Day 01 Arrive Mumbai
Arrive Mumbai. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative at airport & escorted you till check in hotel.
The area occupied by Mumbai three hundred years ago was 7 islands inhabited by Koli fisherman and their families. With land reclamation the islands were connected, so that now Bombay occupies a thin isthmus. The British acquired these marshy islands for a pittance. Mumbadevi or Mumbai was part of Catherine of Braganza’s marriage dowry when she married Charles II in 1661. Four years later, the British took possession of the remaining islands and neighboring mainland area and in 1668 the East India Company leased the whole area for 10 pounds per year.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 Mumbai – Bhuj
After breakfast, drive to Bhuj.
Bhuj is a municipality and a city in Gujarat. Rao Hamirji established it in 1950. On 5th January 1548, Vikram Samvat formally laid its founding stone as the state capital. Bhuj has a history of being attacked, then conquered or defended. Kutch state was allowed into the dominion of India after independence in 1947. Kutch was combined with Bombay in 1956, which then in 1960 was parted into Gujarat and Maharashtra, two new linguistic states. Bhuj was made the district headquarters of Kutch district, when Kutch district was made a part of Gujarat. In 2001, the city was struck by yet another major earthquake, which cost many lives and much property. Bhuj is famous for Rann Utsav (Great Rann of Kutch). It takes place in December and continues till February. Music, handicrafts and music garnish the carnival that pulls tourists from around the world. The White Desert attracts numerous tourists despite being just an immense salty land.
Afternoon visit Bhujodi Village.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 03 In Bhuj
After breakfast, explore Bhuj visit the Aina Museum ( Closed on Thursdays) . Rao Pragmalji’s Old Palace, built in traditional Kutchhi style, in a small, fortified courtyard in the old part of the town, was a beautifully presented museum. It was, unfortunately, destroyed during the earthquake of 2001. The Maharao Singh Madan Museum, which had a varied collection of paintings, photographs and embroideries as well as a collection of old princely-state coins minted from the 17th century right up to 1948, was also severely damaged.
The Kutchh Museum was founded in 1877 by Sir James Fergusson, a governor of Bombay under the British Raj. The oldest museum in Gujarat, it had an excellent collection, which included anthropological and archaeological finds, textiles, weapons, musical instruments and a picture gallery.
Later spend full day visiting the villages around Bhuj to get a glimpse of various pastoral nomads, their lifestyle, arts and crafts. The region is renowned for its silverware, tie-and-dye fabrics, weaving, block-printing and particularly its fine needlework. Banni is the Arabic name for needlework and legend has it that the inhabitants came from Saudi Arabia in the 10th-11th century to settle in this region.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 04 Bhuj – Junagarh
Post breakfast drive to Junagarh.
Junagarh: An ancient fortified city rich in myth and legend, Junagarh lies at the foot of Girnar Hill and takes its name from the ‘Old Fort’ which circles the medieval town. The Girnar Hills stands from 2500 years BC having a legend of its own. The antiquities of Junagarh go back to the times of the Emperor Ashoka (250 B.C.) whose fourteen Rock Edicts can be seen cut into a great rock outside the city. (MOUNT GIRNAR TO SEEN FROM FAR.) Uparkot Fort: Famous in bygone times for its virtual inaccessibility, the Upar Kot or Upper Fort is girdled by a wall that is, in some places, over 20m high. An ornate entrance gateway leads to the ruins. A mosque still stands in a state of preservation. A Nilamtope (canon) was acquired by the Nawabs of Junagarh from a Turkish Sultan. There are also two step-wells, Jami Masjid and Buddhist caves in the fort premises.
Check in & Overnight at Hotel.
Day 05 Junagarh – Sasan Gir ( 165 Kms)
Post breakfast drive to Sasangir
Gir Wildlife reserve compromises deciduous forests evergreen and semi evergreen vegetation, thorn scrub and grasslands. It is well known as the remaining habitat of the Asiatic Lion, Gir also has a large leopards Population. As 359 Lions and more than 300 Leopards have been counted in Gir during last census, this sanctuary is large population of Sambar and Spotted Deer, chinkara gazelle, Nilgai and Chowsinghathe world’s only four horned antelope.
Check in & Overnight at Hotel.
Day 06 In Sasan Gir
Breakfast in hotel.
Your day starts with early morning wake-up call and tea than proceed for early morning Game drive.
Late morning return to lodge where your breakfast awaits you. After breakfast relax or explore the nature around your resort. After relaxing lunch at the resort, you will then set out for afternoon jeep safari to the National Park.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 07 Sasan Gir – Bhavnagar (approx.. 270 Kms / 4 – 5 Hrs)
Morning drive to Bhavnagar.
Bhavnagar is always an important city for trade with many large and small scale industries. Along world’s largest ship breaking yard is located just 50 km away. Palitana Jain temples which are an important holy place for Jain’s are situated just 56 km away from Bhavnagar. Velavadar national park situated just 42 km away and is home to endangered species like wolves, antelopes, blackbucks.
Upon arrival check in at Hotel.
Afternoon visit Takteshwar Temple
Overnight at hotel.
Day 08 Bhavnagar – Palitana – Dasada (approx.225 Kms/4 Hrs)
Morning post breakfast drive to Palitana.
Palitana: Palitana located 51 km south west of Bhavnagar is known for being the largest cluster of Jain temples. There are in total 863 temples from base to the peak of the Shetrunjaya hill, where the Palitana temples are located. The path is climbed through 3950 steps spanning 3.5 km up the Shetrunjaya Hills.
The construction of temples of Palitana spanned over a period of 900 years and was structured in two phases. From the 11th to12th centuries AD as a part of the resurgence of temple building all over India, the first phase of temple architecture was constructed. The second phase followed later, from the 16th century AD onwards. Muslim invaders destroyed some of the earliest temples built in the 11th century AD, during the 14th and 15th centuries AD. No one person can be attributed for the construction of these magnificent temples rather it was the effort of the wealthy businessmen who were followers of Jainism.
After visit drive to Dasada.
The splendid Rann of Kutch comprises some 30,000 square km between the Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. The name “Rann” comes from the Hindi word ran meaning “salt marsh”.
The area was a vast shallow of the Arabian Sea until continuing geological uplift closed off the connection with the sea, creating a vast lake. Now, in the Indian summer months the flat desert of salty clay and mudflats, averaging 15 meters above sea level, fill with standing waters, interspersed with sandy islets of thorny scrub. In the monsoon months, this astonishing area gets partly inundated by about 2 feet of water. One has a chance here to see how salt is prepared out of saline sea water. On the peripherals of the Rann, there are ample salt panes, where salt manufacturers, locally known as ‘Agarias’ withstand great difficulties of living on the edge of the Rann and prepare salt. This entire area is a major producer of salt in India
Check in & Overnight at Hotel.
Day 09 Dasada –Modhera–Patan–Ahmedabad (approx.250 Kms)
Morning safari to see wild ass
The sanctuary in the Little Rann of Kutch is a fascinating vast stretch of flat, salt cracked barren desert. This is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in India, spanning some 4953 sq. km in area. The sanctuary is the only home of chestnut brown Asiatic Wild Ass or Ghudkhar, which is the last of India’s wild horse family, and one of the most endangered species in the world.
After safari drive to Ahmedabad enroute visiting Modhera & Patan.
Adalaj Step-well: Situated 17 km north of Ahmedabad, this step well at the village of Adalaj is another fine example of magnificent architectural form. ‘Adalaj Vav’ is richly carved. Every pillar and wall surface is covered with leaves, flowers, birds, fishes and friezes of ornamental designs.
Modhera: The Sun temple of Modhera is one of the finest examples of Indian architecture of its period. Built in 1026 A.D. the temple is dedicated to the Sun-God, Surya and stands high on a plinth overlooking a deep stone-steeped tank. Every inch of the edifice, both inside and outside is magnificently carved with Gods and Goddesses, birds, beasts and flowers. Sun Temple of Modhera was built by King Bhimdev I (1026-27) and bears some resemblance to the later and far better known, Sun Temple of Konark in the state of Orissa, which it predates by some 200 years. Like that temple, it was designed so that the dawn sun shone on the image of Surya, the sun God, at the time of the equinoxes. The main hall and shrine are reached through a pillared porch and the temple exterior is intricately and delicately carved. As with the temple of Somnath, this fine temple was ruined by Mahmud of Ghazni.
Patan: Home of the famous patola silk saris, Patan is a beautiful old town with Jain temples and carved wooden houses. Rani ki Vav (step well) is an excellent example of subterranean architecture of Gujarat. The exclusively carved side walls, pillars, beams, series of steps & platforms lead to the elaborately carved water well. Every surface is adorned with finely chiseled sculptures of maidens & Hindu deities, religious motifs & geometrical patterns.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 In Ahmedabad
Morning visit Calico Museum in morning session – Subject to Permission.
Calico Museum: The museum and the Galleries are open on all days of the week, except Wednesdays and public holidays. However, visits to the Museum and the Galleries shall be limited to the hours given below. Rights of admission to the Museum and the Galleries are reserved by the Management.
Guided Museum Tour Morning: 10:30 am TO 12:30 pm (NO ENTRY AFTER 11:00 am)
Entry restricted to 20 visitors – 10 visitors on first come first basis and 10 by group booking. Tour Organiser-upto 10 members are requested to contact the administration to make & confirm the arrangement in advance.
Location: CHAUK – CALICO TEXTILE MUSEUM: Kalamkari, Court Textiles, Trade Textiles, Shawl, Costumes, Embroideries, and Tie & Die etc. (MUSEUM REMAIN CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS)
Location: HAVELI – Textile Techniques an overview Embroidery, Wooden blocks for printing etc.
OR Shreyas Folk Museum (Closed on Monday & any public holiday –Also closed during summer vacation & Diwali vacation) is an educational museum exhibiting folk arts and crafts of Gujarat. It is located 2.5km west of Sabarmati in the suburbs of Ahmedabad district.
As the name suggests, the exhibits at the museum include art, craft, textile and clothing, coins, weapons, toys, costumes, masks, puppets and musical instruments. One of the highlights at this museum is a complete elephant skeleton (3.19 m high). The museum is open from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm on all days except Mondays and public holidays. Photography is not allowed and visitors are charged a modest fee.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 11 Ahmedabad – Mumbai ( Flight) & fly to onward destination.
In time transfer to airport to connect flight for Mumbai. Upon arrival transfer to international terminal to connect flight for onward destination.
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