Eight days. Four hotels. One cab. Thousands of kilometers across one of India’s most underrated states. You can read the complete itinerary in our Gujarat in 8 Days overview.
Now that I have written about each destination in detail, I want to step back and reflect on the trip as a whole — what worked, what surprised us, what I wish we had done differently, and whether Gujarat is worth a dedicated family trip.
The short answer is yes. Emphatically yes.
What Stood Out the Most
Gujarat surprised us at every turn, but a few moments stood apart from the rest.
Modhera Sun Temple and Rani Ki Vav were the architectural highlights of the entire trip — and I say this having visited Akshardham, the Statue of Unity, and Somnath on the same journey. There is something uniquely affecting about structures that are a thousand years old and yet carved with such precision and artistry. If you have even a passing interest in ancient Indian architecture, these two are not to be missed.
The Statue of Unity delivers on its promise. I had heard from people who felt it was just a tourist attraction without much substance. I disagree. The scale of the structure is genuinely staggering when you stand at its base, and the valley and dam landscape around it add to the experience. Plan at least half a day.
Lion spotting at Gir was the kind of moment you talk about for years. We had been warned that sightings are not guaranteed, so when our jeep came around a bend and there they were — two lions resting under the shade of a tree — it was electric. Gir is the only place in the world outside Africa where you can see lions in the wild. That alone makes it worth the detour.
What I Would Do Differently
The biggest miss of the trip was Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara (Baroda).
Vadodara falls on the route between the Statue of Unity and Ahmedabad on Day 2. The Laxmi Vilas Palace — still a private royal residence but partially open to visitors — is reportedly one of the grandest royal palaces in India and larger than Buckingham Palace. We drove past it essentially, and I have regretted it since.
If you are planning a similar itinerary, I would strongly recommend building in a two to three hour stop at Vadodara on the way back from the Statue of Unity. It adds very little extra distance and gives you one more extraordinary destination.
Trip Costs – A Honest Breakdown
We were a family and hired a single cab for all 8 days, which made both the logistics and the cost-sharing easier.
| Expense | Amount |
| Flights (Bengaluru–Ahmedabad return, family) | ₹38,000 |
| Cab hire + hotel stays for 8 days | ₹64,000 |
| Food and shopping | ₹20,000 |
| Total approximate spend | ₹1,22,000 |
This does not include entry fees or boat rides (such as the one to Bet Dwarka), which would add marginally to the above.
The cab and hotel package worked out very well for a family — airport pickups, eight days of intercity travel from Ahmedabad to Dwarka to Gir and back, all local sightseeing, and four comfortable hotel stays, all bundled into one predictable cost. For a family trip, this kind of package is worth exploring over booking each element separately.
January is the right time to go. Weather was comfortable throughout — clear skies, cool mornings, and pleasant afternoons. Gujarat summers are harsh, and the monsoon, while it brings its own charm to some areas, limits road travel in parts of Saurashtra.
Food Notes
We did not do a dedicated food trail, but Gujarati food deserves a mention.
The Gujarati thali is one of the great culinary experiences of India — a seemingly endless parade of small portions, all vegetarian, with a lovely balance of sweet, savoury, and spicy. If you get a chance to eat at a proper local thali restaurant in Ahmedabad, do not pass it up.
Street food in Ahmedabad — fafda-jalebi, dhokla, khakhra — is excellent and cheap. The early morning fafda-jalebi combo is a local institution and something you should try at least once.
Near Somnath and Dwarka, the options are more limited given the pilgrimage town nature of both places, but perfectly adequate.
Practical Tips for a Gujarat Family Road Trip
- Hire a single cab for the entire trip if you are travelling as a family. The convenience is worth the cost.
- Book Gir safari slots in advance. Safari bookings for Gir fill up quickly, especially in peak season (October to March). Book online well ahead of your travel dates.
- Carry cash for smaller towns like Somnath, Patan, and areas around Gir. UPI works most places, but cash is reliable.
- Start early each day. Most temples and monuments are best visited in the morning, both for lighting (especially for photography) and to avoid heat and crowds.
- Do not skip Rani Ki Vav for time. It is technically in a different city from Modhera, but the two are only about 30 kilometres apart and can comfortably be done together on the same day.
- Add Vadodara to your Day 2 return leg. We did not, and I still wish we had.
Final Thoughts
Gujarat is a state that rewards the traveller who goes in with curiosity rather than just a checklist. Yes, the Statue of Unity is impressive. Yes, Dwarka and Somnath carry enormous spiritual weight. But it is the quieter moments — standing inside the geometric perfection of Rani Ki Vav, watching lions move through the dry scrub forest at Gir, or walking through the rooms where Gandhi once worked at Sabarmati — that stay with you.
Eight days felt both too short and surprisingly complete. There is much more to see — Kutch, the Rann, Champaner, Palitana — for a future trip.
For now, this one was exactly what a family road trip should be.
Earlier Posts in This Series
If you have arrived here first, here are all the individual destination posts from this Gujarat trip:
- Ahmedabad – Where Gandhi’s India Meets a UNESCO World Heritage City
- Statue of Unity Travel Guide
- Sun Temple Modhera & Rani Ki Vav, Patan – Gujarat’s Twin Architectural Wonders
- Dwarka Travel Guide – Dwarkadhish Temple, Bet Dwarka & Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
- Porbandar & Somnath – Gandhi’s Birthplace and the Eternal Temple
- Gir National Park – The Last Kingdom of the Asiatic Lion
Read the complete 8-day itinerary overview here: Gujarat in 8 Days – A Family Road Trip Across the Land of Legends
← Previous: Gir National Park – The Last Kingdom of the Asiatic Lion