Gondal
Naulakha palace, a royal car shed and river ghats
Best time to visit Gondal
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, off-season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Gondal season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
At 12-30 C it is an easy day out: Naulakha's carved jharokhas, the royal vintage car shed and the herb pharmacy.
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June sits at 42 C on the Kathiawad plain, the palace galleries have no cooling and the car shed is a tin oven.
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
July-September brings around 600 mm, the Gondali river actually runs past the ghats, and the palaces stay open in the wet.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October-November is dry and warm, Navratri garba takes over the squares, and Gir reopens 90 km south from 16 October.
What Gondal is actually like
Palace-hotel town still run by the royal family: a few mid-range beds, day trippers from Rajkot, no backpackers
Getting to Gondal
Gondal station on the Rajkot-Veraval line; Rajkot 40 km with buses every 15 min on NH-27
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 135 m
- State
- Gujarat
- Coordinates
- 21.9575, 70.8010
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Gondal?
November to February is peak season in Gondal. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October-November is dry and warm, Navratri garba takes over the squares, and Gir reopens 90 km south from 16 October.
How many days do you need in Gondal?
1 day is the usual stay. Palace-hotel town still run by the royal family: a few mid-range beds, day trippers from Rajkot, no backpackers.
How do you get to Gondal?
Gondal station on the Rajkot-Veraval line; Rajkot 40 km with buses every 15 min on NH-27. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Gondal expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Junagadh (Girnar)
Gujarat
Uparkot fort below a 9,999-step climb up Girnar
80 km from Gondal, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Wankaner
Gujarat
Palace of many styles with a spring-fed stepwell pool
100 km from Gondal, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Tarnetar
Gujarat
Trinetreshwar temple and Saurashtra's monsoon marriage fair
120 km from Gondal, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Gir (Sasan Gir)
Gujarat
Dry teak forest at the heart of the Asiatic lion's only range
120 km from Gondal, 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 Gondal, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Narara (Marine National Park)
Gujarat
Walk the reef at low tide among corals, octopus and rays
160 km from Gondal, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Somnath
Gujarat
First of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, on the Arabian Sea
170 km from Gondal, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park)
Gujarat
Grassland savanna of blackbuck, wolves and harrier roosts
170 km from Gondal, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Gujarat
- Ahmedabad Gujarat
- Bhuj Gujarat
- Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
- Dholavira Gujarat
- Dwarka Gujarat
- Gir (Sasan Gir) 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