Saurashtra Temples, Gir & Diu

Sasan Gir & Junagadh: history

Gir was once the hunting ground of the Nawabs of Junagadh. By around 1900 only a handful of Asiatic lions were left, and the Nawab banned hunting to protect them. Gir became a sanctuary in 1965 and a national park in 1975. The 2020 count found 674 lions, and the number has kept rising.

Junagadh, nearby, is far older. Its Uparkot fort goes back about 2,300 years, and Emperor Ashoka's rock edicts from the 3rd century BCE stand at the foot of Mount Girnar.

Sasan Gir & Junagadh: tourist attractions

• Gir jeep safariMorning and afternoon drives. Permits are booked online in advance, and the park is closed from mid-June to mid-October.
• Devalia Safari ParkA fenced part of the forest where sightings are more certain.
• Kamleshwar DamA reservoir inside the park known for marsh crocodiles.
• Uparkot Fort, JunagadhOld stepwells, Buddhist caves and city views.
• Mahabat MaqbaraA 19th-century tomb with spiral staircases around its minarets.
• Mount GirnarJain and Hindu temples on a holy mountain, with a ropeway to the Ambaji temple.

Sasan Gir & Junagadh: excursions nearby

• Somnath about 45 kmThe sea-shore Jyotirlinga temple.
• Junagadh about 55 kmUparkot, Girnar and the Ashokan edicts.
• Diu about 100 kmA Portuguese fort and beaches.
• Virpur about 55 km from RajkotThe temple of Jalaram Bapa, on the Rajkot road.

Distances are approximate. Tell us which excursions you want and we add them to your quote.