Day 1: Arrive Ahmedabad
On arrival at Ahmedabad airport assistance & transfer to hotel check in. Rest time free to relax. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Ahmedabad
Breakfast at hotel. City tour of Ahmedabad. Visit Hatheesing Jain Temple established in 1850 by Seth Hatheesing a rich Jain merchant, the temple is dedicated to 15th Jain Tirthankar Dharamnath. Bhadra Fort a beautiful monument that is famous for its intricate carvings, pattern works and beautiful frescos suits. Located in the middle of lush greenery the huge 44 acre Fort got its name from the Bhadrakali Temple that it houses. Sabarmati Ashram once the residence of Mahatma Gandhi located on the tranquil and serene stretch of Sabarmati River. The museum is one of the most interesting sections of the ashram as it has on display some of Gandhi`s personal letters and photographs. Shaking Minarets one of the most intriguing architectural wonders & an unsolvable mystery that the world has ever seen. VECHAAR Utensils Museum it house an elaborate collection of utensils ranging from hundreds of years back to the current times. Kite Museum in the premises of Sanskar Kendra the museum had an elaborate display of about 125 uniquely carved kites including mirror embroidered kites, block print kites and Japanese kites such as Rokuku. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: Ahmedabad - Dasada (260kms)
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Dasada via visiting Modhera Sun Temple a Hindu temple dedicated to the solar deity Surya built wetbeen 1026-27 CE during the reign of Bhima I of the Chaulukya dynasty. The temple complex has three components: Gudhamandapa, the shrine hall; Sabhamandapa, the assembly hall and Kunda, the reservoir. The halls have intricately carved exterior and pillars. The reservoir has steps to reach the bottom and numerous small shrines. Rani ki Vav 11th century Solanki era step well built by the Queen Udayamati & Karna in memory of her husband Bhima I. The stepwell is designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels, more than 500 principal sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery. And Panchasara Jain Temples, more than 100 Jain temples with exquisite domes & sacred carvings on the walls built by king Vanraj Chavada around 746 CE.
Continue drive to Dasada check in & overnight at hotel.
Day 4: Dasada - Rajkot (160kms)
Breakfast at hotel. Early morning safari in Little Rann of Kutch a unique landscapes of its kind in the entire world with an unending possibility of exploration. The present saline desert of the Little Rann of Kutch is believed to have been shallow sea. Little Rann of Kutch is the only haven on earth for endemic Asiatic Wild Ass. Known for its speed, the wild ass lives in herds led by stallions and survived by migrating between the grassy bets through the season, in search of food. Sanctuary is also home to 32 other species of mammals such as chinkara, two types of desert fox, jackals, caracals, nilgais, Indian wolves, blackbucks, and striped hyenas along with 350 different species of birds, including the common crane, pelican and the lesser flamingo. Interestingly, the Little Rann gets a fair number of winged visitors in the winter months. Among these, the ceraneous vulture comes from Egypt, the common and demoiselle cranes arrive from Siberia, the blue-tailed bee-eater visits from Europe, and the houbara bustard of Iran and Iraq are the most commonly sighted birds here. Also, the sanctuary is home to a sizeable population of Rabari and Bharwad tribes.
After safari drive to Rajkot check in at hotel. Later visit Jubilee Garden a large open park area featuring many monuments of colonial time. The Garden include the historic Mohandas Gandhi High School, Kaba Gandhi No Delo, Rashtriya Shala, Watson Museum, Lang Library, and Rotary Midtown Library. The museum houses a varied collection of old artefact`s from the ancient city of Mohenjodaro. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5: Rajkot - Gondal - Junagadh - Rajkot (200kms round) / Departure
Breakfast at hotel. Excursion to visit Gondal the former princely state ruled by the Jadeja Rajput clan. Visit Navlakha Palace one of the oldest and most beautiful palaces situated on a riverbank. And Junagadh an ancient fortified city rich in myth and legend, at the foot of the temple-studded Girnar Hill. The Girnar Hills are a holy sanctuary to the Jains. Ashoka inscribed 14 edicts on a huge boulder at Mt. Girnar peak. Also visit Uperkot fort an inaccessible fortress at Junagadh. Drive back to Rajkot and transfer to airport to board an evening flight for onward destination.
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