Gir Safari Booking Guide: Permits, Devalia Vs Gir & Timings

Gir safari booking is the one part of a Sasan Gir trip that cannot be fixed on the spot. The lion safari inside Gir National Park runs only on an e-permit from the Gujarat forest department's own portal, the permits are limited, and for Christmas week, Diwali and most winter weekends they are gone within minutes of release. Every winter we get calls from families who have booked a resort in Sasan and then discovered there is no permit left for their dates. This guide shows what the permit covers, what it costs, the slot timings by season, how Devalia differs from the real jungle trail, and a two-day plan that pairs Gir with Somnath from Ahmedabad. Fees and timings are as of November 2026, taken from the forest department's booking portal; the department can change them, so re-check the portal on the day you book.

Gir safari booking at a glance (as of November 2026)

How to book the Gir Jungle Trail permit, step by step

Do this on a laptop rather than a phone if you can; the form has one ID field per traveller and times out when traffic is heavy.

1. Fix your dates first, then your hotel. Decide the exact safari date and slot before paying a resort deposit. Non-refundable resort bookings in Sasan without a permit are the most common Gir mistake we see.
2. Register on girlion.gujarat.gov.in. Use a mobile number you can receive OTPs on in India; the e-permit confirmation comes by SMS to that number. Ignore any other site that calls itself the "official Gir booking portal", however professional it looks.
3. Open the Gir Jungle Trail calendar on the morning your date goes live. With a three-month window, a 27 December safari opens around 27 September. Keep every traveller's full name, ID type and ID number typed in a note so you can paste them; a single booking takes several minutes to fill, and that is the time in which December slots disappear.
4. Pick a slot, then a weekday if you have any flexibility. Weekdays are ₹200 cheaper per permit, but the real gain is availability and quieter routes.
5. Enter all travellers exactly as on their IDs. Children aged 3–12 count against the one-child allowance; babies under 3 are not entered. Only people named on the permit can sit in the gypsy.
6. Pay and save the e-permit PDF and SMS. If money is debited but no permit appears, do not re-book in panic: failed-payment refunds are processed in 15–20 working days, and a successful permit cannot be edited afterwards.
7. At Sasan, report 30 minutes early with the originals. The reception centre assigns your route (one of eight) and your eco-guide by permit number; you cannot choose either. Guide and gypsy charges are paid there in cash or UPI.
8. If your dates are sold out, jump to the "when permits sell out" section below before you give up on Gir altogether.

What a Gir safari really costs for a family from Gujarat

Because the permit is per vehicle, the cost per person falls sharply once you fill the gypsy. Here is the arithmetic for one safari with Indian-nationals pricing, as of November 2026.

Resorts and local operators who arrange the whole thing for you typically quote ₹6,000–7,500 per jeep all-in (one Saurashtra operator listed ₹6,000–6,200 for a 6-seater in August 2026), which includes their running around and their margin. On peak weekends the Sasan hotel association itself has reported group safaris being resold at ₹25,000 and above, so if someone quotes you that, it is a black-market permit, not a legitimate charge. Prices above are indicative and vary by date; the portal is the final word.

Gir safari timings by season, and which slot to pick

Each safari lasts about three hours on a roughly 35 km route through dry deciduous teak forest, with a stop possible at the Kamleshwar dam, where marsh crocodiles bask on the banks. The early-morning slot gives the best light and the most lion movement in winter; lions in Gir are used to vehicles and are often seen resting near the tracks, but there is no guarantee, and the guide will tell you honestly when a route has been quiet. The late-morning slot is the easiest to get and suits families with small children who will not wake at 5 AM. In March–May the heat pushes lions to waterholes, so sightings are more predictable, but at 40°C an open gypsy is hard on seniors; the evening slot is kinder then. Expect a cold start in December and January: Sasan mornings fall to 10–12°C and the gypsy is open on all sides, so carry a proper jacket, a cap and a shawl for parents.

Devalia vs Gir Jungle Trail: which one should you book?

This is the question we are asked most, and the honest answer is that they are different products. Devalia Safari Park (officially the Gir Interpretation Zone, about 12 km from Sasan) is a fenced 400-hectare section of the forest where a few lions, leopards and herbivores live in large enclosures. You see lions almost every time, in 30–50 minutes, from a bus or a gypsy. The Gir Jungle Trail is the real sanctuary: three hours, no fences, and a sighting that depends on the route, the season and some luck.

Our rule of thumb after years of sending Ahmedabad families there: if you have one morning and the Jungle Trail permit, take the Jungle Trail; it is the forest people travel for. Book Devalia when the Jungle Trail is sold out, when you are visiting between June and mid-October, when a parent cannot manage three hours in an open gypsy, or as a second outing so children are sure to see a lion. Avoid planning Devalia for a Wednesday. Many families do both: the Jungle Trail at dawn and the Devalia bus the same afternoon, which together cost less than one black-market permit.

When permits sell out: what actually happens, and your options

The forest department releases a limited number of Jungle Trail permits a day (local hoteliers put it at around 150, rising to about 180 in peak weeks), spread across three slots. In October 2025 the Sasan Gir Hotel Association complained that the 180 permits for 26–31 December were taken within about 20 minutes of release, and days later the Gujarat CID cyber cell arrested three men, one from Ahmedabad, for block-booking permits under fake names on the official portal and reselling them at two to three times the price through nine look-alike websites. Two practical conclusions follow. First, book Christmas week, Diwali week, Uttarayan weekend and 26 January the morning they open. Second, never pay a "premium" to a website or a resort for a permit it has "blocked"; the permit carries the names and ID numbers entered at booking, so a permit bought in someone else's name will not get you in.

If your date shows no availability, work through this list in order: try the late-morning slot, which clears last; try the weekday either side of your weekend; try Devalia for the same morning; look at the Ambardi Safari Park near Dhari on the Amreli side of the forest, a similar fenced bus safari that runs 8–11 AM and 3–6 PM and is closed on Tuesdays; or add the Girnar Nature Safari at Junagadh, which runs on the same ₹800 / ₹1,000 permit through the Girnar sanctuary's leopard and lion country, 60 km from Sasan. Keep refreshing the portal 2–3 days before travel as well; a few permits do reappear.

Reaching Sasan Gir from Ahmedabad

By road: about 340 km via Bagodara, Rajkot, Jetpur and Junagadh, 6½–7 hours with one chai stop. A private sedan from Ahmedabad costs roughly ₹9,000–12,000 for a 2-night Sasan–Somnath loop and an Innova ₹13,000–17,000, as of November 2026 and varying with fuel and season. Leave Ahmedabad by 6 AM and you reach Sasan for lunch, which keeps the evening free for Devalia or the Kamleshwar dam road.

By train: the overnight 22957 Somnath Express leaves Ahmedabad around 10:10 PM and reaches Junagadh before dawn and Veraval by about 6 AM (daily, as of November 2026; check the live timetable). From Veraval it is 40 km (about an hour) to Sasan, from Junagadh about 60 km. Sasan Gir has its own small station, but the handful of passenger trains that stop there are slow; a cab from Veraval or Junagadh is the sensible way. Morning trains such as the 19119 Ahmedabad–Somnath Intercity reach the Sasan area by early evening, which works if you plan the safari for the next morning.

By air: Rajkot's Hirasar airport is about 160 km away and Diu about 100 km; both have flights from Ahmedabad and Mumbai but the road time afterwards is still 2½–3½ hours. Keshod airport, about 60 km from Sasan, has had on-and-off Mumbai flights under the UDAN scheme; check whether it is operating in your month before counting on it. For most Ahmedabad families the car or the overnight train beats flying.

Where to stay, and pure veg and Jain food in Sasan

Sasan village and the Sasan–Junagadh road have dozens of resorts, from farm stays and small hotels at ₹1,500–3,500 a night, through lawn-and-pool family resorts at ₹3,500–8,000, to the branded forest resorts at ₹8,000–15,000 and one or two luxury lodges far above that, going by aggregator rates for ordinary winter weekdays as of November 2026; Diwali and Christmas weeks run roughly double, and rooms sell out with the permits. Stay in Sasan itself if you have the 6:45 AM slot, because the reception centre reporting time is 6:15 AM and a drive from Somnath at that hour is unpleasant. The forest department's Sinh Sadan guesthouse is booked only in person at Sasan, not online, so do not count on it.

Food is the easy part. Almost every resort in Sasan serves vegetarian Gujarati thalis and buffets, and Jain preparation (no onion, garlic or root vegetables) is a normal request here, not a special one; tell the resort at booking and again at check-in. Nothing is sold inside the forest and eating in the gypsy is not allowed, so for the dawn slot keep theplas, fruit and water in the car for the ride back. Resorts hand out a packed breakfast on request. The lunch halt on the drive from Ahmedabad is best at Rajkot or Jetpur, where highway thali restaurants are reliably pure veg.

A two-day Gir and Somnath plan from Ahmedabad

This is the shape of most of the Gir trips we plan, built around one Jungle Trail permit for the second morning.

Day 1 – Ahmedabad to Sasan (Thursday or Sunday departure avoids weekend permit rates). Leave by 6 AM, lunch near Rajkot, check in at Sasan by 2 PM. Devalia bus safari at 3 PM (not on a Wednesday), then the Kamleshwar dam road for crocodiles at dusk. Early dinner; the resort will set a 5:45 AM wake-up.

Day 2 – Gir Jungle Trail at 6:45 AM, then Somnath. Report at Sinh Sadan by 6:15 AM with original IDs. Back by 10 AM for breakfast, check out, and drive 45 km to Somnath (about an hour). Afternoon darshan, the 7:00 PM aarti and the light-and-sound show; our Somnath temple timings guide has the exact darshan and show slots. Overnight in Somnath.

Day 3 – Somnath to Ahmedabad (about 410 km, 7½ hours), or extend with Diu's beaches (85 km) or Dwarka. The Gir add-on itself is covered in our Dwarka Somnath tour packages from Ahmedabad, where the five-night option includes one Sasan safari; for wider Saurashtra and Kutch circuits see our Gujarat tour packages. A pure safari weekend without Somnath also sits comfortably in our weekend getaways from Ahmedabad list.

Tips for families, children and senior parents

• The one-child rule is strict: a 6-seater permit allows 6 adults and only one child aged 3–12. Two children means two of them are counted as adults in the six, which is fine, but a family of 6 adults plus 2 kids needs two permits or an 8-seater.
• Infants under 3 are not entered on the permit but three hours of jolting on a forest track in an open vehicle is hard on them; Devalia's bus is the better choice with a baby.
• For parents over 70, book the 8:30 AM slot in winter (less cold, no 5 AM start) and ask at the reception centre for a newer 6-seater gypsy, which has a softer ride; the ₹1,500 difference is worth it. There is no toilet stop inside the forest for three hours, so plan accordingly. Our guide to travelling with senior parents covers pacing and medicines in more detail.
• Wear dull colours, carry binoculars if you have them, and keep phones on silent; the guide will stop the vehicle when a lion is near and you will be asked to stay seated.
• If you are travelling with the whole clan, our family packages page shows how we split large groups across vehicles and permits so nobody is left at the gate.

Frequently asked questions

Can I book a Gir safari on arrival at Sasan?

Not for the Gir Jungle Trail; that permit is online only on girlion.gujarat.gov.in, and the portal closes bookings two hours before each slot. Devalia gypsy and bus permits can be bought on the spot if any remain for the day, and the Devalia bus is usually the fallback for walk-ins.

How many days in advance should I book the Gir safari?

As early as the portal allows. Its terms state a three-month window; the day your date opens is the day to book if it falls in Diwali week, 24 December to 2 January, Uttarayan or any winter weekend. For an ordinary weekday in February or March, 2–4 weeks ahead is usually fine.

Is a lion sighting guaranteed on the Gir Jungle Trail?

No. Sightings are common in the cooler months and most routes see lions, but it is an open forest and some drives come back with only deer, nilgai and birds. Devalia is the place for a near-certain sighting.

What ID do children need for the Gir permit?

Each person on the permit needs a government photo ID entered at booking and shown at the gate. For children use Aadhaar or a school ID with a photograph; carry the original, not a photocopy or a phone image.

Which month is best for a Gir safari from Ahmedabad?

November to February for comfortable weather and the easiest driving, with December–January the coldest at dawn. March to mid-May gives the highest sighting odds because lions gather at water, at the cost of 38–42°C afternoons. The park is shut from 16 June to 15 October.

Can we visit Gir and Somnath in one weekend?

Yes, with a Friday night departure or a Saturday 6 AM start and a Sunday evening return; the two are only 45 km apart. Weekend permits cost ₹1,000 and go fast, so secure the Sunday-morning safari first and build the Somnath darshan around it.

Want the permit, the stay and the drive handled together?

Vibrant Holidays has planned Saurashtra trips from our C G Road office in Ahmedabad since 2015: private cars, resorts that cook Jain on request, Somnath darshan timings and the safari permit booked in your own names on the official portal, with the ID details checked before you travel. No group departures, no fixed dates. Call toll-free 1800-313-4262 or visit our tour packages from Ahmedabad page, and tell us your safari date first; everything else is planned around it.