Temple & Lion Safari Tour from Rajkot in Gujarat, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Temple & Lion Safari Tour from Rajkot in Gujarat Tour will begin with pick up from Rajkot airport. Explore Rajkot the regal city dotted with colonial time monuments. Then proceed to Dwaraka & Somnath to visit magnificent temples and pilgrimage centre of Hindus. Continue to Sasan Gir National Park and enjoy lion safari in deciduous forest rich in floral & faunal diversity. On way back to Rajkot visit the ancient fortified city Junagadh & Gondal the former princely state ruled by the Jadeja Rajput. Accompanied tour guide and transport will remain on disposal at your service.
Description & Instructions When Visiting Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Temple & Lion Safari Tour from Rajkot in Gujarat Tour will begin with pick up from Rajkot airport. Explore Rajkot the regal city dotted with colonial time monuments. Then proceed to Dwaraka & Somnath to visit magnificent temples and pilgrimage centre of Hindus. Continue to Sasan Gir National Park and enjoy lion safari in deciduous forest rich in floral & faunal diversity. On way back to Rajkot visit the ancient fortified city Junagadh & Gondal the former princely state ruled by the Jadeja Rajput. Accompanied tour guide and transport will remain on disposal at your service.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Rajkot
Stop At: Rajkot, Rajkot, Rajkot District, Gujarat
On arrival at Rajkot airport assistance and transfer to hotel.
Later city tour visit Jubilee Garden a large and open park area in Rajkot. It features many monuments of colonial time. The centre of the city garden is the Connaught Hall and other notable places of interest near the Garden include the historic Mohandas Gandhi High School, Kaba Gandhi No Delo, Rashtriya Shala, Watson Museum, Lang Library, and Rotary Midtown Library. Watson Museum has a great collection of precious objects of colonial period and is considered to be one the finest in Gujarat. It was made to commemorate the works of the then administrator Colonel James Watson in 1888. The museum also houses a varied collection of old artefacts from the ancient city of Mohenjodaro.
Duration: 4 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Rajkot – Dwarka (225kms/ 4hrs approx)
Stop At: Dwarka, Dwarka, Devbhumi Dwarka District, Gujarat
Breakfast at hotel drive to Dwarka check in at hotel.
Later visit the Dwarkadhish temple dedicated to the god Krishna. The main shrine of the five storied building, supported by 72 pillars, is known as Jagat Mandir, archaeological findings suggest it to be 2,000 – 2,200 years old. The temple was enlarged in the 15th- 16th century. The Dwarkadhish Temple is a Pushtimarg temple, hence it follows the guidelines and rituals created by Vallabhacharya and Vitheleshnath. According to tradition, the original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna’s grandson, Vajranabha, over the hari-griha. Nageshwar Temple Located on the route between Dwarka city and Beyt Dwarka Island, it enshrined one of the 12 swayambhu (self-existent) jyothirlingas in the world, in an underground sanctum. A 25 m tall statue of a sitting Lord Shiva and a large garden with a pond are major attractions of this rather serene place. Some archaeological excavations claim five earlier cities at the site. Nageshwar was believed to be known as ‘Darukavana’, which is an ancient epic name of a forest in India.
Rest time free and easy to relax on the beach.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: Dwarka – Porbandar – Somnath (230kms/ 5hrs approx)
Stop At: Porbandar, Porbandar, Porbandar District, Gujarat
Breakfast at hotel drive to Somnath, enroute visit Porbandar the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi. The Haveli where Gandhi was born on Oct 2, 1869. The room where he was born has been preserved as it is, and has a stark look. A part of the house has now been converted into a museum and called the Kirti Mandir. Open from 9am to 12pm and again from 3pm to 6pm.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Somnath, Somnath, Gir Somnath District, Gujarat
Continue drive to Somnath and check in at hotel. Later visit Somnath Temple (Jyotirlinga). The principal temple of Somnath is believed to have been built in gold by the moon god Soma, in silver by the sun god Ravi, in wood by Krishna and in stone by the Solanki Rajputs in the 11th century. The present temple, built in 1951, is the seventh reconstruction on the original site. Tales of its riches attracted a series of invasions, but each time the temple was invaded, it was restored to its original glory by devout Hindu worshipers. Also visit Paanch Pandav Caves & Suraj Mandir in Somnath.
Rest time free and easy to relax on the beach and own activities.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at Hotel
Day 4: Somnath – Sasan Gir National Park (45kms/ 1hrs approx)
Stop At: Sasan Gir, Sasan Gir, Gir National Park, Gir Somnath District, Gujarat
Breakfast at hotel drive to Sasan Gir National Park and check in at resort. Later safari in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. Sprawling in an area of 1424 sq. kms, Gir with its dry deciduous forest is a luxuriantly rich ecosystem endowed with floral and faunal plentitude. Thirty species of mammals, twenty species of reptiles, several species of insects and birds are found here. The forest is the only place in the world, outside Africa, where the lion can be seen in its natural habitat. The forest also harbors a number of smaller birds and animals. Other predators are the panther and the hyena. The largest Indian deer, Sambhar, Chital (spotted deer), Nilgai (blue bull), Chinkara and the unique Chowsingha (four horned antelope) are found here along with the bear and the long tailed langur.
SAFARI IN SASAN GIR NATIONAL PARK REMAIN SUSPENDED FROM JUNE TILL SEPTEMBER DUE TO MONSOON.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Sasan Gir, Sasan Gir, Gir National Park, Gir Somnath District, Gujarat
Gir is also one of the finest bird sanctuaries in India. Some of the typical birds of Gir are the crested serpent eagle, crested hawk eagle, brown fish owl, king vulture, jungle quail, paradise flycatcher, pygmy woodpecker, hard headed oriole etc. Adholia, Valadera, Ratanghuna and Pilipat are rewarding places for bird watching. Another attraction is a crocodile farm developed in the forest. Lunch, dinner
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: overnight at resort.
Day 5: Sasan Gir National Park – Junagarh – Gondal – Rajkot (160kms/ 3hrs approx)
Stop At: Junagarh Fort Road, Bikaner 334001 India
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Rajkot. Enroute visit Junagarh an ancient fortified city rich in myth and legend. Junagadh lies at the foot of the temple-studded Girnar Hill. It derives its name from the ‘old fort’, which circles the medieval town. The Girnar Hills that landscape Junagadh are a holy sanctuary to the Jains. The history of Mount Girnar dates back to the awesome empire of Ashoka, one of India’s greatest emperors. Ashoka inscribed 14 edicts on a huge boulder en-route to Mt. Girnar peak. Junagadh’s main feature is the Uperkot fort (upper fort), a somber and inaccessible fortress.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Gondal, Gondal, Rajkot District, Gujarat
Further drive and visit Gondal the former princely state ruled by the Jadeja Rajput clan till the independence of India. Visit Navlakha Palace one of the oldest and most beautiful palaces situated on a riverbank, on a grand masonry base, rising to the monumental scale of at least 30 meters, above the riverbed.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Rajkot, Rajkot, Rajkot District, Gujarat
Continue drive to Rajkot and drop off at airport to board flight for onward destination
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
Duration: 5 days
Starts: Rajkot, India
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
