Dwarka Somnath Tour Packages from Ahmedabad
Krishna's city on the Gomti, the first Jyotirlinga on the Arabian Sea and the Saurashtra coast road between them – driven in your own car, at a pace your parents can enjoy.
Dwarka and Somnath are the two pilgrimages almost every Gujarati family does at least once, and most do them together because the coast road links them neatly. From Ahmedabad the usual shape is a triangle: drive out to Dwarka through Rajkot and Jamnagar, follow the sea south past Porbandar to Somnath, and come home through Junagadh. That loop is roughly 1,100 km, which is why we plan it over three to five nights rather than the two-night rush many families attempt on a long weekend.
This page sets out what a Dwarka Somnath tour package from Ahmedabad costs by trip length and hotel class, the car, train and flight choices from Ahmedabad (including the newer Vande Bharat trains to Okha and Veraval), three day-wise plans, the temple timings and phone rules as of November 2026, the Bet Dwarka bridge, Shivrajpur beach, and how to add a lion safari at Sasan Gir. If you have already read our Jyotirlinga yatra page from Ahmedabad, this is the deeper version of its Saurashtra circuit, written for families who want the Krishna temples and the coast as much as the Jyotirlingas.
Updated November 2026 by the Vibrant Holidays team, Ahmedabad.
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Dwarka Somnath package price guide from Ahmedabad
Our Gujarat packages currently start at ₹11,000 per person, with 24 on sale today. For this route the bands below are a fair way to judge any quote. They are per person on twin sharing, with hotels and breakfast, a private AC car with driver from your home in Ahmedabad and back, tolls, parking and driver allowance. Prices vary with dates, hotel and car size, so treat them as planning figures.
| Trip length | Standard (clean 3-star / temple-town hotels) | Deluxe (4-star, sea-facing where possible) | Premium (best resorts on the route) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 nights (Dwarka and Somnath only, long drives) | ₹7,500 – 10,500 | ₹11,500 – 16,000 | ₹20,000 – 30,000 |
| 3 nights (adds Bet Dwarka, Nageshwar, Porbandar) | ₹9,500 – 13,500 | ₹15,000 – 21,000 | ₹27,000 – 40,000 |
| 4 nights (adds Shivrajpur beach and a slower day) | ₹12,000 – 17,000 | ₹19,000 – 27,000 | ₹34,000 – 50,000 |
| 5 nights (adds Sasan Gir with one safari) | ₹15,000 – 21,500 | ₹24,000 – 34,000 | ₹43,000 – 65,000 |
What moves the price: the car is the largest single cost on a road trip of 1,100 km, so a family of five in one Innova Crysta pays less per head than a couple in a sedan. A Tempo Traveller for nine to twelve people brings it lower still. Hotels in Dwarka are smaller and older than in Somnath; the best-rated ones near the temple fill on weekends and on Purnima. Janmashtami, Diwali vacation, Christmas week and Maha Shivratri add 20–40% to rooms.
Paid on the spot unless you ask us to include it: special puja or abhishek at either temple, the Somnath light and sound show ticket (small), the Gir safari permit and gypsy, camel rides or water sports at Shivrajpur, lunches and dinners, and dakshina. If you take the train one way, the car cost drops by roughly a third.
Getting from Ahmedabad to Dwarka and Somnath
| Mode | Ahmedabad to Dwarka | Ahmedabad to Somnath | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | About 440 km, 7–8 hours via Bagodara, Rajkot and Jamnagar | About 400 km, 7–8 hours via Rajkot and Junagadh | Families who want the coast road and stops; seniors who want door-to-door |
| Vande Bharat | Sabarmati–Okha Vande Bharat, about 6½ hours, stops at Dwarka | Sabarmati–Veraval Vande Bharat, leaves about 5:25 am, reaches about 12:25 pm; not on Thursdays | Couples and fit travellers; car meets you at the station |
| Overnight train | Saurashtra Mail and several long-distance trains to Okha, 7½–8½ hours | Somnath Express from Kalupur about 10:10 pm, Veraval about 6 am | Saving a day; sleeper or AC berths for elders |
| Flight | No direct link; Jamnagar and Porbandar airports are not served non-stop from Ahmedabad | Keshod airport has limited small-aircraft flights | Rarely worth it from Ahmedabad |
Timetables are as of November 2026 and change, so we check them when booking. Kalupur (Ahmedabad Junction) and Sabarmati are both used; the Vande Bharat trains start at Sabarmati, which is closer for families in the western suburbs. Somnath station sits next to Veraval, about 6 km from the temple.
Distances inside the circuit
- Dwarka – Nageshwar: about 17 km, 25 minutes.
- Dwarka – Bet Dwarka (Okha side): about 32 km to the Sudarshan Setu, 40 minutes.
- Dwarka – Shivrajpur beach: about 12 km.
- Dwarka – Porbandar – Somnath: about 105 km to Porbandar and another 130 km to Somnath on the coastal highway, 5–5½ hours in total with a stop.
- Somnath – Sasan Gir: about 45 km, a little over an hour.
- Sasan Gir – Ahmedabad: about 360 km, 6½–7 hours via Junagadh or via Amreli.
Three itineraries for Dwarka and Somnath from Ahmedabad
3 nights / 4 days – the classic loop
- Day 1: Leave Ahmedabad at 6 am; breakfast near Bagodara or Limbdi, lunch in Rajkot. Reach Dwarka by about 3 pm, rest, and attend the evening darshan and aarti at Dwarkadhish; walk down to Gomti ghat after dark.
- Day 2: Nageshwar Jyotirlinga early, Gopi Talav, then the Sudarshan Setu to Bet Dwarka for the Keshavrai (Dwarkadhish) temple there. Back by lunch; Rukmini temple and Shivrajpur beach at sunset.
- Day 3: Coast road to Porbandar for Kirti Mandir, Gandhiji's birthplace, and Sudama temple; Madhavpur beach on the way. Reach Somnath for the 7 pm aarti and the light and sound show.
- Day 4: Morning darshan, Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth; drive back via Junagadh, home by evening.
4 nights / 5 days – for senior parents
- Day 1: Morning Vande Bharat from Sabarmati to Dwarka; car and driver at the station; rest, evening darshan.
- Day 2: Mangala darshan only if they wish; Nageshwar and Rukmini temple, afternoon rest, Gomti aarti.
- Day 3: Bet Dwarka by the bridge in the cool of the morning; Shivrajpur in the late afternoon, sitting by the sea rather than swimming.
- Day 4: Unhurried drive to Somnath with a long lunch in Porbandar; evening aarti from the seated area.
- Day 5: Morning darshan, Bhalka Tirth; the 2:40 pm Vande Bharat from Veraval reaches Sabarmati around 9:30 pm, or the car drives home.
5 nights / 6 days – with Sasan Gir
- Days 1–3: as the classic loop, ending in Somnath on night three.
- Day 4: Morning at Somnath, short drive to Sasan Gir; afternoon visit to the Devalia safari park, where lions are seen in a fenced zone.
- Day 5: Dawn jeep safari in the core forest on your booked permit; rest at the resort; optional second safari in the afternoon.
- Day 6: Drive to Ahmedabad via Junagadh, with Uparkot fort or a stop at the foot of Girnar if time allows.
Every one of these is private: your own car and driver, your own dates, and you can swap the order (Somnath first) if the train timings suit better.
Temple timings, dress and phone rules as of November 2026
Somnath
- Darshan runs roughly 6 am to 10 pm. Aartis are at about 7 am, 12 noon and 7 pm; the hall fills 30–40 minutes before the evening aarti.
- The Jay Somnath light and sound show on the sea-side lawn runs about 7:45 to 8:45 pm, with a modest ticket. It does not run in heavy rain.
- Mobile phones, cameras, smartwatches and bags are not allowed inside. Free lockers are at the entrance; leave everything in the car to save the queue.
- The Shree Somnath Trust publishes current timings and online puja booking. We check them in the week you travel.
Dwarkadhish, Dwarka
- The temple opens early for mangala darshan, closes for the afternoon (roughly 1 pm to 5 pm) and reopens until about 9:30 pm. The flag (dhwaja) on the shikhar is changed several times a day; families sponsoring one book with the temple well ahead.
- Phones and cameras are not permitted inside; deposit counters are near the gates. Entry is through narrow lanes with steps, so we drop seniors as close as the police allow.
- The temple has asked visitors to come in decent traditional or modest clothing; shorts, sleeveless tops and short skirts are best avoided.
Bet Dwarka and the Sudarshan Setu
The 2.3 km cable-stayed Sudarshan Setu between Okha and Bet Dwarka opened in February 2024 and replaced the ferry for most visitors. You drive across in about five minutes, park on the island and walk a short distance to the temple. The Bet Dwarka temple also closes in the afternoon, so go before noon. The island is being redeveloped under the state's corridor project; parts of the approach may be under works.
Photography
Photos are fine outside both temples, on the Gomti ghat, the Somnath promenade and the bridge. Drones need permission and are not allowed near either temple.
Beyond the temples: Nageshwar, Shivrajpur, Porbandar and Gir
- Nageshwar: one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in the Gujarati tradition, with a large seated Shiva statue outside. Mornings are quieter; families doing abhishek should carry or buy dhoti and puja items at the stalls.
- Shivrajpur beach: a Blue Flag-certified beach north of Dwarka with clean sand, changing rooms and lifeguards. Swimming is allowed only in the marked zone and the sea gets rough in the monsoon. Sunset is the best time.
- Gopi Talav and Rukmini temple: short stops on the Nageshwar road; Rukmini's carved temple stands alone outside town, which is part of its story.
- Porbandar: Kirti Mandir and Gandhiji's ancestral house, Sudama Mandir, and a clean seafront. Halfway, it is the natural lunch stop.
- Madhavpur Ghed: the beach and temple associated with Krishna and Rukmini's wedding; the Madhavpur fair is held around Ram Navami.
- Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth at Somnath: the confluence of three rivers and the place where Krishna is said to have left his body; Gita Mandir is next to it.
- Sasan Gir: home of the Asiatic lion. The core safari season usually runs from 16 October to 15 June. Permits are booked only on the forest department's official site, girlion.gujarat.gov.in, with ID for every person, and weekend and Diwali slots go weeks ahead. The Devalia safari park stays open all year.
Month-by-month for a Dwarka Somnath trip
| Month | Weather on the Saurashtra coast | What to expect | Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cool mornings, 14–28°C | Best touring weather; Gir safaris at their best | Medium; Republic Day weekend busy |
| February | Pleasant | Seniors' favourite month | Medium |
| March | Warming, 20–34°C | Maha Shivratri on 6 March 2027 makes Somnath very crowded | High that week |
| April | Hot afternoons | Plan darshan early and late; Madhavpur fair around Ram Navami | Low to medium |
| May | Hot, humid, breezy by the sea | Gujarat school vacation; family demand peaks | High on weekends |
| June | Monsoon arrives mid-month | Gir core closes from 16 June; seas rough at Shivrajpur | Low |
| July | Rain, green countryside | Shravan begins; Somnath busy on Mondays | Low on weekdays |
| August | Rain easing | Shravan Mondays at Somnath; Janmashtami (25 August 2027) packs Dwarka | Very high around Janmashtami |
| September | Humid, last showers | Quiet and green; good value | Low |
| October | Clearing, warm | Gir reopens on 16 October; Navratri | Medium |
| November | Dry and pleasant | Diwali vacation (around 8–11 November 2026) then calm weeks; Kartik Purnima fair at Somnath | Very high in Diwali week |
| December | Cool and clear | Christmas week busy with Gujarat families | High 24–31 December |
For Diwali, Janmashtami and Christmas we suggest booking six to eight weeks ahead; otherwise two to three weeks is usually enough on this route.
Food, pace and practical tips for Gujarati families
- Food is the easy part. Both towns are vegetarian at heart, with Kathiyawadi and Gujarati thali restaurants close to the temples. The Somnath Trust runs a bhojanalaya with simple, inexpensive meals. Jain food without onion, garlic or root vegetables is understood by most hotels; we put it on the voucher so the kitchen is told in writing.
- On the road: the Rajkot and Jamnagar highways have reliable Kathiyawadi dhabas. In Porbandar there are good thali places in the old town; carry khakhra and fruit for the coastal stretch, where stops are sparse.
- Chauvihar: if you finish dinner before sunset, the evening aarti at both temples clashes with it. We arrange an early meal at the hotel before you leave for the temple.
- Pacing for elders: no more than one long drive per day, a rest after lunch, and darshan timed to avoid the noon heat. Wheelchairs are available at Somnath; at Dwarkadhish, a family member should be ready to help on the steps.
- Room choice: ask for a lift or ground floor; many Dwarka hotels are four or five storeys in narrow lanes, and some older ones have no lift.
- Cash and UPI: UPI works almost everywhere; keep cash for prasad stalls, parking and small offerings.
- Clothing: cotton for the day, a light shawl for December and January evenings by the sea, and slip-on footwear because shoes come off at every temple.
Why book Dwarka and Somnath with Vibrant Holidays
- Planned in Ahmedabad for 11 years: our office on C G Road, above the Liberty showroom at Swastik Cross Roads, is open Monday to Saturday, and our drivers know the Saurashtra road and temple parking well.
- Private car, your timings: no coach, no shared seats; joint families travel as a private group on their own dates in an Innova or Tempo Traveller.
- Gir permits and trains handled: we book Vande Bharat or overnight berths and the official Gir permit along with the hotels, and tell you plainly if a slot is not available.
- Meals and rooms in writing: pure-veg, Jain and chauvihar timings, lift or ground-floor rooms, all printed on vouchers.
- Support while you travel: 24×7 WhatsApp help and the toll-free line 1800-313-4262. IATA-accredited; member of TAAI, TAFI, ADTOI and IATO; recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
See all Gujarat tour packages, our pilgrimage packages, shorter ideas in weekend getaways from Ahmedabad, or every trip from Ahmedabad.
More Gujarat road trips: Rann Utsav packages from Ahmedabad and Saputara trips from Ahmedabad.
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Get a Free Quote WhatsApp 9089090790Dwarka Somnath tour from Ahmedabad: FAQs
How much does a Dwarka Somnath tour package from Ahmedabad cost?
Our Dwarka Somnath packages currently start at ₹11,000 per person for 1 nights. Most of our Dwarka Somnath packages fall between ₹22,500 and ₹38,500 per person. The final cost depends on the travel month, hotel category, number of travellers and whether flights from {$from} are added. Open any package below to see exactly what is included, or ask us for a quote with flights.
How many days are enough for Dwarka and Somnath from Ahmedabad?
Three nights is the comfortable minimum: Dwarka on the first evening, Nageshwar and Bet Dwarka on day two, the coast road to Somnath on day three and home on day four. Senior parents are happier with four nights, and five nights lets you add a lion safari at Sasan Gir.
Is it better to go to Dwarka first or Somnath first?
Either works. Dwarka first suits families driving, because the coast road south to Somnath and the return through Junagadh avoids backtracking. Somnath first can suit train travellers using the morning Vande Bharat to Veraval and the overnight train back from Okha. We decide the order around train days and your preferred darshan.
Is there a Vande Bharat from Ahmedabad to Dwarka or Somnath?
Yes, as of November 2026. A Vande Bharat runs from Sabarmati to Okha with a stop at Dwarka in about six and a half hours, and another runs from Sabarmati to Veraval near Somnath in about seven hours, not on Thursdays. Timetables change, so we confirm them when booking.
Do we still need a boat to Bet Dwarka?
No. The Sudarshan Setu, a 2.3 km cable-stayed bridge from Okha, opened in February 2024, so cars drive across to the island in a few minutes. You then walk a short distance to the temple. Go in the morning, because the Bet Dwarka temple closes for a few hours in the afternoon.
Can we carry mobile phones into Somnath and Dwarkadhish temples?
No. Both temples require phones, cameras and smartwatches to be deposited before entry. Somnath has free lockers at the entrance and Dwarka has deposit counters near the gates. The simplest way is to leave everything in the car with the driver, which also shortens your security queue.
What time is the Somnath aarti and light and sound show?
As of November 2026, aartis are held at about 7 am, 12 noon and 7 pm. The Jay Somnath light and sound show runs on the sea-side lawn from about 7:45 to 8:45 pm and may be cancelled in heavy rain. Arrive half an hour early for the evening aarti.
Can we add a Gir lion safari to the trip?
Yes. Sasan Gir is about an hour from Somnath. The core safari season usually runs from 16 October to 15 June, and permits are booked only on the official site girlion.gujarat.gov.in with ID for each person. Weekend slots sell out early. Outside the season, the Devalia safari park is open.
Is the Dwarka Somnath road trip suitable for senior citizens?
Yes, if it is paced well. We limit drives to one a day, plan darshan in the cooler hours, book hotels with lifts and allow rest after lunch. Taking the train one way removes a full driving day. Wheelchairs are available at Somnath; Dwarkadhish has steps and crowds, so a helper should be ready.
Is pure-veg and Jain food easy to find in Dwarka and Somnath?
Very easy. Both towns are largely vegetarian, with Gujarati and Kathiyawadi thali restaurants near the temples and the Somnath Trust bhojanalaya. Most hotels prepare Jain food when told ahead. We print the requirement on vouchers and arrange early dinners for families who follow chauvihar.
Is Shivrajpur beach safe for swimming?
Shivrajpur is a Blue Flag beach with lifeguards and a marked swimming zone, so a paddle or swim there is reasonably safe in calm months. Stay inside the flags and keep children close. From June to September the sea is rough and swimming is usually stopped; a sunset walk is still worth it.
When is Dwarka most crowded?
Janmashtami is by far the busiest time, falling on 25 August 2027, followed by Diwali vacation, Holi, Purnima days and long weekends. Rooms near the temple sell out and prices rise sharply. If the festival is not the purpose of your visit, a weekday in January, February or September is far calmer.
