One of Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, Shatrunjaya is an incredible hill studded with temples, built over 900 years. It is said that Adinath (also known as Rishabha), the founder of Jainism, meditated beneath the rayan tree at the summit. The temples are grouped into tunks (enclosures), each with a central temple flanked by minor ones. The 500m climb up 3300 steps (1½ hours) to the temples adds to the extraordinary experience. It costs ₹30 by autorickshaw to the steps.

Most days, hundreds of pilgrims make the climb; crowds swell into the thousands around Kartik Purnima, which marks the end of Chaturmas, a four-month period of spiritual retreat and material self-denial that coincides with the monsoon season.

As you near the top of the hill, the track forks. The main entrance, Ram Pole, is reached by bearing left, though the best views are to the right, where on a clear day you can see the Gulf of Cambay. Inside the Nav Tonk Gate, one path leads left to the Muslim shrine of Angar Pir – a Muslim saint who protected the temples from a Mughal attack; women who want children come here and make offerings of miniature cradles. To the right, the second tunk you reach is the Chaumukhji Tunk, containing the Chaumukh (Four-Faced Shrine), built in 1618 by a wealthy Jain merchant. Images of Adinath, the first Jain tirthankar (believed to have attained enlightenment here), face the four cardinal directions.

You can easily spend a couple of hours wandering among the hundreds of temples up here. The biggest and one of the most splendid and important, with a fantastic wealth of detailed carving, is the Adinath Temple, on the highest point on the far (south) side.

This dusty museum features some remarkable exhibits of Jain artwork and artefacts up to 500 years old and beautiful ivory carvings. In the basement is a surprising circular temple with mirror walls and centuries-old images of four tirthankars (great Jain teachers). It’s 500m down the street from the foot of the Shatrunjaya steps.

It’s said that Somraj (the moon god) first built a temple in Somnath, made of gold; this was rebuilt by Ravana in silver, by Krishna in wood and by Bhimdev in stone. The current serene, symmetrical structure was built to traditional designs on the original coastal site: it’s painted a creamy colour and boasts a little fine sculpture. The large, black Shiva lingam at its heart is one of the 12 most sacred Shiva shrines, known as jyoti linga.

A description of the temple by Al-Biruni, an Arab traveller, was so glowing that it prompted a visit in 1024 by a most unwelcome tourist – the legendary looter Mahmud of Ghazni from Afghanistan. At that time, the temple was so wealthy that it had 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls and even 300 barbers. Mahmud of Ghazni took the town and temple after a two-day battle in which it’s said 70,000 Hindu defenders died. Having stripped the temple of its fabulous wealth, Mahmud destroyed it. So began a pattern of Muslim destruction and Hindu rebuilding that continued for centuries. The temple was again razed in 1297, 1394 and finally in 1706 by Aurangzeb, the notorious Mughal ruler. After that, the temple wasn’t rebuilt until 1950.

Cameras, mobile phones and bags must be left at the cloakroom before entering. Colourful dioramas of the Shiva story line the north side of the temple garden, though it’s hard to see them through the hazy glass. A one-hour sound-and-light show highlights the temple nightly at 7.45pm.

This museum, 300m north of the Somnath temple along the market street, has intricately carved stone fragments from previous temples exposed to the elements in the courtyard. The highlight is the reconstructed 12th-century shrine from the main temple, complete with delicately carved ceilings.

The last refuge of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) is this forested, hilly, 1412-sq-km sanctuary about halfway between Veraval and Junagadh. Taking a safari through the thick, undisturbed forests would be a joy even if there wasn’t the excitement of lions and other wildlife to spot. The sanctuary access point is Sasan Gir village, on a minor road and railway between Veraval and Junagadh (about 40km from each). The best time to visit is from December to April.

The sanctuary was set up in 1965, and a 259-sq-km core area was declared a national park in 1975. Since the late 1960s, lion numbers have increased from under 200 to over 400. The sanctuary’s 37 other mammal species, most of which have also increased in numbers, include dainty chital (spotted deer), sambar (large deer), nilgais (large antelopes), chousinghas (four-horned antelopes), chinkaras (gazelles), crocodiles and rarely seen leopards. The park is a great destination for birders too, with more than 300 bird species, most of them resident.

While the wildlife has been lucky, more than half the sanctuary’s human community of distinctively dressed maldhari (herders)have been resettled elsewhere, ostensibly because their cattle and buffalo were competing for food resources with the antelopes, deer and gazelles, while also being preyed upon by the lions and leopards. About 1000 people still live in the park, however, and their livestock accounts for about a quarter of the lions’ diet.

Gir is no longer big enough for the number of lions that currently live here; some have already been moved to other patches of wilderness around the country and there is talk of introducing some to tiger country in Madhya Pradesh, but the Gujarat government opposes this plan, vying to remain the sole home of India’s lions.

Twelve kilometres west of Sasan Gir village at Devalia, within the sanctuary precincts, is the Gir Interpretation Zone, better known as simply Devalia. The 4.12-sq-km fenced-off compound is home to a cross-section of Gir wildlife. Chances of seeing lions and leopards here are guaranteed, with 45-minute bus tours departing along the trails hourly. You may also see foxes, mongoose and blackbuck – the latter being lion fodder. An autorickshaw/taxi round trip to Devalia from Sasan Gir village costs around ₹150/350.

This sacred mountain, rising dramatically from the plains, is covered with Jain and Hindu temples. Pilgrims from far and wide come to tackle the long climb up 10,000 stone steps to the summit, which is best begun at dawn. Be prepared to spend a full day if you want to reach the uppermost temples. Ascending in the early morning light is a magical experience, as pilgrims and porters trudge up the steps. An autorickshaw to Girnar Taleti costs about ₹100.

The Jain temples, a cluster of mosaic-decorated domes interspersed with elaborate stupas, are about two-thirds of the way up. The largest and oldest is the 12th-century Temple of Neminath, dedicated to the 22nd tirthankar: go through the first left-hand doorway after the first gate. Many temples are locked from around 11am to 3pm, but this one is open all day. The nearby triple Temple of Mallinath, dedicated to the ninth tirthankar, was erected in 1177 by two brothers. During festivals this temple is a sadhu magnet.

Further up are various Hindu temples. The first peak is topped by the Temple of Amba Mata, where newlyweds worship to ensure a happy marriage. Beyond here there is quite a lot of down as well as up to reach the other four peaks and further temples. The Temple of Gorakhnath is perched on Gujarat’s highest peak at 1117m. The steep peak Dattatraya is topped by a shrine to a three-faced incarnation of Vishnu. Atop the final outcrop, Kalika, is a shrine to the goddess Kali.

The trail begins 4km east of the city at Girnar Taleti. A motorable road, which may or may not be open, leads to about the 3000th step, which leaves you only 7000 to go! Refreshment stalls on the ascent sell chalk, so you can graffiti your name on the rocks. If you can’t face the walk, dholis carried by porters cost ₹4000 (round trip) if you weigh between 50kg and 70kg, and ₹4500 for heavier passengers. If your weight range isn’t obvious, you suffer the indignity of being weighed on a huge beam scale before setting off. Note that while photography is permitted on the trail, it’s not allowed inside the temples.

The Bhavnath Mela, over five days in the month of Magha, brings folk music and dancing and throngs of nagas (naked sadhus or spiritual men) to Bhavnath Mahadev Temple at Girnar Taleti. It marks the time when Shiva is believed to have danced his cosmic dance of destruction.

This ancient fort is believed to have been built in 319 BC by the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta, though it has been extended many times. In places the ramparts reach 20m high. It’s been besieged 16 times, and legend has it that the fort once withstood a 12-year siege. The views over the city and east to Girnar Hill are superb, and within its walls there is a magnificent former mosque, a set of millenia-old Buddhist caves and two fine step-wells.

Jama Masjid ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), the disused mosque inside the fort, was converted from a palace in the 15th century by Gujarat Sultan Mahmud Begada and has a rare roofed courtyard with three octagonal openings, which may once have been covered by domes. It's a shame about the graffiti, but the delicate mihrab stonework and the forest of columns are still stunning. From the roof, the city views are excellent.

Close to the mosque, the Buddhist caves ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Indian/foreigner ₹15/200; h8am-6pm) are not actually caves, rather monastic quarters carved out of rock, 2nd century AD. Descend into the eerie three-storey carved complex to see the main hall and its pillars with weathered carvings.

The fort has two fine step-wells both cut from solid rock. The circular, 41m-deep Adi Kadi Vav ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) was cut in the 15th century and named after two slave girls who used to fetch water from it. Navghan Kuvo ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), 52m deep and designed to help withstand sieges, is almost 1000 years old and its magnificent staircase spirals around the well shaft. Look for the centuries-old dovecotes.

This stunning mausoleum of Nawab Mahabat Khan II of Junagadh (1851–82) seems to bubble up into the sky. One of Gujarat’s most glorious examples of Euro-Indo-Islamic architecture, with French windows and Gothic columns, its lavish appeal is topped off by its silver inner doors.

Boasting even more flourish than neighbouring Mahabat Maqbara, the 1896 mausoleum of Vazir Sahib Baka-ud-din Bhar sports four storybook minarets encircled by spiralling stairways.

Just outside town on the road to Girnar Hill, a white building on the right encloses a large boulder on which the Buddhist emperor Ashoka had 14 edicts inscribed in Brahmi script in the Pali language about 250 BC. The spidery lettering instructs people to be kind to women and animals and give to beggars, among other things, and is one of several inscriptions that Ashoka placed all around his realm expounding his moral philosophy and achievements.

This eclectic museum in the old part of town is housed in a beautiful, 260-year-old riverside royal palace that was built in a mixture of styles, with striking gargoyles and delicate stone carvings. It shows royal artefacts, including scales used to weigh Maharaja Bhagwat Sinhji in 1934 against gold, with proceeds going to charity, a nine-volume Gujarati dictionary compiled by the same revered maharaja, and Dinky Toy collections. See two stables full of mint-condition horse carriages for an extra ₹20.

Founded in 1910 by Gondal’s royal physician, this ayurvedic pharmacy manufactures ayurvedic medicines and it’s possible to see all the weird machinery involved, as well as buy medicines for treating hair loss, vertigo, insomnia etc. The founding physician, Brahmaleen Acharyashree, is said to have coined the title ‘Mahatma’ (Great Soul) for Gandhi. Also here is a temple to the goddess Bhuvaneshwari.

A large khadi (homespun cloth) workshop where women work spinning cotton upstairs, while downstairs embroidered salwar kameez (traditional dresslike tunic and trouser combination for women) and saris are on sale.

This is the royal collection of cars – 32 impressive vehicles, from a 1907 car made by the New Engine Company Acton and a 1935 vintage Mercedes saloon to racing cars raced by the present maharaja. Most are still in working condition.

Built in the 17th century by Wazir Meraman Khawa, and one of two remaining city gates from that period, this genteelly decaying landmark has been recently restored to former glory. Upstairs is a gallery due to open with displays on the city's history.

One of the largest Jain temples in old town, the Shantinath Mandir is particularly beautiful, with coloured columns and a gilt-edged dome of concentric circles.

Adinath Mandir, one of the two largest and most elaborate Jain temples in the old town, is dedicated to the 16th and first tirthankars (great Jain teachers) and explodes with fine murals, mirrored domes and elaborate chandeliers.

The attractive, tree-lined promenades around Ranmal Lake have been seriously upgraded and surrounded by a fence with several gateways. There's a bona fide astroturf running track, a brand new history museum on the east side of the lake, and the diminutive mid-19th-century Lakhota Palace ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ranmal Lake island), an island fort in the middle of the lake (undergoing restoration at the time of writing), housing a small museum featuring weaponry, manuscripts and pottery from the 9th to the 18th centuries.

This temple on the southeastern side of Ranmal Lake has been the scene of continuous chanting of the prayer Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram since 1 August 1964, earning the temple a place in an Indian favourite, the Guinness Book of World Records. Early evening is a good time to visit as the temple and lakeside area get busy.

This impressive yet crumbling arsenal tower overlooks the south side of Ranmal Lake. Restoration work is underway; once completed, visitors will be able to view the city from the top of the tower.

Jamnagar's colourful vegetable market dates back to the 18th century and resembles a crumbling coliseum.

This European-style arcaded crescent was built by Jam Ranjitsinhji to replace Jamnagar’s worst slum. It now houses an assortment of shops, and is commonly known as Darbargadh, after the now-empty royal residence across the street.

This beautiful palace, built in 1752, lost its top storey in an earthquake, but the lower floor is open, with a fantastic 15.2m scroll showing a Kutch state procession. The 18th-century elaborately mirrored interior is a demonstration of the fascination with all things European – an inverted mirror of European Orientalism – with blue-and-white Delphi-style tiling, a candelabra with Venetian-glass shades, and the Harding lithograph series The Rake’s Progress. There are lofty views of Rani Mahal from atop the tower.

The palace was built for Maharao Lakhpatji by Ramsingh Malam, a sailor from Dwarka who had learnt European arts and crafts on his travels. In the bedroom is a bed with solid gold legs (the king apparently auctioned his bed annually). In the Fuvara Mahal room, fountains played around the ruler while he sat watching dancers or composing poems.

The largest of the three palaces within the Darbargadh walled complex, 19th-century Prag Mahal is in a forlorn state, damaged by an earthquake, but is worth visiting for its ghostly, exuberant Durbar Hall, with its vast chandeliers, the Maharajah's taxidermied contribution to the demise of India's wildlife, and gold-skirted classical statues that wouldn’t look out of place decorating a gay nightclub. Several scenes from Lagaan, the much-acclaimed Bollywood cricket blockbuster, were filmed here.

The 17th-century Rani Mahal, the former main royal residence, is completely closed up, though you can still admire the latticed windows of its zenana (women’s quarters). It's particularly beautiful around sunset.

Opposite Hamirsar Tank, Gujarat’s oldest museum has eclectic and worthwhile displays spanning textiles, weapons, silverware, sculpture, wildlife, geography and dioramas of Kachchh tribal costumes and artefacts, with labelling in English and Gujarati.

This museum has excellent displays on traditional Kachchh culture, including reconstructed Rabari bhungas (mud-and-mirrorwork huts), musical instruments, many wood and stone carvings and much more. The vintage Kachchh textiles are particularly worthwhile, especially if you haven't had a chance to visit the Calico Museum in Ahmedabad. It’s a further 700m south of the Kachchh Museum, off Mandvi Rd.

This graceful 1867 Italianate palace, set among shade trees full of crows and bats, was the abode of the last Maharao of Kachchh, Madansingh, until his death in 1991. It lost most of its 3rd floor in the 2001 earthquake, and the remaining lower floors are closed. However, the adjacent former dining hall now houses the palace’s eclectic museum collection. Standout exhibits are two huge stuffed tigers that the erstwhile maharao shot, and his coffin.

On the eastern outskirts of the city, this hill is crowned with a Hindu temple and is a terrific place to watch the sunset. There are plans to build a memorial to the 2001 earthquake victims atop the hill. Autorickshaws to the bottom of the steps from central Bhuj should cost around ₹80.

Fifteen kilometres east of Bhuj, this superb NGO-run museum is an absolute must for anyone interested in the centuries-old crafts practised by Kachchh artisans. One of three planned galleries is now open, showcasing the 42 different embroidery styles of the Ahir, Maghwal, Rabari and others. The pieces on display are breathtaking and the multimedia features let you learn about individual exhibits in greater depth. The gift shop sells embroidered items and books on Kachchh embroidery.

There are plans to eventually document the full range of Kachchh creativity, from metalwork and leatherwork to silverwork and rogan printing.

West of Khavda and north of Hodka, the white desert is the one accessible corner of the Great Rann of Kachchh – the 30,000-sq-km desert between the Gulf of Kutch and the mouth of the Indus River in southern Pakistan. A 1.3km trail leads from the parking area to the viewing tower overlooking the great salt expanse. During the winter months, when the water dries up, the place is mesmerising. The fee is payable en route.

Bhujodi, about 7km southeast of Bhuj, is a village of weavers, mostly using pit looms, operated by both feet and hands. You can look into many workshops, which produce attractive shawls, blankets and other products. The village is 1km off Hwy 42. You can take a bus towards Ahmedabad and ask the driver to drop you at the turn-off for Bhujodi (₹14). A return rickshaw from Bhuj costs around ₹350.

In the hills about 60km northwest of Bhuj is the eerie 12th-century monastery at Than. This is a laid-back place, with architecture ranging from crumbling mud brick to Portuguese-style stucco, blue and whitewashed bell towers. There’s one bus daily to Than from Bhuj (₹55, two hours) at 5pm, returning early next morning. The monastery has very basic guest rooms (not recommended for female travellers) with mattresses on the floor and simple food (pay by donation) but no drinking water.

The holy man Dhoramnath, as penance for a curse he had made, stood on his head on top of Dhinodhar hill for 12 years. The gods pleaded with him to stop, and he agreed, provided the first place he looked at became barren – hence the Great Rann. He then established the monastic order of Kanphata (Split Ears, because of large piercings through the ear’s concha), whose monastery stands at the foot of the hill.

In a small village near Bhujodi, several kilometres east of Bhuj, this master craftsman is the only one in the area who specialises in hand-weaving carpets, rugs and wall hangings of superb quality made out of camel wool.

A long drive northeast from Bhuj is the fascinating and remote archaeological site of Dholavira, on a seasonal island in the Great Rann. Excavations have revealed a complex town of stone buildings 1 sq km in area, inhabited by the Harappan civilisation from around 2900 to 1500 BC. It’s best to organise your own transport (₹5000 one way or return): the only bus to Dholavira leaves Bhuj at 2pm (₹86, six hours) and starts back at 5am.

It will become cheaper and considerably faster to reach Dholavira once the road from Khavda to Dholavira is completed.

One of the graduates of the Somaiya Kala Vidya design school for artisans, weaver Ramji Maheshwari demonstrates his craft on a traditional pit loom. Scarves, shawls and other quality items for sale.

Inhabited by the Meghwal and Halepotra people, this village specialises in leatherwork and embroidery. It's around 55km north of Bhuj, off Rte 341.

You can find some excellent embroidery and leatherwork at this Meghwal village. It's an hour's drive north of Bhuj, off Rte 341.

The Kumbhar village of Khavda, 70km north of Bhuj, is known for its pottery and textiles.

North of the village of Khavda, the Black Hill marks Kutch's highest point (462m), with remarkable views over the Great Rann salt flat (or inland sea if you're visiting during the monsoon). You'll need your own transport to visit.

This crumbling 1920s palace, 7km west of town amid extensive orchards, is set by a trash-strewn private beach. Originally a summer abode for the Kachchh rulers, its 1st floor is now the main residence of the elderly Maharajah of Bhuj. The view from the roof is worth the climb, and the rooms, with their stuffed wildlife and faded grand furniture, are worth a peek. Autorickshaws charge about ₹200/300 one way/return from Mandvi.

This 4953-sq-km sanctuary covers a chunk of the parched land of the Little Rann and is the home of the only remaining population of the chestnut-coloured Indian wild ass (khur), as well as bluebulls, blackbuck and chinkara. There’s also a huge bird population from October to March (this is one of the few areas in India where flamingos breed in the wild). Guides will arrange your permits for the reserve; the cost of these is normally additional to safari prices.

About 2500 khurs live in the sanctuary, surviving off the flat, grass-covered expanses or islands, known as bets, which rise up to around 3m. These remarkable, notoriously untamable creatures are capable of running at an average speed of 50km/h for long distances.

Easily accessible from Ahmedabad, the Wild Ass Sanctuary can be visited in a combined trip with Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Modhera and Patan.