Gujarat & Diu
This sacred mountain, rising dramatically from the plains, is covered with Jain and Hindu temples and is a major pilgrimage site. However, as with any…
Must-see attractions in Gujarat & Diu
Gujarat & Diu
One of Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, Shatrunjaya is an incredible hill studded with temples, some of which are over 900 years old. It's said that…
Gujarat & Diu
Early-morning sunlight filters through the leaves and shadows skittle through the undergrowth. Suddenly, the silence is broken by the high-pitched alarm…
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Gujarat & Diu
This scenic hilltop may have been fortified as early as the 8th century. Today, throngs of pilgrims ascend Pavagadh to worship at the important Kalikamata…
Gujarat & Diu
The stunning mausoleum of Nawab Mahabat Khan II of Junagadh (1851–82) seems to bubble up into the sky. One of Gujarat’s most glorious examples of Euro…
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Gujarat & Diu
Built in 1027 by Bhimdev I, this is one of the greatest monuments of the Solanki dynasty, whose rulers were believed to be descended from the sun. Like…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
In peaceful, shady grounds on the Sabarmati River’s west bank, this ashram was Gandhi’s headquarters from 1917 to 1930 during the long struggle for Indian…
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Gujarat & Diu
The only real sign of Patan’s former glory is this astoundingly beautiful step-well. Built in 1063 by Rani Udayamati to commemorate her husband, Bhimdev I…
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Gujarat & Diu
Run by the award-winning Salvi family, this museum is an excellent place to see Patola silk weaving in action. The family has specialised in double-ikat…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
The Adalaj Vav, 19km north of Ahmedabad, is among the finest of the Gujarati step-wells. Built by Queen Rudabai in 1498, it has three entrances, leading…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
One of Ahmedabad’s most stunning buildings, this mosque is famed for its exquisite jali windows, spiderweb fine, two of them depicting the intricate…
Gujarat & Diu
This ancient fort is believed to have been built in 319 BC by the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta, though it has been extended many times. In places the…
Gujarat & Diu
Still the residence of Vadodara’s royal family, Laxmi Vilas was built in full-throttle 19th-century Indo-Saracenic flourish at a cost of ₹6 million – an…
Diu
Built in 1535, with additions made in 1541, this massive, well-preserved Portuguese fort with its double moat (one tidal) was one of the most important…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
Built by Ahmed Shah in 1423, the massive Jama Masjid ranks as one of India’s most beautiful mosques. Demolished Hindu and Jain temples provided the…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
This museum contains one of the world’s finest collections of antique and modern Indian textiles, all handmade and up to 500 years old. There are some…
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Velavadar Blackbuck National Park
Gujarat & Diu
This beautiful, 34-sq-km park, an hour's drive north of Bhavnagar, encompasses large areas of pale, custard-coloured grassland stretching between two…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
This mosque, tomb and palace complex is dedicated to the memory of Ahmed Shah I’s spiritual adviser, Ahmed Khattu Ganj Baksh. The elegant, dilapidated…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
Outside Delhi Gate, this Jain temple is one of 300 derasars in Ahmedabad. Even if you've already seen some, this one will make your jaw drop in wonder at…
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Gujarat & Diu
Every evening it seems as though half the city has descended onto the well-kept, tree-lined promenades running around Ranmal Lake. There's a bona fide…
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Gujarat & Diu
This eclectic collection of museums is housed in a beautiful 260-year-old riverside palace that was built in a mixture of styles, with striking gargoyles…
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Diu
Cavernous St Paul’s is a wedding cake of a church, founded by Jesuits in 1600 and then rebuilt in 1807. Its neoclassical facade is the most elaborate of…
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Diu
At the extreme west of the island, Vanakbara is a fascinating little fishing village and one of the highlights of Diu. It’s great to wander around the…
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Gujarat & Diu
One of the largest Jain temples in the old town, Shantinath Mandir dates to the mid-17th century. Although the outside is classic white, the interior is a…
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Gujarat & Diu
It’s said that Somraj (the moon god) first built a temple in Somnath, made of gold; this was rebuilt by Ravana in silver, by Krishna in wood and by…
Gujarat & Diu
The evocative ruins of the one-time capital of Sultan Mahmud Begada today stand as testament to Champaner's brief period of 15th-century glory. When…
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Gujarat & Diu
Consisting of three parts, this national park and the adjoining marine sanctuary encompass the intertidal zone and 42 small islands along some 120km of…
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Gujarat & Diu
This 182m (240m including the base) statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) was the world's tallest…
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Gujarat & Diu
Gandhinagar’s only real tourist attraction is this spectacular temple, belonging to the wealthy Hindu Swaminarayan group. Ornately carved and built by…
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Gujarat & Diu
This small, 6-sq-km sanctuary, 12km northeast of Jamnagar, encompasses salt- and freshwater marshlands and hosts more than 200 bird species, including the…
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Gujarat & Diu
Unknown even to many locals, this abandoned and half-overgrown cemetery at the edge of the old town contains the tombs of the Babi nawabs of Junagadh and…
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Gujarat & Diu
Just down the road from the base of Girnar Hill is Damodar Kund, a sacred lake lined by ghats (landings) where people scatter the ashes and bones of…
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Gujarat & Diu
Not a tourist attraction as such, this bird-rescue centre welcomes interested visitors. Injured local birds are brought here to be patched up before being…
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Gujarat & Diu
Rajkot has quickly developed a Patola-weaving industry. This skill comes from Patan, and is a tortuous process that involves dyeing each thread before it…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
This relatively little known step-well, built in 1499 by the supervisor of Sultan Mahmud Begada’s harem, descends through five levels to a small well, now…
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Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
Built immediately after the founding of Ahmedabad in 1411, Bhadra Fort houses government offices and a Kali temple. Its mighty gate formed the eastern…
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Gujarat & Diu
Today a hot, dry wind whistles through the trees and over the broken bones of a city that 4500 years ago was one of the most important of the Indus Valley…
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Gujarat & Diu
On the way towards Somnath, Bhalka Tirth is where Krishna was mistaken for a deer (he was sleeping in a deerskin) and fatally wounded by an arrow. The…
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Gujarat & Diu
The diminutive and very much restored mid-19th-century Lakhota Palace, a fort on an island in Ranmal Lake, houses a semi-open-air museum featuring well…
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Gujarat & Diu
The Jama Masjid, the disused mosque inside Uparkot Fort, was converted from a palace in the 15th century by Gujarat sultan Mahmud Begada and has a rare…
