Stretching into Arabian sea, Gujarat with a long coastline is a paradise for tourists. From the Kutch festival to Gir National Park, vibrant Gujarat has all it takes to be a perfect travel destination. This blog explores the places to visit in Gujarat.
Places To Visit In Gujarat
TEEN DARWAZA/DARWAJA
This triple-arched, oldest gateway is “THE PLACE” that one needs to start their Gujarat tour with. It is the perfect epitome of Indo-Islamic culture; the way it is shaped and designed will leave you awestruck!
Teen Darwaza is the landmark of the city. Apart from its mesmerizing design, the attention seeking point about this place is the market that it holds; the market here will offer you anything and everything, it is that one place where you buy the souvenir from.
If you mark this place as the beginning of your tour, you will surely want to come back at least once by the end! This is the reason why we have listed it among the top places to visit in Gujarat.
The Monument looks stunningly beautiful with the glittery lights all over, in the evening; it is perhaps the best time during the day to visit the place!
Sabarmati Ashram
The place is commonly also known as the Gandhi/Harijan/Satyagraha Ashram. Located in the Sabarmati suburb, this has been one of the major residences of Mahatma Gandhi. He has had lived here for at least about twelve years of his life with his wife Kasturba.
This very place was the startup point of the revolutionary Salt Satyagraha or the Dandi March, as the common man knows it. Sabarmati Ashram is of great significance because of the march and also because it became an asserted place after the detention of freedom fighters, hence it has been established by the government as a National Monument.
The Museum is the amazement of the place, not a very over coated area of the ashram but simply giving you a glimpse of the freedom struggle and major aspects of Gandhi’s life through the display of pictures and information.
To come face to face with the fact that Indians have earned their freedom all the way through hardships, one surely needs to visit this place.
This is surely one of the important places to visit in Gujarat.
Visiting Hours –
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 2-3 hours are more than sufficient to learn about the place, no entry fees are charged.
Haji Pir Dargah
This unique identity of Gujarat is a symbol of India’s Ganges – Jamuni Tehajhibani.
The beautiful and peaceful Dargah, being near-by the border of Pakistan attracts visitors from across the land as well. This is where the Pakistan border is shown from.
Haji-Pir-Dargah is one of the major tourist attractions because it is one of the most sacred places around the country. One cannot miss the beauty and peace found here.
Gir Forest National Park, Sasan Gir
The only natural habitat of the world famous Asiatic lions is the Sasan Gir. These were the hunting grounds of the Nawabs of Junagadh, back in the day; now the Sasan Gir is one of the most protected areas in Asia because of its rare and supported species.
The variety of flora and fauna that the National Park holds is remarkable! Other than the Asiatic lion, one can find the unbelievable wild animals and birds like the Asiatic wild ass, the Hyenas, Gir foxes, Pygmy woodpeckers, Brown fish owl, Blackbuck and more.
How to travel –
You are provided with the jungle jeep safaris which include 6 adults and 1 child in a single ride charging Rs. 4,000/- per Indian traveller and Rs. 11,000/- per foreign traveller. Also, the Gir Interpretation Zone which is better known as the Divalia, where chances of seeing the lions are very good are offered for a bus ride of about 30-45 minutes at Rs. 75/- per Indian traveller and Rs. 1200/- per foreign traveller on the weekdays.
Visiting Hours –
Monday-Sunday at 6 a.m. – 9 a.m.; 9a.m. – 12p.m.; 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Lothal
Lothal literally means “the mound of the dead”. It is one of the most excavated sites of India, which was once a prominent city of the Indus Valley/ the Harappan Civilization. 4500 years ago, back in the time, Lothal was a sleepy but beautiful pottery village; it had/has no ground fortifications, no temples but only flat and desolate ruins. Since Lothal takes you back to the realms of History, we have listed it among the top places to visit in Gujarat.
The local museum here lets one fall back in time and recreate the scenario for themselves, to feel the beauty and ethnicity of the place.
Visiting Hours and Entry Fees –
The museum is open 6 days a week from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., except for Fridays. Entry fees are only charged for the people who are above 15 years of age and the amount charged is Rs. 2/- per head.
Dholavira
Located in the Kutch district of Gujarat, the rectangular city consists mainly of the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization, like the previous destination.
Dholavira is the second largest excavation site of the Civilization. Dholavira gives the visitor an idea of the insides of the unique Harappan mindset, of the earliest and best-planned water conservation systems and world’s first signboards which were written in the Indus script.
The environment is surrounded by the Great Rann of Kutch.
One must visit this archaeological place to have a glimpse of what and how did the initial civilizations work, and you always get plenty to learn from everything that you see. A good 3-hour visit is more than sufficient to learn well about the ancient metropolitan city.
A tryst with historic past is assured and hence we have listed Dholavira among the top places to visit in Gujarat.
Somnath Temple
Situated in Saurashtra at the shore of the Arabian ocean on the western corner of the Indian subcontinent, Somnath temple stands tall amongst the 12 major Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple has been re-built time and again, glorifying the beauty even more with the passing time; the Muslim kings destroyed it, the Hindu kings re-built it. It was finally re-established in the November of 1947 and stand still today. The temple is one of the most worshipped places of India as it is believed that at Somnath, Lord Krishna ended his Lila and left for the heavenly abode. Being worshipped wholeheartedly, the temple also becomes a major tourist attraction!
One can find the pundits of the temple performing the regular prayer(s) (aarti) thrice a day. The morning prayer at 0700 hours; the afternoon prayer at 1200 hours and the evening prayer at 1900 hours. The temple is found to be open from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. It is never too late to visit a holy shrine, so this is one place that no one can miss!
Way to India organises Dwarka Somnath Tour for its pilgrimage clients. You may send an enquiry on info@waytoindia.com in case you wish to book this tour.
Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell)
Established during the Solanki Dynasty, this stepwell is one of the most famous legacies of India which was built in the memory of the king Bhimdev I. the step well is situated in Patan, Gujarat.
As the name itself suggests, a step well is a place whose steps start at the ground level and slowly lead down giving you a feel of the cool breeze via several pillared pavilions to reach the bottom of the deep well below.
Rani-ki-vav is one of the finest step wells in India, and like the other ones, apart from just being a water collection site and/or a socializing area for the locality it also has a great spiritual value adjoined to itself.
One can see for their own eyes how more than 800 elaborate scriptures are carved amongst 7 galleries of the vav; the central theme being the Dashavataras or the Ten Incarnations of Vishnu, accompanied by the Brahmins and the Sadhus, also by the Apsaras – the celestial dancers who portray the solah shringaar.
It is an important sight to visit for the travellers because the vav actually appears like an inverted temple, making it look all the more stunning and breathtaking! This is reason enough for us to list this as one of the places to visit in Gujarat.
Visiting Hours and Entry Fees –
The vav is open from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., 7 days a week. An Indian visitor will have to pay Rs. 2/- per head whereas a foreign visitor will have to pay 2 US $ per head for the same!
Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara
Set up in a vast landscape with sculptures in bronze, marble and terracotta by Fellici, this Indo-Saracenic revival architecture (concerning the Marathas) was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. This palace is the brand of the unique charm of the state as well as the nation.
The Palace is also supported by a beautifully organized and well-maintained Museum which is open to the public audience and one can avail the audio tour of the same too! This destination is a must visit so as to live the realms of Indian heritage and glory.
Visiting Hours and Entry Fees –
The palace requires an attention of good 2-3 hours. It remains closed on Mondays and is open from 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the evening on the remaining days. Rs. 150/- is the entry fees per head.
Saputara
To mark the end of your tour to Gujarat, Saputara hill station is the best visit. It is a plateau in the Dang forests of the Western Ghats. It is the only hill station in Gujarat, Saputara literally means “the Adobe of Serpents”.
Sights like the Sunrise point is the best view of Saputara and the adjoining Malegaon, the place gives a Panoramic view otherwise; the scenic view of the Dang forest are all equally breathtaking and personify the beauty of nature! There is an image of a snake on the bank of the river Sarpagana which is worshipped by the tribal community of Saputara on the festival of Holi wholeheartedly. One can surely not miss the chilly winds of Saputara while boating in the Saputara Lake; it is a must-to-do on the Saputara list! The beautiful Rose Garden and Step Garden are on the banks of the Saputara Lake as well and can be visited immediately after the boat ride. Another attention seeking adventure of Saputara is the
One can surely not miss the chilly winds of Saputara while boating in the Saputara Lake; it is a must-to-do on the Saputara list! The beautiful Rose Garden and Step Garden are on the banks of the Saputara Lake as well and can be visited immediately after the boat ride. Another attention seeking adventure of Saputara is the Ropeway which is a ten-minute ride across the valley to the sunset point. If you do not visit the Womb of Mother Nature in Gujarat, your trip is incomplete; hence, you just cannot skip out Saputara from the must visits!
How to Reach –
Luxury coaches and/or state transport buses are available for Saputara from Waghai and Ahmedabad.
Where to Stay –
Some of the best budget and comfort hotels where one can check-in at the Hill Station are:
- Hotel Lake View – Provides delicious food, well-furnished and spacious rooms meeting your requirements and a perfect location. A swimming pool is an add-on. Restaurants with excellent food are also available. If you plan to stay for a week or more, it is definitely the best stay at Saputara.
- Toran Hill Resort – Serves purely vegetarian fixed menu breakfast and one meal, beautiful garden view and clean rooms with bathrooms. A perfect stay for a short trip to Saputara (2-3 nights). Owned by The Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation.
- Patang Lords Eco Inn – Food is served under the buffet system which provides exceptionally good meals, clean and decent rooms are available.
These hotels will surely give you the “Home away from Home” experience with their best hospitality.
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How to Reach – Gujarat being one of the major tourist attractions of India, is easily accessible from any part of the country. The state offers one International Airport i.e, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Airport, and ten Domestic Airports. It provides you with a well interlinked Railway network, connecting the areas of the state with each other as well as connecting it to other major states. The easiest way to reach Gujarat is by road as it has a better network than many other major states of the country and also because regular buses are operated by Gujarat State Transport Corporation (GSTC) to all the major destinations; one can also travel by their private vehicle, making a great use of the National Highway (NH).
Best Time to Visit – The best time of the year to explore the glory of Gujarat is in winters, the months of November – February. It stays chilly and gives a perfect weather for sightseeing; winters in Gujarat are the time when the state looks like it actually belongs to the tourists!