Gujarat is a state that is endowed with natural beauty and its rulers have left no stone unturned to beautify and glorify it while it was being ruled by them. The state shares an international border with Pakistan and a chuck of it forms the shoreline of the Arabian sea. The state has a salty desert region that is known as Kutch. It has been divided into various cities.
Of late, it has been gaining a lot of importance in the tourist department and they government has made Amitabh Bachchan the brand ambassador for the same. Here is everything that you need to know about Gujarat as a tourist destination, places to visit in Gujarat etc.
Ahmedabad tourism
Ahmedabad is the capital city of Gujarat. The city is by far the most connected and developed of the others in the state.
Nearest railway station – Ahmedabad has a railway station of its own and it is also the biggest and the most crowded station of Gujarat. The city is connected to all the important cities of the country. The main trains to Ahmedabad are:
- Adi SJ Rajdhani: Source Station- New Delhi
- Adi Duranto Express: Source Station- Mumbai Central
- Gujrat Samparkranti: Source station- Mumbai Central
- Azimabad Express: Source Station- Patna
- Navajivan: source station- Chennai
- UDZ Adi Express: Source Station- Udaipur
- Sabarmati Express: Source Station- Varanasi
Nearest airport – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
As it is an international airport, there are international flights from most countries to the city. The most common domestic flights that operate in the city have been mentioned below:
- Airindia AI817: From Delhi to Ahmedabad; Daily flight
- Jetairways 9W2121: From Delhi to Ahmedabad; Daily
- Jetairways 9W489: From Mumbai to Ahmedabad; All days except Sunday
- Indigo 6E433: From Mumbai; Daily
- Spicejet SG916: From Hyderabad; Daily, except on Saturdays and Sundays
Best time to visit Ahmedabad – Between November and February as the temperature is most pleasant during this time.
Places of Interest in Ahmedabad
- Bhadra Fort
Timings: 9.00AM to 5.00PM
Entry fee: Free of cost
- Science City
Timings: 2PM to 9PM
Entry fee: Rs.10 for adults, Rs.5 for children and Re.1 for School students
- Vastrapur Lake
Timings: 6.00 AM to 10PM
Entry Fee- free of cost
- Kamla Nehru Zoo
Timings- 8.00AM to 6.15PM (March to October); 9.00 AM to 5.30PM (November to February)
Entry fee- Adults: Rs.10, Children: Rs. 5, educational tour: Rs.3 (Free on Thursdays)
- Akshardham Temple
Timings- 9.00AM to 6.00PM, closed on Sundays
Entry fee- varies with respect to the place being visited in the temple premises
Surat Tourism
This city is known to have maximum number of tourist sites and is overflowing with cultural heritage sites.
Railway connections to Surat
Surat is well -connected via railways and there are many trains that run to and from the city.
- Golden Temple MI – from Delhi to Surat, total travel time of 17hours 35minutes, runs daily
- Gujarat Express- from Mumbai Central, total time of 4 hours 43minutes, operates daily
- Rajkot Express- From Secunderabad Junction, total travel time of 18hours 55minutes, operates on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays
- Avantika Express- From Indore, travel time of 9 hours 45minutes, operates on all days
Air connection to Surat
The city has a domestic airport, and thus, there are no international flights plying, yet the connection via air route with the metros of the country are pretty strong.
- Spicejet SG151- from Delhi to Surat, daily except Mondays
- Air India AI9907- From Delhi to Surat, only on Thursdays
- Jetairways 9W2237- From Mumbai to Surat, only on Thursdays
- Jetairways 9W301- From Mumbai to Surat, daily except on Mondays and Wednesdays
- Airindia AI127- From Hyderabad to Surat, weekly (only on Fridays)
- Air India AI546- from Hyderabad to Surat, daily, except on Saturdays
- Sardar Patel Museum
Timings- 2.45PM to 5.45PM (On Sundays and Tuesdays) 11.45PM to 2PM and 2.45PM to 5.45PM (rest of the days)
Entry fee – Free of cost
Location – In the Moti Shahi Mahal in the Shahibaug area
- Dumas Beach
Timings – Entire day
Entry fee – Free of cost
Location – 16kms from the main city
Best time of visit- October to March
- Dutch Gardens
Timings – Sunrise to sunset
Entry Fee – Free of cost
- Vansada National Park
Entry Fee – Rs.20 for Indian Adults and Rs.250 for foreigners
Best time to visit – October to May
Main attractions of the park- Gira falls with the park and the Botanical gardens
Bhavnagar Tourism
Bhavnagar has quite a few striking tourist spots. It is in the interior parts of Gujarat, but is well connected with the main cities of the country.
Rail connections to the city
The city has a railway station of its own, that is the Bhavnagar Railway station. The main trains to the city are as follows:
- Amritsar-Bhavnagar Express, daily train from Amritsar via Delhi to Bhavnagar
- Delhi- Bhavnagar Terminus, bi-weekly (Mondays and Thurdays) from Delhi via Viramgam junction to Bhavnagar
- Bhavnagar Express, from Borivalli Mumbai to Bhavnagar, operates daily
- CCT BVC Express from Secunderabad Junction to Bhavnagar, weekly, that is functions only on Thursdays.
Air connections to Bhavnagar
The city has an airport, but it is a domestic one and thus, international flights do not land here. The standard flights are:
- Jetairways 9W332- from Delhi to Bhavnagar on Wednesday, Tuesday and Thursday
- Jetlite S24240- from Delhi to Bhavnagar on Wed Tue Sun Sat
- Jetairways 9W7184- from Mumbai to Bhavnagar, daily
- Jetlite S24507- from Mumbai to Bhavnagar, daily
- Jetairways 9W2478- from Bangalore to Bhavnagar on Monday, Tueday, Friday and Thursday
- Jetairways 9W478- from Bangalore to Bhavnagar only on Fridays
Road routes to Bhavnagar
The city is well connected by the national highways. It is just 200kms from Ahmedabad and 280kms from Vadodara. There are buses and taxis almost daily that ply from these cities.
Best time to visit Bhavnagar
The best time to visit Bhavanagar is post-monsoons that is , between the months of October and March, as the weather is reasonably cool at this time. The summers are unbearably hot and thus must be avoided.
Major tourist attractions
- Takthteshwar Temple
Dedicated to- Lord Shiva
Built in- Late nineteenth century
Main attraction- Entire temple is made of pure white marble.
- Barton Library
Timings- 8.30 to 11.30 A.M in the morning and 3 P.M to 6 P.M in the evening (Tuesdays to Saturdays)
8.30 to 11.30 A.M (On Sundays); closed on Mondays
Important notes about the library- Has been of use to Mahatma Gandi during his struggle for Independence.
Has ancients books and manuscripts dating back to the mid 18th century.
- Gandhi Smriti Memorial
Timings- 08.30AM -12.30PM, 3.00PM-7.00PM
Entry Fee- Free of cost
Main attractions- photos of the life of Mahatma Gandhi, important dates and events of his life have been depicted in the form of paintings. These are the main areas that you can visit while you are in Gujarat. There are many hotels that are available for cheap rates and they can be booked online.
You need to book in advance or may not get a hotel or other place of stay. Covering the entire state will be difficult and thus, the recommended days of stay will be 8-10, so that you can get a view of all the important monuments and cultural heritage sites that it possesses.
