMD),Ahmedabad, GJ

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Day : 1 - Statue of Unity

Halt C2 - Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -158 Kms.

Activities - Visit Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara

Factors at the Halt include :

Night stay at D3 - Surat, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -125 Kms.

Hotel - Vetro inn

Star Rating of Hotel :

Halt D3 - Surat, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -125 Kms.

Activities - City tour Surat

Factors at the Halt include :

Day 1 try and make it in an early flight to Ahmedabad so that we have enough time at hand for this packed day. After picking you up from the airport we shall head on to Vadodara, the second largest city in Gujarat which should take us just about 2 hours. We shall go into the Vadodara city and visit a beautiful palace in the city called Lakshi Vilas Palace. The Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, was constructed by the Gaekwad family, a prominent Maratha family, who ruled the Baroda State. Major Charles Mant was credited to be the main architect of the palace. Lakshmi Vilas Palace was styled on the Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture, built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890 at a whopping cost of £180,000 at that time. It is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built until that time, and four times the size of Buckingham Palace. At the time of construction, it boasted the most modern amenities such as elevators and the interior is reminiscent of a large European country house. It remains the residence of the royal family, who continue to be held in high esteem by the residents of Baroda. The Palace compound is of over 500 acres and houses a number of buildings, particularly the LVP Banquets & Conventions, Moti Bagh Palace and the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum building. After visiting the palace we shall head to view the only marvel in this trip, the statue of Unity. The statue of Unity is the worlds tallest statue at a height of 182 metres (597 feet). The Statue of Unity is a colossal statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1951), who was highly respected for his leadership in uniting 562 princely states of India after independence of the country and making it the current India. We can enjoy the amazing views of the plains below from the observation deck of the statue. After visiting Statue of Unity we shall head to Surat, which is the commercial capital of Gujarat state. We can hope to reach Surat by about 6 PM latest. We can have a little city tour and stay back in this city for the day.

Media and additional information available for the day's itinerary.

Lakshmi Vilas Palace
Lakshmi Vilas Palace
Lakshmi Vilas Palace
Lakshmi Vilas Palace Interiors
Lakshmi Vilas Palace night view
Statue of Unity Views
Statue of Unity Views

Statue of Unity Aerial View
Surat City Views
Surat City Views
Surat City Views
Surat City Views
Surat City Views

Day : 2 - A ferry ride to Bhavnagar

Halt F2 - Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -96 Kms.

Activities - City tour Bhavnagar

Factors at the Halt include :

This is an exciting day as we are going to go on a 4 hour cruise, on a ferry to the Saurashtra coast of Gogha in Bhavnagar from the Hazira port of Surat, which is in Southern Gujarat. The ferry ride takes about 4 hours to reach Gogha, Bhavnagar. The Ferry starts at 8 AM from Hazira and hence we will have to start quite early to make it to the ferry by 8 AM. We expect to reach Bhavnagar shortly after 12 and to Bhavnagar city by 1 PM. Rangoli restaurant in Bhavnagar is very famous for its delicacies and we shall head to Rasoi to give you a share of that experience. After that we shall tour the city a bit and check into our hotels early for you to relax for the rest of the day after having started so quite early this day.

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Ro-Pax Ferry from Hazira to Gogha
Ro Pax Ferry
Ferry Interiors
Ferry Interiors
Bhavnagar city views
Bhavnagar city views
Bhavnagar city views

Day : 3 - The Gir Forest

Halt G1 - Palitana, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -42 Kms.

Activities - Visit Palitana and Hasthgiri Jain Theerth Temples

Factors at the Halt include : Spiritual,Cultural / History.

Night stay at H2 - Gir Forest Gujarat, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -153 Kms.

Hotel - Gir Pride

Star Rating of Hotel :

Halt H2 - Gir Forest Gujarat, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -153 Kms.

Activities - Gir Wildlife safari

Factors at the Halt include : Forests,Wildlife.

On day 3 we shall leave from Bhavnagar and head west and our first destination would be the spectacular Jain temple complex at Palitana. The Palitana temples of Jainism are located on Shatrunjaya hill by the city of Palitana in Bhavnagar district. The city of the same name, known previously as Padliptapur, has been dubbed "City of Temples". This site on Shatrunjaya hill is considered sacred by Svetambara Jains. It is said that 23 of 24 Jain Tirthankaras, except Neminatha, sanctified the hill by their visits. There are approximately 863 marble-carved temples on the hills spread mostly in nine clusters, some being vast temple complexes, while most small in size. The main temple is dedicated to Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara; it is the holiest shrine for the Svetambara Murtipujaka sect. The main temple is reached by stepping up 3500 steps. After visiting the Palitana temple hills we shall head to Gir National park which would be slightly more than 4 hours drive. The Gir national park has a total area of 1,412 km2, of which 258 km2 is fully protected as national park and 1,153 km2 (445 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary. Gir is the only home in Asia for the native Asiatic Lions, which makes it a very special national park. At Gir we shall go on a Jungle safari hoping to view the Asiatic Lions. After the safari we shall check into a forest resort set inside the wild life sanctuary itself.

Media and additional information available for the day's itinerary.

The Palitana Temple Complex
The Palitana Temple Complex
Hastagiri Temple in Palitana
The Palitana Temple Complex
The Palitana Temple Complex
Gir Forest
Gir Forest
Gir Forest
Gir Forest
Gir Forest

Day : 4 - A Day in Diu

Night stay at I1 - Diu, Diu, India
Distance from days start -52 Kms.

Hotel - Hotel Apana

Star Rating of Hotel :

Halt I1 - Diu, Diu, India
Distance from days start -52 Kms.

Activities - Watersports at Nagoa Beach, Visit Diu Fort, Visit Khukri Memorial

Factors at the Halt include : Beach,Watersports.

The 4 th day of the trip is spend entirely in Diu. Diu is just about 2 hours drive from Gir National park and hence we expect to reach Diu well before lunch time. Diu is a union territory which does not come under the administration of Gujarat state though it technically falls well with in the state of Gujarat. Diu was was in possession of the Portuguese from 1535 until 1961. Once it became part of the Indian Union it was declared a Union territory along with Daman which falls in south Gujarat. The town still retains the old world charm that is typical of the Portuguese colonies like Goa. Daman and Diu is particularly popular as a tourist destination in Gujarat mainly for 2 reasons the first one being its lovely beaches and the second reason being that alcohol is freely available and cheap in the union territory unlike the other parts of Gujarat where it is not available. So weekends particularly gets very busy with tourists from Gujarat itself coming to have a good time and weekend at Diu. At Diu we shall first check into our hotel to settle into sea facing rooms. In the afternoon we can set out for the visiting the sights of Diu the first one being the Diu fort. Diu fort is an imposing structure opening out to the mighty Arabian sea. After visiting the fort we can visit a war memorial museum over a war ship INS Khukri of the Indian Navy. She was sunk off the coast of Diu, by the Pakistan Navy submarine Hangor on 9 December 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. In the unfortunate incident 18 officers and 176 sailors were reported dead. The memorial is in the memory of them. After visiting the war memorial we shall head to the popular Nagoya beach for some watersports activity and boating into the sea. After that we shall retire to the rooms.

Media and additional information available for the day's itinerary.

Diu Fort
Diu Fort
Diu Fort
Diu fort section set in the sea
INS Khukri Memorial
INS Khukri Memorial
INS Khukri Memorial
Nagoa Beach
Nagoa Beach
Water sports and Activities at Nagoa Beach

Day : 5 - Somnath And Dwarka

Halt J1 - Somnath Temple, Gujarat State Highway 110, Amrapur, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -64 Kms.

Activities - Visit Somnath Temple

Factors at the Halt include : Spiritual.

Halt K2 - Porbandar, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -175 Kms.

Activities - Visit Mahatma Gandhis Birthplace

Factors at the Halt include : Cultural / History.

Halt L3 - Dwarka, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -269 Kms.

Activities - Visit Dwarka Temple

Factors at the Halt include : Beach,Spiritual,Cultural / History.

Day 5 is probably the most important on a religious angle. Because on this day we are going to set on a long drive starting from Diu driving through the Saurashtra coast to the extreme end of it Dwarka. It is a 350 km drive which should take 6 hours of normal driving to cover. En route we come across 2 of the most significant temples for Hindus, which are Somnath and Dwarkadhish. So our first stop would be at Somnath temple which is about 85 kms or 2 hours away from Diu. It is believed to be the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by several Muslim invaders and rulers. The present temple was reconstructed in the Chaulukya style of Hindu temple architecture and completed in May 1951. The temple is considered sacred due to the various legends connected to it. Somnath means "Lord of the Soma", an epithet of Lord Shiva. The Somnath temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal". After visiting Somnath we further head north and stop by at Porbander city, which was the birthplace of Mahathma Gandhi. In Porbandar we will visit Mahathma Gandhis ancestral home, which has been turned into a museum now, to get more insights into the great mans life and principles. Another 1.5 hours drive from Porabandar will take us to Dwarka, where the famous Dwarkadhish temple is situated. The Dwarkadhish temple, is dedicated to the god Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish, or 'King of Dwarka'. The temple is is one of the destinations of Char Dham, a Hindu pilgrimage circuit. The main shrine of the five-storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. Archaeological findings suggest it to be 2,000 - 2,200 years old. The temple was enlarged in the 15th- 16th century. According to the legend, Dwarka was built on a piece of land by Krishna that was reclaimed from the sea. Sage Durvasa once visited Krishna and his wife Rukmini. The sage wished that the pair took him to their palace. The pair readily agreed and started walking with the sage to their palace. After some distance, Rukmini got tired and she requested some water from Krishna. Krishna dug a mythical hole that brought in river Ganga to the place. Sage Durvasa was furious and cursed Rukmini to remain in the place. The temple where Rukmini's shrine is found, is believed to the place where she stood. After visiting the temple we shall retire to a hotel room that presents unlimited view of the vast Arabian sea in front.

Media and additional information available for the day's itinerary.

Somnath Temple
Somnath Temple Aerial view
Somnath Temple
Mahathma Gandhis Birth Place
Mahathma Gandhis house now a museum
Mahathma Gandhis Birth Place
Dwarka Beach
Dwarkadheesh temple from the beach
Dwarkadish temple
Dwarkadish temple
Dwarkadish temple

Day : 6 - Jamnagar and Rajkot

Halt M1 - Jamnagar, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -114 Kms.

Activities - Jamnagar city tour, lunch at Brahmania, Jain Vijay Farsan Food experience

Factors at the Halt include : Cultural / History,Iconic Food Outlets.

Halt N2 - Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -189 Kms.

Activities - Rajkot City tour, TGT restaurant food experience

Factors at the Halt include : Shopping,Iconic Food Outlets.

On Day 6 we shall head back towards Rajkot through Jamnagar a famous city in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Jam nagar is famous for its food, and we should be passing it by about lunch time so we can explore a few iconic places in Jamnagar when it comes to food. For lunch we shall go to the famous restaurant called 'Brahmaniya' which is famous for Gujarati style meals. After lunch we can visit the Jain Vijay Farsan famous for its Kachoris and short snacks and Namkeen. From Jamnagar we shall head to Rajkot the biggest city in the Saurashtra region. We can do a small city tour and then check into the hotel. In the evening we can go to the iconic restaurant called' TGT' or 'The grat Thakkar' for a genuine Gujarathi style meal.

Media and additional information available for the day's itinerary.

Jamnagar city
Jain Vijay Farsan Kachori and Namkeens
Gujarati thali at Brahmaniya
Rajkot city
Rajkot city
Rajkot city
The Grand Thakar restaurant
Thali at TGT
Rajkot Aerial View

Day : 7 - Ahmedabad city

Halt O1 - Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Distance from days start -198 Kms.

Activities - Visit Bai Harir Vav stepwell, Sabarmathi Ashram, Adlaj Stepwell, Akshardham temple complex, Gandhinagar city tour

Factors at the Halt include : Rivers / Lakes,Shopping,Spiritual,Cultural / History.

On Day 7 we shall leave from Rajkot to Ahmedabad which should take us about 4.5 hours. Once in Ahmedabad we can do city tour with what ever time we have at hand. The monuments of Ahmedabad city are many and we shall begin with visiting the Harir Vav stepwell. This step-well holds immense significance in the history of the area, as it provided water during long, dry seasons. Built in several storeys, beautiful picture carvings and texts in Sanskrit, as well as Arab script, adorn the walls. Our second stop for the day would be the Sabarmathi Ashram, the memorial of the great Mahathma Gandhi where he spend most of his life. The ashram is now a museum and open for visitors to view and understand the life of Gandhiji better. After that we shall visit the most famous of the stepwells, The Adalaj vav in Gandhinagar, which is the twin city of Ahmedabad and the capital of Gujarat state. Not just a water step-well, the Adalaj Vav in Gandhinagar was built in 1499 by Queen Rudabai, Vaghela Chief Veersinh’s wife as a water reservoir and a spiritual refuge. People visited Adalaj to fill water and offer prayers to the carvings of deities on the walls. An interesting aspect of this octagonal well is that it only allows light to touch the flight of steps only briefly for some time in the noon, through the small opening in the ceiling, making the temperature six degrees cooler than what’s on the outside. Designed in Indo-Islamic architecture, there are intricate floral designs on the walls beautifully merging with the Jain and Hindu symbolism. Particularly intriguing for visitors is the Kalp Vriksha carved out of a single slab of stone. Next we move on to visit the spectacular Akshardham temple. Swaminarayan Akshardham at Gandhinagar is a temple as well as a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, education and unification. Timeless devotional messages and vibrant Hindu traditions are echoed in its art and architecture. The architecture and the structure of this temple is is a marvel. We shall also have a city tour of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat. Gandhinagar is a well planned beautiful city. After a short tour of Gandhinagr we shall wind up our tour for the day and return to our hotel for that well deserved rest after a packed day like this.

Media and additional information available for the day's itinerary.

Ahmedabad city views
Ahmedabad city views
Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram
Akshardham temple
Gandhinagar city
Gandhinagar city
Gandhinagar city views
Dada Harir Vav Stepwell
Dada Harir Vav Stepwell
Dada Harir Vav Stepwell
Dada Harir Vav Stepwell
Adalaj Vav Stepwell
Adalaj Vav Stepwell
Adalaj Vav Stepwell
Adalaj Vav Stepwell
The Akshardham Campus
The Akshardham temple

Day : 8 - The last day of the trip

The last day in the city can be utilized for your shopping and further city tour. Street shopping is preferred by shoppers more and popular shopping categories include garments, Ornaments, jewellery and Accessories for women. Also Mukhvas and namkeen is among the popular shopping list item in Ahmedabad. When its time for your flight we shall head to the airport.