Wankaner
Palace of many styles with a spring-fed stepwell pool
Best time to visit Wankaner
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, off-season
- Aug, off-season
- Sep, off-season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Wankaner season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
At 11-30 C the tour makes sense: the clock tower, hunting trophies, and an underground stepwell pool you can swim in.
Summer March to May Shoulder
April-June reaches 43 C on the Machchhu plain, and that subterranean spring-fed pool is genuinely the only relief.
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
July-September brings about 500 mm; the Machchhu runs full, the palace grounds green up and room rates are lowest.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October-November is dry and warm, and it pairs with Morbi's tile bazaars 30 km north or Rajkot 40 km back down NH-27.
What Wankaner is actually like
Two palace hotels run by the family and little else; you tour with a retainer and meet no other travellers all day
Things to do in Wankaner
The local places worth your time in and around Wankaner, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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Ranjit Vilas Palace
Palace · 1 km out
Hilltop pile mixing Mughal, Gothic and Dutch parts, still lived in; tours are by appointment through the palace hotel.
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Royal Oasis
Heritage · 1 km out
Art deco guest wing below the palace with a spring fed stepwell pool beneath it; ask at reception to be shown down.
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Dayanand Janmabhoomi, Tankara
Heritage · 21 km out
Birthplace memorial of the Arya Samaj founder, a plain hall and temple; free, quiet, half an hour covers it.
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Mani Mandir, Morbi
Heritage · 30 km out
Indo Saracenic palace temple of the Morbi rulers in carved sandstone; restoration is ongoing, check it is open first.
Getting to Wankaner
Wankaner Junction on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot line; Rajkot 40 km by bus on NH-27, about 1 h
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 80 m
- State
- Gujarat
- Coordinates
- 22.6154, 70.9496
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Wankaner?
November to February is peak season in Wankaner. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. October-November is dry and warm, and it pairs with Morbi's tile bazaars 30 km north or Rajkot 40 km back down NH-27.
How many days do you need in Wankaner?
1 day is the usual stay. Two palace hotels run by the family and little else; you tour with a retainer and meet no other travellers all day.
How do you get to Wankaner?
Wankaner Junction on the Ahmedabad-Rajkot line; Rajkot 40 km by bus on NH-27, about 1 h. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Wankaner expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
What are the best things to do in Wankaner?
Ranjit Vilas Palace, Royal Oasis, Dayanand Janmabhoomi, Tankara and Mani Mandir, Morbi. Hilltop pile mixing Mughal, Gothic and Dutch parts, still lived in; tours are by appointment through the palace hotel.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Tarnetar
Gujarat
Trinetreshwar temple and Saurashtra's monsoon marriage fair
40 km from Wankaner, roughly under an hour by road
-
Gondal
Gujarat
Naulakha palace, a royal car shed and river ghats
100 km from Wankaner, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Nal Sarovar
Gujarat
Shallow 120 sq km Ramsar lake of flamingos and punt boats
150 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Little Rann of Kutch (Dasada)
Gujarat
Salt-flat safaris for the last wild asses and crane flocks
160 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Narara (Marine National Park)
Gujarat
Walk the reef at low tide among corals, octopus and rays
170 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park)
Gujarat
Grassland savanna of blackbuck, wolves and harrier roosts
170 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Junagadh (Girnar)
Gujarat
Uparkot fort below a 9,999-step climb up Girnar
170 km from Wankaner, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Bhuj
Gujarat
Kutch's walled heritage city of palaces and embroidery
200 km from Wankaner, roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Gujarat
- Ahmedabad Gujarat
- Bhuj Gujarat
- Champaner-Pavagadh Gujarat
- Dholavira Gujarat
- Dwarka Gujarat
- Gir (Sasan Gir) Gujarat
- Gondal Gujarat
- Gopnath (Talaja) Gujarat
- Idar (Idariyo Gadh) Gujarat
- Junagadh (Girnar) Gujarat
- Lakhpat (Kutch) Gujarat
- Little Rann of Kutch (Dasada) Gujarat
- Madhavpur Ghed Gujarat
- Mahal (Purna Sanctuary) Gujarat
- Mandvi (Kutch) Gujarat
- Modhera (Sun Temple) Gujarat
- Nal Sarovar Gujarat
- Narara (Marine National Park) Gujarat
- Ninai Falls (Dediapada) Gujarat
- Palitana (Shatrunjaya) Gujarat
- Patan (Rani ki Vav) Gujarat
- Polo Forest (Vijaynagar) Gujarat
- Rann of Kutch (Dhordo) Gujarat
- Saputara Gujarat
- Sidhpur (Bohra Havelis) Gujarat
- Somnath Gujarat
- Statue of Unity Gujarat
- Tarnetar Gujarat
- Vadnagar Gujarat
- Velavadar (Blackbuck National Park) Gujarat
- Wilson Hills (Dharampur) Gujarat