Pehle Gujarat Dekho

Gujarat Discovery – Princely legacy, architectural marvels, unique wildlife and ancient crafts

  • Useful Information
  • Baroda - Balasinor - Santrampur - Jambughoda - Ahmedabad - Lothal – Velavadar - Bhavnagar - Junagadh - Gondal - Surendranagar
  • 14 Nights / 15 days
  • Overview
This journey explores Gujarat’s magnificent princely heritage, tracing the legacy of the royal dynasties who shaped the region’s cultural landscape. From opulent palaces and architectural marvels to wildlife sanctuaries established by visionary rulers, you’ll experience the enduring impact of Gujarat’s princely states. This itinerary showcases how royal patronage has helped preserve ancient crafts, established conservation traditions, and created distinctive cultural identities that continue to thrive in modern Gujarat.
  • Highlights
  • Princely Legacy & Living Patronage - Experience how former royal families continue to preserve cultural heritage through foundations, museums, and artisan support programs across Gujarat.
  • Architectural Treasures - From the magnificent Laxmi Vilas Palace (four times Buckingham Palace's size) to UNESCO-listed Champaner-Pavagadh and centuries-old stepwells.
  • Remarkable Conservation Success Stories - Witness how royal initiatives saved the Asiatic lion from near-extinction in Gir and Blacbucks at Velavadar National Park and protected crucial forest habitats in Jambughoda
  • Living Craft Traditions - Experience thousand-year-old Patola weaving, 700-year-old Tangalia textiles, and numerous other crafts preserved through generations of royal patronage.
  • Archaeological Wonders - Explore Lothal's 4,500-year-old port city and Balasinor's extraordinary dinosaur fossil site - one of the world's largest dinosaur hatcheries maintained by the resident royal family.
  • Cultural Immersion - Engage with diverse communities from Maldhari pastoralists to tribal artists creating vibrant Pithora paintings.
  • Royal Culinary Experiences - Sample regional recipes once prepared exclusively in royal kitchens, from Maratha cuisine to distinctive Kathiawari dishes.
  • Request Details
  • HTA Recommended Hotels
  • Baroda : Taj Vivanta, Baroda OR WelcomHotels by ITC Hotels, Baroda OR Madhav Bagh, Baroda (A Heritage Homestay)
  • Balasinor : Garden Palace, Balasinor (A Heritage Homestay) OR Shri Joraver Vilas, Santrampur (A Heritage Homestay) OR A Home for Nature Lovers, Jambughoda (A Heritage Homestay) OR Darbargadh Kadval, Kadval (A Heritage Homestay) OR Kadwal County, Kadval (A Heritage Homestay) OR Raj Mahal, Devgadh Baria (A Heritage Homestay)
  • Ahmedabad : House of MG, Ahmedabad (A Heritage Hotel) OR Mani Mansion (A Heritage Hotel) OR Mangaldas Ni Haveli - 1 (A Heritage Homestay) OR Mangaldas Ni Haveli - 2 (A Heritage Homestay) OR Jagdip Mehta Heritage House (A Heritage Homestay)
  • Bhavnagar : Tree of Life Darbargadh Dared, Vallabhipur (A Heritage Hotel) OR Nilambag Palace, Bhavnagar (A Heritage Hotel) OR Narayani Heritage, Bhavnagar (A Heritage Hotel) OR Gopnath Bungalow, Gopnath, Bhavnagar (A Heritage Hotel) OR Vijay Vilas, Palitana (A Heritage Hotel)
  • Gondal : Orchard Palace, Gondal (A Heritage Hotel) OR Riverside Palace, Gondal (A Heritage Hotel) OR Heritage Khirasara Palace, Rajkot (A Heritage Hotel) OR Hotel Aram, Jamnagar (A Heritage Hotel)
  • Surendranagar: Ambika Nivas Palace, Surendranagar (A Heritage Hotel) OR Royal Oasis, Wankaner (A Heritage Hotel) OR Bell Guest House, Sayla (A Heritage Homestay) OR The Desert Outpost, Kharaghoda
  • Day Wise itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Baroda (10 km | 15 mins)
Baroda, now known as Vadodara, flourished under the progressive Gaekwad dynasty who transformed it into Gujarat’s cultural capital. The city became a centre for education, arts, and innovative governance under Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, who invited scholars and artists from across India and Europe to enhance its cultural landscape. Beyond its renowned palaces and museums, Baroda’s legacy as a princely state that championed modernity while preserving tradition continues to shape its unique character.
Overnight: Baroda City.
The Gaekwad rulers were among the most progressive and wealthy of India’s princely states, ranking high in the British hierarchy with a 21-gun salute status, and their patronage of the arts created a cultural renaissance that continues to influence the region today through institutions such as Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery.
Their breathtaking Laxmi Vilas Palace showcases stunning architecture together with elaborate interiors boasting beautiful décor, mosaics and chandeliers. The Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum houses a remarkable collection of Raja Ravi Varma paintings—more than 30 original works by the master who revolutionized Indian portraiture. The former residence of a Baroda state Diwan (1849–1854), Tambekar Wada, showcases some of the finest murals from colonial Gujarat. Its wooden surfaces feature vivid frescoes depicting Hindu gods and themes, religious rituals, and European soldiers. Multiple stories are told across the walls, like the 1802 battle between Maratha allied forces and the Arabs.
Overnight: Baroda City.
The royal family still resides at the Garden Palace in Balasinor, where for over five decades they have dedicated themselves to preserving the discovery of one of India’s most remarkable natural treasures, the third largest dinosaur hatchery and fossil site on the planet dating back over 65 million years. Through their efforts, they have transformed this site into a world-renowned paleontological site. A 25,000 square foot Dinosaur Museum and Fossil Park, where immersive galleries and life-sized 3D recreations transport visitors back 65 million years. The star attraction is the Rajasaurus Narmadensis or “King of Narmada”—a fearsome carnivore with a distinctive crested horn related to the Tyrannosaurus Rex family. The royal family’s ongoing stewardship represents a unique convergence of princely heritage and scientific discovery, preserving one of India’s oldest paleontological treasures while making it accessible to researchers and visitors alike.
Santrampur, nestled in the Aravalli Hills, was a princely state ruled by the Parmar Rajput dynasty who established a progressive legacy. The lakeside Shri Joraver Vilas (1926) built in the Art Deco era with interiors that creates an allure of the old-world charm. The royal family’s ‘Santrampur Fields and Flowers’ initiative, produces organic teas, jams, sherbets, chutneys, and flour using local ingredients, showcasing the region’s agricultural and forest traditions while they also revive historical crafts like traditional Chintz textile patterns.
Overnight: Mahisagar Dist, Central Gujarat Region.
The royal family has transformed their ancestral property at Jambughoda into a nature-lover’s retreat surrounded by forests and tribal villages, but preserving this was a hard-fought battle.
As industrialization threatened Gujarat’s forests, the Jambughoda royal family urged to the government to protect Jambughoda’s natural heritage. Today, the 130 square kilometer former royal forest has a sanctuary status. Today, this INSONA award-recognized sanctuary protects 43 leopards, antelopes, sloth bears, and numerous indigenous species. Jambughoda was a small yet culturally significant princely state where the rulers also cultivated deep connections with the local communities and today, traditional Rathwa tribals offer glimpses of their vibrant Pithora paintings, sacred artwork that depicts mythological scenes and tribal life.
Overnight: Panchmahal Dist, Central Gujarat Region.
The Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary is made up of Teak, Bamboo and Mahudo amongst other indigenous trees and as well as being home to panther, the four-horned antelope, blue bulls, hyena, jackal, wild boar and sloth bear, it also contains many medicinal plants and herbs. There are 25 tribal villages in and around the sanctuary which provides an insight into how these communities co-exist with India’s natural heritage.
The Bhasha Academy, is a must-visit, one-of-a-kind museum which is dedicated to preserving ‘the voices’ of the indigenous communities of India, their languages, music, instruments, belief systems and culture.
Overnight: Panchmahal Dist, Central Gujarat Region.
The astonishing Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, stands as the only complete unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city in India. This remarkable park showcases diverse heritage elements against a dramatic landscape dominated by the 800-metre Pavagadh Hill, with its 14th-century Hindu hill-fortress, remarkably preserved 15th-century Islamic capital with its mosques and monuments, and intricate water systems within this living museum.
Continue to Ahmedabad, India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, where centuries of cross-cultural exchange have created a unique architectural and cultural landscape.
Overnight: Ahmedabad City.
Exploration of Ahmedabad’s extraordinary architectural heritage begins with the old city’s “pols”—traditional neighbourhoods featuring elaborate wooden havelis, secret passages, and community gathering spaces. Though not a princely state capital, Ahmedabad’s prosperous merchant families and political leaders established royal-like patronage systems that funded elaborate architectural projects and cultural institutions. The renowned textile museums showcase centuries of Gujarat’s fabric innovations, from intricate embroidery to block printing techniques that influenced global textile traditions. The city’s famous culinary heritage comes alive with a traditional Gujarati thali dinner at the acclaimed House of MG, offering distinctive vegetarian dishes served on silver platters in an exquisitely restored heritage building.
Overnight: Ahmedabad City.
The ancient Indus Valley port city of Lothal, whose 4,500-year-old man-made dock once connected this sophisticated urban centre to trade networks stretching to Mesopotamia and beyond, is an architectural marvel representing one of the world’s earliest examples of urban planning and governance.
Velavadar National Park was the former private reserve of the Bhavnagar Royal family who protected these pristine grasslands when they were private hunting grounds, inadvertently preserving a unique ecosystem that has now became one of India’s most important blackbuck conservation areas. Their environmental stewardship, though initially focused on hunting, created the foundation for modern conservation efforts that protect the region’s once endangered blackbuck and now are now also home to wolves, striped hyena, jungle cat and desert fox, amongst others.
Overnight: Bhavnagar Dist, Gohilwar Region, Saurashtra.
The Gohil dynasty ruled this coastal state for centuries and were instrumental in implementing progressive policies and also supporting local arts. The town today includes several notable sites: Victoria Park, one of India’s oldest man-made forests located in the city centre; Barton Library, Gujarat’s oldest library housing an impressive collection of books, manuscripts and rare coins; the marble Ganga Deri monument; and the architecturally significant Darbari Kothar state granary.
Dared is a small, yet extraordinary village as it showcases a variety of Gujarat’s remarkable artisanal heritage. The Darbargadh is a meticulously restored 700-year-old ancestral home of the erstwhile royal family. Discover how one village has preserved extraordinary craftsmanship. Dared has a remarkable collection of artisans from diamond polishers working with precision, goldsmiths crafting unique jewellery, a terracotta potter shaping clay, an award-winning creator of transport jugaad (ingenious vehicle modifications) and even a priest who makes mithai (sweets) following traditional village recipes. Visit Sihor to explore Darbargadh, which has exquisite fresco paintings created using tempera techniques around 1790 and intricate wooden architecture once supported by the Gohil dynasty. Meet skilled metalwork artisans creating beautiful objects from brass, copper, and kansa (copper-tin alloy), whose ancestors crafted pieces for the royal household. Heading out by Jeep for a sundowner experience set against the backdrop of rural Saurashtra’s golden landscape.
Overnight: Bhavnagar Dist, Gohilwar Region, Saurashtra.
Gir National Park stands as the last wild refuge for the Asiatic Lion. Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khan III banned lion hunting in 1911, transforming royal hunting grounds into a protected sanctuary. This decisive action saved these magnificent cats from extinction, with numbers growing from barely 20 in 1975 to nearly 600 today. These lions—smaller and paler than their African relatives—inhabit the park’s rugged terrain alongside leopards, Jungle Cats, and numerous other endemic species. Gir remains Asia’s only habitat for wild Asiatic lions and one of the continent’s most important protected areas for biodiversity. The afternoon safari provides your first opportunity to explore these dense forests while searching for these remarkable predators in their natural environment.
Overnight: Gir National Park, Sorath Region, Saurashtra.
Morning and afternoon safaris into different zones of Gir National Park maximise chances of encountering the Asiatic lion. Between safaris, insights into the surrounding communities include the Maldhari pastoralists who live in scattered settlements called nesses, and the Siddis, believed to have African origins, known for their vibrant athletic dance traditions that preserve their unique cultural heritage.
Overnight: Gir National Park, Sorath Region, Saurashtra.
The ancient Buddhist caves and impressive Uparkot Fort in Junagadh showcase layers of history from multiple ruling dynasties. The Junagadh state, governed by the Babi dynasty from 1748 until India’s independence, left an impressive architectural and cultural legacy throughout the region.
The coastal Somnath Temple stands as one of India’s most significant pilgrimage sites and a marvel of Hindu architecture. This Jyotirlinga dedicated to Lord Shiva has been destroyed and rebuilt seven times throughout history—most recently reconstructed in 1951
Gondal is renowned for its progressive rulers of the Jadeja Rajput dynasty who prioritized education and infrastructure development, establishing schools, libraries and healthcare facilities that continue to serve the community today. It was among the first of the princely states to introduce free education for girls and public health initiatives. Accommodation at the Orchard Palace is filled with European furniture, Belgian chandeliers, and antiques. The Navlakha Palace Museum houses the royal family’s extraordinary collection of vintage cars, silver crafts, and eclectic collections! The sound and light show at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a must.
Overnight: Rajkot Dist, Halar Region, Saurashtra.
The former princely state of Surendranagar offers a window into the architectural and artisanal heritage of this region of Gujarat. The ruling family donated land for the temple’s construction and continues to support local artisans through patronage programs, craft exhibitions, and skill development initiatives that help preserve these centuries-old traditions for future generations. Their initiatives provide scholarships for young artisans to master traditional techniques while adapting to contemporary markets.
Explore the Mandavraiji Sun Temple, the world’s second oldest Swaminarayan Temple with its wooden Haveli and museum, Jhombai Ma Temple with War Memorial, and the ancestral Raatba-ni-vav stepwell. Or, take in some of the region’s craft traditions which are equally impressive. Master artisans practice the thousand-year-old Patola weave—one of textile art’s most complex techniques where both warp and weft threads are tie-dyed before weaving to create precisely patterned silk masterpieces. Traditional Tangalia weaving, a 700-year-old indigenous craft native to this region, continues to thrive in local villages.
Overnight: Surendranagar Dist, Jhalawar Region, Saurashtra.
The “Cotton Story” experience traces the journey from farm to fabric through traditional cultivation, spinning, and weaving demonstrations that reveal centuries-old techniques still practiced today.
The unique cheese-making process practiced by the semi-nomadic Maldhari community transforms sheep and goat milk into distinctive dairy products using techniques passed down through countless generations of pastoral life but today, being given a modern twist!
The tour concludes with a special farewell dinner at Central Palace Courtyard of the Ambika Nivas Palace featuring Kathiawari cuisine, highlighting the culinary traditions that developed in royal kitchens across the region.
Overnight: Surendranagar Dist, Jhalawar Region, Saurashtra.
After breakfast, transfer to Rajkot international Airport concludes this extraordinary exploration of Gujarat’s royal heritage, living traditions, and warm hospitality.
  • Photos
Excavation-site-of-Saraswati-Indus-Civilization-lothal
Pithora Paintings
Patola weaving
The lakeside Shri Joraver Vilas
Victoria Park - India_s oldest man-made forests
  • Request Details

More Itineraries

Lukshmi Vilas Palace

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Motibagh Palace

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Bell Guest House

Thoriyali, Gujarat, India

The Bhuj House

Bhuj, Gujarat, India

Garden Palace

Balasinor, Gujarat, India

The Desert Outpost

Kharaghoda, Gujarat, India

Madhav Baug

Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Alpana Museum

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Mangaldas Ni Haveli – 2

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Mangaldas Ni Haveli – 1

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Dowlat Villas Palace – The Heritage

North Gujarat, Gujarat, India

Dowlat Villas Palace

North Gujarat, Gujarat, India

Jagdip Mehta Heritage House

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Bhavani Villa

North Gujarat, Gujarat, India

Darbargadh Kadval

Kadval, Udepur, India

Vijay Vilas Heritage Resort

Mandvi, Gujarat, India

Tree of life – Darbargadh

Dared, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

The Royal Oasis

Wankaner, Gujarat, India

The House of MG

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Follow us on Instagram

As Seen On

Forbes India
stir
12a327_f2a5b7cfeeb04bb3807bcce6f98106e7mv2.webp
12a327_c65bff0928384b818097328c85c6deddmv2.webp
Alstair
Vogue
GQ
Inside Outside
Harpers Bazaar

Gujarat Tourism Partner

Need to get in touch?
Many common queries are covered in our FAQs. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out at info@heritagetourismgujarat.com or give us a call at +91 95704 80804.
Follow us​
Facebook Instagram Linkedin
At HTA, we are the true representatives of the heritage hotels, historic palaces, havelis, and museums of the entire vibrant state of Gujarat.

Discover

HTA

Stay in touch

Sign up to our newsletter