North India Tours
Mesmerising Gujarat Tour
The Mesmerising Gujarat Tour is our deep, 13-day journey across western India's most underrated state, sweeping from the textile city of Ahmedabad through the tribal villages of Poshina, the Sun Temple of Modhera, the wild-ass plains and salt flats around the Rann of Kutch, the artisan hamlets of Bhuj, the Asiatic lions of Gir, and the sacred coast of Somnath, Diu and Palitana. It is a tour for travellers who want living craft, wildlife and pilgrimage rather than the usual circuit.
Tour overview
Gujarat rewards curiosity like few places in India. On this route you meet the Bhil and Garasia tribal communities of the Aravalli foothills, whose silversmiths and terracotta-horse makers still work as they have for generations; you stand before the exquisitely stepped Rani-ki-Vav at Patan and the equinox-aligned Sun Temple at Modhera; and you cross into Kutch, a borderland of embroidery, salt desert and the rare Indian wild ass. Further south the state turns wild and holy — the last Asiatic lions prowl the forests of Gir, and the shore temples of Somnath and the hilltop Jain shrines of Palitana crown a journey that ends by the sea at Diu.
We run the whole tour privately, with your own air-conditioned car and driver and a mix of heritage castles, palace hotels and comfortable town properties — from the Darbargadh at Poshina to the Orchard Palace at Gondal. Because parts of Kutch near the border are restricted, a local permit is arranged on the ground before you visit the Banni villages. The plan below is our recommended flow; distances are real and several days involve long, scenic drives, so we happily adjust the pace, hotels and safaris to how you like to travel.
Living tribal cultures
From the Bhil and Garasia artisans around Poshina to the Jat, Meghwal and Mutva embroiderers of the Banni villages near Bhuj, you meet craft traditions still worked by hand.
Two great wildlife encounters
A jeep safari for the endangered Indian wild ass across the Little Rann of Kutch, and a morning safari in Gir — the last refuge on earth of the Asiatic lion.
Temples that shaped history
The Sun Temple of Modhera, the stepwell Rani-ki-Vav at Patan, the jyotirlinga shrine of Somnath and the mountain-top Jain temples of Palitana.
Day-by-day itinerary
13 daysMost guests fly into Ahmedabad in the morning, and you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Founded in 1411 on the banks of the Sabarmati and once called the "Manchester of the East" for its mills, Ahmedabad is India's great textile city. In the afternoon you visit the Sabarmati (Gandhi) Ashram, the carved Hutheesing Jain Temple, the Jama Masjid and the renowned Calico Museum of Textiles. Overnight in Ahmedabad.
- Sabarmati Ashram
- — Mahatma Gandhi's riverside home and the cradle of the freedom movement.
- Calico Museum of Textiles
- — One of the world's finest collections of Indian textiles.
We drive north to Poshina, stopping en route at the beautiful Adalaj Stepwell, a five-storey 15th-century well richly carved in sandstone. Poshina sits in tribal Aravalli country, home to Bhil and Garasia artisans — silversmiths, potters, blacksmiths and makers of the famous terracotta votive horses — and a bazaar known for tribal jewellery and ornate daggers. Overnight at the Darbargadh castle of Poshina.
- Adalaj Stepwell
- — An intricately carved 1498 stepwell, one of Gujarat's finest.
- Poshina bazaar
- — Tribal silverwork, terracotta horses and hand-forged daggers.
A full day among the tribal villages around Poshina, meeting Garasia communities and, near the pilgrimage town of Ambaji, Rabari herders from neighbouring Rajasthan. A second afternoon drive takes you deeper into the Aravalli hamlets to see everyday life, dress and craft. Overnight at the Darbargadh, Poshina.
- Ambaji
- — An important Hindu shrine to the mother goddess, near the tribal belt.
A rich driving day through Gujarat's heritage. At Patan — an ancient Hindu capital before 1024 — you see the superb stepwell Rani-ki-Vav and learn of its celebrated patola silk weaving. At Modhera stands the Sun Temple built by King Bhimdev I around 1026, designed so the dawn sun struck the image of Surya at the equinox. You continue to Dasada on the edge of the Little Rann. Overnight in Dasada.
- Rani-ki-Vav, Patan
- — A UNESCO-listed 11th-century stepwell of extraordinary sculpture.
- Sun Temple, Modhera
- — An 11th-century solar temple aligned to the equinox dawn.
An early jeep safari across the Little Rann of Kutch in search of the rare Indian wild ass, which survives here in one of its last strongholds. Afterwards you visit nearby villages of the Rabari, Koli and Bania communities, whose textiles, jewellery and embroidery remain part of daily life. Overnight in Dasada.
- Indian wild ass
- — The endangered khur, endemic to the Little Rann salt plains.
We drive west to Bhuj, capital of the Kutch region. On arrival a permit is obtained for visits to the restricted Banni villages near the border. In the afternoon you explore the Aina Mahal (a palace-museum built under Rao Lakhpatji), the neighbouring Prag Mahal, and the Kutch Museum — the oldest in Gujarat, founded in 1877. Overnight in Bhuj.
- Aina Mahal
- — The "Palace of Mirrors", now a museum of Kutchi culture and history.
- Kutch Museum
- — Gujarat's oldest museum, established in 1877.
A full-day excursion into the Banni grasslands to the traditional villages of Kutch — Hodka, Ludiya, Dhordo and others — home to Jat, Harijan, Meghwal and Mutva communities famed for their distinctive embroidery, mud-and-mirror houses and leatherwork. You return to Bhuj in the evening. Overnight in Bhuj.
- Banni villages
- — Hodka, Ludiya and Dhordo, centres of Kutchi embroidery and mud-mirror craft.
We drive to Gondal, pausing at the Wankaner Palace for lunch and at Rajkot for the Watson Museum and the Rashtriya Shala with its handloom weaving. Gondal, seat of the former Jadeja Rajput princely state on the Gondali river, is a model town shaped by its reforming ruler Sir Bhagwatsinhji. Overnight at the Orchard Palace, Gondal.
- Gondal
- — A planned princely town of palaces on the Gondali river.
At Junagadh you tour the Mahabat Maqbara mausoleum, the Ashokan rock edicts on the road to Girnar hill — twelve inscriptions carved in stone in the time of Emperor Ashoka — and the Uparkot Fort with its Durbar Hall museum. You then drive on to Sasan Gir, the forest home of the Asiatic lion. Overnight in Sasan Gir.
- Ashokan edicts, Junagadh
- — Rock inscriptions in Sanskrit from the reign of Emperor Ashoka.
- Uparkot Fort
- — An ancient hill-fort above Junagadh with a Durbar Hall museum.
An early jungle safari in Gir National Park, the last abode of the Asiatic lion, where you may also see leopard, sambar, chital, nilgai and the rare four-horned chousingha. Later you drive to the coast via Somnath to see its legendary shore temple — one of the twelve jyotirlingas sacred to Lord Shiva — before continuing to the island of Diu. Overnight in Diu.
- Gir National Park
- — The only place on earth where the Asiatic lion survives in the wild.
- Somnath Temple
- — A revered jyotirlinga shrine to Shiva on the Arabian Sea.
A relaxed day on the former Portuguese island of Diu. You visit the sea-girt Diu Fort, the old St Paul's Church and the Diu Museum, with the rest of the day free by the water. In the evening you head to Nagoa Beach, the island's most popular stretch of sand. Overnight in Diu.
- Diu Fort
- — A 16th-century Portuguese sea fort guarding the island.
- Nagoa Beach
- — A curving palm-fringed beach on Diu's southern shore.
We drive to Palitana, one of Jainism's holiest sites, where the Shatrunjaya hill is crowned by hundreds of marble temples reached by a climb of some 3,500 steps (about 600 m of ascent). Pilgrims and the fit make the climb for the summit temples; others take in the town and the nearby city of Bhavnagar. Overnight in Palitana or Bhavnagar.
- Shatrunjaya temples, Palitana
- — Hundreds of Jain temples crowning a sacred hill, reached on foot.
After breakfast you are transferred for your flight, connecting through Mumbai for your onward journey home, or you can extend your travels with us elsewhere in India. Tour ends.
This itinerary is a suggested flow and is fully customisable — hotels, pace and sightseeing are tailored to you. Ask us to adjust it →
Places on this tour
What's included
- Accommodation on twin-sharing basis in your chosen hotel category (5/4/3-star and heritage)
- Daily breakfast (meal plan as per itinerary)
- Private air-conditioned car with an experienced driver throughout
- All arrival and departure transfers
- All applicable taxes on the services quoted
Not included
- Monument entry fees, camera/video charges and activities such as jeep and jungle safaris
- Restricted-area permits where payable and lunches, dinners and drinks unless specified
- Any airfare, visa or travel insurance
- Local guide service unless requested
- Tips, gratuities and personal expenses
- Single-room supplement for single occupancy
- Anything not mentioned under inclusions
Ideal for: Culture, craft and wildlife travellers wanting an in-depth, off-the-beaten-track journey.
FAQ
Mesmerising Gujarat Tour — your questions answered
Gujarat is quieter, more varied and far less touristed than Rajasthan. Instead of a single fort circuit you get living tribal cultures, the salt desert and wild ass of the Rann of Kutch, the Asiatic lions of Gir, and coastal pilgrimage sites like Somnath, Diu and Palitana — a mix of craft, wildlife and religion in one journey.
Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only place on earth to see Asiatic lions in the wild. This tour includes a morning jeep safari in Gir, where alongside lions you may spot leopard, sambar, chital, nilgai and the rare four-horned chousingha antelope.
November to February is the best time to tour Gujarat. The weather is cool and dry, which suits the long drives, the Rann of Kutch and the Gir safaris; note that Gir National Park usually closes during the monsoon, roughly mid-June to mid-October, so we plan around the safari season.
Yes, the Banni villages near the Pakistan border are a restricted area and need a permit. We arrange this locally in Bhuj on arrival before your village visits, so there is nothing for you to organise in advance beyond carrying your passport.
Yes, it suits families and independent travellers, though it is an active, in-depth tour with several long driving days. The safaris, beaches at Diu and hands-on craft villages appeal to children, and because the tour is fully private we can shorten drives, drop the Palitana climb or add rest days to fit your group.
