3 Nights · 4 Days – Somnath
Somnath & Dwarka Extended
The complete Somnath–Dwarka circuit done right
The Extra Night Changes Everything
The 3-day circuit covers Somnath in one night. The 4-day gives you two nights — meaning
you can attend all three aartis at Somnath, do Nageshwar as a dedicated stop, and
still reach Dwarka without rushing.
Arrive & Sandhya Aarti
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Sandhya Aarti
All 3 Aartis + Sacred Sites
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All 3 Aartis
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Full Day
Porbandar Stop · Arrive Dwarka
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Porbandar
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Dwarkadhish
Nageshwar · Bet Dwarka · Depart
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Bet Dwarka
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
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📍 At Parking
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🚶 Walk
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Free Darshan
Somnath Temple — Main Jyotirlinga darshan
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⏱ 1 Hour
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Free
Old Somnath Temple — Ancient ruins, within campus
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⏱ 20 Min
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Free
Light & Sound Show — Sea-facing, rear wall of campus
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⏱ 45 Min
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Ticketed
Somnath Corridor
Large landscaped area beside the parking — covers multiple sacred spots in one walk
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📍 Beside Parking
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Walk
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1-2 Hours
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Free
Bhalka Tirth
Sacred spot where Lord Krishna left the earth — 4 km from Somnath Parking
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📍 4 km from Parking
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Auto / Car
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30 Min
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Free
Dwarkadhish Temple
Char Dham shrine — walking distance from all Dwarka hotels
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📍 Dwarka City Centre
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🚶 Walk
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1–2 Hours
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Free Darshan
Bet Dwarka Island
Drive via Sudarshan Setu bridge (2024) — then auto from island parking to cover all three stops
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📍 30 km to Okha · Bridge to island
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⏱ 3–4 Hours total
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Free Darshan
Auto from parking — Share auto covers all three stops on the island
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₹100/person
Dwarkadhish Temple (Island) — Main Krishna temple on Bet Dwarka
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Free
Dandi Hanuman (Hanuman Dandi) — Unique temple with Hanuman and son Makardhwaja
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Free
Chorasi Dhuna —Sacred dhuni site with 84 chulhas burning continuously
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Free
Share this itinerary with your travel group before you leave
Complete Day by Day Plan
The Full Itinerary
Two nights in Somnath lets you attend all three aartis without any rush. Drive to Dwarka on Day 3 via Porbandar. Day 4 is Nageshwar + Bet Dwarka before departing.
Day 1 — Somnath · Arrive & Evening
Arrive Somnath · Check-in · Lunch
Arrive and settle in. Lunch near the temple market. With two nights here, there is no pressure to rush — the afternoon programme starts at 4 PM.
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2 nights in Somnath
Somnath Corridor
Walk from the parking into the Somnath Corridor — Geeta Mandir campus, Triveni Sangam (three rivers meeting the sea), Ram Mandir, and the scenic coastal walkway. The late afternoon light here is exceptional. Budget 1.5–2 hours.
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Free Entry
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Walk from parking
Temple Darshan
First darshan at Somnath. Deposit phone at the locker (free). See the temple, walk through Old Somnath ruins within the campus. Buy the Light & Sound Show ticket before the aarti.
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Free Entry
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No phone inside
Sandhya Aarti ⭐
The temple lit against the Arabian Sea. Arrive 15 minutes early. The first of three aartis you will attend across the two days — each one distinct in mood and crowd.
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Aarti
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Don't Miss
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Free
Light & Sound Show ( Closed During Monsoon Season)
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Ticketed · ₹50–100
Dinner
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Food
Day 2 — Full Somnath · All 3 Aartis
Mangala Aarti ⭐
The morning aarti — cool, quiet, the fewest people of any session. The temple in early light is completely different from the evening. Arrive by 6:45 AM. This is aarti number two of three.
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Aarti
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Don't Miss
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Free
Full Darshan + Breakfast
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Free Darshan
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Breakfast
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, deeply moving, rarely crowded at this hour. 30 minutes is enough.
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4 km by Auto
Gita Mandir & Museum
All 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita inscribed on marble pillars — a rare and quiet place for reflection. The adjacent museum is small but has good historical artefacts about Somnath. Allow 45 minutes total.
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Free Entry
Madhyahna Aarti ⭐
The midday aarti — the least attended of the three, which makes it the most intimate. You are now one of the rare visitors to have experienced all three Somnath aartis. The crowd thins completely by 12:30 PM.
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Aarti
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Rare Experience
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Free
Lunch & Rest
Full Gujarati thali near the market. Rest during the hottest part of the afternoon — you’ll want the energy for the evening. The stretch between 1–4 PM is genuinely uncomfortable outdoors in most months.
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Lunch
Veraval Port (Optional)
India’s largest fishing port — 7 km from Somnath. A vivid, lively contrast to the temple atmosphere. Trawlers returning, the catch being sorted, the smell of the sea. Purely local and unscripted. Skip if you prefer more rest before the evening.
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Optional
Final Evening Darshan
A quieter, more personal darshan — without the aarti pressure. Take your time. This is the last time you’ll be in Somnath temple on this trip. Tomorrow you drive north.
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Free Darshan
Day 3 — Drive · Porbandar · Arrive Dwarka
Checkout · Drive North on NH927
Later start today — no early aarti required. Check out, load the car, and get on NH927 heading north. The coastal stretches around Chorwad and Madhavpur are scenic in the morning.
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🚗 NH927 North
Porbandar — Kirti Mandir ⭐
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Free Entry
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~115 km from Somnath
Lunch in Porbandar
Good Kathiyawadi thali options in Porbandar town. Then continue the remaining ~110 km to Dwarka — about 2 hours from here.
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Kathiyawadi Thali
Arrive Dwarka · Check-in
Dwarka is compact — most hotels are walking distance from Dwarkadhish temple. Check in and freshen up. The temple evening session opens at 5 PM.
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1 night in Dwarka
Dwarkadhish Temple — First Darshan
One of the four Char Dhams — a five-storey temple on 72 carved pillars. No phones inside (lockers at entrance). Enter through Swarga Dwar. Watch for the flag ceremony — it’s raised and lowered five times daily including at sunset.
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📵 No phones · 🚩 Flag Ceremony
Sandhya Aarti at Dwarkadhish ⭐
More elaborate and ceremonial than Somnath — reflecting Krishna’s royal status as King of Dwarka. Having attended Somnath’s Sandhya Aarti on Day 1, the contrast in style and mood is striking. Arrive inside the complex 15 minutes early.
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Sandhya Aarti
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Rare Experience
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Free
Gomti Ghat · Dinner
Walk to Gomti Ghat after the aarti — float a diya at the sacred ghat where Gomti river meets the sea. Dinner nearby. Early night — 6:30 AM Mangala Aarti tomorrow.
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Dinner
Day 4 — Nageshwar · Bet Dwarka · Depart
Mangala Aarti at Dwarkadhish ⭐
The morning aarti — intimate, quiet, the temple at dawn. Arrive by 6:15 AM. Far fewer people than the evening. The contrast with last night’s Sandhya Aarti is significant — both are worth attending.
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Free Entry
Rukmini Devi Temple + Breakfast
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Free Entry
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Breakfast
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga ⭐
16 km from Dwarka — 30 minutes by car. Nageshwar is the 12th of India’s 12 Jyotirlingas (Shiva temples of supreme sanctity). A large, imposing complex with a massive Shiva statue at the entrance. The darshan queue is typically short without a long wait. Budget 45 minutes. En route to Bet Dwarka, so no backtracking required.
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12th Jyotirlinga
Drive to Bet Dwarka via Sudarshan Setu
Continue from Nageshwar toward Okha (about 22 km). Drive 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. Take a share auto (₹100/person) from there.
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🌉 Sudarshan Setu Bridge
Bet Dwarka — Three Stops by Auto
Dwarkadhish Temple (Island) — smaller 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 atmospheric. Temple timings: 9 AM–1 PM · 3–6 PM.
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All Three Stops
Return to Dwarka · Lunch
Drive back from Bet Dwarka (~1 hour). Final lunch in Dwarka. Quick walk to Dwarkadhish if time allows — the afternoon light on the spire is exceptional.
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Lunch
Depart
Rajkot is 220 km (~3.5 hrs). Ahmedabad is 450 km (~6 hrs). Both are straightforward drives from Dwarka with good road connections.
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🚗 Rajkot 220 km · Ahmedabad 450 km
Jyotirlinga note:This circuit covers Somnath (1st Jyotirlinga) and Nageshwar (12th Jyotirlinga) — two of India's 12 sacred Shiva shrines in a single trip. A third, Grishneshwar, is near Aurangabad if you're planning a wider pilgrimage circuit.
📍 Distance at a Glance
Somnath Corridor
Beside Parking Walk
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At Parking / Walk
Bhalka Tirth
4 Km from parking 15 min by auto
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Auto / Car
Gita Mandir
Near temple · Walk / Auto
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Walk
Porbandar · Kirti Mandir
~115 km from Somnath
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En route
Dwarkadhish Temple
Dwarka city centre · Walk
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Walk
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
16 km from Dwarka
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Car
Bet Dwarka Island
30 km to Okha + Sudarshan Setu
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Car + Bridge
Rukmini Devi Temple
2 km from Dwarkadhish
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Auto
🏨 Where to Stay
Nights 1 & 2 — Somnath
BUDGET
Dharamshalas near temple
Very affordable · Basic but clean · Close to parking
MID RANGE
Hotels near Somnath Temple
Comfortable · Walking distance to temple · Good value
PREMIUM
Full-service hotels near temple
Night 3 — Dwarka
BUDGET
Temple Trust guesthouses
Closest to Dwarkadhish · Book ahead
MID RANGE
Hotels near Dwarkadhish
Walking distance · Good facilities
PREMIUM
Resort properties near city
🌤 Weather at a Glance
BEST
Oct - Feb
Cool, pleasant. Ideal for all outdoor walks and darshan.
Good
March
Starts warming up. Mornings and evenings still comfortable.
Manageable
Sep - Apr
Hot or humid. Stick to early morning and evening visits.
Avoid Midday
May - Aug
Very hot or monsoon rains. Aartis still happen — outdoor walks are uncomfortable.
All morning aartis (6–7 AM) are comfortable year-round. The midday Madhyahna Aarti is hardest in summer — arrive just before noon and head straight to AC lunch.
Need Help Planning?
We’re from Veraval — right next to Somnath. We cover the full Somnath–Nageshwar–Dwarka circuit, know the Porbandar drive, and can advise on practical timing for all four aartis. No packages, no commission.
PRACTICAL INFO
Know Before You Go
All 3 Somnath Aartis
Mangala 7 AM · Madhyahna 12 PM · Sandhya 7 PM. All free. The second night in Somnath is specifically to allow the Madhyahna Aarti — otherwise it's almost never done on a circuit tour. Each aarti is distinct in mood and crowd size.
2 Jyotirlingas in 1 Trip
Somnath is the 1st of India's 12 Jyotirlingas. Nageshwar (16 km from Dwarka) is the 12th. Both are covered on this circuit — a significant pilgrimage milestone for devotees doing the full Jyotirlinga circuit.
Bet Dwarka
Drive via Sudarshan Setu bridge (2024) to the island. Park at the island parking lot. Share auto (₹100/person) covers all three stops — Dwarkadhish Temple, Dandi Hanuman, and Chorasi Dhuna. No ferry available or needed.
Dwarkadhish Flag Ceremony
The flag atop Dwarkadhish temple is ceremonially raised and lowered five times daily — sunrise, 10 AM, noon, 5 PM, and sunset. A unique ritual specific to this temple. Try to witness the sunset lowering on the evening of Day 3.
EXPLORE MORE
Related Circuits
Shorter on time or want to add more?
2
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Same Destination
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3
Days · Somnath + Diu
3-Day Somnath & Diu
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2 Destinations
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90 km
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6
Days · Full Saurashtra
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The complete Saurashtra circuit — temples, Gir safari, Girnar hills, and the full Dwarka experience. Best for families.
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4 Destinations
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~500 km
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Car Recommended
Planning the Full
Extended Circuit?
We’re from Veraval — next to Somnath. We know the exact timing for
all four aartis, the Porbandar drive including the best lunch stop, and
everything practical about Nageshwar and Bet Dwarka. No packages,
no commission.