Rajkot itinerary

Plan 01

1 day in Rajkot

1. 01

   Day 1: Gandhi's 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.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Kaba Gandhi No Delo	30 to 60 minutes	Easy	Morning, when it is open and the lanes are quieter; November to February
   Mahatma Gandhi Museum	2 to 3 hours; add the evening show if you stay on	Moderate	Morning for the galleries; evening for the light and sound show; November to February for comfort
   Kathiawadi thali	1 to 1.5 hours	Easy	Lunch or an early dinner
   Watson Museum	1 to 1.5 hours	Moderate	Morning or early afternoon, within opening hours; November to February

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Mahatma Gandhi Museum: The museum is spread over two floors, so expect some walking and possible stairs; ask staff about lifts or ramps at the ticket counter. Galleries are indoors and cooler than the street, and there are a garden and an on-site eatery for rest stops, but check the seating on the day.

   With parents at Watson Museum: The museum is in a large colonial building with galleries on more than one level, so expect some walking and stairs; ask about the easiest route. It is cooler inside than outside, and the surrounding garden has shaded spots, but seating inside is limited.

Plan 02

2 days in Rajkot

1. 01

   Day 1: Gandhi and the colonial centre

   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.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Kaba Gandhi No Delo	30 to 60 minutes	Easy	Morning, when it is open and the lanes are quieter; November to February
   Mahatma Gandhi Museum	2 to 3 hours; add the evening show if you stay on	Moderate	Morning for the galleries; evening for the light and sound show; November to February for comfort
   Watson Museum	1 to 1.5 hours	Moderate	Morning or early afternoon, within opening hours; November to February

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Mahatma Gandhi Museum: The museum is spread over two floors, so expect some walking and possible stairs; ask staff about lifts or ramps at the ticket counter. Galleries are indoors and cooler than the street, and there are a garden and an on-site eatery for rest stops, but check the seating on the day.

   With parents at Watson Museum: The museum is in a large colonial building with galleries on more than one level, so expect some walking and stairs; ask about the easiest route. It is cooler inside than outside, and the surrounding garden has shaded spots, but seating inside is limited.

2. 02

   Day 2: Ashram, craft and evening food

   Go to the Ramakrishna Ashram when the morning worship is on, then visit the Rotary Dolls Museum, which is on the upper floors of a commercial building with a lift. After a long lunch, drive out to Rashtriya Shala if you want to see khadi and patola weaving, or take a gentle walk or drive around the Race Course ring. Finish with gathiya and street snacks at an evening stall.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Rotary Dolls Museum	45 to 60 minutes	Easy	Late morning or late afternoon, within opening hours; any time of year
   Rashtriya Shala	45 to 60 minutes	Easy	Morning visiting hours; November to February
   Race Course ring	30 to 60 minutes	Easy	Early morning or evening; November to February

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Plan 03

3 days in Rajkot

1. 01

   Day 1: Gandhi and the colonial centre

   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.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Kaba Gandhi No Delo	30 to 60 minutes	Easy	Morning, when it is open and the lanes are quieter; November to February
   Mahatma Gandhi Museum	2 to 3 hours; add the evening show if you stay on	Moderate	Morning for the galleries; evening for the light and sound show; November to February for comfort
   Watson Museum	1 to 1.5 hours	Moderate	Morning or early afternoon, within opening hours; November to February

   Pace: Moderate walking today — plan a sit-down break between stops.

   With parents at Mahatma Gandhi Museum: The museum is spread over two floors, so expect some walking and possible stairs; ask staff about lifts or ramps at the ticket counter. Galleries are indoors and cooler than the street, and there are a garden and an on-site eatery for rest stops, but check the seating on the day.

   With parents at Watson Museum: The museum is in a large colonial building with galleries on more than one level, so expect some walking and stairs; ask about the easiest route. It is cooler inside than outside, and the surrounding garden has shaded spots, but seating inside is limited.

2. 02

   Day 2: Gondal day trip

   Hire a car for the roughly 38 km drive to Gondal. See Naulakha Palace and the Darbargadh area in the morning, check whether the royal garages and palace museum are open to visitors, and have lunch in town. Return to Rajkot by late afternoon and rest.

3. 03

   Day 3: Ashram, dolls and the city's edges

   Visit the Ramakrishna Ashram in the morning, then the Rotary Dolls Museum. After lunch, go to Pradyuman Park for a slow circuit by its golf-car service if running, or choose the Race Course ring for an evening walk. Finish with a Kathiawadi thali dinner.

   Stop	Time needed	Walking	Best time
   Rotary Dolls Museum	45 to 60 minutes	Easy	Late morning or late afternoon, within opening hours; any time of year
   Race Course ring	30 to 60 minutes	Easy	Early morning or evening; November to February
   Kathiawadi thali	1 to 1.5 hours	Easy	Lunch or an early dinner

   Pace: All the stops today are easy on the legs.

Read before you go

Guides for the stops on these routes

Pacing

Pacing a Rajkot trip for parents and children

• Plan sightseeing for the morning and the last two hours of daylight; Rajkot's midday sun is strong from March to October.
• The Mahatma Gandhi Museum, Watson Museum and Kaba Gandhi No Delo are central and mostly indoors, but all involve walking and some stairs, so ask staff about the easiest route.
• Check opening days before you go: several museums close on Mondays or Sundays, and some have a long afternoon break.
• Hire a car with driver for Gondal rather than taking local buses, and carry water and any regular medicines.
• Choose a hotel with a lift and a restaurant, since a rest after lunch is the single best way to keep the day comfortable.
• Eat at busy places, ask for mild spice, and drink only bottled or filtered water.

Rajkot with elderly parents: the full guide →