A travel Guide to Gujarat

Gujarat Tourism

Spread widely across the Arabian Sea, Gujarat is blessed with a beautiful coastline as well as picture-worthy desert areas. A Gujarat tour can keep you mesmerised for a long time thanks to its welcoming people and the versatility of culture. Birthplace to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Gujarat is counted among one of the most welcoming states for travellers. Interestingly, Gujarat tourism welcomes its guests with the famous tagline, “Aavo Padharo'', meaning welcome in the regional language.

Gujarat is one of the most technically advanced states of India, still, it has successfully retained the essence of nature at its best. It has skyscrapers, coastline, deserts, forest and what not. It has the largest petrochemical complexes. Gir forest in Gujarat is the home to the Asiatic Lions. Besides, it is home to many beautiful Jain temples.

The endless number of Gujarat tourist places are sure to give you memories for a lifetime. This Gujarat travel guide is for anyone and everyone who wishes to visit this beautiful state of India.

Places to visit in Gujarat

1. Rann of Kutch

Popularly known as the ‘white desert of India’, Rann of Kutch is one of the most popular places to visit in Gujarat. It offers varied landscapes, out of which, the white desert comes as the main attraction. Kutch is no doubt a pretty place to visit, especially during the winter season when the state hosts the famous fest called Rann Utsav. This fest is a carnival of music and dance in the midst of a desert where nature is present in its purest form. You can spend your nights in tents and participate in activities like ATV ride, meditation, camel cart excursion etc. during the day.

2. Gir National Park

Gir National Park is the perfect place for anyone who wants to feel connected to nature and experience wildlife in its full glory. It is the home to hyena, sambar deer, leopards etc. Gir National Park has done a lot of work to save extinct species and will provide you with an unforgettable experience. However, remember that the best time to visit Gir national park is between April and May when you get to spot a lot of animals.

3. Porbandar

Porbandar is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and this historical link makes it a famous Gujarat attraction. You will be awestruck by the beauty of this beachside town. You can wander around to have a look at the reservoirs, dams, and certain wildlife scenes around Porbandar. There are many temples in this town that will give you a spiritual experience as well. Some famous temples that you can think about visiting can be the Hanuman temple, Bharat Mandir, and the very famous Sudama Mandir.

4. Dholavira

Dholavira is one of the most visited Gujarat tourist places for history lovers. It is known to be a major excavation site of the Indus Valley civilisation. It is said that this place was a highly developed city almost 4500 years back. Dholavira is now a site for archaeologists and you can see remains of the Harappan way of living here. There is a huge stadium in the middle of this beautiful town. Some household materials of the Indus Valley civilisation like beads, earthen pots, and jewellery were dug out from this very place. You will see a jaw-dropping water conservation system that was built here hundreds of years back. This is a must-visit place if you love history and want a sniff from the past.

5. Zarwani Waterfalls

Zarwani Waterfalls is another famous Gujarat attraction. This huge waterfall is located almost 90 km from the city of Vadodara. You can enjoy this waterfall from the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary and also enjoy trekking, having a picnic, or capturing the beautiful wildlife of Gujarat here.

6. Kabirvad

Kabirvad is a small island located on the banks of River Narmada. It is said to be the place where the very famous saint Kabir lived hundreds of years ago. There are huge Banyan trees all over this island. You can come here to catch some peace and calmness. The banyan tree here has more than 300 branches and the main tree is standing still for more than 600 years now. The beauty of mother nature makes this island a good tourist attraction.

Things to do in Gujarat

Visiting Sabarmati Ashram

Visiting the Sabarmati Ashram should be the first thing on your list of things to do in Gujarat. It is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, who lived here along with his wife, Kasturba. This is the starting point of the historical Dandi March that was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi.

Due to the significance of Dandi March, this Ashram is recognised by the Indian government as a historical site. There is a museum dedicated solely to Mahatma Gandhi here. You can visit this place to know more about the struggles for the freedom of India.

Watch the sunset at Kankaria Lake

Kankaria is one of the largest lakes in Gujarat. This famous Gujarat tourist attraction offers many fun activities like balloon safari, toy train ride, amusement park, and zoo. This lake is the perfect place for you to take an evening walk.

If you want to have some fun, you can try your hands on archery, gymnastics, and water rides available at this site. However, this lake is best known for its sunset and hence you can think about spending your evening here, watching the beautiful sunset and absorbing the calmness that this place has to offer.

Birdwatching at Vadla Lake

Gujarat is the best place to feel connected to nature. If you love birdwatching, then Vadla Lake is the place for you. This is home to many migratory birds. This place is not very famous and it is unlikely that your Gujarat travel guide will tell you about this place.

Since not many tourists come here, you will find this place to be less crowded and can enjoy yourself watching different varieties of birds that come here. You can look at the natural habitat of these birds very closely without the fear of disturbing them.

Water sports at Beyt Island

Beyt Island is a welcoming place for adventure lovers. This place is covered with white sand and you can find many corals here as well. Some of the very famous activities that you can indulge in here are dolphin spotting and beach camping.

Best Time to Visit Gujarat

You can visit Gujarat anytime except mid-summer, however, October to February is considered as the best time to visit Gujarat.

Gujarat during winter, that is from November to February, is very pleasant and you will feel comfortable. It is the perfect time for you to see places like Gir National Park and Rann of Kutch. These places might be crowded during this season but you will love them nonetheless.
Gujarat during Summer, that is between March to May, can be very humid. However, you can still see places like Vansda National Park and various reservoirs during this season.
Gujarat during monsoon, that is between June to September, is also a good option. However, you should avoid coming here at the beginning of the season.

The best season to visit Gujarat is undoubtedly the winter season.

How to Reach Gujarat

This Gujarat travel guide cannot be completed without mentioning how to reach Gujarat. It is very easy to reach Gujarat by roadways, railways, airways and also through the sea. All the public transport places and services are maintained properly by the government.

The railway is properly connected with every Indian state. Some of the busiest railway stations of Gujarat are Rajkot, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad Railways station.

Gujarat is very well connected via air. There are 14 airports in Gujarat that are connected via air to most of the important domestic and international cities. Some of the most popular airports are Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Porbandar.

You can even take a road trip to Gujarat if you live nearby. The roads leading to this beautiful city are properly maintained and you will have a good time driving and exploring the route to Gujarat.