An Asiatic lioness yawning in the forest of Gir National Park, Sasan Gir, Gujarat

Gujarat · 9 Days

Gujarat — Lions, Palaces & the Statue

Lion country, then palaces — Gir, Somnath, Vadodara, Champaner and the Statue of Unity.

Day by Day

9 Days, In Full

Wildlife first, then royal Gujarat. Three nights at Gir for lion safaris and a day at Somnath and Junagadh. A drive back to Ahmedabad, then three nights in Vadodara for Laxmi Vilas Palace, ruined Champaner and the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue.

Ahmedabad

Arrive in Ahmedabad

Your driver meets you at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport. Ahmedabad became India's first UNESCO World Heritage City in 2017. Its old quarter is a maze of pols, or walled lanes of carved wooden havelis. Check in and rest. In the late afternoon, walk beside the Sabarmati river as the light softens. Dinner is a first taste of Gujarati cooking, sweet-savoury and mostly vegetarian.

Green fields and village rooftops under a blue sky with clouds near Sutrapada in the Gir Somnath countryside, Saurashtra, Gujarat

Ahmedabad → Sasan Gir

Ahmedabad to Gir

A long, comfortable drive south-west to lion country, about six to seven hours with a lunch stop. The landscape turns from plains to the green Gir hills. You reach the lodge by late afternoon. Rest, walk the grounds, and take an early night before the dawn safari.

Close-up portrait of a male Asiatic lion with its mouth open in Gir National Park, Gujarat

Sasan Gir

Gir Lion Safari

Gir is the last home of the Asiatic lion. You go in at dawn in an open jeep with a forest guide, on a safari of about three hours. Sightings are common but never guaranteed. Leopards, deer and many birds share the forest. Permits and slots are set by the forest department, so we book them well ahead. The park is closed from about mid-June to mid-October. The rest of the day is for the lodge, or for a second safari.

Black-and-white view of the ornate Mahabat Maqbara mausoleum and its spiral minaret in Junagadh, Gujarat

Sasan Gir

Somnath and Junagadh

A day of coast and history beyond the forest. Somnath Temple stands on the sea at Prabhas Patan, the first of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines. The present temple was rebuilt in the 20th century. Then to Junagadh, an old Nawabi town. The Mahabat Maqbara, finished in 1892, is the showpiece, with onion domes and spiral minarets. You return to the lodge at dusk.

Sasan Gir → Ahmedabad

Gir to Ahmedabad

The road back across Saurashtra to Ahmedabad takes about six to seven hours with a lunch stop. You arrive in the evening and settle into the hotel.

Tree canopy against a blue sky with white clouds in Dabhoi, Vadodara district, Gujarat

Ahmedabad → Vadodara

Ahmedabad to Vadodara

A short morning drive of two hours or so to Vadodara, once the seat of the Gaekwad Maharajas. The city is greener and calmer than Ahmedabad. The afternoon is free, or given to Sayaji Baug and the city's museums. Dinner is in the hotel.

The twin-minaret Jama Masjid at Champaner in the UNESCO-listed Champaner-Pavagadh archaeological park, Gujarat, on a sunny day

Vadodara

Laxmi Vilas Palace and Champaner

Start at Laxmi Vilas Palace, the Gaekwads' royal residence, an Indo-Saracenic building set in wide grounds. Access to parts of the palace is set by the family, so we confirm what is open. After lunch, drive to Champaner-Pavagadh, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It holds a walled medieval city with mosques, gateways and stepwells. A local guide walks you through the best of it. The drive is about an hour each way.

Vadodara

The Statue of Unity

The Statue of Unity stands on the Narmada at Kevadia, about 90 km from Vadodara. At 182 metres, it is the world's tallest statue. It honours Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The drive takes about two hours each way. A viewing gallery sits high in the figure, with wide views over the river and dam. Tickets and timings are set locally, so we confirm them on the day.