Winter ushers in the high tourist season of the year. As the Christmas season is enthusiastically celebrated around the world, international travelers flock to India with family and friends to explore and discover India’s rich heritage, culture, and natural diversity.
One of his popular tourist destinations on tours to India in winter is Gujarat. With Runn Utsav in sight and with healthy weather conditions, it is ideal for exploring its vast cultural and archaeological wealth. To make the most of your winter holidays in India, we bring you the best places to visit in Gujarat.
You can travel to Gujarat for various reasons. From native dinosaur fossil sites to gills, the only habitat of Asian lions outside of Africa, to the art of Neolithic cave paintings, to the architectural stone carvings of a variety of modern and ancient civilizations.
And from the marvels of Jain architecture to the Hindu temples of Somnath and Dwarka emerging from the Arabian Sea to the seasonal Kutch island, Kutch permeates summer-hardened white salt flats, where local craftsmen work to create India’s finest craftsmanship. Weave the fabric of and the elements of Inhospitable Fight. His in Little Run, Gujarat has it all.
With this variety of options for vacations in Gujarat, we provide a list of the top 10 places to visit in Gujarat. The best time to visit Gujarat is from October to March when the weather is nice.
1. Rann of Kutch
The Great Rann of Kutch is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India. It is about 7500 km² in the area and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This area has been inhabited by the Kutchi people.
This area was once the vast shallow waters of the Arabian Sea until constant geological change severed its connection to the sea. Eventually, over the years, the area became a salt flat of seasonal wetlands. During the monsoons, the marshes fill with water and the wetlands extend from Kutch Bay in the west to Cambey Bay in the east. In summer the water dries up and forms a crusty bed of white salty land.
2. Somnath Temple
The Somnath temple, also called Somanātha temple or Deo Patan, is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus and is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.
It is said that Somraj (God of the Moon) first built a temple made of gold at Somnath. It was rebuilt in silver by Ravana, in wood by Krishna, and in stone by Bhimdev. The current quiet, symmetrical building is built in keeping with the traditional design of the original coastal site. It is painted in cream color and features small, delicate carvings. The large black Shiva Lingam at its center is one of the twelve holiest Shiva temples known as the Jyotirlinga.
The description of the temple by Arab traveler al Birni was so impassioned that it led to a visit in 1024 by the most unwelcome tourist, Mahmud, the legendary marauder of Ghazni, Afghanistan. At that time, the temple was so prosperous that it had 300 musicians, 500 dancers, and even he had 300 beauticians. Mahmud of Ghazni captured the city and temple after two days of fighting in which an estimated 70,000 garrison were killed. After Mahmud robbed the temple of great wealth, he destroyed it. Thus began a pattern of destruction and reconstruction that would last for centuries. The temple was destroyed again in 1297, 1394, and finally in 1706 by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. After that, the temple was not rebuilt until 1950.
3. Bhuj
Bhuj is a Municipality and District Headquarters of Kutch District in the state of Gujarat, India.
Bhuj is the main city of the Kutch region and a fascinating tourist destination with amazing handicrafts and huge palaces of unforgettable beauty. In addition, Bhuj is an ideal textile tourism destination, attracting millions of people from all over the world. According to a well-known historian, Bhuj’s name comes from Bhujyohi Dangal Mountains, which overlook the town about 3 km away from the city center.
4. Rani ki Vav, Patan
Rani Ki Vav is a stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat state of India. It is located on the banks of Saraswati river. Its construction is attributed to Udayamati, daughter of Khengara of Saurashtra, queen and spouse of the 11th-century Chaulukya king Bhima I. Silted over, it was rediscovered in 1940s and restored in 1980s by the Archaeological Survey of India. It has been listed as one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites since 2014.
Rani ki vav was built during the reign of the Chaulukya dynasty. It is located on the banks of the Saraswati River. Prabandha Chintamani, written by the Jain monk Mertunga in 1304, mentions: “Udayamati, the daughter of Naravaraha Khengara, built this novel stepwell at Shripattana (Patan) surpassing the glory of the Sahastralinga Tank”.
5. Dwarkadhish Temple
The Dwarkadhish temple, also known as the Jagat Mandir and occasionally spelled Dwarakadheesh, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Krishna, who is worshiped here by the name Dwarkadhish, or ‘King of Dwarka’. 
The temple is located at Dwarka city of Gujarat, India, which is one of the destinations of Char Dham, a Hindu pilgrimage circuit. The main shrine of the five-storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir or Nija Mandir. Archaeological findings suggest the original temple was built 2000 years ago at the earliest. The temple was enlarged in the 15th- 16th century.
6. Sasan Gir National Park
Gir National Park is the only place in the world outside Africa where a lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The lions of Gir are a majestic animal, averaging 2.75 metres in length, and with a bigger tail tassle, bushier elbow tufs and prominent belly folds than his African cousin which has larger mane. Gir is a home to 40 species of mammals and 425 species of birds.
We all know, Gir is the only natural habitat of world popular Asiatic Lions. Where our tailor made Gir Wild Life Tour Package gives you an unparalleled opportunity to watch those rare Asiatic Lions coupled with thousands of other elusive wild animals and hard-to-find birds like uncommon Asiatic wild ass, hyenas, Gir foxes, pygmy woodpecker, brown fish owl and black buck etc, it will make sure that you receive the highest standards of luxury, comfort and travel. Additionally, all this is available at very competitive rates.
7. Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in Panchmahal district in Gujarat, India. It is located around the historical city of Champaner, a city which was founded by Vanraj Chavda, the most prominent king of the Chavda Dynasty, in the eighth century.
The transition between Hindu and Muslim culture and architecture in the late 15th to early 16th century is documented in the park, particularly the early Islamic and pre-Mughal city that has remained without any change. It was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
8. Vadodara/Baroda
Vadodara, also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, 141 kilometres from the state capital of Gandhinagar.
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, formerly Baroda College, is a public university in the city of Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India. Originally established as a college in 1881, it became a university in 1949 after the independence of the country.
9. Ahmadabad
Ahmedabad, in western India, is the largest city in the state of Gujarat. The Sabarmati River runs through its center. On the western bank is the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, which displays the spiritual leader’s living quarters and artifacts. Across the river, the Calico Museum of Textiles, once a cloth merchant’s mansion, has a significant collection of antique and modern fabrics.
Kankaria Lake is the second largest lake in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It is located in the south-eastern part of the city, in the Maninagar area. It was completed in 1451 during the reign of Sultan Qutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II though its origin is placed in the Chaulukya period sometimes.
10. Junagadh
Junagadh is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Mahabat Maqbara is the huge 19th-century mausoleum of a local ruler, which showcases intricate Indo-Islamic architectural details. Uparkot Fort, founded around 300 BC, has city views from its ramparts. Within the fort are the stone-cut stepwells Adi Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuwo, plus Buddhist caves. To the west, Darbar Hall Museum is housed in a former palace.
Girnar Hill has been an important site for Jains since the 3rd century. The most significant temple here is the Tirthankara Neminath temple. It is dedicated to Bhagavan Neminath (the 22nd Jain Tirthankar).
