Places to visit near Somnath: Gir, Diu, Junagadh and Veraval

Day trips at a glance

Somnath itself fills two days comfortably. With a third or fourth day, four trips stand out. Distances inland are not in our verified list, so rather than guess, we give the time you should plan for; ask the reception or your driver for the current road time on the day.

For all of them, a car with a driver for the day is the simplest arrangement. Agree the route, the stops and the fare before you start, and leave early. Parking is available at the guest house if you have your own car.

Gir National Park

Gir, in the forests of Saurashtra, is the only wild home of the Asiatic lion, and a safari here is the most popular day trip from Somnath. The safaris are run by the Gujarat Forest Department in fixed time slots, with a limited number of permits each day.

• Book permits early on the official Gujarat Forest Department permit website. Permits for weekends and holidays sell out well ahead.
• Season: the main safari usually closes for the monsoon, from mid June to mid October. Winter is the most comfortable season.
• Start early. The first safari slot is at dawn, so either leave Somnath very early or plan to stay a night near the park.
• Carry ID for every member of the group; it is checked against the permit.

If permits for the main safari are sold out, ask about the shorter interpretation zone safari run by the Forest Department, which is easier to book.

Diu

Diu, once a Portuguese possession and now a Union Territory, sits on an island off the Saurashtra coast. Diu airport is about 90 km from the guest house, and the drive along the coast is an easy one.

• Diu Fort, the large Portuguese sea fort, with views across the water.
• St Paul's Church and the old town, with its narrow lanes and painted houses.
• Naida Caves, a striking network of rock passages near the fort.
• Gangeshwar Mahadev at Fudam, a shrine where Shiva lingas sit in the rocks on the shore and are washed by the tide, a fitting stop on a Somnath pilgrimage.
• The beaches, Nagoa being the best known, for a calm hour by the sea.

Diu works as a long day trip, or as a separate stay of a night or two before or after Somnath. Carry ID; you are crossing into a Union Territory.

Junagadh and Girnar

Junagadh is one of the oldest cities in Gujarat, and above it rises Girnar, a mountain sacred to both Hindus and Jains. A day here can be as devotional or as historical as you like.

• Girnar. The Jain temples and Hindu shrines on the mountain are reached by thousands of stone steps, or by the ropeway, which takes much of the climb out of the day for elders. Check the ropeway's timings and the weather before you go.
• Uparkot Fort, the ancient citadel above the old city, with stepwells and rock cut caves.
• The Ashokan rock edicts, inscriptions of the emperor Ashoka on a great boulder at the foot of Girnar.
• Damodar Kund, the sacred tank at the foot of the mountain.

Girnar and Junagadh in one day is a full and tiring day, especially if you climb. Start at first light and keep the afternoon for the city. The Girnar parikrama in the month of Kartik brings very large crowds, so check dates if you are travelling then.

Veraval

Veraval is the busy town next to Somnath and the home of its railway station, about 7 km from the guest house. Most visitors pass through it on the way in or out rather than visiting for its own sake, but it is useful for shopping for anything you have forgotten, and the road between Veraval and Somnath passes Bhalka Tirth, about 3 km from the guest house. Combine it with your arrival or departure rather than spending a separate day.

Planning the trips around darshan

• Keep Somnath for the first and last days, so that you attend the aartis rested rather than after a long drive.
• One day trip per day is enough. Gir, Diu and Junagadh are each a full day.
• Be back by 7:00 PM if you want the evening aarti and the 7:45 PM light and sound show; the restaurant at the guest house serves until 11:00 PM if you return late.
• Check festival dates before you book, using our guide to the best time to visit Somnath.

Closer to the temple, the sites of Prabhas Patan, from Triveni Sangam to Bhalka Tirth, are covered in our guide to places to visit near Somnath temple and fit into our 2 day Somnath itinerary. When your plan is set, check room availability.