Historic Architecture Tour Of Gujarat

DAY-1: BARODA - CHAMPANER - JAMBUGODA - CHHOTA UDEPUR (Approx 102 km)

Arrive Baroda and visit the museums and art galleries. Proceed to Champaner, a walled citadel with 16th century Indo-Saracenic monuments, on the World Heritage list of UNESCO. Proceed to the tribal areas of Panchmahals District and Chhota Udepur Taluka to see traditional houses and paintings of the tribal groups.

DAY-2: CHHOTA UDEPUR - AHMEDABAD (215 km. The drive takes about four hours)

Arrive Ahmedabad known for its many impressive monuments. Visit the 15th and 16th century mosques and mausoleum complexes that are excellent examples of the provincial Indo-Saracenic style of Gujarat, the works of Le Corbusier and Luis Kahn, the Gandhi Ashram and museums.

DAY-3: AHMEDABAD - LOTHAL - PALITANA (Approx 240 km, four hours travel time + sightseeing time at Local)

Morning walking tour to see the havelis of Ahmedabad, known for its woodcarvings. Travel to Lothal, excavations of a Harappan site dating to the 2400-1600 BC period known for its town planning, sanitary drainage, standardised weights and measures, pottery and copper work, and lock-gated dockyard. Continue to Palitana. Accommodations: Vijay Vilas is a family-run heritage hotel at Adpur, Palitana. Bhavnagar, 55 km from Palitana, has a choice of hotels including the Nilambag Palace Hotel.

DAY-4: PALITANA - DIU (Approx 200 km, four to five hours driving time)

Ascend to see the Jain temple complex atop Shatrunjaya Hill over Palitana. This awe-inspiring complex has about 860 temples on a summit sacred to Jains. Travel to Diu and visit the 16th century Portuguese Fort and 17th century churches. Accommodations: Radhika/Richie-Rich are attractive places to stay near the beaches of Diu.

DAY-5: PALITANA - SOMNATH - GIR (Approx 102 km)

Drive to Somnath to see the temples and then to Gir National Park.

DAY-6: GIR - JUNAGADH - GONDAL (Approx 123 km, about three hours driving time)

Morning drive to see wildlife in the Gir Lion Sanctuary & National Park. Travel to Junagadh with its historic fort, Buddhist caves, palace museum and royal mausoleum complexes. Continue to Gondal. Visit the 1748 AD Naulakha Palace and other interesting buildings of the Maharajas of Gondal

DAY-7: GONDAL -DASADA (Approx 4hrs)

Drive to Dasada, visit the artisans in the village and take an evening trip to the Little Rann of Kutch for desert wildlife viewing through the gates of the fortified village of Jhijhwada, dating to the 11th Accommodations: Rann Riders, a resort imaginatively designed using local materials.

DAY-8: DASADA - DANTA (APPROX 200 km this is a full day trip including sightseeing of many monuments)

The drive to Danta passes some of the finest examples of Chalukyan-period architecture - the 11th century Sun Temple at Modhera, the 11th century stepwell at Patan, the monuments of Vadnagar and the 12th century Jain temples of Taranga. Accommodations: Bhavani Villa at Danta. This is a four-room heritage hotel. For larger groups we can suggest alternatives.

DAY-9: DANTA - MT ABU / UDAIPUR / DUNGARPUR / AHMEDABAD