Day 01 Mumbai
Arrive into Mumbai, and after clearing customs and immigration, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 02Mumbai - Bhuj
After breakfast we fly to Bhuj, and wander the city of handicrafts. Bhuj is one of the most ancient in India, going back to the Indus Valley Civilization. It is said that Bhuj has witnessed the exile of the Pandavas during from the famous epic Mahabharata, and the invasion of Alexander the Great. The palaces, mansions and havelis stand testimony to the golden period in the history of Bhuj. After our visit to the kutch Museum, we go to the Gallery of Tribal Arts. We have the rest of the day free to wander the streets and markets of Bhuj, watching the craftsmen and women at work.

Day 03 Great Rann of Kutch
Today we go on a tour of the Great Rann of Kutch. This desert land is home for the rare and endangered Indian Wild Ass, foxes, deer and a variety of other wild animals. In the winters, this area is alive with the sounds of birds, Siberian Cranes, flamigoes, bustards and others on their migratory path. In harmony with nature and the abundance of wildlife here, live the master craftsmen, of many a work of art, and we have the rest of the day to visit them and see how they create poetry from inanimate objects.

Day 04 Bhuj
Today we visit the history of Bhuj, for the entire day. Aina Mahal, or the old palace has an interesting museum, and of special interest would be the two rooms, The Fuvara and Hira Mahal. The Fuvara Mahal has an ornamental pool and a bench in the center, where the Maharao used to sit and be entertained by dancing girls and court musicians. The other room, the Hira Mahal is more of a museum with the 18th century bed and sword belonging to Maharao Shri Lakhpatji. The Prag Mahal, or the new palace, with its Darbar Hall and clock tower is a memorial to ther hunting excesses of the various Maharaos.

Day 05 Bhuj / Gondal
Today we drive to Gondal, to visit the Riverside Palace. The main part of the Orchard or Riverside Palace in Gondal, was build in the mid 1800s by Maharjah Bhagwat Sinhji. There is also a beautiful temple, the Swaminarayan temple which we will then visit.

Day 06 Gondal / Jetpur
We go to the famous Bhuvaneswari Ayurvedic Pharmacy, the owner of which is said to have been the first to call Gandhi a " Mahatama" and it seems the name stuck on!
They are also the proud owners of a stud farm, with prize winning Kathiawadi horses and Gir cattle amongst other livestock.
From here we move onto the commercial silk screening and block printing town of Jetpur for a trip to see craftspeople at work.

Day 07 & 8 Gondal / Junagarh
Junagarh, with its imposing walled fortress, Buddhist caves, Nawabi palaces, museums, gardens and marble mausoleums, is the story of a bygone era. The history of Junagarh dates way back with archeologists finding per-Harappan implements here.
We shall attempt to climb the 10,000 steps upto the Mt. Girnar, with crowds of Hindu and Jain pilgrims. We do have swing chairs carried by porters to carry those of us who donot wish to climb up.

Day 09 Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
Spread over 545sq miles, it has a mix of deciduous forest cover. Home to the Asiatic Lion, along with Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Wild Boar, Langhur , Pnather, Jackal, Hyena, Sloth Bear, and the crocodile, this expanse of over 545sq miles spreads over hills and is laced with rivers.
We will also visit the ancient temples of Kanka Mata and Tulsishyam, with its hot springs, followed by a game drive.

Day 10 Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary / Diu
Welcome to the Portuguese colony of Diu, just off the coast of Gujrat. It has the famous Temple of Somnath, with 12 sacred shrines called the Jyoti Lingas.

Day 11 Diu / Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar is the trading post for Gujrat's cotton goods. It also has a museum to Mahatama Gandhi which deserves a visit.

Day 12 Bhavnagar / Palitana
The drive from Bhavnagar leads us to the gateway to Shatrunjaya, or the Palace of Victory, one of the holiest of the Jain Pilgrimage sites. Over a period of 900 years, some 863 temples have been built along the path to the hilltop and on the tip itself. As a unbroken tradition and unsaid rule, on one, not even the priests can stay on the moutain after dark. There are some 3,000 steps leading to the top, and for those who don't want to climb are available the swing chairs carried by porters.
Not too far from Palitana is the site of the archeological find in Lothal. Lothal is one of the first places where archeologists discovered the presence of the pre Harappan "Redware" culture existing. The town planning, complete with drainage systems and a dockyard with lock gates and channels connected to the estuarine stream of the river Sabarmati, is a marvel in itself.

Day 13 Utelia
Today we wander through the streets of Utelia, talk to and mingle with the local people of Utelia, to admire the simplicity of everyday Gujrati life. We can visit the rarely frequented Hilal Khan Mosque, built in 1330, and is considered one of the birthplaces of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

Day 14 and 15: Utelia / Little Rann of Kutch
The bird sanctuary of Nalsarovar in the Little Rann of Kutch, leads us to Zainabad, the home of the Indian Wild Ass, and dotted with salt pans. Through the winters this area lights up with flamingoes and other migratory birds, bringing life to this dried salt pan. Besides this, we will visit the tribal villages, and share an evening of tribal dance and music and culture with them. We also take this opportunity to go deeper into the handicrafts of the area, paying visits to villages which specialize in special arts and crafts.

Day 16 Zainabad / Ahmedabad
Out of Zainabad and into Ahmedabad, the land of the textile mills. This city of immense historical importance is now only an industrial urban city and we will get an opportunity to notice the metamorphosis.

Day 17 Zainabad / Ahmedabad
In January are the most important festivals of Gujrat, the Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti and the Kite Flying Festival. The old saying goes " the prosperity of Ahmedabad was based on three threads - cotton, silk and gold." To substantiate this one must visit the Calico Museum. The Sherayas Museum of Folk Art and the Vechaar Museum of Utensils, are also very interesting.
Among the monuments of Ahmedabad are the Jami Masjid, built in 1423, and the Ahmed Shah's Mosque built in 1414. We will also visit Hriday Kunj, the ashram founded by Mahatama Gandhi, from where he began his famous " Salt March" . The sound and light show in Ahmedabad will occupy us through the evening.

Day 18 Ahmedabad
We then fly to Bombay for our trip back home.