Ashrams and Ancient Cities: A Cultural Journey Through Gujarat

Our team on the ground will be waiting at the airport to greet you when you touchdown. After once again whizzing through customs you will be met by your driver-guide, who will be accompanying you for the next ten days. Relax in the car as you are privately transferred to your elegant hotel in the heart of the old town of Ahmedabad. The rest of today is yours to spend settling into your new surroundings. You might want to have a little snooze if your body clock is a little off kilter or perhaps head out for a meander around the hotel to stretch your legs. In the evening, you’ll get your first taste of classic Indian food at the hotel’s restaurant (there are also international dishes available). You could also head to Manek Chowk Square to sample some local delicacies from the many street food stalls that congregate here in the evening.

After fuelling up on a tasty breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be met by one of our local guides, who will give you the grand tour of Ahmedabad. Discover a host of sites steeped in history, including the temple of Swaminarayan, a 19th-century Hindu spiritual centre where people claimed to see the incarnation of Krishna; the 16th-century Siddi Saiyyed mosque, famous for its elegant ‘jali’ (sculpted marble screen); the 19th-century Hutheesing Temple, which is dedicated to Dharmanath, the 15th-century Tîrthankara (a highly exalted Hindu); and Bâoli, a 15th-century Islamic-Indian step well. The day finishes at the Sabarmati ashram, which was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1915 and now serves as a museum to Gandhi’s views of non-violent resistance.

Today you will be heading out of Ahmedabad to delve deeper into the region’s ancient history and culture. First up is Patan, the ancient capital of Gujarat, located a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. Today the city is known for its silk weaving and is known to produce some of India’s most beautiful saris. You can admire the intricate details of the saris at a local workshop. Then continue on to Rani Ki Vav, a step well decorated with beautiful engravings dating back to the 11th century. Then head onwards to Modhera, a small town home to the Sun Temple of Chaulukya. The temple complex features three buildings built by the Chaulukya, a powerful dynasty that ruled here from the sixth to the 12th century. You’ll have plenty of time to admire the intricacies of the geometric designs before heading back to Ahmedabad for a relaxing evening.

It’s time to bid farewell to Ahmedabad and get on the road southwards to Bhavnagar. The journey shouldn’t take more than four hours, but we’ve scheduled in a visit to an archaeological site where you can live out your childhood Indiana Jones fantasies. Excavations in the Gulf of Cambay revealed Lothal, one of the most southernmost sites of the ancient Indus civilisation. The Indus traded with the Mesopotamia in the third and second millennia BC. Complex urban planning, a dock and an artificial canal linking the city to the Sabarmati River represent the remarkable level of development for the time. From here, you’ll continue on to your home for the night: a beautiful hotel in Bhavnagar.

After a leisurely morning at your hotel, it’s time to get going again. Your next destination is a charming villa in Palitana, at the foot of the beautiful Shatrunjaya Hills. The journey is just one-and-a-half hours, so you’ll have the rest of today to discover this lovely city. Palitana is a holy city of Jainism famous for its extraordinary complex of around 900 ornamented temples, which you can discover with a private guide. The main temple is dedicated to Adinatha, an enlightened teacher who is said to have meditated here, and devotees of his climb over 3,000 steps to visit the temples. You could easily spend hours admiring the breathtaking craftsmanship on display in the domes, pinnacles, porticoes, colonnades, stupas, ramps, stairways and esplanades.

Today you’ll be leaving Palitana and swapping ancient cities for some picturesque nature. Your next destination is a beautifully designed hotel nestled in the heart of the sweeping Gir National Park, about four hours away. We can arrange a slight detour along the way to check out Diu Island, a charming coastal gem steeped in Portuguese history. Once you’ve arrived in Gir and settled in, you’ll have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy your natural surroundings – make sure to keep an ear out for the chirping of migratory birds and the roar of the lions (from a safe distance!).

Today you’ll be getting right into the heart of nature on a private safari in Gir National Park. The park is home to the last wild population of Asiatic lions and thanks to vigorous protection measures, their numbers are gradually increasing. As well as lions, you can also spot swamp crocodiles, nilgai and four-horned antelopes, striped hyenas and Dussumier's malabar langur (a species of Asian monkey). As for birds, the dacha snake bird of prey and the Bonelli's eagle are often spotted here. You could also make the park management teams’ day by reporting a sighting of the Indian Grey Hornibill, a species rare to the park.

After a couple of days in the heart of nature, it’s time to get on the move again. Today you’ll be transferred to the city of Gondal, which takes just over three hours. Along the way, we’ve scheduled in a stop at Junagadh to admire one of the region’s finest Buddhist sites: the Junagadh Caves. One of the biggest draws here is a huge boulder engraved with the Edicts of Ashoka — the written laws of the ruler of the ancient Maurya dynasty, Ashoka, who ruled from 273 to 232 BC. Over the following centuries, the caves would come to host many Buddhist sculptures, as well as the imposing citadel of Uparkot, which dates back to the fourth century BC. You can also check out the mausoleum of Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai (good luck pronouncing that one!), which has some surprising Gothic-style architectural touches. From here, continue onwards to your hotel in Gondal where you can spend the rest of the evening settling in.

While yesterday was all about delving into the Gujarat’s ancient links to Buddhism, today you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about its more recent history. After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, jump back in the car for a quick one-hour drive north to Rajkot. After settling into your modern hotel, head out into the city with your guide. First up is the Watson Museum, which details the history of the city and wider region and also houses an important exhibition dedicated to the Indus Civilisation. Then continue on to Kaba Gandhi No Delo, the house in which the champion of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, was raised. The property is now home to a beautifully curated museum about his life and work. Before heading back to the hotel for dinner, you will make a quick visit to the neighbouring city of Wankaner to admire the beautiful Indo-Gothic palace and its seriously impressive architecture.

Today you’ll be heading back to Ahmedabad for one last evening of Indian fun before catching your flight home tomorrow. The journey back takes a good four to five hours depending on traffic, so make sure to load up on tasty snacks before leaving the hotel. After you’ve settled into your modern and comfortable hotel in the city, meet your guide to head out for one last gulp of Indian culture: the night markets. Ahmedabad's night markets are where you can find some of the region’s most delicious and authentic delicacies. You can sample chaat (fried dough), panipuri (deep-fried dough balls), pakora (vegetable fritters), kachori (lentil fritters) and mirchi bajji (green chilli, potato and chickpea fritters).