5 Days — Saurashtra Itinerary

Pilgrimage · Wildlife · Heritage · 5 Days · 4 Nights

A relaxed, well-paced 5-day circuit covering the major pilgrimage sites, a lion safari at Gir, and the ancient heritage city of Junagadh.

Five Days at a Glance

One Destination Per Night

No rushed doubles — one city per night, comfortable drives, and time to actually experience each place.

Day 1 · Somnath

Arrive & Evening

Somnath Corridor, Sandhya Aarti 7 PM, Light & Sound Show.

Sandhya Aarti

Day 2 · Somnath → Gir

Somnath · Drive Gir

Mangala Aarti · Bhalka Tirth · Gir Safari Devalia optional evening.

Mangala Aarti

Day 3 · Gir → Junagadh

Safari · Heritage City

6 AM Gir Safari · Drive 45 km · Uparkot Fort · Mahabat Maqbara · Junagadh bazaar.

Lion Safari

Uparkot

Day 4 · Junagadh → Dwarka

Girnar · Drive Dwarka

Girnar Ropeway or trek · Narsinh Mehta’s house · Depart by afternoon to Dwarka

Girnar

Day 5 · Dwarka → Depart

Morning Aarti · Drive

Mangala Aarti · Nageshwar Jyotirlinga · Depart to Rajkot or Ahmedabad

Mangala Aarti

Bet Dwarka

Key Places on This Circuit

At a Glance

All distances from Somnath Parking — the natural starting point for everyone arriving by vehicle.

Book your Gir safari permit first — at girlion.gujarat.gov.in — before planning anything else. Slots fill 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season. Build the circuit around your confirmed safari date.

🛕 Somnath — Night 1

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 Temple Campus

First Jyotirlinga — darshan, Sandhya Aarti 7 PM, Light & Sound Show 8 PM

📍 At Parking

Walk

Free Darshan

Somnath Corridor

Geeta Mandir, Triveni Sangam, Ram Mandir, coastal walkway

📍 Beside Parking

Walk

1.5 hrs

Free

Bhalka Tirth

Where Lord Krishna departed earthly life — 4 km from Somnath Parking

📍 4 km

Auto

30 Min

Free

🦁 Sasan Gir — Night 2

Gir Forest Safari

Last wild Asiatic lions on earth — 6 AM jeep safari, 3 hours through Gir National Park

🚗 Jeep · 3 Hours

Permit Required

🌿 Sasan Gir

What you might see — ~700 Asiatic lions · leopards · hyenas · spotted deer · crocodiles

Book only at official govt portal

girlion.gujarat.gov.in

girlion.gujarat.gov.in

Beware of fake portals and agents. Book only at girlion.gujarat.gov.in. Many third-party sites issue fake permits. Slots fill 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season (Nov–Feb).

Devalia Safari Park

Enclosed zone — near-guaranteed Asiatic lion sightings. Good Day 3 evening option on arrival.

📍 12 km from Gir

Ticketed at gate

🏰 Junagadh — Night 3

Uparkot Fort

One of the oldest continuously inhabited forts in India — built around 319 BCE, right in the heart of Junagadh city

📍 Junagadh City Centre

⏱ 2 Hours

🚶 Walk / Auto

Rani ki Vav Stepwell — an ancient stepwell inside the fort complex, carved deep into the rock

Buddhist Caves — rock-cut caves from the 2nd–3rd century CE carved into the fort walls

Fortification walls & cannons — excellent views over Junagadh city from the ramparts

Mahabat Maqbara

Ornate Indo-Gothic mausoleum of the Nawabs of Junagadh — one of the most elaborately decorated buildings in Gujarat

📍 Near Uparkot

⏱ 20–30 Min

🚶 Walk / Auto

Girnar — Ropeway or Trek

One of Gujarat's holiest hills — Amba Mata temple at the top. Two ways up: ropeway or the full 9,999-step trek.

📍 Junagadh outskirts

⏱ 2-4 Hours

Ropeway Ticket

Ropeway — 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM · 2.3 km in 7 minutes · to Amba Mata temple

Trek — 9,999 steps to the summit · 3–5 hours one way · for the fit and devoted

Amba Mata Temple — main shrine at the top, sacred to the goddess

Narsinh Mehta's House

Birthplace of Gujarat's greatest poet-saint — small, moving museum in his ancestral home

📍 Junagadh old city

⏱ 30 Min

🚶 Walk / Auto

🛕 Dwarka — Night 4

Dwarkadhish Temple

Char Dham — five-storey temple on 72 pillars · Flag ceremony 5 times daily

📍 City Centre · Walk

Free Darshan

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

One of 12 Jyotirlingas — on the road to Bet Dwarka, easy to combine

📍 16 km from Dwarka

🚗 Car / Auto

45 Min

Free Entry

Bet Dwarka Island

Krishna's residential island — drive via Sudarshan Setu bridge, then auto from parking to cover all three stops

📍 30 km to Okha · Bridge to island

⏱ 3–4 Hours total

🚗 Car to bridge
Free Darshan

Sudarshan Setu Bridge — Drive across to the island. Park at island parking lot.

Only Route

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

Complete Day by Day Plan

The Full Itinerary

Book your Gir safari permit at girlion.gujarat.gov.in before planning anything else — slots fill fast in peak season.

Day 1 — Somnath · Arrive & Evening

Afternoon

2:00 PM

Arrive Somnath · Check-in · Lunch

The nearest railhead is Veraval — 7 km from Somnath. Arrive, check in, light lunch. The evening programme starts at 4 PM.

Veraval station: 7 km

4:00 PM

Somnath Corridor

Walk from the parking into the Somnath Corridor — Geeta Mandir, Triveni Sangam where three rivers meet the Arabian Sea, Ram Mandir, and the coastal walkway. Late afternoon light here is excellent. 1.5 hours.

Free Entry

🚶 Walk from parking

Evening

6:30 PM

Temple Darshan

First darshan at Somnath. Deposit phone at the free locker (5 min). Buy Light & Sound Show ticket at the gate before the aarti.

Free Darshan

No phones

7:00 PM

Sandhya Aarti ⭐

The illuminated temple against the darkening Arabian Sea — the most memorable moment of the Somnath visit. Arrive 15 minutes early for a good position inside the complex.

Sandhya Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

8:00 PM

Light & Sound Show ( Closed During Monsoon Season)

Rear wall of the temple complex, facing the sea. 45 minutes. A narrated account of 1,000 years of Somnath — the invasions, the destructions, and the rebuilding each time. Worth doing on your first visit. Buy tickets at the gate before the aarti.

Ticketed · ₹50–100

9:30 PM

Dinner

The market near the temple comes alive after the show. Gujarati and Rajasthani vegetarian thalis, chai, sweets. Good energy without being noisy. Return to hotel and rest — early morning tomorrow.

Food

Day 2 — Morning Aarti · Drive Gir

Morning — Somnath

7:00 AM

Mangala Aarti

The morning aarti at Somnath — quiet, cool, very few people. A completely different mood from last night. Arrive 10 minutes early. This closes the Somnath chapter of the circuit.

Mangala Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

8:30 AM

Bhalka Tirth · Breakfast · Checkout

4 km by auto. The sacred spot where Krishna was struck by a hunter’s arrow and departed earthly life. 30 minutes. Then breakfast at the market, checkout, and on the road by 10:30 AM.

Free Entry

🛺 4 km

Breakfast

10:30 AM

Drive to Gir

The landscape changes completely on this drive: coastal scrub → Saurashtra interior → dry teak forest as you near Gir.

Breakfast

Drive

Afternoon — Sasan Gir

12:00 PM

Arrive Sasan Gir · Check-in

Check in to your forest lodge. Most are within 2 km of the park gate. Confirm your 6 AM safari permit for tomorrow. Rest — early start tomorrow.

Confirm safari booking

4:30 PM (Optional)

Devalia Safari Park — Evening

12 km from Sasan Gir. An enclosed zone with near-guaranteed Asiatic lion sightings — available as a shared bus or Open Gypsy. Tickets at the gate. Good option if you want a certain lion sighting before tomorrow’s main safari. Devalia is closed every Wednesday — confirm the day before visiting.

Near-Guaranteed Lions

Closed Wednesdays

Optional

Day 3 — Gir Safari · Drive Junagadh · Heritage

Morning — Sasan Gir

5:30 AM

Wake Up · Safari Prep

Wear muted, dull-coloured clothing — no bright red, orange, or white. Carry water and binoculars if you have them. Winter mornings in Gir are cold — a light jacket is essential in Oct–Feb even if daytime is warm.

Muted clothing

Binoculars recommended

6:30 AM

Gir Forest Safari ⭐

3-hour jeep safari through Gir National Park — the only place outside Africa where Asiatic lions live in the wild. ~700 lions in the park. Also watch for leopards, spotted hyenas, chital deer, sambar, and marsh crocodiles near the Hiran river. Stay quiet, follow the guide’s instructions. Even if lions aren’t sighted, the forest at dawn is extraordinary.

Asiatic Lions

Circuit Highlight

Pre-booked Permit

8:30 AM

Return · Breakfast · Drive to Junagadh

Return from safari. Breakfast at the lodge — often the best part of the morning, comparing sightings with other groups. Checkout and drive ~45 km to Junagadh (~1 hour). Check in to your Junagadh hotel before exploring.

Breakfast

45 km · 1 hr

Afternoon — Junagadh

11:00 AM

Uparkot Fort ⭐

One of the oldest continuously inhabited forts in India — built around 319 BCE, right in the centre of Junagadh city. Inside the fort: a deep ancient stepwell (Rani ki Vav), Buddhist rock-cut caves from the 2nd–3rd century CE, and fortification walls with cannons dating to different eras of the fort’s 2,300-year history. Rarely crowded, and the scale is surprising for a city-centre fort. Allow 2 hours.

2,300 Years Old

Buddhist Caves · Stepwell

Entry Fee

2:00 PM

Mahabat Maqbara

The mausoleum of the Nawabs of Junagadh — built in Indo-Gothic style, it’s one of the most ornately decorated buildings in all of Gujarat. European Baroque arches combined with Islamic domes and Jain-influenced decorative detail. Free entry. 20–30 minutes is enough. Usually done right after Uparkot as both are in the same part of the city.

Indo-Gothic

Free Entry

4:00 PM

Lunch · Junagadh Market

Late lunch at a Kathiyawadi thali restaurant in Junagadh — the local cuisine here is slightly different from coastal Saurashtra. Try Junagadhi penda (milk sweet) from the market. The Babul Road evening market near Chittakhana Chowk is one of Saurashtra’s liveliest bazaars — worth a walk before dinner.

Junagadhi Penda

Babul Road market

Day 4 — Girnar · Narsinh Mehta · Depart Dwarka

Morning

7:30 AM

Girnar — Ropeway or Trek ⭐

One of Gujarat’s holiest hills. Two options — decide based on fitness and time. Ropeway (7:30 AM–7 PM): 2.3 km in 7 minutes to the Amba Mata temple at the top. Best for families. Ropeway ticket, short queue in the morning. Full Trek: 9,999 steps from the base to the summit — 3 to 5 hours up, 2 to 3 hours down. For the fit and devoted. The views from the top span across Saurashtra to the coast on clear days. The Amba Mata temple at the top is the main shrine — significant for both Hindus and Jains.

Gujarat's Holiest Hills

🚡 Ropeway 7 min · OR 9,999 steps

8:30 AM

Return · Breakfast at the Market

Come back down from Girnar. Breakfast at the local market near the Girnar foothills — sev mamra and chai is the traditional morning snack here. One of the most local eating experiences on the circuit.

Local breakfast

10:30 AM

Drive to Dwarka

The most common route goes via NH151 and NH 51, passing near Keshod and moving along the coastal highway toward Dwarka.

~209 km · 4- 4.5 hrs

Passing Keshod

Afternoon/Evening — Dwarka

3:30 - 4:00 PM

Arrive Dwarka · Bet Dwarka

If you arrive by 4 PM, drive straight to Okha (30 km) and cross the Sudarshan Setu bridge to Bet Dwarka island. Share auto from island parking covers all three stops — Dwarkadhish Temple (Island), Dandi Hanuman, Chorasi Dhuna. Temple timings close at 6 PM. If you arrive later, do Bet Dwarka first thing tomorrow morning before Nageshwar.

Sudarshan Setu Bridge

Auto covers all 3 stops

7:30 PM

Dwarkadhish Sandhya Aarti ⭐

More elaborate than Somnath — Krishna’s royal court ceremony. Five-storey temple at dusk. No phones inside — lockers at the entrance. Arrive 15 minutes early. Watch for the flag ceremony at sunset.

Sandhya Aarti

Don't Miss

Free

8:30 PM

Gomti Ghat · Dinner · Rest

Float a diya at Gomti Ghat. Dinner nearby. Early night — 6 AM Mangala Aarti and a full drive day tomorrow.

Dinner

Local note: Junagadh is one of the most underrated cities in Gujarat. The Babul Road evening market near Chittakhana Chowk is one of Saurashtra's liveliest bazaars — worth a late afternoon stroll on Day 4 after the heritage visits.

📍 Distance at a Glance

Somnath Corridor

Beside Parking Walk

At Parking / Walk

Bhalka Tirth

4 Km from parking 15 min by auto

Auto / Car

Somnath → Sasan Gir

45-50 Km

Devalia Safari Park

12 km from Sasan Gir

Car / Jeep

Gir → Junagadh

~45 km · 1 hr

Girnar Ropeway

Junagadh outskirts · 10 min drive

Auto

Junagadh → Dwarka

210 km

Bet Dwarka Island

30 km to Okha + Sudarshan Setu

Car + Bridge

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

16 km from Dwarka

🏨 Where to Stay

Night 1 — 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

Private transport helpful · All amenities

Night 2 — Sasan Gir

BUDGET

Forest Dept. rest houses

Very basic · Near gate · Book early

MID RANGE

Jungle lodges near park gate

Nature-focused · Good facilities

PREMIUM

Eco-resorts & safari lodges

Full-service · Activities included

Night 3 — Junagadh

BUDGET

City centre hotels

Near fort area · Basic but clean

MID RANGE

Hotels near city centre or Girnar

Comfortable · Good value

PREMIUM

Heritage properties

Junagadh has good heritage stay options

Night 4 — Dwarka

BUDGET

Temple Trust guesthouses

Closest to Dwarkadhish · Book ahead

MID RANGE

Hotels near Dwarkadhish

Walking distance · Good facilities

PREMIUM

Resort properties near city

Full-service · Car needed

🌤 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.

Early morning (6–8 AM) is the best darshan slot regardless of season — cooler and far less crowded.

Need Help Planning?

Our travel desk is run locally — we know which room faces the sea, which auto is reliable at 5:30 AM, and exactly when to queue for the aarti. No booking fees.

PRACTICAL INFO

Know Before You Go

Book Gir Safari First

Book only at girlion.gujarat.gov.in. Many fake third-party sites are operating — verify you're on the official Gujarat Government domain. Slots fill 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season (Nov–Feb). Safari season: Oct 16 – Jun 15.

Girnar Ropeway

Runs 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM daily. 2.3 km in 7 minutes to Amba Mata temple at the top. Best to go early — queue builds after 9 AM. Full trek is 9,999 steps one way — 3–5 hrs up. Don't attempt in monsoon; the steps are extremely slippery.

Temple Rules

No phones inside Somnath or Dwarkadhish. Free lockers at both entrances. Modest, covering clothing at both temples — no shorts or sleeveless. For Gir safari, wear dull colours — no bright red, orange, or white.

Circuit Note

This circuit covers Somnath → Gir → Junagadh → Dwarka in 5 days. Total driving is ~600 km. A hired car or self-drive works best — no direct trains between these four stops. Rajkot is the most convenient exit point.

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Planning This

Saurashtra Circuit?

We’re from Veraval — between Somnath and Junagadh. We know

every stop on this circuit, the Gir permit process, practical Junagadh

tips, and all four aarti timings. No packages, no commission.