Wankaner
Palace of many styles with a spring-fed stepwell pool
Best time to visit Wankaner
- 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
Wankaner season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
At 11-30 C the tour makes sense: the clock tower, hunting trophies, and an underground stepwell pool you can swim in.
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June reaches 43 C on the Machchhu plain, and that subterranean spring-fed pool is genuinely the only relief.
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
July-September brings about 500 mm; the Machchhu runs full, the palace grounds green up and room rates are lowest.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October-November is dry and warm, and it pairs with Morbi's tile bazaars 30 km north or Rajkot 40 km back down NH-27.
What Wankaner is actually like
Two palace hotels run by the family and little else; you tour with a retainer and meet no other travellers all day
Getting to Wankaner
Wankaner Junction on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot line; Rajkot 40 km by bus on NH-27, about 1 h
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 80 m
- State
- Gujarat
- Coordinates
- 22.6154, 70.9496
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Wankaner?
November to February is peak season in Wankaner. 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, and it pairs with Morbi's tile bazaars 30 km north or Rajkot 40 km back down NH-27.
How many days do you need in Wankaner?
1 day is the usual stay. Two palace hotels run by the family and little else; you tour with a retainer and meet no other travellers all day.
How do you get to Wankaner?
Wankaner Junction on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot line; Rajkot 40 km by bus on NH-27, about 1 h. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Wankaner expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Tarnetar
Gujarat
Trinetreshwar temple and Saurashtra's monsoon marriage fair
40 km from Wankaner, roughly under an hour by road
-
Gondal
Gujarat
Naulakha palace, a royal car shed and river ghats
100 km from Wankaner, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Nal Sarovar
Gujarat
Shallow 120 sq km Ramsar lake of flamingos and punt boats
150 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Little Rann of Kutch (Dasada)
Gujarat
Salt-flat safaris for the last wild asses and crane flocks
160 km from Wankaner, 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 Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park)
Gujarat
Grassland savanna of blackbuck, wolves and harrier roosts
170 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Junagadh (Girnar)
Gujarat
Uparkot fort below a 9,999-step climb up Girnar
170 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Bhuj
Gujarat
Kutch's walled heritage city of palaces and embroidery
200 km from Wankaner, 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
- 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
- Wilson Hills (Dharampur) Gujarat