Ahmedabad to Somnath

The distance between Ahmedabad and Somnath is 437 kilometres and can be best covered by taking a train. Trains are the most preferred way of travelling from Ahmedabad to Somnath because there are direct trains between the two stations as well as trains to Veraval Station, which is at a distance of only 5 kilometres to Somnath Station. The shortest route is 436.54 kms, and it passes through Surendranagar, Wankaner and Rajkot. There are 6 express and 3 superfast trains. Based on your itinerary, you can choose one of these.

The direct trains from Ahmedabad to Somnath mostly depart in the morning and you reach Somnath Station by late afternoon. If you want to save the whole day for sightseeing, you can opt for overnight journey. This overnight journey is possible if you take the trains from Ahmedabad to Veraval Station. The city is at a distance of 6 kms from here, while the infamous Somnath temple is only 5 kms away. There are two overnight train options. The Bandra Terminus Veraval superfast express that departs at 8:55 PM in the evening and reaches Veraval at 4:35 AM in the morning. The other train is Somnath Superfast express which departs from Ahmedabad at 10:10 PM and reaches Somnath at 6:00 AM in the morning. These two trains are the fastest and you can reach the city in just 7 hours 50 minutes, provided there are no delays. In case of other trains, the journey duration is 8 to 9 hours and in some cases, exceeds 9 hours.

Available Train Options

1. Jabalpur Somnath Express

Running Days - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Departure - 8:25 AM, Arrival - 5:45 PM

2. Jabalpur Somnath Express

Running Days - Sunday, Tuesday
Departure - 8:25 AM, Arrival - 5:45 PM

3. Ahmedabad - Somnath Intercity

Running Days - Everyday
Departure - 10:40 AM, Arrival - 8:00 PM

Preferable Local Transport Available from the Drop Station

You have the option of taking autos, buses and rickshaws from the station to your drop point in the city of Somnath. If you have reached Veraval station, you can take a shared rickshaw or bus for point to point travel in the city. To reach Somnath temple from the Veraval station, you can take an auto-rickshaw which charges you only INR 15. Outside the station, there are autos available to drop you at any point in the city. You can ask the auto driver and reserve a whole auto for visiting the temple. They usually quote a high price for tourists, but you can always bargain.

Tips

It gets very hot during the summers, so it is recommended that you book an AC ticket.
Taking the overnight train is a better alternative.

You can reach Somnath from Ahmedabad by road as well. The road distance between the two cities is 408 km. Several buses are running at different timings by GRTC (Gujarat Road Transport Corporation) as well as by private bus operators. Many buses depart from Ahmedabad for Somnath at different points of time during the day, and you have the flexibility to choose one according to your timing. You can choose either a day or an overnight bus, depending on your itinerary.

Buses are mostly not preferred because there are direct trains, so people usually choose to take trains. If indeed you have to travel by road, the best alternative is taking a cab or self-driving to Somnath, because buses can be uncomfortable. The coaches of GSRTC are safe, punctual and cheaper than private buses, so if you are planning on taking a bus, you can take a GRTC bus.

The popular bus operators are GSRTC, Mahasagar Travels, Mahaveer Travels, Neelkanth Madhuram Travels, New Patel Travels, Paavan Travels, Patel Tours and Travels, Rajwadi New Jalaram Travels, Real Travels, Shree Jalaram Viral, Shree Hari Travels etc.

Type of buses available

Non AC Sleeper (2+1)
AC Sleeper (2+1)
AC Seater/Sleeper (2+1)
Express
Novex AC Sleeper (2+1)

Starting Points in Ahmedabad

8, Shroff Chambers, Paldi
Manas Complex, Jodhpur Char Rasta Satellite
Prahlad Nagar Circle
Near Surbhi flat, Nikol. gam, Sitaram Parking
Paldi

Drop Points in Somnath

Varneswar Parking
Somnath Parking, opposite Bus stand
Somnath Bus stand
Near Lilavati Bhavan Varneswar Parking
Eagle Office, Swastik Plaza

Route Taken

Ahmedabad - Chotila - Rajkot - Junagadh - Somnath

Timings of Buses 

There is a morning GRTC bus, departing from Ahmedabad at 5:35 AM. The other GRTC buses are at late evenings or at night between 5:35 PM to 8:10 PM. The buses by private bus operators are mostly overnight buses. Shree Hari Travels, Mahasagar Travels, Patel Tours and Travels and New Bharat Travels buses leave for Somnath after 11 PM and reach Somnath by early morning, next day.

The best way to reach Somnath from Ahmedabad by road is by taking a cab or self-driving. This is more comfortable, compared to buses, because you have the flexibility to adjust timings, according to your itinerary, take detours and explore other places on the way and make stops whenever you want. The distance is 408 kilometres by road and you can either hire a taxi from popular cab operators such as Gozocabs, Savaari, GetmeCab or local cab operators such as Rajputana Cabs, Shri Bhakti Taxi Services etc. The distance is ideal for self-driving and after drawing a clear idea of the route map, you can expect to reach Somnath in 7 hours.

People travelling to Somnath from Ahmedabad often go via Dwarka and spend a few days there because Dwarka is 250 kms from Somnath and there is no train route. The religious trip is complete with visiting the temple at Somnath and the peaceful aura all through the way. The stretch between Dwarka and Somnath is a sight worth seeing. It is a 90 kms stretch by the beachside. The road is on the west side of Gujarat, and most of the time, you have the sea on the side of the road. Upon reaching Somnath temple, when you marvel at the architectural beauty of the temple, the tiredness of the road trip will surely pale out. If you are self-driving, you can take detours to other places such as Diu, Tulsishyam and Junagadh. There are many places on the way where you can make stopovers, so if you are in a taxi, you can request the driver to make a few stops.

If you reach Somnath in the afternoon, you can watch the beautiful sunset and also be a part of the light and sound show inside the temple complex. Therefore, you must try to reach by afternoon. You also need at least two hours to go sightseeing around the temple.

Route Options

Route 1 

Ahmedabad - Chotila - Rajkot - Junagadh - Sasan Gir- Somnath
This is the default route that should be taken if you are going directly to Somnath.

Route 2 

(Via Dwarka) : Ahmedabad - Rajkot - Jamnagar - Dwarka - Porbandar - Somnath
You can take this route if you want to visit Dwarka as well.

Route 3 

Ahmedabad - Limbdi - Ranpur - Vichchiya - Gondal- Junagadh - Somnath

Road Condition

The road condition is good, for the most part, and the bus ride is more or less smooth, but long. The road is excellent up to Rajkot. The traffic increases in Rajkot. It has been reported that the road condition between Junagadh and Somnath are not that good. NH-8 A experiences miscellaneous traffic, and you might want to cover it as early as possible to avoid the traffic. If you have taken the Dwarka route and driving along the coastline of Porbandar, you have the sea on your side all the way till Dwarka. The roads are smooth in this stretch and traffic is moderate. The road leading to Porbandar from Rajkot is in good shape, except for the road from Porbandar to Dwarka, which is a two-lane single carriageway, which is moderately good. You must drive slower up to Chotila, especially nearing Kuvadava, because of the heavy village traffic.

Eating Options On the Way

• You can have lunch or breakfast at the Highway Food Mall, which is located on the Ahmedabad Rajkot Highway, just after crossing Limbdi. Being a well maintained and hygiene food mall, this is one of the most recommended en-route restaurant option.
• The Honest chain of restaurants are another good option, on the Ahmedabad to Rajkot highway.
• Sankalp Restaurant, near Rajkot
• Sugar and Spice Restaurant, near Junagadh
• Zyaka Restaurant on Junagadh road
• Vraj Vatika on Junagadh road