Gujarat Archaeology & Nature

On arrival at Ahmedabad airport, we’ll meet you for assistance and transfer to your hotel for check-in. You have the rest of the day free to relax at your own pace. Overnight in Ahmedabad.

After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Ahmedabad on a city tour. We visit the Hatheesing Jain Temple, established in 1850 by the merchant Seth Hatheesing and dedicated to the 15th Jain Tirthankar, Dharamnath. We continue to Bhadra Fort – noted for intricate carvings, patterned work and frescoes – where the entry arches bear inscriptions linked to the fort’s history. At Jama Mosque, we see the different entrances and, by the eastern gate, the tomb of Sultan Ahmed Shah, which contains the graves of Ahmed Shah, his son Mohammed Shah and his grandson Qutb ud-Din Ahmed Shah. We then call at the Kite Museum – the first of its kind in India and second in the world – showcasing rare kites connected to Ahmedabad’s Kite Festival. Next is Sabarmati Ashram, founded in 1915 and moved to its present riverside location in 1917 to support Gandhi’s experiments in farming, animal husbandry, cow breeding, khadi and related constructive activities. We end at the Shaking Minarets at Sidi Bashir’s Mosque near Sarangpur Gate – a distinctive Ahmedabad landmark. Overnight at the hotel.

This morning we leave Ahmedabad for Dholavira, covering approximately 385 kilometres – around eight hours by road – with visits en route to the Sun Temple at Modhera and, in Patan, Rani ki Vav and the Panchasara Jain Temple. At Modhera, we explore the Sun Temple, dedicated to Surya and set on the banks of the Pushpavati River, built in 1026–27 CE during the reign of Bhima I of the Chaulukya dynasty. No worship is offered today – the complex is a protected monument maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India – but its three key elements remain striking: the gudhamandapa (shrine hall), the sabhamandapa (assembly hall) and the kunda, the stepped reservoir, all noted for their intricately carved exteriors, pillars and shrines. In Patan, we visit Rani ki Vav – a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Saraswati River – an 11th century Solanki era stepwell designed as an inverted temple to emphasise the sanctity of water, descending through seven levels richly carved with more than 500 principal and over a thousand minor sculptures featuring religious, mythological and secular themes. We also see the Panchasara Jain Temple, attributed to King Vanraj Chavda around Vikram Samvat 802, encircled by 51 subsidiary shrines; the principal idol of Lord Parshwanath is said to predate Vikram Samvat 802, and the complex showcases notable marble carving. We then continue to Dholavira, check in at the resort and enjoy dinner – overnight at the resort.

After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Dholavira, an important Indus Valley Civilisation site dating back around 4,500 years. Highlights include seals with animal figures, funerary structures, letters of the Indus script, stone sculptures, painted pottery, terracotta ornaments and ancient signboards, along with well–preserved water reservoirs that demonstrate early, well–planned water conservation. Set within the Great Rann of Kutch, the site offers clear insight into Harappan urban planning. After our visit, we drive to the Little Rann of Kutch – about 255 km, around 5 hours – and check in at our resort. Dinner and overnight at the resort.

Early this morning we set out by jeep into the Little Rann of Kutch, a stark salt‑encrusted plain stretching across about 4,954 square kilometres. After the monsoon it becomes a coastal wetland, and today’s saline desert is thought to have been a shallow sea. The area’s landforms and drainage show the influence of tectonic activity, changing sea levels, erosion and deposition.After the safari, we drive 230 kilometres – around 5 hours – to Bhuj and check in to the hotel. Overnight in Bhuj.

Bhuj After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Bhuj on a city tour. We visit the Aina Mahal, built in the mid-18th century under Lakhpatji – damaged in the 2001 earthquake and now restored – and take in its ornate gateways, window boxes and balconies. We continue to neighbouring Prag Mahal, a 19th century red-sandstone palace with Gothic-style windows and Corinthian pillars; its clock tower is the second tallest in the country and part of the complex houses a small museum of royal archives and personal items. We then visit the white marble Shri Swaminarayan Temple near Hamirsar Lake, first established in 1822 and the earliest temple of the Sampraday. Finally, we see Ramkund, a square stepwell about 56 feet a side, carved with the ten incarnations of Vishnu and sculptures of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman – located across from the Kutch Museum and behind the Ram Dhun Temple. Overnight at the hotel.

Bhuj – Hodka (65 km – about 1 hour 20 minutes). After breakfast at the hotel, we drive into the Banni region of Kutch to visit Nirona village and see Rogan painting on cloth. Rogan – a Persian word meaning oil-based – is mixed with stone pigments to create colour, then applied with a small metal rod to draw a fine thread of paste onto the fabric. We also see work by Luhar artisans who have preserved copper craft over seven generations, including heart-shaped wind chimes, bell xylophones and fauna-inspired bell pieces, and we view traditional lacquer work on wooden utensils. We continue to Hodka for resort check-in and lunch. In the evening, we take a short drive to view the White Rann.

Very early this morning we drive from Hodka to the White Rann of Kutch to watch sunrise over the salt flats – the Great Rann is a vast salt marsh in the Thar Desert, spanning about 7,500 square kilometres (2,900 square miles) and regarded as one of the world’s largest salt deserts. We then visit Dhordo village in the White Rann area, where we can see the Mutwa Muslim community. We return to Hodka for breakfast and later visit a small Pathan community hamlet engaged in embroidery. In the afternoon we continue to Khavda to see local potters and the Samma tribe, before leaving for Kala Dungar to watch the sunset. Dinner and overnight in Hodka.

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive from Hodka to Bhuj – a journey of about 65 kilometres taking approximately 1 hour 20 minutes – and transfer you to the airport for your onward flight.