Gujarat and Kutch itinerary: 1 week from Ahmedabad to the White Rann

Morning

Sabarmati Ashram, Gandhi's former residence on the riverbank, free to visit and quiet.

Afternoon

the Adalaj Stepwell, an intricately carved five-storey well built in 1499, about 19km outside the city; or, if you'd rather stay in town, the old city's pols (its traditional walled neighbourhoods) and the Jama Masjid.

Evening

Manek Chowk, which turns into a lively night food market once the sun goes down.

Eat a full Gujarati thali (unlimited, and built around a sweet, savoury and sour balance on one plate); khaman dhokla as a snack.

Local tip the stepwell and the old city are on opposite sides of Ahmedabad, so pick one for the afternoon rather than both.

Getting there the overnight Kutch Express from Ahmedabad, about 7 h (departs around 01:30, arrives Bhuj around 08:30), a cheap way to save a day if you can sleep on a train. The Namo Bharat Rapid Rail covers the same route in under 6 h but leaves Ahmedabad in the early evening, Sunday to Friday, so you reach Bhuj late at night.

Morning

arrive off the overnight train and rest.

Afternoon

Bhuj's Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal, two 18th- and 19th-century palaces in the old town.

Evening

the old-town bazaar, and an early night before tomorrow's craft-village loop.

Eat Kutchi dabeli, a spiced-potato bun snack sold from carts across the old town; Kutchi kadhi.

Local tip if you want a drink on this trip, use the free afternoon to ask your hotel about an alcohol permit. You'll collect your White Rann permit in person at the Bhirandiyara checkpost on day 4.

Morning

Bhujodi, a weavers' village a short drive from Bhuj, known for its shawls and stoles woven on traditional pit looms.

Afternoon

Ajrakhpur, for hand block-printed textiles, and Nirona, home to the last families still practising Rogan art, a form of painting done with a thick, boiled castor-oil paste rather than a brush.

Evening

back to Bhuj; if you have energy left, the bazaar again for anything you didn't buy the first evening.

Eat Kutchi bajra rotla with white butter and jaggery, a farmhouse staple worth trying at a village stop.

Local tip hire a car and driver for the day rather than trying to string together these villages by public transport; there isn't a reliable one.

With more time Hodka and Ludiya, further out in the Banni grasslands, add embroidery and mud-mirror-work houses if you have a spare half-day.

Getting there Bhuj to Dhordo, about 85km, 1.5 to 2 h by car.

Morning

settle in near Dhordo, the village that hosts the Rann Utsav tent city, and get your permit at the Bhirandiyara checkpost (foreign visitors collect it in person) before heading onto the salt.

Afternoon

a camel-cart ride or safari onto the White Rann's salt flats, with handicraft stalls along the way if you're travelling in the Rann Utsav season.

Evening

sunset on the salt, when the crust turns from white to pink to grey; a folk-music-and-dance performance if you're staying at the tent city itself.

Eat a Rann Utsav camp dinner if you're at the tent city; otherwise a simple Kutchi thali at a Dhordo guesthouse.

Local tip bring a headtorch. There's no ambient light out here, which is exactly what makes the stargazing worthwhile.

Getting there Dhordo to Dholavira via Khavda, about 2.5 to 3 h by car, most of it on NH 754K, nicknamed the "Road to Heaven" for the roughly 30km stretch that runs in a straight line across the White Desert itself.

Morning

Kalo Dungar (Black Hill), the highest point in Kutch, for the widest view over the Rann. The same permit that covers the White Rann applies here, and photography isn't allowed at the top, which is under army jurisdiction.

Afternoon

the drive on to Dholavira, stopping in Khavda for its own small pottery tradition if you have time.

Evening

sunset over the Rann from Khadir Bet, the island Dholavira sits on.

Eat whatever your guesthouse or homestay serves; eating options are limited this far out, so it's worth asking what's available when you book.

Local tip fill up on fuel and water in Bhuj or Khavda. There isn't much of either between here and Dholavira.

Morning

the Dholavira Archaeological Site and Museum, one of the best-preserved cities of the Indus Valley civilisation, with its stone reservoirs, a stadium and the famous inscribed signboard at the entrance.

Afternoon

more time at the site if you're interested in the water-management system, which is what most archaeologists come here for; otherwise a slow afternoon back at your stay.

Evening

another sunset over the salt desert from Khadir Bet.

Eat local Kutchi cooking at your guesthouse; there's little else on offer.

Local tip the site is largely unshaded, so come early and carry more water than you think you'll need, especially outside the coolest months.

Getting there Dholavira to Bhuj, the same Road to Heaven route in reverse, about 2.5 to 3 h.

Morning

a last look at the salt desert before heading back.

Afternoon

arrive in Bhuj with time to spare before the overnight train onward.

Evening

departure, or an extra night in Bhuj if your onward connection is early the next morning.

Eat one last Kutchi meal, or Gujarati thali if you're passing back through Ahmedabad.

Local tip build in slack on this day. It's the longest single drive of the trip, and Kutch's roads, while decent, aren't fast.