Rajkot is a working city of about two million people in the middle of Saurashtra, and it is best approached as a short, thoughtful stop rather than a headline destination. It was founded in 1612 by Thakur Sahib Vibhoji Ajoji Jadeja and grew into the capital of the princely state of the same name; it served as capital of Saurashtra State from 1948 to 1956 before joining Gujarat. Today the Aji river splits it into east and west, and the old quarters around Dhebar Road, Gheekanta and the Jubilee Garden sit amid broad ring roads and new apartment blocks.
What gives the city its place on a Gujarat itinerary is its link to Mahatma Gandhi. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was diwan of Rajkot State, and Gandhi spent much of his boyhood and schooling here. The family house at Kaba Gandhi No Delo is open to visitors, and his old school building, Alfred High School, has been turned into a large Mahatma Gandhi Museum with a light and sound show. Around them are the colonial-era Watson Museum, the Gothic-style Rajkumar College and the quiet Ramakrishna Ashram, which together fill a day and a half of unhurried sightseeing.
Food is the other reason to stay. Saurashtra cooking, known as Kathiawadi, is spicier and more garlic-led than much of Gujarat, with bhakri, sev tamatar, buttermilk and thalis at the centre. Breakfast means gathiya and fafda with jalebi, and evenings belong to dabeli, ghughra and other street snacks. Eat at busy, established places and ask for less heat if you are not used to it.
Rajkot suits older travellers reasonably well, since the main sights are in the central city, mostly level and indoors. The real constraint is heat: from March to June and again in the stifling weeks after the monsoon, midday is best spent in a hotel. Come between November and February, give the city two days, and use a third for Gondal, about 38 km away, where the old royal palaces are the best day trip in the district.
Before you plan
Rajkot at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable, with warm days and cool nights. March to June is very hot, and July to August is the wettest period.
- Ideal trip length
- 2 days for the city2 days for the city; add a third for Gondal or a slower pace
- Airport
- Rajkot International AirportRajkot International Airport (HSR) at Hirasar, about 36 km from the city; it took over commercial flights from the older city airport in September 2023
- Railway station
- Rajkot JunctionRajkot Junction (RJT) is the main station, with direct trains to major cities; Bhaktinagar (BKNG) is a smaller second station
- Getting around
- Auto-rickshaws and app cabs are the…Auto-rickshaws and app cabs are the easiest option; a hired car with driver suits day trips. A BRTS bus corridor and city buses also run.
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹1,500 to ₹3,500 per person…Roughly ₹1,500 to ₹3,500 per person per day excluding hotel for food, local transport and entry fees; a hired car for Gondal adds more
- Senior comfort
- Good for a short stay: the main…Good for a short stay: the main museums are central and largely level, but heat, uneven pavements and traffic need planning
- Language
- Gujarati is the main language, Hindi…Gujarati is the main language, Hindi is widely understood, and English works in hotels and at major sights
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Rajkot: January, February, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Rajkot itinerary
One good day
1 day in Rajkot
Start with Kaba Gandhi No Delo shortly after it opens, as its morning hours are short, then walk or ride to the Mahatma Gandhi Museum in the old Alfred High School at Jubilee Chowk. Spend the rest of the morning there. Have a Kathiawadi thali for lunch and rest through the hottest hours. In the late afternoon, visit the Watson Museum and walk through Jubilee Garden before it closes, and end at the Ramakrishna Ashram for the evening arati if you want a calm finish. Check opening days before you go, as several of these are closed on set days.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Rajkot
Begin at Kaba Gandhi No Delo, then spend the late morning at the Mahatma Gandhi Museum. After lunch and a rest, visit the Watson Museum and Jubilee Garden in the cooler late afternoon, then stay for the museum's light and sound show if you still have energy.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Rajkot
Begin at Kaba Gandhi No Delo and then the Mahatma Gandhi Museum. Rest after lunch, then visit the Watson Museum and Jubilee Garden late in the afternoon.
Day-by-day plan →
