Tourist Attractions In Gujarat

Gujarat with its historical inheritance and cultural diversity has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. With its ancient cave paintings, natural caves and historical murals Gujarat harbors a range of tourist hotspots, those offer a fascinating and memorable experience to its visitors. Here one can witness a great many forts and museums, wild life sanctuaries and innumerable temples and mosques exhibiting Gujarat's rich and ancient multicultural legacy. The major cities and districts of Gujarat are Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Dwarka, Sarnath, and Junagadh to name a few which have been attracting tourist from all across the globe over the years. Every year hordes of tourist pour in to visit the prominent historical, cultural and religious sites of Gujarat and their number has been growing exponentially.

Places to See in Gujarat

Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah on 22nd February, 1411, and the former capital of Gujarat, is the home of some of most exquisite historical monuments. Here the tourists witness the splendor of Hindu craftsmanship and the elegance of Islamic architecture. Some of the popular tourist hotspots of Ahmedabad include Kankaria Lake, Gandhi Aashram, Victoria Gardens, Sidi Sayed Mosque, Bhadra Fort and Vaishnodevi Temple.

Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar the capital city of Gujarat, named after Mahatma Gandhi lie at a distance of only 23 km from Ahmedabad. Some of the most frequently visited tourist destinations of Gandhinagar includes Adalaj Ni Vav, Deer Park (Indroda Park), Punit van-a botanical garden , Akshardham Temple, Dinosaurs Park and Sarita Udyan.

Dwarka
Dwarka is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna once dwelt. Dwarakadhish Temple is the most eminent tourist attraction of the place. One can also witness the convergence of River Gomati into the Arabian Sea.

Uperkot
Situated close to Junagadh, Uperkot is visited by Buddhist pilgrims for the Buddhist Stupas from 500-700 AD can be found. The glorious fort built by the Rajputs on the Uperkot Hill is a great spot to visit.

Porbandar
The place where the messiah of peace Mahatma Gandhi was born, Porbandar harbours some fine tourist spots such as Shri Hari Mandir, Ram Krishna Mission, Sudama Mandir, Ram Dhoon Mandir, Rana Bapu's Mahal and Chowpati.

Bhuj
Bhuj lying at a height of around 360 ft, is the entree to Kutch. Wildlife sanctuaries like Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary are the major tourist destinations of the place.

Sarnath
Sarnath, lying near the port town of Junagadh is an esteemed pilgrimage center. Some of the major tourist sites at Saranath include Ashoka Pillar, Chaukhandi Stupa and Sarnath Archeological Museum.

Junagadh
Situated at the foothills of Girnar Hills the picturesque beauty of Junagadh has been one of the most loved tourist destinations of Gujarat. Here one can visit sites like Sakkarbaug Zoo, Somnath, Ashok Shilalekh, Girnar and Narsinh Mehta No Choro.

Jamnagar
The city of Jamnagar previously known as Nawanagar is located to the south of Gulf of Kutch. Built by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in 1920, the city also known as the Oil City of India, has some famous tourist places such as Bhujio Kotho, Darbargadh Palace, Willingdon Crescent, Pratap Vilas Palace, Lakhota Fort and Kotha Bastion.

Patan
Located in N\north Gujarat this district is surrounded by Banaskantha district, Mehsana district, Surendranagar district and Kutch District. The tourist sites situated here are Sahastralinga Talav, Bhimdev, Rani ki Vav, Mahavir Swami Derasar and Siddhapur.

Vadodara
Vadodara, earlier called Baroda, is the most populated city in Gujarat. The places of attraction for the tourist here are Kirti Mandir, Laxmi Vilas Palace, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Nazarbaug Palace, Makarpura Palace, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and Gandhi Nagar Gruh.

Pavagadh
The Mahakali Temple at Pavagadh is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. The other places that can be visited here are Raval Palace, Machi Haveli and Dudhia Tala.

Champaner
Situated at a distance of 47 km from Vadodara this historical city of Gujarat was founded by Vanraj Chavda in the 8th century. Here the tourist will find three fortification bases Champaner, Pavagadh and Machi. The other tourist attraction that exists at Champaner are Delhi gate, Jambu Ghoda Gates Halol gate, Chhota Udepur and Laxmi Vilas Palace.

Surat
Surat situated on the banks of River Tapti is one of the fastest growing cities and also the center for gold and silver threadwork. The prominent tourist attraction of the city are Sardar Patel Museum, Dutch Garden, Chintamani Jain Temple and The Surat Fort.

Rajkot
Rajkot, the fourth largest city of Gujarat lying along the bank of Aji and Nyari River has some of the favorite tourist spots such as Lang Library, Watson Museum, Hashanshah Pir Dargah, Gebanshah Pir Dargah and Turkibapu's Dargah.

Bhavnagar
The city of Bhavnagar founded by Bhavsinhji Gohil, in 1723 AD has evolved into a major tourist destination. Lying around 228 km away from the capital city, Bhavnagar is the fifth largest city of Gujarat. Important tourist attraction of the place include Nilambag Palace, Takhteshwar Temple and Bhav Vilas Palace.

Gujarat government has taken some effective steps to foster the tourism industry of the state. In recent years there has been a significant growth in the number of tourists visiting Gujarat which has been contributing immensely to the state's economy.