About Rajkot

Country: India | State: Gujarat

Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days

Nearest City to Rajkot: Rajkot

Best Time to Visit Rajkot: October to March

Peak Season: November to February

At a distance of 90 km from Jamnagar, 101 km from Junagadh, 105 km from Amreli, 172 km from Porbandar, 173 km from Bhavnagar, 184 km from Somnath, 214 km from Dwarka, 218 km from Ahmedabad, 231 km from Bhuj, 275 km from Vadodara, 401 km from Surat and 718 km from Mumbai, Rajkot is a bustling city in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the Aji and Nyari rivers, it is the fourth largest city in Gujarat and among the top Gujarat holiday packages.

Rajkot, literally the City of Princes, is the former princely capital of the Saurashtra region and now an emerging tourism destination and business hub of Gujarat. Built by Thakur Saheb Vibhaji Ajoji Jadeja in 1620 AD, the city has been a seat for the Jadeja rulers. It was named after its co-founder Raju Sandhi. In 1720 AD, Rajkot was seized by Masum Khan, an official ruler of the Junagadh region. After 12 years, Rajkot was conquered by the Jadeja clan. In the year 1807, Rajkot came under British rule and the city of Rajkot became the capital of the Saurashtra state in 1948. It was then merging with Bombay State in 1956 and was finally reincorporated into Gujarat State in 1960. This city is also associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who spent the early years of his life when his father was a Diwan or Prime Minister to the king of Saurashtra.

Rajkot tour packages are a fusion of architectural and historical sites of great importance. It is one of the most famous places to visit near Ahmedabad. This place is renowned across the globe for its bandhani textiles, cotton textiles, woolen, jewelry, silk embroidery, handicrafts, and automobile industry. Watson Museum, Kaba Gandhi No Delo, Aji Dam, Rotary Dolls Museum, Jagat Mandir, Nyari Dam, Prem Mandir, Khambhalida Caves, and Lal Pari Lake are some of the top places to visit in Rajkot. Aside from this, Rajkot holds a position in the top 10 cleanest cities of India while also being the 22nd fastest growing city in the world.

There are several accommodation options available in Rajkot ranging from budget to medium, five-star, and business class hotels that provide outstanding services and give grand hospitality to their guests. Being the cultural and commercial capital of the Saurashtra district, there are many restaurants in Rajkot that serve unique and delicious food items.

About 3 km from Rajkot Junction, Rajkot Airport is the nearest airport that has direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi. Rajkot is well connected by trains with Okha, Mumbai, Somnath, Varanasi, Tirunelveli, Ahmedabad, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Rameshwaram, Puri, Jaipur, Dwarka, Kochi, Trivandrum, Pune, Kolkata, Jabalpur, Indore, Bilaspur, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Surat, Guwahati, and Gorakhpur. Rajkot Bus station is the nearest bus station which is about 3 km from Rajkot Junction. It has well road connectivity with Ahmedabad, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhidham, Bhuj, Amreli, Junagadh, Dwarka, Somnath, Vadodara, Porbandar, Okha, Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, and Udaipur.

Often referred to as 'Rangilu Rajkot', Rajkot is famous for hosting several cultural events and festivals. The International Kite festival is a major and prominent cultural event of Rajkot celebrated on the occasion of Makarsankranti which usually falls in the mid of January every year. Navratri, the festival of nine nights, is another most charming festival of Gujarat during which the people of Rajkot perform Garba, a special dance form of the Gujarat state. The people of Rajkot also celebrate Modhera Dance Festival, Holi, Janmashtami, and Diwali with great pomp and fervor.

With pleasant and cool weather, October to March is the best time to visit Rajkot for sightseeing. Travellers can enjoy the nine-day festivities of the Navratri festival in Rajkot usually occurring in the month of October. The combination of devotion and Garbha by the Gujarati Hindu community is renowned worldwide.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Good
STD Code: 0281
Languages Spoken: Gujarati, Kutchhi, Hindi and English
Major Festivals: International Kite Festival, Navratri, Janmashtami & Modhera Dance Festival
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Rajkot

By Air

Nearest Airport: Rajkot - Rajkot Airport (3 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Rajkot Junction (0 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Rajkot Central Bus Stand (3 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Rajkot

Museum

#1 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 2 km from Rajkot Junction, Kaba Gandhi No Delo is a museum located near Dharmendra road in the old city area of Rajkot. It is one of the popular museums in Gujarat and among the most visited Rajkot tourist places.

Kaba Gandhi No Delo, literally Kaba Gandhi's house, is the ancestral home of Mahatma Gandhi where he spent his early years of life from 1881-87 AD. It was built in 1880-81 CE by Mahatma Gandhi's father Karamchand Gandhi or Kaba Gandhi, who was the Diwan to the king of Saurashtra. The house was built in Saurashtra style of architecture, with arched gateways and courtyards. The place is must visit for Gandhi followers and avid history lovers during their Rajkot tour.

Kaba Gandhi No Delo has now been converted into a museum and also declared as a national monument which is named 'Gandhi Smriti'. This beautiful building houses .....

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Museum

#2 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 3 km from Rajkot Junction, Rotary Midtown Dolls Museum is a museum situated in Dr. Yagnik Road, Rajkot. It is one of its kind museums in Gujarat and among the must visit Tourist places in Rajkot.

The Rotary Dolls Museum was set up in the year 2001 by Deepak Agrawal in order to provide children a place, where they could gain valuable knowledge about the world by the mode of fun and entertainment. This two floor museum exhibits more than 1,600 dolls from over 102 countries decked out in different attires. These dolls are generously donated by the Rotary Clubs across the world to the museum. The museum has earned a place in the Limca Book of Records for its unique collection of dolls.

Unlike most museums, the Rotary Midtown Dolls Museum gives an overview to the culture and traditions of the world at large through a medium of dolls. The dolls are displayed in Theme Showcases which depict settings of the countries from which these dolls hail along with the flag .....

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Museum

#3 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 2 km from Rajkot Junction, Watson Museum is an ancient museum in Rajkot city of Gujarat. It is one of the largest museums in Gujarat and among the best places to visit in Rajkot.

Set up in the Queen Victoria memorial institute building, the museum was established in 1888. The museum was named after the British Political Agent of Kathiwad, Colonel John Watson, who initiated the citations and documentation of the history of Rajkot and artifacts in respect to the royal families in the region. Managed by the Gujarat State Government, Watson Museum is the second most important museum in Gujarat, after the Museum of Baroda and one of the best among the seven such museums located across Saurashtra region.

Watson Museum depicts the history of India and the colonial history of Rajkot. The museum is divided into several sections namely paintings & manuscripts, textile, inscription, sculptures, coins, anthropology, folk embroidery and handicraft, musical instruments, .....

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Wildlife

#4 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 5 km from Rajkot Junction, Pradyuman Zoological Park is a famous zoo park located on the banks of Lal Pari Lake in Rajkot, Gujarat. Popularly called Rajkot Zoo, it is one of the finest zoological parks in Gujarat and among the must-visit places for wildlife enthusiasts as part of Rajkot holiday packages.

Spread over an area of 137 acres, Rajkot Zoological Park is one of the modern & naturalistic developing zoos in India, and among the must-visit Rajkot sightseeing places. Also known as Rajkot Prani Sangrahalaya, this zoo is maintained by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. Initially, the zoo was set up in the year 1992 near Aji Dam. Since the old mini zoo at Aji Dam suffered from many drawbacks and did not match the standards set by the Central Zoo Authority, the zoo was relocated to its present location in 2010 and is renamed as Pradyuman Zoological .....

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Pilgrimage

#5 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 4 km from Rajkot Junction, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a Hindu temple situated in Rajkot city of Gujarat. Located on Kalawad Road, it is one of the most celebrated temples in Gujarat and among the must visit places in Rajkot.

Built in 1998 by Swaminarayan Sampradaya, the temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. It follows the Swaminarayan Sampradaya founded by Bhagwan Swaminarayan and belongs to the Vaishnav tradition. The temple has been built according to the Ancient Vedic Shilpa Shastra techniques and no contemporary building material is used in the construction. The temple has been built out of Ambaji marble, Makrana marble and Udaipur pink marbles. The pink stone used for construction has been brought from Bansipahadpur in Rajasthan and is similar to the stone used in Akshardham at Gandhinagar.

The Mandir consists of three shrines. The first shrine has an idol of Harikrishna Maharaj which is a Panchdhatu murti, made from an alloy composed of five metals. .....

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Pilgrimage

#6 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 10 km from Rajkot Junction, ISKCON Temple is a Hindu temple located on Kalwad Main Road in Rajkot. Also known as Sri Radha Neelmadhav Dham, it is one of the popular ISCKON temples in Gujarat and among the top places of pilgrimage in Rajkot.

ISKCON Temple in Rajkot is a Hare Krishna temple and ashram dedicated to the practice of bhakti-yoga or loving service to Lord Krishna, revered by millions of people all over the world. The temple was built in the year 2003 by HH Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj and was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Gujarat Sri Narendra Modi and Alfred Ford (Ambarish Das), the owner of the Ford Auto motors-US.

Known for its architectural beauty and the intricate carvings on the marble, this popular temple draws many visitors all around the year to get a glimpse of the Neelmadhav and to get his divine blessings. The main attraction of the temple is the idol of Lord Krishna and Radha. There are also idols of Sri Jagannath, Baladev, Subadra, .....

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Museum

#7 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 3 km from Rajkot Junction, Science Museum is a museum located next to Bal Udyan in Race Course Grounds of Rajkot, Gujarat. Also known as Regional Community Science Center, it is one of the must visit place for science lovers during Rajkot Tour.

To strengthen the efforts to popularize the science and technology among the society, Government of Gujarat established this museum in 1979 at Bal Bhavan in Rajkot. Later, it was shifted to the new venue at Race Course road. This is a pleasant place for kids to visit where they can get ample learning experiences with some real hands on experience. It follows 'Prayog' concept of science learning and teaching through hands on activities.

The Regional Science Museum Rajkot is an innovative hub for science learning and appreciation platform to engage, educate and empower the next generation learners in the cutting edge of Science & Technology. The museum has over 100 working science models, five well equipped laboratories .....

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Backwaters

#8 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 14 km from Rajkot Junction, Nyari Dam is an earthen dam situated near Rajkot city of Gujarat. Built across the Nyari River, it is one of the popular dams in Gujarat, and among the fascinating places to visit near Rajkot.

Nyari Dam was built in the year 1976 to provide drinking water to the city of Rajkot. The length of the dam is 4206 m and the storage capacity is about 3532 tmc. Surrounded by natural views, the dam is really big and is one of the best places for bird watchers, where one can spot a lot of migratory birds like storks, egrets, and pelicans. One can also feed a large number of catfish here while part of Rajkot trip.

Nyari dam is known for its lush green garden which spread across 5 acres at the entrance. It is a popular picnic spot among the locals due to the climatic conditions and the surrounding area. The place is popular .....

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Heritage

#9 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 41 km from Junagadh and 66 km from Rajkot, Khambhalida Caves are the ancient rock-cut Buddhist caves situated at Khambhalida village in the Rajkot district of Gujarat. Also known as Rajkot Caves, it is one of the popular historical places to visit near Rajkot.

Dating back to the 4th or 5th century AD, the Khambhalida Caves are a group of three Buddhist caves situated at the foot of a small hill on the banks of a spring. These Caves were discovered in 1958 by P. P. Pandya, a prominent archeologist. It is said that they were carved in the limestone rocks by the Saint of Dinyan Branch of the Buddha tradition. It is also said that many Buddha Saints from Junagadh came to these caves for meditation and there is an inscription on a stone here that states Asoka might have come to this place for his meditation.

Among the three caves, the central one contains the stupa which is known as the chaitya cave. .....

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Backwaters

#10 of 20 Places to Visit in Rajkot

At a distance of 8 km from Rajkot Junction, Aji Dam is an earthen dam located near Rajkot city in Gujarat. Situated in the outskirts of the Rajkot city, it is one of major dams in Saurashtra and among the famous tourist attractions of Rajkot.

Built across Aji River, the Aji Dam construction was started in 1952 and completed in 1954. The length of the dam is 2426 m and the total volume content of the dam is 894 tmc. This is the main source of water for people of Rajkot hence it is fondly called as the lifeline of Rajkot City. Like Nyari Dam, it is an ideal picnic place for the people of Rajkot. It features a walkway atop the dam, a manicured garden and plenty of space for children to play. Keep an eye out for migratory birds that flock here.

Lying at the foot of the dam, Aji Dam Garden is quite popular owing to its unique nature and is maintained by Rajkot Municipal Corporation. The garden comprises an amusement park, food courts and children's park in its premises. During .....

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