Route overview
The usual road runs south through Gondal and Jetpur, skirts Junagadh and continues through Keshod to Veraval, with Somnath just beyond. The highway is good and there are well-known stops along the way, including Virpur, home of the Jalaram Bapa temple.
Many families leave Rajkot early, have darshan, visit Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth, and stay for the evening aarti and the sound-and-light show at the temple. If you can, stay overnight: the drive back is easier the next morning and you can add Sasan Gir, Diu or Dwarka to the same trip.
Distance & travel time
- Approx. distance
- 190–200 km (door to door varies with your pickup and drop points)
- Approx. drive time
- About 4 hours, plus time for breaks and sightseeing
- Usual route
- via Gondal, Jetpur, Junagadh bypass, Keshod and Veraval
- Trip types
- One way, round trip, or multi-day with the same car and driver
- Tolls, parking, permits
- Shown clearly in your quote
Distances and timings are approximate and for planning only. Traffic, roadworks, weather and stops can change them.
Suggested stops on the way
- Rajkot StartPickup from your home or hotel; early-morning departures are common.
- Gondal ≈ 40 kmNaulakha Palace and Shri Bhuvaneshwari Peeth.
- Virpur ≈ 55 kmShri Jalaram Bapa temple, a much-loved stop on this road.
- Junagadh (bypass) ≈ 100 kmDetour into the city for Girnar or Uparkot if you have time.
- Veraval ≈ 185 kmFishing harbour town just before Somnath.
- Somnath ≈ 190–200 kmDrop near the temple, your hotel or the guest house of your choice.
Things to see in Somnath
- Somnath Jyotirlinga TempleThe rebuilt temple facing the sea; aarti times and the evening show are worth planning around.
- Triveni SangamConfluence of the Hiran, Kapila and the mythical Saraswati rivers.
- Bhalka TirthWhere Shri Krishna is believed to have been struck by an arrow, about 5 km from the temple.
- Gita Mandir and Balram GufaClose to the Triveni ghat, often visited together.
- Somnath beach promenadeA walkway along the sea beside the temple complex.
For more ideas, timings and nearby places, see our Somnath travel guide.
Travel tips for this route
- Mobile phones, cameras and bags are generally not allowed inside the temple; lockers are available near the entrance.
- Festival days such as Mahashivratri and the month of Shravan bring large crowds. Plan an earlier start and we will suggest a drop point close to the entry.
- If you are travelling with elders, tell us; we can plan more rest stops and a pickup point nearer the temple gate where traffic rules allow.
- Sasan Gir is about 45 km from Somnath and Diu about 85 km, so both combine well with this trip.
