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
- Gir
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 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
🏰 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
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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
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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
Afternoon2:00 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
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 Gir
Morning — Somnath7:00 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 Gir12:00 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 Gir5:30 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 — Junagadh11:00 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
Morning7:30 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 — Dwarka3:30 - 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.
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.