This 7-day Gujarat tour package is a private-car circuit from Ahmedabad that covers the heritage city, Modhera and Rani ki Vav, the Somnath temple on the Arabian Sea, two nights at Gir for Asiatic lion safaris and the Statue of Unity. The car and chauffeur are priced per kilometre, with a daily minimum of 250 km.
Who should choose the seven-day version
Seven days is the Gujarat trip for people who want more than monuments. It trades a slower pace for range: you cross the Saurashtra peninsula, sleep on the coast at one of Hinduism's holiest temples, and spend two nights at the edge of the only forest in the world where Asiatic lions still live wild. The payoff is huge, but so is the driving, with three long days of 340 to 400 km.
Choose this length if wildlife is a priority, if you are a pilgrim for whom Somnath matters, or if you have already seen Ahmedabad and want Gujarat beyond the city. Families with small children, or anyone who dislikes long hours in a car, will be happier with the five-day Gujarat tour package, which keeps to Ahmedabad and the Narmada. RutzIndia.com can also split the difference: drop day 7 and fly home from Rajkot, or add a rest night in Junagadh to break the return.
Three long drives, and how your chauffeur manages them
The circuit hinges on the days to and from the coast. Here is what to expect:
- Ahmedabad to Somnath (about 400 km): the road to Rajkot is a fast six-lane divided highway. Beyond Rajkot it narrows and becomes busier through Jetpur and Junagadh before reaching Veraval. The 06:30 start is not optional; it puts you on the empty highway before the lorries and brings you into Somnath by mid-afternoon.
- Somnath to Sasan Gir (about 45 km): short and scenic, through mango orchards and coconut groves, with the last stretch along forest edges where speed is limited and night driving is discouraged.
- Sasan Gir to Ahmedabad (about 340 km): the reverse of day 3 minus the coastal stretch; a long tea break at a Rajkot highway restaurant keeps everyone fresh.
Chauffeurs on this circuit plan fuel and meal stops in advance, keep to daylight on forest roads, and rest properly at Somnath and Gir, which is why the plan never asks for back-to-back 400 km days. Tolls on the Rajkot highway and the Vadodara expressway are charged at cost with parking.
Getting a Gir safari permit
The forest is the reason for this trip, so treat the safari as the first thing you book, before hotels. Safaris in the Gir Jungle Trail zone run in fixed morning and afternoon slots using registered open vehicles with a forest guide, and the number of permits a day is capped. They are sold online through the state's official Gir lion booking site, and around Diwali, Christmas and the New Year they sell out weeks ahead.
A few rules to know:
- Every visitor needs original photo ID matching the permit.
- The core safari season runs from mid-October to mid-June; the park closes in the monsoon.
- Sightings are likely but never guaranteed; two drives improve your odds, which is why this plan gives you two nights.
- The Devalia Safari Park, a fenced section of the forest near Sasan, is a good backup if the Jungle Trail slots are gone.
Your car does not enter the forest; the chauffeur drops you at the reception centre and collects you after the drive. For the history of the reserve and its lions, the Wikipedia article on Gir National Park is a good primer.
Nights along the route
- Ahmedabad (three nights): stay near the riverfront or on Ashram Road for easy access to both the old city and the highway out. Heritage havelis inside the pols are lovely but awkward for the early departures this route demands.
- Somnath (one night): simple hotels and trust-run guest houses cluster near the temple; a few resorts sit along the Veraval coast. Somnath is a temple town, so food is vegetarian and alcohol is not available.
- Sasan Gir (two nights): forest lodges and jungle resorts line the road near the park reception, several with gardens where you might hear lions at night.
The travel desk can hold rooms at all three stops and return a single written quote for the entire trip, including safari permits if you want them handled.
Month-by-month: when the circuit works
December to March is ideal: dry, sunny and mild on the coast, with good lion activity in the cool mornings. October and November are pleasant once the park reopens in mid-October, but Diwali week brings heavy domestic travel and fully booked lodges. April and May get hot inland, often above 40°C in Ahmedabad and Rajkot, although lions are easier to spot near waterholes then. From mid-June to mid-October the Gir safari zone is shut, so this package is really a winter and spring trip. Shravan (July-August) and Mahashivratri draw very large crowds to Somnath, which is worth knowing for pilgrims.
Which car for a week in Gujarat
Long highway days change the calculus. For two people a sedan is fine, but an Innova Crysta is far more comfortable on the 400 km legs and has room for camera bags. A Fortuner suits travellers who want an SUV's ride height on the forest-edge roads. For groups, a Tempo Traveller or a Force Urbania with reclining seats carries 10 to 17 people; the Urbania's ride is noticeably smoother on long days. All cars on RutzIndia.com are within four model years. See the full fleet for seat counts.
What the car costs, and what is quoted separately
The fare table is worked out automatically. Billable distance is the higher of the actual kilometres or 250 km a day; this week covers roughly 1,550 km, so the seven-day minimum of 1,750 km applies and leaves spare distance for a Junagadh halt or a detour to Diu. Multiply by the class rate: Rs 72/km for a sedan, Rs 114/km for an Innova, Rs 168/km for a Fortuner, Rs 156/km for a Tempo Traveller, Rs 204/km for an Urbania. Add Rs 3,000 a night for the chauffeur's allowance, tolls and parking at cost, and 5% GST. Hotel rooms, safari permits, temple offerings and guides are separate and quoted in writing by the travel desk.
Variations on the route
- Swap the statue for Diu: the former Portuguese enclave is about 90 km from Somnath; read Diu by road and ask the desk to re-plan day 6.
- Add Dwarka: the coast road north from Somnath through Porbandar reaches Dwarka's Krishna temple in about five hours; see Dwarka by road. Allow at least one extra day.
- Winter in Kutch: combine with the white desert in the festival months; Rann of Kutch by road has the distances.
The Somnath road-trip guide and the Gir guide go deeper on both stops, the Somnath temple trust publishes darshan and aarti timings, and every circuit starting from the city is listed on tour packages from Ahmedabad.
How to book
Pick a car and dates in the online booker with Ahmedabad as your start, pay by card or UPI, and your GST invoice follows by email. Want hotels and safari permits handled too? Ask the travel desk for the all-inclusive quote. Cancellation is free until 72 hours before pickup, then 10%, 50% and 100% in steps, as explained on the cancellation policy page. Any other questions, see the FAQ or contact us.
