Saurashtra, Gujarat
Three days down Gujarat's western shore — a Blue Flag beach, a bridge to an island temple, the coastal highway through Madhavpur's coconut groves, and the waves under Somnath.
Gujarat has more coastline than any other Indian state and almost none of the crowds that implies. This route runs the best of it in three days: from Dwarka at the peninsula's tip, south along National Highway 8E past Porbandar and Madhavpur, and on to Somnath and the water-sports bay at Ahmedpur Mandvi near Diu. It mixes the two things this coast does well — pilgrimage towns that have mattered for a thousand years, and beaches most visitors to India have never heard of.
3 days / 2 nights
November to February
~400 km down the coast
Easy — all on sealed highway
Dwarka · Madhavpur · Somnath
Day 1
Start early at Shivrajpur while the sea is calm, cross the Sudarshan Setu to Beyt Dwarka after lunch, and be back in Dwarka town for the evening. Okha Madhi sits on the way back south from Okha — a five-minute stop for an empty beach. Finish with a Gujarati thali in town.
Morning, 08:00–12:30. Certified scuba, snorkelling and jet-skiing over clear shallow water, then refreshments on the promenade.
Afternoon, 13:30–16:30. Cross the Sudarshan Setu, then the island's coastal shrines and the shallow reef water along the shore.
Late afternoon, brief stop. An empty stretch of golden sand on the way back south from Okha.
Evening, 17:00–19:00. Dwarkadhish Temple in the cooler hours, then down the Gomti Ghat steps for sunset where the creek meets the sea.
Day 2
Leave Dwarka after breakfast and drive south. Porbandar has a sea-facing promenade and Kirti Mandir, Gandhi's birthplace, a short walk from it. From there the highway runs beside the water most of the way to Madhavpur — the best stretch of driving on this route. Afternoon and sunset on the sand.
Morning, 09:30–11:30. The sea-facing promenade, and Kirti Mandir — Gandhi's birthplace — a short walk inland.
Midday to evening. The coastal highway runs directly beside the beach here. Coconut water from the roadside stalls, then the wide sand strip until sunset.
Day 3
Somnath first thing, while it is cool, including the walk along the sea wall where the waves come in hard against the temple grounds. Then east to Ahmedpur Mandvi for the afternoon — this is the one beach on the route set up properly for water sports.
Morning, 08:00–11:30. The temple, the sea wall path where the waves break against the grounds, and the sea-facing plazas behind it.
Afternoon to dusk, 12:30–19:00. Lunch by the bay, then parasailing, banana boats and speedboats on the gentle tide, and a last walk on the sand.
Copy this guide into your own planner and adjust the days, stops and pace — or browse more real itineraries.
.jpg?width=900)
.jpg?width=900)
.jpg?width=900)
