Things to do in Surat
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Surat
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Cool mornings, winter birds, ponk and undhiyu season.
Good shoulder months. Warm days, festival season in October.
Monsoon. Dang waterfalls at their best, city waterlogging possible.
Worst for sightseeing. Extreme heat, dawn and evening only, mangoes in May and June.
What's on
- Navratri Sep-Oct, nine nights
Garba dancing in grounds and societies across the city.
- Chandni Padvo Second day after Sharad Purnima, Oct
Surat's own full moon picnic festival, eating ghari and bhusa outdoors citywide.
- Diwali and Gujarati New Year Oct-Nov, dates vary
Lights, sweets and full hotels. Book ahead.
- Uttarayan / Makar Sankranti 14-15 January
Rooftop kite flying citywide with undhiyu and ponk on the table.
- Dang Darbar Around Holi, March
Traditional tribal festival at Ahwa in the Dang district, worth timing a hill leg around.
Best things to do in Surat
Surat Castle
Surat's restored 1540s fort museum and the best single introduction to its port and trade history.
Science Centre Surat
Municipal science galleries and planetarium sharing a complex with the Sardar Patel Museum.
Gopi Talav
Historic old city lake restored as a promenade where locals spend the evening.
Jagdishchandra Bose Aquarium
Two floor municipal aquarium with sharks and marine fish, ideal for families and hot afternoons.
Dutch Garden
Shaded garden in the old Dutch trading quarter, near the European cemetery landscape.
Ambika Niketan Temple
Major working Ambika temple on Dumas Road, clean, calm and central to the Athwa base.
ISKCON Temple Surat
Large, orderly Krishna temple that gives a Surat trip its calmest half hour.
Chintamani Jain Temple
Old city Jain temple valued for fine wooden carving and painted work in a working shrine.
Where to stay in Surat
Athwa Lines / Piplod / Dumas Road
first trip, best all round base
Riverside west bank with the best hotels, hotel dining and the road to Dumas.
Adajan / Pal
longer stays, families, quieter residential base
Leafier west bank living with strong hotels and the cable bridge to Athwa.
Vesu / City Light
food and cafe trips, families wanting space
New city district with malls, cafes and the densest new restaurant cluster.
Hazira / Airport corridor
Hazira business and early flights only
Excellent corridor hotels but a car ride from every sight and most meals.
Think twice about
- Surat Railway Station / Delhi Gate / Ring Road market belt
Dense, loud and traffic choked wholesale market streets with few leisure restaurants. Fine for an early train, poor for a holiday base.
- Hazira industrial belt beyond the named corridor hotels
Unbranded rooms here strand you among plant traffic, far from sights and meals, for little saving.
- Varachha / Katargam for a first leisure trip
Great for a locho breakfast visit, but as a base it puts the river and evening restaurants across the city through heavy traffic daily.
Best restaurants in Surat
Jalaram Locho & Khaman
The locho benchmark: steamed, loose and heavily seasoned, eaten hot at the counter.
J J Khaman House
Dawn khaman counter famous for feather soft nylon khaman, locho and farsan to take away.
Madhi Ni Khamni
The sev khamani specialist, tangy and spicy crumbled khaman finished with sev and pomegranate.
Mysore Cafe
West bank South Indian staple for crisp dosas and filter coffee at local prices.
Sasumaa Gujarati Thali
Surat's most reviewed Gujarati thali house, with endless refills and seasonal specials.
Shah Jamnadas C. Ghariwala
Old city sweet shop for ghari, Surat's signature ghee rich sweet to eat and carry home.
Barbeque Nation Surat
Grill at the table buffet that reliably handles mixed groups and family celebrations.
Leonardo Italian Mediterranean Dining
Piplod Italian Mediterranean room for pasta, risotto and a dressed up night between street food days.
Outdoor things to do in Surat
Dumas Beach
Black sand sunset beach down Dumas Road, lined with snack stalls and camel rides.
Tapi Riverfront
Free evening walk on the Tapi promenades with views of the lit cable stayed bridge.
Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden
Surat's biggest and most used botanical garden, best for an early long walk.
Sarthana Nature Park
Municipal zoo and wooded nature park that works best as a cool morning with children.
Aquamagicaa Water Park
Surat's main water park with thrill slides, racers and a wave pool for hot months.
The Park Arena Golf Range and Academy
Driving range and academy for practice and coaching, since Surat has no full golf course.
Ubharat Beach
Spacious beach day trip south of Surat, calmer and more open than Dumas.
Suvali Beach
Quiet working coast beach near Hazira for walkers who want very few people around.
Best hotels in Surat
Surat Marriott Hotel
River side flagship with pool, spa and the city's two best hotel restaurants.
Ginger Surat City Centre
Efficient budget hotel in the City Light orbit, ideal when the trip budget belongs to food.
Park Inn by Radisson Surat
Upper mid Adajan hotel with pool and an exceptional recent review profile.
Ramee International Surat
Adajan tower hotel inside the restaurant belt, a sound alternative when Park Inn spikes.
Hilton Garden Inn Surat City Centre
Newest international brand option, handy for Vesu cafes, malls and restaurants.
Hotel Royal Rituals
Well kept Vesu three star and the sensible budget base for the new city.
Courtyard by Marriott Surat
Highest rated large hotel in Surat, best for Hazira business or an early flight.
Le Meridien Surat
Resort leaning Marriott hotel near the airport with a large pool and spa.
Is Surat expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹1,800 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹4,000 a person |
| Splurge | ₹9,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Aquamagicaa Water Park: a few days ahead
- Vansda National Park: a few days ahead
- Saputara: a few days ahead
- Barbeque Nation Surat: a few days ahead
- Leonardo Italian Mediterranean Dining: a few days ahead
- Vintage Asia: a few days ahead
- Table 101: a few days ahead
- Book hotels early on wedding, festival and trade fair dates when Surat prices spike.
- Book Aquamagicaa and top hotel restaurants ahead on weekends, and a day trip car the day before.
Is Surat safe?
- Treat March to June midday heat as indoor time and carry water and electrolytes.
- Eat street food at busy counters with fast turnover and drink bottled or filtered water.
- Do not swim beyond the shallows on any Surat coast beach. Emergency number is 112.
- Alcohol is prohibited in Gujarat. Alcohol bought in Daman must not be carried into Gujarat.
Surat travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Spending a short trip in malls instead of the textile markets and food counters.
- Expecting Dumas or Ubharat to be swimming resort beaches. Neither is a swimming beach.
- Buying diamonds or jewellery as a tourist without independent verification.
Getting around Surat: public transport and more
- Use app cabs for cross river trips and autos for short hops, agreeing the meter or fare first.
- Hire a car with driver for Dumas, Ubharat and all day trips. Walk only within neighbourhood pockets.
Who Surat suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Surat your trip
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