Junagadh (Girnar)
Uparkot fort below a 9,999-step climb up Girnar
Best time to visit Junagadh (Girnar)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and September to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to August
Junagadh (Girnar) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb is the only sane time to start the 9,999 steps at 4 am; days sit at 12-28 °C and Uparkot stays empty.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-Jun reaches 42 °C in the Sorath plain and people do collapse on the Girnar steps; the ropeway does not fix that.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jul-Aug greens the hill but the steps run with water, and Gir next door is shut to visitors until 15 October.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov brings clear air, Gir reopens 60 km away, and the Kartik Lili Parikrama floods the hill for five days.
What Junagadh (Girnar) is actually like
Pilgrims, Girnar regulars and lion-park day trippers; cheap lodges near the bus stand, no traveller cafes
Getting to Junagadh (Girnar)
Junagadh railhead on the Ahmedabad-Veraval line, Rajkot airport 100 km; autos to Girnar taleti 4 km
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 100 m
- State
- Gujarat
- Coordinates
- 21.5222, 70.4579
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Junagadh (Girnar)?
November to February is peak season in Junagadh (Girnar). March and September to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to August. Oct-Nov brings clear air, Gir reopens 60 km away, and the Kartik Lili Parikrama floods the hill for five days.
How many days do you need in Junagadh (Girnar)?
2 days is the usual stay. Pilgrims, Girnar regulars and lion-park day trippers; cheap lodges near the bus stand, no traveller cafes.
How do you get to Junagadh (Girnar)?
Junagadh railhead on the Ahmedabad-Veraval line, Rajkot airport 100 km; autos to Girnar taleti 4 km. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Junagadh (Girnar) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Is there a festival in Junagadh (Girnar)?
Feb/Mar: Bhavnath Mahadev fair below Girnar at Shivratri. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Gir (Sasan Gir)
Gujarat
Dry teak forest at the heart of the Asiatic lion's only range
70 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Gondal
Gujarat
Naulakha palace, a royal car shed and river ghats
80 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Somnath
Gujarat
First of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, on the Arabian Sea
90 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Diu
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Portuguese-era island enclave with forts and beer
140 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Narara (Marine National Park)
Gujarat
Walk the reef at low tide among corals, octopus and rays
170 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Wankaner
Gujarat
Palace of many styles with a spring-fed stepwell pool
170 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Palitana (Shatrunjaya)
Gujarat
A marble city of Jain temples up 3,750 steps on one hill
190 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Tarnetar
Gujarat
Trinetreshwar temple and Saurashtra's monsoon marriage fair
190 km from Junagadh (Girnar), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Gujarat
- Ahmedabad Gujarat
- Bhuj Gujarat
- Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
- Dholavira Gujarat
- Dwarka Gujarat
- Gir (Sasan Gir) Gujarat
- Gondal Gujarat
- Idar (Idariyo Gadh) 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