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Voykit pocket guide · India
Rajkot
રાજકોટ
Give Rajkot one night as a Saurashtra base: Gandhi's school and home, a Kathiawadi thali, then onward by train or bus.
Rajkot sits in the middle of the Kathiawar peninsula, halfway between Ahmedabad and Porbandar, and works as a rail and road hub for Saurashtra rather than a monument city. Its draw is Gandhi's early life — the high school and the childhood home — plus Gujarati food and cheap beds. Most travellers pass through in a day or use it as a base for Junagadh, Jamnagar, Dwarka and Diu.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- રાજકોટ
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Avoid
- Apr–Jun (40°C (104°F)+), Jul–Sep (monsoon)Apr–Jun (104°F (40°C)+), Jul–Sep (monsoon)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,200–2,500 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid ₹2,500–5,000 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High ₹5,000+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Ganthiya or fafda breakfast | ₹40–100 |
| Kathiawadi thali | ₹200–450 |
| Dabeli or pav bhaji | ₹40–120 |
| Chai | ₹10–30 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) auto ride3.1 mi (5 km) auto ride | ₹100–180 |
| Watson Museum entry | ₹2 for Indians, ₹50 for foreigners |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RAJ · Rajkot Airport
- About 5 km (3.1 mi) from the centre; IndiGo and Air India link Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Goa (check current routes).About 3.1 mi (5 km) from the centre; IndiGo and Air India link Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Goa (check current routes).
Typical fares
- Rajkot Airport → centre, auto
- about ₹200–300, 15 min
- Rajkot Junction → Limda Chowk, auto
- about ₹80–120, 10 min
- Rajkot → Junagadh, train
- about ₹100–250, 2 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Autos are the default: agree the fare before you get in, or ask for the meter. BRTS and RMTS city buses cover the main roads cheaply. For Saurashtra day trips, trains from Rajkot Junction and GSRTC buses from the Karanpara bus station do the work.
See and do
Known for
- Gandhi's childhood home and school
- Kathiawadi thali and Gujarati snacks
- Saurashtra rail and road hub
- Dandiya and garba nights
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Junagadh | Train or bus from Rajkot Junction | About 2–2.5 h |
| Jamnagar | Train or bus | About 1.5–2 h |
| Dwarka | Train or bus | About 5–6 h |
| Diu | Bus via Veraval | About 6–7 h |
| Bhavnagar | Train or bus | About 3–3.5 h |
| Morbi | Train or bus | About 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Limda Chowk and Jawahar Road
- Central, walkable to the Gandhi sights and bazaars; budget and mid hotels cluster here.
- Kalawad Road
- Malls, restaurants and newer hotels; 10–15 min by auto from the station.
- Race Course Ring Road
- Quieter, green, good for families; cafés and food courts nearby.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | નમસ્તેnamaste |
| Thank you | આભારaabhar |
| How much is it? | કેટલા રૂપિયા?ketla rupiya? |
| This one, please | આ આપોaa aapo |
| Where is the toilet? | ટોઇલેટ ક્યાં છે?toilet kyaan chhe? |
| Vegetarian food, please | શાકાહારી જમવાનુંshaakaahaari jamvaanu |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat: April to June regularly passes 40°C — plan indoor mornings.
- Monsoon: July and August bring most of the year's rain; some rural roads flood.
- Agree auto fares first; meters are often not used for visitors.
- Train tickets for long routes sell out: book 2–3 months ahead.
Rajkot is one of India's cleaner, calmer big cities and is generally safe for visitors. The real risks are summer heat, monsoon flooding on rural roads, and auto drivers quoting high fares — agree the price first.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Rajkot yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Gandhi's childhood home and school
- Kathiawadi thali and Gujarati snacks
- Saurashtra rail and road hub
- Dandiya and garba nights
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gujarat Tourism: www.gujarattourism.com/
- Indian Railways — IRCTC: www.irctc.co.in/
- Wikivoyage: Rajkot, revision 5286793 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5286793
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Rajkotરાજકોટ
આ સરનામે લઈ જાઓ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All services112
No embassies in Rajkot; the US, UK and most others keep embassies in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai.
Carry small rupee notes; many snack stalls and autos have no change for ₹500.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/rajkot). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.