Gir (Sasan Gir)
Dry teak forest at the heart of the Asiatic lion's only range
Best time to visit Gir (Sasan Gir)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, shoulder season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: December to February
- Shoulder: March to May and October to November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to September
Gir (Sasan Gir) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Cool, comfortable safaris with reliably good lion sightings - the easiest months to visit.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Heat climbs fast, but April-May give the best sighting odds as lions gather at waterholes.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Park closed to visitors for the breeding season from roughly mid-June to mid-October.
Autumn October to November Shoulder
Reopens around mid-October, forest still green, sightings build back up through November.
What Gir (Sasan Gir) is actually like
Small forest-lodge town for lion safaris - photographers and families in shared jeeps
Getting to Gir (Sasan Gir)
Fly to Diu (DIU) or Rajkot (RAJ), then 1.5-2h drive to Sasan Gir
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 267 m
- State
- Gujarat
- Coordinates
- 21.1289, 70.7929
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Gir (Sasan Gir)?
December to February is peak season in Gir (Sasan Gir). March to May and October to November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to September. Cool, comfortable safaris with reliably good lion sightings - the easiest months to visit.
How many days do you need in Gir (Sasan Gir)?
2 days is the usual stay. Small forest-lodge town for lion safaris - photographers and families in shared jeeps.
How do you get to Gir (Sasan Gir)?
Fly to Diu (DIU) or Rajkot (RAJ), then 1.5-2h drive to Sasan Gir. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Gir (Sasan Gir) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Somnath
Gujarat
First of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, on the Arabian Sea
60 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Diu
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Portuguese-era island enclave with forts and beer
70 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Junagadh (Girnar)
Gujarat
Uparkot fort below a 9,999-step climb up Girnar
70 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Gondal
Gujarat
Naulakha palace, a royal car shed and river ghats
120 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Palitana (Shatrunjaya)
Gujarat
A marble city of Jain temples up 3,750 steps on one hill
150 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park)
Gujarat
Grassland savanna of blackbuck, wolves and harrier roosts
220 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Wankaner
Gujarat
Palace of many styles with a spring-fed stepwell pool
220 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Tarnetar
Gujarat
Trinetreshwar temple and Saurashtra's monsoon marriage fair
230 km from Gir (Sasan Gir), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Gujarat
- Ahmedabad Gujarat
- Bhuj Gujarat
- Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
- Dholavira Gujarat
- Dwarka Gujarat
- Gondal Gujarat
- Idar (Idariyo Gadh) Gujarat
- Junagadh (Girnar) Gujarat
- Little Rann of Kutch (Dasada) Gujarat
- Mandvi (Kutch) Gujarat
- Modhera (Sun Temple) Gujarat
- Nal Sarovar Gujarat
- Narara (Marine National Park) Gujarat
- Ninai Falls (Dediapada) Gujarat
- Palitana (Shatrunjaya) Gujarat
- Patan (Rani ki Vav) Gujarat
- Polo Forest (Vijaynagar) Gujarat
- Rann of Kutch (Dhordo) Gujarat
- Saputara Gujarat
- Somnath Gujarat
- Statue of Unity Gujarat
- Tarnetar Gujarat
- Vadnagar Gujarat
- Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park) Gujarat
- Wankaner Gujarat
- Wilson Hills (Dharampur) Gujarat