After successful road trip exploring Madhya Pradesh, a road trip across the state of Maharashtra and yet another road trip exploring Kerala, a Gujarat road trip was on our mind since long. Finally it materialised in the shape of a grand 2 weeks road trip across Gujarat. Wherein we drove from Bangalore to complete Gujarat and back. In this post, I bring to you the complete details of our road trip, places covered, things done, official websites to book permits and tickets, link to accommodation and much more. You can thus treat this post as your personal complete guide to plan a trip to Gujarat.
Our two weeks Gujarat road trip itinerary from Bangalore
Map of our road trip from Bangalore to Gujarat –
Route taken on our two weeks Gujarat road trip itinerary
Year end 2024, we did a 2 weeks Gujarat road trip from Bangalore. This is a summary of our road trip route –
Bangalore -> Solapur -> Indore & Ujjain -> Statue of Unity -> Ahmedabad -> Rann of Kutch -> Dwarka -> Gir National Park -> Bhavnagar -> Surat -> Solapur -> Bangalore
Summary of our two weeks Gujarat road trip itinerary
Details of our two weeks Gujarat Road Trip Itinerary
- Day 1: Bangalore to Solapur drive
- Day 2: Solapur to Indore drive
- Day 3: Day trip to Ujjain Mahakal Temple and other temples from Indore
- Day 4: Indore to Statue of Unity and Narmada Tent City via Champaner – Pavagadh Archeological Site
- Day 5: Statue of Unity to Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad City Tour
- Day 6: Science City Ahmedabad and shopping in Ahmedabad
- Day 7: Ahmedabad to Hodka (A village in Kutch) drive
- Day 8: Exploring the places to see in Kutch
- Day 9: Kutch to Dwarka drive, evening on Shivrajpur Beach Dwarka
- Day 10: Dwarka to Gir drive via Somnath temple & beach
- Day 11: Gir National Park Lion Safari
- Day 12: Gir National Park to Bhavnagar Transfer
- Day 13: Bhavnagar to Surat transfer via Ghogha to Hazira Ferry, shopping in Surat
- Day 14: Surat to Solapur transfer
- Day 15:: Solapur to Bangalore
Day 1: Bangalore to Solapur drive (~10 hrs drive + meal breaks)
On the first day of our journey, we started around 5:45 am in the morning from our home in Bangalore. And reached our hotel in Solapur by 4:30pm. We took 2 major breaks on this route for breakfast and lunch. We had dinner at our hotel, Kyriad Hotel in Solapur.
Route taken from Bangalore to Solapur
Bangalore -> Davangere -> Hospete -> Vijayapura -> Solapur (NH 48, NH 50 and NH 52)
Day 2: Solapur to Indore drive (~13 hrs drive + meal breaks)
On the second day of our journey, we started around 4:30am in the morning from our hotel in Solapur. On the way to Indore, we took two major meal breaks – breakfast and lunch. We reached our hotel in Indore around 7:30pm. And then had dinner at a nearby restaurant – Vrindavan Restaurant. In Indore, we stayed at Fabhotel Prime the Grey Circle. It was a decent hotel for a couple of nights stay.
Route taken from Solapur to Indore
Solapur -> Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar -> Dhule -> Indore ( NH 52 )
Day 3: Indore to Ujjain day trip
On the third day of our 2 weeks road trip to Gujarat, we did a day trip to Ujjain. As a part of this trip, we visited the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, the ghats of Shipra river and few other important temples in Ujjain. The drive from Indore to Ujjain in 1 hour. You can book express darshan ticket for the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain if you want to save time. It took us only 30 mins to visit the temple because of this pre-booked ticket.
PS: Although Indore and Ujjain are not part of Gujarat. As these two towns lie in Madhya Pradesh. But, it was convenient for us to include these in our 2 weeks Gujarat trip itinerary. The reason we included these was that years back we had done a trip to Indore and Mandu. Wherein we intended to visit the Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain. But because of certain reasons we couldn’t. So, finally on this trip, we could visit here.
Day 4: Indore to Statue of Unity drive via Pavagadh and Champaner Archeological Park
On the fourth day of our 2 weeks Gujarat trip itinerary we finally entered Gujarat. Today we started from Indore around 6:00am in the morning. On the way, we stopped at a very impressive, neat and clean MPTDC Midway Retreat for breakfast. Post breakfast, we proceeded to Pavagadh to visit the Pavagadh and Champaner Archeological Sites. Although we felt the trip was not worth it. Interested to know why? Read our experience of the Champaner and Pavagadh Archeological site visit to know the details.
Route taken
Indore -> Champaner-Pavagadh Archeological Park (NH 47) -> Ekta Nagar -> Narmada Valley (NH56)
We reached the sites around 12:30pm. After visiting here, we started for Statue of Unity. Around 3:00pm, we had entered the Ektanagar where the Statue of Unity is located. On the way to Statue of Unity, we stopped for a late lunch today. Around 10 mins before reaching Statue of Unity.
But, we got late at the Statue of Unity site, the tickets to the gallery (located in the chest of Statue of Unity) were already sold for the day. So, we decided to head to our tent – Parveg Tentcity Narmada. Which was located further across the Narmada Valley. On the way, we got the opportunity to soak into some awesome views. Although there are a lot of hotels in Ektanagar, The views of the surrounding valley and the tent stay experience makes it worth it to book a tent stay in the Narmada Valley near Statue of Unity.
After checking into our tentcity, we booked the next day morning slot for Statue of Unity gallery and entrance. And then explored the tentcity campus before having dinner and calling it a day.
Here’s our complete guide to Statue of Unity and it’s surrounding
To know our experience of staying in tent city Narmada read this blog
Day 5: Statue of Unity to Ahmedabad
Today morning, we checked out from our tent around 8:00 in the morning post breakfast. And first headed to the Statue of Unity. The morning hours were least crowded. And we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Statue of Unity. Before heading to Ahmedabad City.
Route taken from Tentcity Narmada to Ahmedabad :
We reached Ahmedabad by 3:00pm. And after checking in, we headed to Mahatma Gandhi Aashram in Ahmedabad. From here, we went to Atal Bridge and Sabarmati Riverfront and spent the evening there. We returned to our hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton Ahmedabad. And called it a day after dinner.
Here’s a list of hotels in Ahmedabad that you can choose from. If not visiting during a festival or holiday period, you can good very good hotel deals in the best hotels of Ahmedabad. Like Four Points by Sheraton Ahmedabad, Ramada by Wyndham, Marriott Ahmedabad, Radisson Ahmedabad etc.
Route Taken from Statue of Unity to Ahmedabad
Statue of Unity -> Vadodara -> Ahmedabad (NE 1)
You can take the same route if you plan to drive from Ahmedabad to Statue of Unity.
Day 6: Science City Ahmedabad
The next day, post breakfast we planned to head to Modhera Sun Temple and Rani ki Vav. But, we didn’t have phone network (airtel) for a long time. So, eventually we dropped the plan. And instead headed to Science City Ahmedabad. And the decision was totally worth it. The kids enjoyed a lot in Science City Ahmedabad, particularly in the Underwater World and the Robotics section. Want to know more about what you can do in Science City Ahmedabad? Read the below detailed post on the same. We spent almost the whole day here. And on the way back to our hotel we did some traditional Gujarati Snack shopping from Induben Khakhrawala outlet. Which is very famous in Gujarat and has many outlets in Ahmedabad.
Read : Served by Robots in Science City Ahmedabad
Day 7 and 8 : Ahmedabad to Kutch, exploring Kutch
Today, post breakfast we headed to Kutch. In Kutch we stayed in a traditional homestay in the Hodka Village called Rann Bhumi Resort Homestay.
Route taken from .Ahmedabad to Kutch
Ahmedabad -> Bhuj -> Hodka
We spent a total of 2 days in Kutch. While day 1 was mostly spent in transitioning from Ahmedabad to Kutch. And settling down in our homestay in Kutch. On the second day in Kutch we explored the Harappan Sites of Dholavira, Kalo Dungar and the White Rann and Dhordo village where the Kutch festival (Rann Utsav) takes place.
Here’s some of our blog posts on Kutch which will give you the complete idea on how to explore the Kutch region of Gujarat:
A complete guide to Rann Utsav in Kutch – how to book, where to stay
Where to stay when visiting Rann of Kutch in Gujarat
Places to visit in Kutch, Gujarat
Our complete guide to Kutch Gujarat along with Kutch Trip Itinerary
Day 9 and 10 : Visiting Dwarka and Somnath
After spending two beautiful days in Kutch, living like a local, we started for Dwarka on the 9th day of our 2 weeks Gujarat trip itinerary. We reached Dwarka by 4:00pm.
Route taken for road trip to Dwarka
Hodka -> Bhuj -> Jamnagar -> Dwarka
After reaching Dwarka, we first headed to spend our evening on Shivrajpur Beach – the blue flag beach of Gujarat. Then we headed to our hotel, Hotel Holiston Dwarka. The next day morning, we visited the Dwarkadhish temple in the morning around 6:30 am. It took us an hour for the Darshan even when visiting so early in the morning. Here’s my complete guide to visit Dwarkadhish Temple. Which will tell you everything from where to stay, when to visit, special darshan, arrangements inside the temple etc.
Read: Places to visit in Dwarka in 2 days
After this, we returned to our hotel, which was at 10 mins walking distance from the Dwarka Temple. And checked-out around 10 am. Thus started our journey to Somnath.
Route taken from Dwarka to Somnath
Dwarka -> Porbandar -> Jamnagar
The roads on this stretch of NH51 are very scenic, and in excellent condition. We reached Somnath in around 2.5 – 3 hrs. In Somnath, we first had lunch at the Somnath Gateway Hotel. And then proceeded to the Somnath Temple around 3:00pm. Surprisingly, the temple was not at all crowded. And we had a very good darshan. Post which we proceeded to the Somnath Beach besides the temple. Here’s our complete guide to visit Somnath Temple.
Read: Places to visit in Somnath in a day
We left from Somnath around 4:30pm. And reached our resort in Gir National Park around 5:30pm. We stayed at Savaaj Resort Gir. Here’s a list of hotels in Somnath in case you want to stay there. And here’s a complete list of resorts in Gir National Park.
Day 11: Safari in Gir National Park
Today was a very light day of our trip. Today we woke up leisurely, had our breakfast. And then got ready to step out. We went to the Gir Forest Office from where Safaris are conducted. However, before embarking on the safari, we had our lunch in a restaurant right besides the office. Post lunch we headed for our Safari. The safari arrangements and whole process in Gir National Park is very smooth. We sighted a majestic lion, 2 lioness sleeping and a lioness with her 2 cubs who was up – close to our safari vehicle.
Read: A complete guide to booking safari in Gir National Park
The above blog post will give you complete details of Safari booking process in Gir National Park along with the slot timings, best slot information. When to book, how to book, from where to book. Boarding, safari and de-boarding experience as well.
Day 12 & 13: Gir National Park to Bhavnagar and Bhavnagar to Surat
The next day, post an early breakfast, we started from our resort in Gir. And headed to Bhavnagar. In Bhavnagar we stayed at Efcee Sarovar Premium – a 5 star property which came at a very reasonable rate. And provided excellent food, comfort and hospitality.
Route taken from Gir to Bhavnagar
Gir National Park -> Una -> Talaja -> Bhavnagar
The main reason for taking a halt in Bhavnagar today was that we wanted to experience the ferry route from near Bhavnagar to near Surat. Ro-ro ferries operate through the Gulf of Khambhat from Ghogha Ferry Terminal (near Bhavnagar) to Hazira Ferry Terminal (Near Surat). On this ferry, you can load your car. And then enjoy a panormic 4 hours ride across the sea to Surat. We had booked an early morning ferry for the next day. So, we stayed overnight at Bhavnagar. And then next day headed to the ferry terminal for Surat. We reached Surat by 1:00pm. And checked-in into our hotel by 2:00pm. Post lunch, we headed for shopping in the famous Surat Textile market, Bombay Market.
Read:
Our experience shopping in Bombay Market Surat – largest textile market of India
Riding the RoRo Ferry from Ghogha to Hazira in Gujarat – is it worth it?
We didn’t do much sightseeing in Surat as we had limited time.
Day 14 & 15: Surat to Solapur and Solapur to Bangalore
On the 14th Day of our trip began our return journey to Bangalore. Today we drove from Surat to Solapur. It was a ~13 hours drive. We had booked the same hotel in Solapur as the onwards journey for our night halt – Kyriad Hotel. Which is very near to the highway. From Solapur we drove back to Bangalore the next day.
Route taken on the return journey from Gujarat to Bangalore:
Surat -> Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar -> Beed -> Solapur -> Vijayapura -> Hospete -> Bangalore
Alternative Gujarat Road Trip itineraries
You can also do the above Gujarat trip from Mumbai. Or when planning a Gujarat trip from Pune you can follow the same itinerary.
Also, you can exclude Ujjain and Indore from your itinerary if you want to simply stick to Gujarat. Instead you can spend an additional day in Ahmedabad and one in Kutch to cover more places which we couldn’t.
You can also break the above itinerary into smaller ones. For instance :
5 days Ahmedabad trip itinerary
Covering Ahmedabad, Modhera Sun Temple, Rani ki Vav and Vadodara City. For this trip you can stay in Ahmedabad and do day trips from Ahmedabad to other places.
4 days Kutch trip itinerary
Covering Dholavira, Dhordo, Rann Utsav and Artist Villages in Kutch. For this trip you can either choose to stay in Tent City for Rann Utsav. Or in a homestay in one of the villages of Kutch. You could also combine the two, staying for couple of nights in a homestay and one night in tent city.
5 days Dwarka, Somath and Gir trip itinerary
Including Dwarka Temple Visit, Shivrajpur Beach Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Somnath Temple and Somnath Beach and Lion Safari in Gir National Park. You can
Or, you could break the above into 2 Gujarat trip itinerary for 7 days each. In the first one, you can cover north Gujarat including Ahmedabad and Around. While in the second one you can explore South Gujarat including Kutch, Dwarka, Somnath, Gir & Diu.
More destinations to add on your Gujarat Road Trip itinerary
There are a few destinations that we couldn’t accommodate on our 2 weeks Gujarat trip itinerary. But if you have more time, you can accommodate them as per your choice. Some of these include –
- Diu
- Junagadh Fort
- Pavagadh Temple
- Modhera Sun Temple and Rani Ki Vav
- Vadodara
Is Gujarat worth visiting? Why we chose a Gujarat Road Trip Itinerary?
Weather
Gujarat is located in western India. As such, it has a moderate climate during the winter months. Nights can however get chilly in certain areas. But days were very comfortable to explore around with kids. So, weather was one of the reasons we chose to create a Gujarat road trip itinerary instead of colder tourist places.
Road Conditions
Most of the roads in Gujarat including the state highways are in good condition. So, we chose this state for a road trip exploring multiple places together.
Places of Interest
Gujarat has varied places to explore and things to do. Which can fit all age groups. For instance, the kids had a blast at Science City Ahmedabad and Sabarmati Riverfront. While the elders really enjoyed the temple visits in Dwarka and Somnath and historical site visit in Pavagadh. In this one trip, we rode on ferry across the sea, visited pilgrimage sites, did a lion safari, saw world’s tallest statue, visited world’s largest white sand desert, did shopping to our heart’s content and had a lot of delicious food !! There was a bit of educational element as well to the trip. Wherein our kids visited Gandhi Aashram, understanding about the life of Mahatma Gandhi and our freedom struggle. And also in the robotics division of Science City where they saw a lot of robots in action. All in one package – that totally made our Gujarat trip worth it.
What is the best time to visit Gujarat
The best time to visit Gujarat is from November to February. As during the day, the temperature is moderately hot. And the evenings are cold. While the nights can get chilly in some areas like the Rann of Kutch. You should pack one light woolen and one heavier jacket when visiting in this season. Along with light cotton cloths. To layer as required. From November to February the Rann Utsav festival is also held in the Rann of Kutch, bringing colorful vibes to the otherwise barren land. So, when booking around this time, you must book your tickets and accommodation in advance.
Booking resources for visiting Gujarat
Accommodation Bookings
- This is a list of accommodations in Ahmedabad to choose from.
- You can choose an accommodation in Vadodara using this link.
- Book your stay in Bhuj here.
- Here is a list of homestays in Hodka.
- If you are staying near Statue of Unity, click here to view the list of accommodations.
- For staying in Dwarka, here’s the list of hotels to browse through.
- When staying in the Gir National Park, you can book one of these accommodations.
- Choose from this list of hotels in Bhavnagar.
- For your stay in Surat, browse this list of accommodations in Surat.
Here’s where we stayed on our 2 weeks Gujarat road trip itinerary
- Kyriad Hotel in Solapur
- Fabhotel Prime the Grey Circle in Indore (You can also search as Hotel Grey Circle Indore)
- Parveg Tent City Narmada near Statue of Unity
- Four Points by Sheraton Ahmedabad
- Rann Bhumi Resort Homestay Rann
- Hotel Holiston in Dwarka
- Saavaj Resort Sasan Gir National Park
- Efcee Sarovar Premium in Bhavnagar
- Budget Inn Belleuve in Surat
Here I have compiled in details about our experience staying in each of these hotels and resorts. Which will help you take decision when choosing one of these.
Other ticket / experiences bookings
Many of the experiences on our 2 weeks Gujarat road trip itinerary can be booked in advance and online. While for some you can get the tickets on the spot also. But for some others like the safari in Gir National Park, you must book months in advance. Here’s the list of things that we booked in advance for our 2 weeks Gujarat road trip itinerary, apart from the accommodations –
- If you are staying at Narmada Tent near Statue of Unity, get a car permit from your resort / accommodation in advance. You will not be allowed entry without it. I have detailed the process here – staying near Statue of Unity.
- Online ticket to Statue of Unity, booked from this official statue of unity website.
- Ahmedabad Science City tickets booked from the Science City Ahmedabad Website. Although you can as well book it from the ticket counter. But using the online website will provide you with 5% discount. And you will avoid the queue at the ticket counter.
- Rann Permit to visit the Rann of Kutch and staying in a village like Dhordo or Hodka in the Rann of Kutch area. The Rann Permit can again be obtained from the official Rann Website.
- Book your Gir Lion Safari in advance. It can be booked upto 3 months in advance. You will definitely not get an end moment slot or on the spot slot.
- If you will take a ferry from Ghogha to Hazira like we did for traveling from Bhavnagar to Surat, you can book the Ghogha-Hazira Ferry tickets here. The ferry ticket booking opens almost 1 month in advance.