2 NIGHTS 3 DAYS · SOMNATH & DWARKA

Somnath & Dwarka — Three Days, No Gaps

Two of Saurashtra’s holiest sites — Shiva’s first Jyotirlinga and Krishna’s sacred kingdom — in three comfortable days.

What This Circuit Covers

Three Days, Two Sacred Cities

Day 1 settles you into Somnath. Day 2 starts with the morning aarti then takes you to Dwarka. Day 3 is Bet Dwarka island before you depart.

Day 1 · Somnath

Arrive & Evening Programme

Arrive, check in, visit Somnath Corridor in the afternoon. Evening darshan, Sandhya Aarti at 7 PM, Light & Sound Show.

Sandhya

L&S Show

Day 2 · Somnath → Dwarka

Morning Aarti · Drive · Dwarka Evening

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas, 16 km from Dwarka on the road to Bet Dwarka. Falls naturally on the route — most pilgrims combine it with Bet Dwarka on the same morning. Free darshan, no crowds.

16 km from Dwarka

Free Entry

Day 3 · Dwarka

Morning Aarti · Bet Dwarka · Depart

Krishna’s residential island — separate from the main temple city. Reachable by ferry from Okha (30 km) or directly via the Sudarshan Setu bridge. The island has its own temple, the unique Dandi Hanuman shrine, and a completely different atmosphere from mainland Dwarka.

Bet Dwarka

Sudarshan Setu

Key Places on This Circuit

At a Glance

Two cities, one drive. Everything you need to know before planning your stops.

Somnath Parking is the reference point for Somnath stops. Dwarka city centre is the reference for Dwarka stops. The drive between them is ~235 km on NH927 — roughly 4.5 hours including a short break.

Somnath Temple Campus

The Jyotirlinga shrine, the ancient ruins, and the evening show — all within the same campus, no separate trips needed

📍 At Parking

🚶 Walk
Free Darshan

Somnath Temple — Main Jyotirlinga darshan

⏱ 1 Hour

Free

Old Somnath Temple — Ancient ruins, within campus

⏱ 20 Min

Free

Light & Sound Show — Sea-facing, rear wall of campus

⏱ 45 Min

Ticketed

Somnath Corridor

Large landscaped area beside the parking — covers multiple sacred spots in one walk

📍 Beside Parking

Walk

1-2 Hours

Free

Bhalka Tirth

Sacred spot where Lord Krishna left the earth — 4 km from Somnath Parking

📍 4 km from Parking

Auto / Car

30 Min

Free

Dwarkadhish Temple

Char Dham shrine — walking distance from all Dwarka hotels

📍 Dwarka City Centre

🚶 Walk

1–2 Hours

Free Darshan

Bet Dwarka Island

Drive via Sudarshan Setu bridge (2024) — then auto from island parking to cover all three stops

📍 30 km to Okha · Bridge to island

⏱ 3–4 Hours total

🚗 Car to bridge
Free Darshan

Auto from parking — Share auto covers all three stops on the island

₹100/person

Dwarkadhish Temple (Island) — Main Krishna temple on Bet Dwarka

Free

Dandi Hanuman (Hanuman Dandi) — Unique temple with Hanuman and son Makardhwaja

Free

Chorasi Dhuna —Sacred dhuni site with 84 chulhas burning continuously

Free

Share this itinerary with your travel group before you leave

Complete Day by Day Plan

The Full Itinerary

Arrive comfortably on Day 1 afternoon. Leave Somnath after Mangala Aarti on Day 2 to reach Dwarka by evening.

Day 1 — Somnath · Arrive & Evening

Afternoon

2:00 PM

Arrive Somnath · Check-in · Lunch

Arrive, check in, and have a proper lunch near the temple market before the evening starts. Don’t rush — the full evening programme begins at 4 PM.

Rest before evening

4:00 PM

Somnath Corridor

Walk directly from the parking into the Somnath Corridor — Geeta Mandir campus, Triveni Sangam where three rivers meet the sea, Ram Mandir, and the scenic coastal walkway.

1-2 Hours

Evening

6:30 PM

Temple Darshan + Old Somnath

Enter the main temple. Deposit phone at the locker (free, 5 min). Darshan, then walk through the Old Somnath ruins within the same campus. Buy your Light & Sound Show ticket before the aarti begins.

Free Darshan

No phones inside

7:00 PM

Sandhya Aarti ⭐

The illuminated temple against the darkening Arabian Sea — bells, incense, collective devotion. Arrive 15 minutes early. Most pilgrims say this is the single most memorable moment of the entire circuit.

Sandhya Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

8:00 PM

Light & Sound Show

Rear wall of the temple complex, facing the sea. 45 minutes. 1,000 years of Somnath’s history — the invasions and the rebuilding each time. Buy tickets at the gate before the aarti.

Ticketed · ₹50–100

9:30 PM

Dinner · Rest

The market near the temple is lively after the show. Early night — Mangala Aarti is at 7 AM tomorrow and you have a 235 km drive ahead.

Food

Day 2 — Somnath Morning · Drive · Dwarka Evening

Morning Aarti - Somnath

7:00 AM

Mangala Aarti ⭐

The morning aarti at Somnath — quiet, cool, no crowds. A completely different atmosphere from last night. Arrive 10 minutes early. This is Somnath at its most peaceful.

Mangala Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

8:00 AM

Full Temple Darshan + Breakfast

Unhurried darshan after the aarti, then breakfast at the temple market — Gujarati thali, chai. Pack up at the hotel and keep bags ready.

Free Darshan

Breakfast

Day 2 Circuit

9:30 AM

Bhalka Tirth

4 km from the parking, 15 minutes by auto. The sacred spot where Lord Krishna was struck by a hunter’s arrow and departed earthly life. Small, moving, rarely crowded. 30 minutes is enough — you have a long drive ahead.

Free Entry

4 km Auto

10:30 AM

Checkout · Start Drive to Dwarka

Collect bags, check out, and get on the road by 10:30–11 AM. The drive is ~235 km on NH927 — 4.5 to 5 hours depending on pace. The Chorwad coastal stretch around noon is beautiful. Optional stop: Porbandar (Gandhi’s birthplace), ~110 km from Somnath — adds about 30 minutes.

~235 km · NH927

Optional: Porbandar stop

Evening — Dwarka

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Arrive Dwarka · Check-in

Check in to your hotel — most are walking distance from the Dwarkadhish temple. Freshen up. The temple evening session opens at 5 PM.

Temple opens 5 PM

5:30 PM

Dwarkadhish Temple — First Darshan

One of the four Char Dhams — a five-storey temple rising on 72 carved pillars. Photography not allowed inside. The darshan queue in the evening can take 30–45 minutes. Enter through Swarga Dwar (north gate). Spend time in front of the idol before the aarti.

No photography inside

7:30 PM

Sandhya Aarti at Dwarkadhish ⭐

More elaborate and ceremonial than Somnath’s — reflecting Krishna’s royal status as King of Dwarka. Arrive inside the complex 15 minutes early. The contrast with Somnath’s aarti is one of the most memorable parts of this circuit.

Sandhya Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

8:30 PM

Gomti Ghat · Dinner · Rest

After the aarti, walk to Gomti Ghat — float a diya if you wish. A simple, peaceful ritual before dinner. Early night — 6 AM Mangala Aarti tomorrow.

Dinner

Day 3 — Dwarka · Bet Dwarka · Depart

Morning Aarti

6:30 AM

Mangala Aarti at Dwarkadhish ⭐

The morning aarti at Dwarkadhish — the temple at dawn, far fewer people, intimate and unhurried. Arrive by 5:45 AM. The contrast with last night’s Sandhya Aarti is striking. Most pilgrims say the morning aarti is the more moving of the two.

Mangala Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

7:30 AM

Rukmini Devi Temple + Breakfast

2 km from the main temple by auto. Krishna’s consort Rukmini’s temple — beautifully carved, less crowded. 30 minutes. Then breakfast before the Bet Dwarka drive.

Free Darshan

Breakfast

9:00 AM

Drive to Bet Dwarka via Sudarshan Setu

~30 km to Okha, then across the Sudarshan Setu bridge (inaugurated 2024) — a 2.3 km cable-stayed bridge over the sea connecting directly to Bet Dwarka island. Park at the island parking lot. From there, take a share auto (₹100/person) to cover all three stops.

Sudarshan Setu Bridge

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Bet Dwarka — Three Stops by Auto

Dwarkadhish Temple (Island) — smaller and more intimate than the mainland temple; rice is the traditional offering connecting to Sudama’s visit. Dandi Hanuman — the only temple where Hanuman’s son Makardhwaja is worshipped alongside him. Chorasi Dhuna — 84 sacred fires burning continuously, ancient and deeply atmospheric. Temple timings: 9 AM–1 PM · 3–6 PM.

All Three Stops

Afternoon · Depart

1:30 PM

Return to Dwarka · Lunch

Check in to your hotel — most are walking distance from the Dwarkadhish temple. Freshen up. The temple evening session opens at 5 PM.

Lunch

3:30 PM

Depart

Rajkot is 220 km (3.5 hrs). Ahmedabad is 450 km (6 hrs). If you have flexibility — Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is just 16 km from Dwarka and falls naturally on the Rajkot route. Worth 45 minutes.

Rajkot 220 km · Ahmedabad 450 km

Drive tip: Leave Somnath by 10–10:30 AM on Day 2 to reach Dwarka comfortably before the evening session. The Chorwad coastal stretch on NH927 around midday is stunning — keep a stop ready. If you have flexibility, add Nageshwar Jyotirlinga (16 km from Dwarka) on Day 3 morning before Bet Dwarka — it completes the Shiva circuit neatly.

📍 Distance at a Glance