Tourism in Dwarka

Dwarka is the municipality and city of Devbhoomi Dwarka district, Gujarat. It is known to be one of the Sapta Puri and one of the four Chardham Hindu sacred pilgrimage sites. The city is often identified with the ancient Krishna kingdom and is popularly known to be the first capital of Gujarat.

There are many holy shrines surrounding Dwarka that attract millions of tourists from different parts of the globe every year. The Kachoriyu in Beyt Dwarka, Shri Krishna Temple, Hanuman Temple, Dwarakadhish Temple, Shrine of Meerabai and Nageshvara Jyotirlinga Temple are the major religious places in the city. With religious background, Dwarka continues to be the most frequented destination by tourists in Gujarat.

Dwarka is situated at a distance of 450km from Ahmedabad. The city is well connected via rail and roads. Rajkot is the nearest airport situated at a distance of 25 km. Jamnagar is situated at a distance of 121 km from the city. Jet Airways, Goair, Kingfisher and Spicejet have regular fights to these destinations. The railway station is situated at a distance of 2km from the main Temple.

Transportation is fairly easy to avail in the city. You can hire a cab or a taxi for a certain period of time from the different agencies to move from one part of the city to the other. You can also avail a local bus to tour around the city.

The best time to visit the city is during the winters, between October and March. The weather is pleasant and temperature ranges from 20-28 degree centigrade. The winter months are the best for sightseeing.
During the summers the temperature reaches around 40 degree centigrade. So, those travelling during the summer months are advised to carry their water bottles and sun blocks.
Monsoon prevails from June to September. The region experiences medium shower and the climate remain humid. The nights are pretty cold.
The best to visit the city is from October to March.

Dwarka being a home to many temples generally serves vegetarian cuisines. You can find a good variety of North Indian, South Indian and Guajarati dishes in and around the city. Guajarati thali is extremely popular and you must try sweet buttermilk and Khamman Dhokla here.
Some of the north Indian Restaurants in Dwarka that you can visit are Mughlai Express, K & K - WelcomHotel Dwarka, Apni Rasoi, Kitchen Tantra, Khopcha, Zafraani Kitchen, Handi Chhadeyan Di,  Cooksumcurry, Karim's.
Some of the south Indian food joints that you can visit and spend time with your friends and family are Grand Kairali, Kerala Hotel, Sree South Indian Cafe Hut, Ratan Dosa Point, Kissan Food, Evergreen Sweet, Shubham Valley, Sagar Ratna, Aggarwal Restaurant, New Kadimi, The Mint, Kerala Hotel, Dvar Indian Restaurant - Radisson Blu, Godavari Restrobar.

Bazaars in Dwarka offer huge collection of beautiful items that showcase their rich cultural heritage in the form of sequined materials and dresses, wall pieces, footwear, woven footwear, showpieces, jewelry, Bandhni materials, Patola sarees, multi colored fabrics and showpieces.
You can also find quite a number of plazas in Dwarka apart from the local bazaars. Some of these are Electronic Plaza Repairing Centre, Vardhman Plaza, Malik Plaza, A. S. TRADERS, and Professional Courier Dwarka Vardhman PlazaVardhman Airport Plaza – II.

Bet Dwarka: Bet Dwarka is situated at a distance of 32km from Dwarka and it can be reached by a steam launch or boat. This place is also known as Bet Shankhodar. Lord Krishna stayed with his family here in an island called Ramandwip.

Nageshwar Mahadev: This is situated at a distance of 12 km from Dwarka. This temple is one among the 12 Jyotir lingas in India. Another religious place that is nearby is Gopitalav.

Rukmani Mandir: This temple is 1600 years old and is situated at a distance of 12km from Dwarka. Rukmani was lord Krishna's wife.

Shardaapith: The pit was set up by Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya. This is an important center of learning for Indian scholars and students.

Okha: This is a Bet and has become a popular destination for outing.

Nageshwar Mahadev and Gopi Talav Tirth: This is situated at a distance of 17km from Dwarka. Gopi Talav is a small sized pond surrounded by Gopi Chandan or yellow sand. This is used by the devotees to make tilak marks. The talav is known to have special significance in Hindu mythology.

Porbandar: This is situated in the South of Dwarka. The port is linked with the birth of Mahatma Gandhi and is known to be the oldest port. There is a spinning hall, a library, a prayer hall and a children’s nursery. You can also enjoy the pleasant beach there. Trade with Persia, Africa and Arabia has helped in development of chemical and cement industries.

If you love the water, you cannot miss the welcoming and charming lakes and beaches here. Every year tourists from different corners of the globe flock here to enjoy the scenic beauty in Dwarka. Some of the major lakes and beaches are:
Sankar Lake
Gyan Sagar Beach
Mayasar Lake
Ravala Lake

Shardapith Math Museum is a very popular museum in this region. Bhuj city situated at a distance of 82 km from Dwarka has 3 museums and Bhujodi situated at a distance of 83 km has 3 museums as well.  Madansihji Museum in Bhujodi and the Kutch Museum in Bhuj are the most popular among them.

As hundreds of tourists flock from different parts of the world, there are plenty of hotels in Dwarka that aim at offering the best service to the tourists. You can find anything from budget to five star hotels here. Some of the famous hotels are Dwarkadhish Lords Eco Inn, Hotel Bansi Dwarka, Hotel City Palace Dwarka, Hotel Damji, Hotel Dwarka Residency, Hotel Gomti, Hotel Guruprerna, Hotel Nand Nandan, Hotel Rajadhiraj, and Hotel Rudra Plaza.

There are plenty of tour operating services in Dwarka. You can consider them planning your travel, to wherever and whenever. Here are they:

• Devi Travels
  Surya Mahal Dwarka, Near Post Office
  Dwarka Ho, Dwarka-Gujarat - 361335
  

• Shrinathji Tours & Travels
  Dwarkadhish Shopping Center
  Beside Lohari Gate, Beside S T Bus Station
  Dwarka Ho, Dwarka-Gujarat - 361335
  

• Dwarka & Saurashtra Tours
  Dwarka HO, Dwarka-Gujarat - 361335
  

• Parshuram Tour And Travels
  Near Hotel Bansi, Jodhamanek Road
  Dwarka Ho, Dwarka-Gujarat - 361335

• Shiv Shakti Travel
  Kalyanpur, Near Pravesh Dwar
  Bhatia, Dwarka Ho, Dwarka-Gujarat - 361335
  

• Chaloghoomne (also serves Dwarka)
  07/25, Haware Centurion Mall
  Near Railway Station, Sector No 25
  Seawoods, Navi Mumbai - 400706
  

• Caretrip Private Limited (also serves Dwarka)
  Plot No 5 - 3 - 11, Behind Abhudaya Bank
  Sector - 17, New Panvel, Navi Mumbai - 410206
  

• Ajay Modi Travels Pvt Ltd
  No 21, Santi Complex
  Opposite Sudarsan Bunglow
  Near Keshavbaug Party Plot
  Vastrapur, Ahmedabad - 380015
  

• Gaurangas Holidays (also serves Dwarka)
  Near Guruvayor Railway Station
  Railway Station Road, Guruvayur
  Thrissur - 680101