Pune to Somnath Distance: Routes, Train, Flight and the Best Way

I am Harsh Rawat, born in Dwarka and a guide on this coast for more than 8 years and I meet a lot of pilgrims who make the long journey from Maharashtra. Pune to Somnath is close to a thousand kilometres, so the honest question is not just the distance but the smartest way to cover it. I plan the Gujarat end of these trips for the Somnath Dwarka Tour Package team, the pilgrimage unit of Experience My India. This guide gives the road distance and routes in both directions, then compares the train, the flight and even a ferry, so you arrive rested rather than wrecked. Because many travellers ask about the return leg too, I have covered Somnath to Pune as well.

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Pune to Somnath Distance and Time

By road, Pune to Somnath is roughly 998 km and the driving time runs from about 17.5 hours upward depending on the route. Here are the three practical options.

The NH51 route is the fastest at about 17.5 hours over 998 km. The NH60 and NH51 route is shorter on paper at 885 km, but the roads are slower, pushing it past 22 hours, so it is not worth the saved kilometres. For a drive of this length, choose the fastest route, not the shortest.

Somnath to Pune Distance and Time

The return leg is almost identical, with slightly different link roads. Here it is for completeness.

Should You Drive? The Honest Take

Let me be straight with you, because this saves people a lot of grief. A thousand kilometres and 17 hours is a two-day drive, not a one-nighter and doing it in a single push is genuinely unsafe. If you love road trips and have the days, driving through Maharashtra and Gujarat can be rewarding, but plan an overnight halt roughly halfway, around Vadodara or Ahmedabad. For most pilgrims, though, driving the whole way is the least sensible option. The train and the flight below are usually far better and you can always hire a car once you reach Gujarat.

By Train: Pune to Veraval

The train is the cheapest and, for many, the most comfortable way. Veraval is the nearest major railhead to Somnath, only about 6 to 7 km from the temple. There is a direct train, the Pune to Veraval Express, though it runs only once a week, taking roughly 20 hours, so check the day before planning around it. On other days you travel with a change, usually via Mumbai or Ahmedabad. From Veraval, a short auto or taxi ride brings you to Somnath. If you do not mind an overnight train, this is the classic pilgrim route and easy on the budget.

By Air: The Fastest Way

Flying is the quickest option overall, often cutting the journey to about 8 to 10 hours door to door. Somnath has no airport of its own, so you fly to a nearby one and drive in:

• Diu Airport, about 90 km from Somnath, is among the closest, usually reached from Pune via Ahmedabad, then a taxi to the temple.

• Rajkot Airport, about 190 km away, has more flights from Pune and connects onward by train or taxi; this is often the fastest combination.

• Keshod is nearer still but has very limited flights and Ahmedabad, about 400 km away, has the widest connections if you plan to tour more of Gujarat.

Whichever airport you use, a private cab for the final leg is the simplest way to reach Somnath and to tour the region afterwards.

A Clever Alternative: The Hazira to Ghogha Ferry

If you do want to drive but dread the full haul, there is a smart shortcut. You can drive from Pune to the Hazira terminal near Surat, put the car on the Ro-Pax ferry across the Gulf of Khambhat to Ghogha in Bhavnagar district and drive on to Somnath from there. The sea crossing skips a long, slow stretch of road and turns a punishing drive into a more relaxed one, often around 16 hours of total travel with far less time behind the wheel. Confirm the current ferry schedule and vehicle booking before you rely on it, as sailings can change with the season and sea conditions.

Distance and Travel Options at a Glance

What Awaits You at Somnath

Once you arrive, the long journey is quickly forgotten. Somnath is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, standing right on the Arabian Sea and the evening aarti with the light and sound show is unforgettable. Within a few kilometres you can visit Bhalka Tirth, where Lord Krishna left his earthly form and the Triveni Sangam, where three rivers meet the sea. Check the Somnath temple timings and aarti timings so your first evening lines up with the aarti.

Make the Long Trip Worthwhile: Extend It

Since you are travelling so far, it makes sense to see more than the temple alone. From Somnath, Dwarka and its Krishna temples are a natural pairing, Gir National Park offers the only wild Asiatic lions and Diu adds Portuguese forts and beaches. Most Pune travellers turn the trip into a four to six day Saurashtra circuit, which our Somnath Dwarka tour packages are built around.

Best Time to Visit and Tips

October to March is the ideal season, with pleasant weather for temples and travel. If you take the weekly direct train, book well ahead, as it fills fast in season. If you fly, compare the Diu and Rajkot routes, since prices and timings shift. And whichever way you come, plan your first night near the temple; our where to stay options keep you within walking distance of the aarti after a long day's travel.

How I Advise Travellers from Pune

When someone from Pune asks me the best way, I rarely tell them to drive the whole thousand kilometres. If they are short on time, I say fly to Rajkot or Diu and let us pick them up; they can be at the evening aarti the same day. If budget matters most, the once-a-week direct train to Veraval is a comfortable overnight journey for very little money. And if they genuinely want the road trip, I tell them to split it over two days with a halt near Vadodara or to use the Ghogha ferry to cut the driving. The point of coming so far is to arrive with energy left for the temple, not to collapse at the hotel. Getting that right is exactly what Experience My India helps with once you reach Gujarat.

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