Porbandar to Somnath Distance: Routes, Time and How to Travel

I am Harsh Rawat, born in Dwarka, so this whole stretch of the Saurashtra coast is home ground and the run from Porbandar down to Somnath is one I plan often. It is a comfortable coastal drive and Porbandar makes a meaningful stop on the way, being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and the town of Sudama. I handle these trips for the Somnath Dwarka Tour Package team, a unit of Experience My India. In this guide I set out the real Porbandar to Somnath distance both ways, the routes and timings, how to travel between them and what is worth seeing in Porbandar along the way.

Planning the coast? Message me on WhatsApp for an easy Porbandar and Somnath plan or call +91 73006 20809.

How far is Porbandar to Somnath?

Porbandar to Somnath is about 131 km by road via NH 51, taking roughly 2 hours 16 minutes, with the alternative running about 130 km and 2 hours 31 minutes. Both towns sit on the Saurashtra coast, so it is a straightforward drive down the coastal highway. Somnath, the first Jyotirlinga at Prabhas Patan, lies southeast of Porbandar. Here are the main driving routes.

What are the best routes from Porbandar to Somnath?

There are two main choices and NH 51 is the one most travellers use:

• NH 51 (about 131 km, 2 hr 16 min): the fastest and most direct coastal route, with tolls along the way.

• Porbandar Highway and NH 51 (about 130 km, 2 hr 31 min): a fraction shorter in distance but a little slower overall.

Because it is a short, scenic drive, it is comfortable in a private cab and easy to complete in a morning, leaving the afternoon and evening for the Somnath darshan and aarti.

How far is Somnath to Porbandar?

The return is much the same, with NH 51 again the fastest at about 131 km and 2 hours 21 minutes. It carries tolls and the usual coastal traffic. The drive breaks down simply:

• Somnath Mandir Road to NH 51: about 2.3 km, roughly 7 minutes to join the highway.

• NH 51 to Porbandar Highway: about 128 km, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes of coastal driving into Porbandar.

So whichever way you travel, plan for a little over two hours door to door, plus any stops you make along the coast.

How do you travel between Porbandar and Somnath?

The two towns are well linked, so the transfer is easy:

• By cab: the simplest and most flexible option, ideal for adding a Porbandar stop to a Somnath trip.

• By bus: state and private buses run along the coastal NH 51 between the two towns through the day.

• By train: both Porbandar and the Somnath area have railway stations, though a road transfer is usually quicker for this short hop.

If you are staying at either end, book hotels ahead in peak season and plan your temple arrival with our how to reach Somnath guide.

What is worth seeing in Porbandar?

Porbandar rewards a half-day stop with two very different kinds of pilgrimage, one national and one devotional:

• Kirti Mandir: the memorial at the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, born here in 1869, beside his ancestral home.

• Sudama Temple: dedicated to Sudama, the childhood friend of Lord Krishna, which is why Porbandar is also called Sudamapuri.

• Porbandar beach and Chowpatty: an easy seaside stroll, especially pleasant at sunset before you drive on.

• Bharat Mandir and Tara Mandir: a hall of Indian cultural relief work and a nearby planetarium for a quiet cultural pause.

How Porbandar fits the Dwarka and Somnath circuit

Porbandar sits neatly between Dwarka and Somnath on the coast, which makes it a natural stop rather than a detour. Many travellers do Dwarka first, pause at Porbandar for Kirti Mandir and Sudama Temple and continue down to Somnath, turning a temple trip into a fuller coastal journey. The Experience My India Somnath Dwarka tour packages can build Porbandar into the route so the stop costs you no extra planning.

Porbandar to Somnath at a glance

Want the coast arranged? The Experience My India Gujarat tour packages can string Dwarka, Porbandar and Somnath into one smooth route, with the cab, stays and timing handled for you.

What I tell travellers about this drive

My honest advice is to treat Porbandar as part of the journey rather than a place you have to choose over Somnath. It is only a little over two hours between them on NH 51, so a couple of hours at Kirti Mandir and the Sudama Temple slots in easily without upsetting your temple timings. I usually plan the drive for the morning, so travellers reach Somnath with the afternoon free and the evening aarti still ahead of them. It is a gentle, scenic coastal stretch, not a hard slog and the Porbandar stop adds real meaning for very little cost in time. That is the kind of easy, well-paced routing Experience My India builds into every coastal trip.

Related guides

Planning the wider coast? These guides help:

Add Porbandar to your Somnath trip with a local

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