3 Nights · 4 Days Temple + Wildlife
4 Days — Somnath, Gir & Dwarka
The most popular Saurashtra circuit — two of India's holiest temples and the last wild population of the Asiatic lion, covered in four comfortable days.
What This Circuit Covers
Three Destinations, Four Days
Somnath on Day 1 evening and Day 2 morning. A short drive to Gir for a Day 3 morning safari.
Drive up the coast to Dwarka for a Day 3 evening darshan, followed by Bet Dwarka and
departure on Day 4.
Day 1 · Somnath
Arrive & Evening Programme
Somnath Corridor in the afternoon. Evening darshan, Sandhya Aarti at 7 PM, Light & Sound Show. Beach walk tip after 9 PM.
- Sandhya Aarti
Day 2 · Somnath → Gir
Morning Aarti · Drive to Gir
Mangala Aarti 7 AM · Bhalka Tirth · Quick ~50 km drive to Sasan Gir · Check-in & Devalia optional evening.
- Mangala Aarti
- 50 km Drive
Day 3 · Gir → Dwarka
Morning Safari · Drive to Dwarka
6 AM 3-hour jeep safari in Gir · Drive ~235 km via Porbandar · Arrive in Dwarka for evening darshan + Sandhya Aarti.
- Lion Safari
- 235 km Drive
Day 4 · Dwarka → Depart
Morning Aarti · Bet Dwarka · Depart
Mangala Aarti · Bet Dwarka island via Sudarshan Setu · Depart via Jamnagar or Rajkot airport.
- Bet Dwarka
Key Places on This Circuit
At a Glance
Somnath Parking is the reference for Somnath stops. Sasan Gir village for Gir — the park gate and most lodges are within 2 km of each other. Dwarka city centre for Dwarka stops.
🛕 Somnath — Night 1
Somnath Temple Campus
First Jyotirlinga — darshan, Sandhya Aarti 7 PM, Light & Sound Show 7:45 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
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
🛕 Dwarka — Night 3
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
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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
Book your Gir safari permit before anything else — slots fill 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season. Confirm the date first, then plan everything around it.
Day 1 — Somnath · Arrive & Evening
Afternoon2:00 PM
Arrive Somnath · Check-in · Lunch
The nearest railhead is Veraval — 7 km from Somnath. Arrive, check in, have a light lunch at the temple market. 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 campus, Triveni Sangam (three rivers meeting the sea), Ram Mandir, and the scenic coastal walkway. Late afternoon light here is excellent. 1.5 hours.
- Free Entry
- 🚶 Walk from parking
Evening6:30 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
7:45 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 To Gir
Morning — Somnath7:00 AM
Mangala Aarti
The morning aarti — cool, quiet, the fewest people of any session. Having attended Sandhya last night and Mangala this morning, you've experienced Somnath at both its most energetic and most peaceful.
- Mangala Aarti
- Don't Miss
- Free
8:30 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 at this hour. 30 minutes.
- Free Entry
- 🛺 4 km
10:30 AM
Breakfast · Checkout · Drive to Gir
Full breakfast, then check out. The drive to Sasan Gir is short—just under 50 km—taking roughly 1.5 hours on straightforward roads. You'll move from coastal winds to dry deciduous forest air quickly.
- Breakfast
- 50 km to Gir
Afternoon & Evening — Sasan Gir12:30 PM
Arrive Sasan Gir · Check-in & Lunch
Arrive and check in to your forest lodge. Confirm your 6 AM safari permit for tomorrow — have the booking reference ready. Most lodges are within 2 km of the park gate. Enjoy a leisurely jungle lunch.
- 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. Excellent backup option if you want to be certain of seeing a lion before tomorrow's main wilderness safari. Ticketed at the gate, no advance booking needed. Note: Devalia is closed every Wednesday.
- Near-Guaranteed Lions
- Closed Wednesdays
- Optional
Day 3 — Gir Safari · Drive · Dwarka Evening
Morning — Sasan Gir5:30 AM
Wake Up · Safari Preparation
Wear muted, dull-coloured clothing — no bright red, orange, or white. Carry water, sunscreen, and binoculars if you have them. Winter mornings in Gir are cold — a light jacket or fleece is essential in Oct–Feb.
- Muted clothing
- Binoculars recommended
6:30 AM
Gir Forest Safari ⭐
A 3-hour jeep safari through Gir National Park — the only place on earth outside Africa where Asiatic lions live in the wild. Most morning safaris encounter at least one lion. Also watch for leopards, spotted hyenas, chital deer, and marsh crocodiles. Stay quiet, follow the guide's instructions, and don't stand up in the jeep.
- Asiatic Lions
- Circuit Highlight
- Permit Required
9:30 AM
Return · Breakfast · Drive to Dwarka
Return to your lodge, have breakfast, and check out by 10:30 AM. Hit the road for Dwarka — ~235 km, roughly 4.5 to 5 hours. You'll drive back out towards the coast through Porbandar (where you can optionally stop at Gandhi's birthplace).
- Breakfast
- 235 km · ~4.5 hrs
Evening — Dwarka4:00 PM
Arrive Dwarka · Check-in
Check in and freshen up. Dwarka is compact — most hotels are walking distance from Dwarkadhish. The temple evening session opens at 5 PM. Watch for the flag ceremony over the spire.
- 🚩 Flag Ceremony at sunset
5:30 PM
Dwarkadhish Temple — First Darshan
One of the four Char Dhams. Five-storey spire on 72 carved pillars. No phones inside — lockers at the entrance. Enter through Swarga Dwar (north gate).
- 📵 No phones inside
- Free Entry
7:30 PM
Sandhya Aarti at Dwarkadhish ⭐
More elaborate than Somnath — reflecting Krishna's royal status as king of Dwarka. Arrive 15 minutes early. The energy during this aarti is electric.
- Sandhya Aarti
- Free
Day 4 — Morning Aarti · Bet Dwarka · Depart
Morning — Dwarka6:30 AM
Mangala Aarti at Dwarkadhish ⭐
The morning aarti — the temple at dawn, far fewer people, intimate and unhurried. Arrive by 6:15 AM. Considerably quieter than last evening.
- Mangala Aarti
- Free
8:30 AM
Breakfast · Drive to Bet Dwarka
Quick breakfast, then drive ~30 km toward Okha. Cross the Sudarshan Setu bridge — a 2.3 km cable-stayed bridge connecting directly to Bet Dwarka island. Park at the island parking lot.
- Local breakfast
9:30 PM - 11:30 AM
Bet Dwarka — Three Stops by Auto
Take a share auto from the island parking (₹100/person) — it covers all three stops. Dwarkadhish Temple (Island) — smaller, more intimate; rice is the traditional offering. Dandi Hanuman — the only temple where Hanuman's son Makardhwaja is worshipped alongside him. Chorasi Dhuna — 84 sacred fires burning continuously.
- Free Entry
- 🛺 Auto from parking
Afternoon · Depart1:00 PM
Depart — Jamnagar or Rajkot
From Bet Dwarka, you can head directly to your departure point. Jamnagar Airport (JGA) is ~140 km away (approx. 2.5 hrs). Rajkot Airport is ~225 km away (approx. 4 hrs). Both offer regular flights to major Indian cities.
- Jamnagar 140 km · Rajkot 225 km
Gir safari tip: Book your safari permit before planning anything else on this circuit — slots fill 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season (Nov–Feb). Use only the official portal: girlion.gujarat.gov.in. Many fake sites are operating. Once you have a safari date, plan the rest of the circuit around it working backwards.
PRACTICAL INFO
Know Before You Go
Book Gir Safari First
Book your permit at girlion.gujarat.gov.in before planning anything else. Slots fill 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season. Fake third-party sites are common — verify you are on the official .gujarat.gov.in domain before paying.
Temples: No Phones
Both Somnath and Dwarkadhish prohibit mobiles inside. Free lockers at both entrances — plan 5 minutes for deposit. Note your meeting point before going in separately. Photography is also prohibited inside Dwarkadhish.
Dress for Both
Modest covering clothing for both temples — avoid shorts or sleeveless. For Gir safari, wear dull-coloured clothing — no bright red, orange, or white. Wear the same pair of shoes you'll walk in at the temples, since you'll change only the top layer for the forest.
Festival Crowds
Mahashivratri (Feb/Mar) brings lakhs of devotees to Somnath — arrive very early or avoid if you prefer peaceful darshan. Janmashtami (Aug) is the peak period for Dwarka but falls in Gir's off-season. Oct–Mar avoids both peaks.
EXPLORE MORE
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Planning Somnath,
Gir & Dwarka?
We're from Veraval — right next to Somnath. We know the full circuit,
the Gir permit process, the best lodges near the park, and every
practical detail about both temples. No packages, no commission —
just local advice.