Somnath to Dwarka Road Trip 2026: Route, Stops, Distances, Costs and a 3-Day Itinerary
Last verified: September 2026. Distances are road distances; timings assume daylight driving on the coastal highway.
Somnath and Dwarka are 235 km apart along the Saurashtra coast, and between them lie Porbandar, a second Jyotirlinga at Nageshwar, and the island of Bet Dwarka. Most people do the two big temples as a rushed two-day package from Ahmedabad and skip everything in between. This is the version that does it properly in three days, with the timings so that you catch the aartis instead of arriving as the doors close.
The Route at a Glance
| Leg | Distance | Time | Road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somnath → Porbandar | 130 km | 2.5–3 hours | NH51 coastal, good |
| Porbandar → Dwarka | 105 km | 2–2.5 hours | NH51, good |
| Dwarka → Nageshwar | 17 km | 30 min | Local road |
| Nageshwar → Okha (for Bet Dwarka) | 15 km | 30 min | Local road |
| Dwarka → Rajkot (exit) | 225 km | 4.5 hours | NH27 |
| Dwarka → Ahmedabad (exit) | 440 km | 7.5–8 hours | NH27 / NH47 |
If you’re coming from Ahmedabad, start at Somnath (410 km) and finish at Dwarka; the exit via Rajkot or Jamnagar airport is easier from Dwarka’s side.
Day 1: Somnath
Arrive by afternoon. Evening aarti at 7 PM, then the “Jay Somnath” light and sound show at 8. Stay at a Somnath Trust guest house (Lilavati or Maheshwari Bhavan) — walking distance, cheap, bookable on the trust’s website.
Next morning: Triveni Sangam at sunrise, 7 AM aarti, Bhalka Tirth (5 km), and leave Somnath by 10 AM. Full timings and rules in our Somnath Temple guide.
Day 2: Somnath → Porbandar → Dwarka
Porbandar (130 km, reach by 1 PM). Kirti Mandir, Gandhi’s birthplace, is a 45-minute stop and right in town. Sudama Mandir, the only major temple to Krishna’s friend, is 10 minutes away. Lunch in town. Chowpatty beach if you want the sea.
Harshad Mata Temple (Miyani), 35 km beyond Porbandar on a cliff over the sea, is the detour most people miss. Twenty minutes off the highway, empty, and the view is the best on the whole coast.
Dwarka (105 km, reach by 5:30 PM). Dwarkadhish Temple’s evening schedule: Sandhya aarti around 7:30 PM, with darshan from 5 PM; the temple closes around 9:30 PM. The flag on the shikhar is changed five times a day — if you’re there when it happens, stop and watch. Stay near the temple or at the ISKCON or trust guest houses.
Day 3: Nageshwar, Bet Dwarka, Rukmini, and Out
- 6:30 AM — Mangla aarti at Dwarkadhish (around 6:30; darshan 6:30 AM–1 PM).
- 8:30 AM — Nageshwar Jyotirlinga (17 km): the giant Shiva statue outside, the sanctum inside; 30–45 minutes. Open 6 AM–12:30 PM, 5–9 PM.
- 9:30 AM — Okha jetty (15 km), boat to Bet Dwarka (shared boats, ₹50–₹100; 20–30 minutes each way). Krishna’s residence temple on the island. Allow 2 hours including the crossing. Note: the Sudarshan Setu bridge to the island opened in 2024 and you can now drive across; the boat is still the pilgrim way.
- 12:30 PM — Back via Gopi Talav (the pond of the gopis, source of gopi chandan) and Rukmini Devi Temple (2 km from Dwarka, closed 1–5 PM, so hit it before lunch).
- 2 PM — Depart for Rajkot / Jamnagar / Ahmedabad.
Costs
| Item | Approx. cost |
|---|---|
| Taxi, Somnath → Dwarka, 3 days, sedan | ₹9,000–₹12,000 including driver and fuel |
| Taxi, Ahmedabad → Somnath → Dwarka → Ahmedabad, 4 days | ₹16,000–₹22,000 |
| Self-drive fuel, Ahmedabad round trip (~1,100 km) | ₹8,000–₹10,000 |
| GSRTC bus Somnath → Dwarka (via Porbandar) | ₹250–₹400, 6–7 hours |
| Trust guest houses per night | ₹300–₹1,500 |
| Mid-range hotels per night | ₹2,000–₹4,000 |
Somnath–Dwarka by bus is possible but you lose the stops; a shared taxi from Somnath’s stand is the usual compromise.
Practical Notes
- Fuel up in Somnath, Porbandar or Dwarka; the stretches between are thin on petrol pumps.
- Both temples: no phones, bags or cameras inside. Lockers at the gates.
- Dwarkadhish has a midday closure (1–5 PM); plan Nageshwar and Bet Dwarka for that window, as above.
- The coastal road has cattle and slow trucks; avoid driving after dark.
- Monsoon (July–September): Bet Dwarka boats stop in rough seas — the bridge solves this now.
- Best season: October to March. Janmashtami at Dwarka (August) and Mahashivratri at Somnath (Feb/Mar) are spectacular but need bookings months ahead.
If You Have a Fourth Day
Gir National Park (45 km from Somnath) for the lion safari before you start the drive, or Diu (85 km) for a beach day. Both add a night at the Somnath end.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 235 km by road via Porbandar, 5 hours without stops.
Yes, but you’ll skip Porbandar, Nageshwar’s queue and Bet Dwarka. Three days is the sensible minimum.
GSRTC runs Somnath–Dwarka via Porbandar, 6–7 hours.
Somnath first if you’re coming from Ahmedabad; either works from Rajkot.
No — both are free walk-in. Book guest houses ahead.
Yes. It’s the one place on the route that feels different from the rest — a fishing island with a Krishna temple at its heart. Verified against current road conditions and temple schedules, September 2026. Spotted a change? Email info@themandiryatra.com.
Writer at The Mandir Yatra. Covers the Gujarat and Rajasthan circuit — Somnath, Dwarka, Ambaji, Pushkar, Nathdwara — plus Banke Bihari in Vrindavan and Yadagirigutta. Guides are verified against official trust information and carry a last-verified date.
