Sasan Gir to Khodaldham Taxi Fare: Cab Rates & Route Guide

Khodaldham sits about 105 km north-northeast of the Sasan Gir safari gate — 2 to 2.5 hours on the Junagadh line, then east off the highway at the Kagvad village board. A sedan costs Rs.3,400-3,900 one way, an Ertiga Rs.4,200-4,800, and an Innova Crysta Rs.5,500-6,200. The road trades teak forest for groundnut belt, passes Junagadh, then turns onto the Virpur–Jetpur highway for Maa Khodal’s 2017 temple. And if you are closing a Sasan Gir National Park safari guide morning slot and aiming for Khodaldham before the afternoon rush, the 9:30-10:00 AM exit matters more than the fare.

This is the lions-to-Khodaldham run — Asiatic lions at dawn, Maru-Gurjara stone carving and the gold kalasha by lunch if you time the Junagadh exit right. Both points sit inside Gujarat, so no border tax. But operators on this sector bill an 110-120 km minimum against the 105 km actual. CNG boots hold just 2 bags. And the turn you must not miss is a single Kagvad board sitting between Jetpur and Virpur — blow past it and the cab backtracks 15-20 km while the meter runs. Book with the return, waiting and the exact temple-gate drop written on the slip. Weekend fares swing Rs.300-500, and a same-day round-trip often beats two one-ways once the empty return is priced in. If Junagadh is also on the list — Uparkot, Girnar ropeway — ask for a combined Junagadh–Khodaldham day rate before you commit. One continuous cab is almost always cheaper than two minimums.

Route Overview – Sasan Gir to Khodaldham by Car

Detail	Information
Distance	~105 km gate-to-gate (Sasan Gir → Mendarda 25-28 km → Junagadh 53 km → Kagvad board 97-101 km → temple 105 km with the 4 km spur)
Travel Time	2 to 2.5 hours; 3+ with a Junagadh stop or Jetpur belt traffic
Route	Sasan Gir → Mendarda → Junagadh → Junagadh–Rajkot highway → Kagvad village board (between Jetpur and Virpur) → 4 km spur → Khodaldham main gate
Highway Notes	SH 2-lane to Junagadh, then 4-lane highway belt; temple spur is the only unmarked turn
Toll Estimate	Rs.0-120 — free SH to Junagadh; one possible NH 27 FASTag plaza (Pithadiya, near Jetpur) if the approach uses the main 4-lane line. Temple parking free at front gate

The drive starts at Sasan’s safari gate and pushes north-northeast — the same Junagadh line our Jamnagar runs use. First 25 km run through Gir fringe. Thinning teak, village crossings, morning milk tankers. Then the road opens past Mendarda into the groundnut and cotton belt. Straight farm runs where drivers hold 70-80 kmph. Good surface, but unmarked crossings near every village — keep low beam through the hamlets and watch for tractor trailers loaded with groundnut sacks on market days.

At Junagadh you make the only real decision on this run. Not stopping? Hold the bypass and keep east on the highway toward the Jetpur belt — city entry for a look at Mahabat Maqbara costs 30-40 minutes in college-hour traffic. Stopping for Uparkot or the Girnar ropeway? Say so before you leave Sasan, because the cab needs a re-quote and a waiting clause, not a surprise at the fort parking. Past Junagadh the highway carries long-haul trucks and Jetpur-bound buses; the surface holds, overtakes are cleaner, and the café stops thicken near the Jetpur interchange.

Then comes the turn that defines this route. The Kagvad village board sits on the highway between Jetpur and Virpur — a plain green sign, 4 km short of the temple. Miss it and you are on to Virpur town before the driver can turn, adding 15-20 km of backtrack. Correct turn drops you onto a clean village road that ends at the Khodaldham front gate, with the forest-department garden on one side and free parking in front. Final 4 km smell of incense and temple stone — tell the driver “Khodaldham main gate, not the office,” because the trust runs two addresses and outstation cabs have dropped pilgrims at the wrong one.

Taxi Fare Breakdown – What You Actually Pay

Below are standard one-way fares for the Sasan Gir to Khodaldham drop in 2026 — the Sasan to Kagvad taxi fare, since Kagvad village is where the temple actually sits. The actual run is 105 km, but operators on this sector bill an 110-120 km minimum — you are paying for the driver’s empty return to Sasan, which is why the sedan sits above a raw 105 km × rate calculation. Temple-gate drop is standard; Virpur station or Jetpur drops on the same trip add nothing:

Vehicle Type	Models	Capacity	Luggage	One-Way Fare
Sedan	Swift Dzire, Etios	4 seater AC	2 bags	Rs.3,400-3,900
SUV	Ertiga	6 seater AC	2 bags	Rs.4,200-4,800
SUV (Premium)	Innova Crysta	6 seater AC	4 bags	Rs.5,500-6,200
Tempo Traveller	12 Seater	12 seater AC	8 bags	Rs.7,500-8,500
Tempo Traveller	17 Seater	17 seater AC	10 bags	Rs.9,500-10,500
Tempo Traveller	26 Seater	26 seater AC	10 bags	Rs.12,000-13,500

Sedan land price after driver bata and GST is usually Rs.3,700-4,300 on aggregator apps; street stands at the safari gate often clear near Rs.3,400 if you pay cash and skip the portal. Prices swing Rs.300-500 by weekend and Dec-Mar safari plus Falgun fair weeks at the temple. Ask for the breakup slip: 115 km × rate + driver bata Rs.250-300 + GST. And confirm out loud — “Is Khodaldham main gate parking and the Virpur station pickup included?” The trust’s front-gate parking is free, but station-rank drivers quote separately when the stop is bolted on at the last minute.

The CNG Luggage Warning

Dzires and Ertigas on this belt run CNG. Cylinder in the boot. Two medium bags fit — the third rides on the back seat with someone’s knees. Khodaldham day trips mean prasad boxes, change of clothes for the elderly and a thermos — that is already three bags. An overhead carrier for Ertiga/Innova costs ₹300–₹400 extra — essential for 3+ bags in CNG cars and must be requested upfront at booking, not at the lodge steps. Innova Crysta carries 4 large bags without the frame. Count bags before the driver leaves Sasan. Carriers do not appear out of thin air on the 105 km run, and the Junagadh halt does not fix a missing frame.

What’s Included vs. What’s Extra

What’s included: Fuel, driver allowance, GST on aggregator bills, 60 minutes of free waiting at the temple gate. What’s extra: Highway toll — the Mendarda SH run has none, but the NH 27 4-lane approach past Junagadh can hit the Pithadiya FASTag plaza near Jetpur (Rs.60-120 for a car; your cab’s tag settles it, operators usually add it to the slip) — night charge Rs.200-300 (10 PM-6 AM), waiting Rs.100 per hour after the first free hour, and Virpur Jalaram detour km if you add it after temple darshan.

No border tax — intra-Gujarat all the way. The surprise on this route is the minimum-billing gap: a 105 km actual often shows as 115 km on the slip. Ask for the number before you sit down. And confirm: “Is the temple main gate drop included, or only the highway turn?” Some quotes stop short at the last junction and charge the final 4 km as a waiting-time extra — write “Khodaldham main gate” on the slip.

Why Are Round Trips Sometimes Cheaper?

One-way Rs.3,500 bakes in empty return — 105 km down, 105 km back empty. Same-day return (210-240 km total) runs Rs.5,200-6,000 sedan, Rs.6,500-7,500 Ertiga. Per-km drops from about Rs.33 to Rs.25. For Khodaldham the car waits 2-3 hours across darshan, the carved halls, the garden and an optional Virpur Jalaram stop anyway — round-trip holds the car through that idle stretch and kills the 6:30 PM aarti-hour scramble at the gate. Groups of 6+ do better in one Innova than two sedans — parking for one, waiting for one. One thing to settle before you leave Sasan: on an 8-10 hour round-trip day, driver bata usually covers one meal — most local operators expect you to either buy the driver’s lunch at the halt or add Rs.100-150 meal money to the slip. It is a small amount; agreeing it upfront avoids the awkward ask at the Prasad Gruh counter. If Junagadh is also on the list, lock the whole Sasan–Junagadh–Khodaldham day as round-trip-or-continuous before you leave Sasan.

Car Rental Options – How to Book

Online aggregators: MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip and CabBazar list Gir-to-Khodaldham sedans around Rs.3,600-4,300 for 110-120 km included. Base fares exclude driver bata and GST at checkout — final sedan lands Rs.3,900-4,500. Useful for cancellation cover (free till 12-24 hours before) and verified drivers. Prices swing Rs.300-500 by weekend. If you are stitching a longer circuit, many operators price Sasan Gir to Somnath car rental legs into a combined Gir–Somnath–Junagadh–Khodaldham package cheaper than four separate one-ways — ask for the combined per-km rate before you commit.

Local stands at Sasan Gir: Safari-gate stand, Sasan bus stop and the Mendarda chowk cars cover Khodaldham weekly — this is a Patel-community temple run, so weekend drivers know the turn by heart. Inspect AC cooling — the midday run across the Junagadh belt exposes weak compressors. Note plate, take driver number, get a slip with 115 km billing, waiting and the exact gate drop. Lodge desks add Rs.200-300 but arrange roof carriers faster than apps.

Timing the pickup: Share the exact drop — Khodaldham main gate, Virpur station, or Jetpur hotel — before you leave Sasan. For a 9:30-10:00 AM safari exit you clear the buffer by 10:15, hit Junagadh bypass around 11:30-12:00, roll past the Jetpur interchange by 12:30-12:45, and stand at the temple gate by 1:00 PM. The sanctum runs 5:45 AM-9:00 PM, but Mangla aarti is at 6:00 AM and Sandhya aarti at 6:30 PM — that 6:30 slot, not 4 PM, is when the evening crowd peaks. Arriving by 1:00 PM puts you inside the Prasad Gruh lunch window too. Tell the operator if a heritage hop is planned first: the Sasan Gir to Junagadh car rental sector sits right on this route, but a fort stop means a waiting clause and a re-quoted slip, not a quick detour.

Best Route via Mendarda & Junagadh

One sensible road for most bookings. Sasan Gir → Mendarda link → Junagadh → Junagadh–Rajkot highway → Kagvad village board → 4 km spur → Khodaldham main gate. No shortcut through the core forest saves time; the Keshod or Talala detour runs the wrong way entirely, and drivers who pitch them are stretching km. Hold the Junagadh bypass line unless Uparkot, Girnar or a station drop is an agreed stop.

Traffic is farm-plus-highway. SH sections carry tractors, milk tankers and school vans till Junagadh; the highway belt beyond carries long-haul trucks and Jetpur-bound buses. Overtake on the 4-lane belt, not the 2-lane farm stretches where groundnut trailers swing wide at every village. The last 10 km after the Jetpur interchange narrow as you approach the turn — locals slow early for the Kagvad board, and outstation drivers who do not know the sign blow past it at speed.

Stopping at Junagadh? Book One Continuous Cab

Junagadh sits ~53 km in — about 1.25-1.5 hours on the Mendarda line — and Khodaldham is another 48-52 km east. If both are on the list, book the full Sasan Gir → Junagadh → Khodaldham run when you leave Sasan. Dropping in Junagadh, paying the round-trip return fee back toward Gir, and starting a second one-way east wastes the empty-leg you already funded and lands you a second 110-120 km minimum. One continuous cab keeps the driver on kilometres you already negotiated, holds waiting charges on one bill, and puts you at the temple gate well before the crowd builds. Flag “Khodaldham same-day” at the safari gate stand so timing, the ₹300–₹400 carrier (if loaded), and the main-gate drop stay on the same slip. Operators also run the reverse Diu to Khodaldham car rental sector — ask whether the Gir–Junagadh–Khodaldham leg can ride the same circuit rate instead of a standalone quote.

Outstation drivers — the Kagvad board discipline: Stay on the highway past the Jetpur interchange and watch the Kagvad village board between Jetpur and Virpur — it is the only turn on the run. Do not turn at the Virpur town cross; that adds the 8.6 km back-track from the wrong side. Correct sequence: Kagvad board → 4 km village road → Khodaldham main gate (not the trust office, not the garden gate). In reverse, the same board marks your exit — tell the driver you want the main gate drop before the last 10 km, because processions and bus bays choke the gate road on festival weeks.

En Route Stops & Waypoints

Stop	Distance from Sasan	What to See / Do
Sasan Gir Gate	0 km	Start — safari reception, ATM, fuel, water
Mendarda	25-28 km	Midpoint — fuel, dhabas, restrooms, tea
Junagadh Bypass	50-55 km	Hold the bypass unless Uparkot / Girnar / station is agreed
Jetpur interchange	~90-92 km	Last café and fuel cluster before the turn
Kagvad village board	~101 km	The turn — highway to village road, 4 km to the gate
Khodaldham main gate	105 km	End — free front-gate parking, drop at the main gate
Virpur (optional)	On the highway past the turn	Jalaram Bapu temple; Virpur station is 8.6 km from the temple

Junagadh bypass is the break worth taking — clean washrooms on the highway side, better dhabas than the farm stretch, and the last easy halt before the temple lane. Beyond the Jetpur interchange, stop only if you must; the Kagvad turn comes fast and the village road has no dhabas. Arriving at the gate, drop bags and people first, then park — the front lot is free, but festival weeks fill it by late morning and attendants start steering cars to the overflow field a 300 m walk out.

What to Do at Khodaldham

Khodaldham packs the main shrine, carved halls, garden and parking into one 158-bigha complex — all on flat ground once you are inside the gate. Keep 2-3 hours if the safari exit was clean; the complex is young (opened 2017) and built for crowds, so darshan moves fast except on Falgun fair weeks:

• Khodaldham sanctum: Maa Khodal — the kuldevi goddess of the Leuva Patel community — in a Maru-Gurjara shrine built by the Shree Khodaldham Trust. Campus opens 5:30 AM-9:30 PM; darshan runs 5:45 AM-9:00 PM, with Mangla aarti at 6:00 AM and Sandhya aarti at 6:30 PM. Entry is free; security is light and unlike Somnath or Dwarka, no strict electronics ban has been reported at the gate — confirm on the day. Dress modest and traditional (no shorts or sleeveless), keep phones away inside the sanctum, and ask before using a DSLR in the halls; drones are not permitted over the campus.
• Stone and carvings: The whole complex was built from 2.3 lakh cubic feet of Bansi Pahadpur sandstone brought from near Bayana in Rajasthan. Roughly 650 carved statues and panels run Ramayana and Mahabharata scenes around the halls; the spire rises about 159 ft and is topped by a 14-ft gold-plated kalasha. Walk the outer cloisters slowly — the east-facing facade catches morning light best.
• Elderly and children: Steps or slope to the main platform, with battery-operated vehicles for those who cannot walk the stretch. Shoe counters at the base; keep the token with you, not in the car.
• Garden, lunch and food: A forest-department garden sits beside the complex with medicinal and flowering plants — a calm 20-minute loop after darshan. For meals, the trust runs the Prasad Gruh community dining hall: a clean Gujarati thali prasad on a token system at roughly ₹40-₹60, served daily 11:30 AM-2:30 PM, with evening prasad from 6:30 PM-8:30 PM. Your 1:00 PM arrival lands right in the lunch window — do not skip it assuming no bhojanalaya exists. On Falgun fair days the queue runs long, so eat early. Snack stalls line the gate road for anything between meals.
• Virpur Jalaram add-on: 8.6 km from the temple on the same highway — Jalaram Bapu’s shrine at Virpur with its famous akhand darshan queue. A one day trip from Sasan Gir covering Virpur and Khodaldham fits the same 2-2.5 hour corridor, so flag both at booking and the waiting rate stays on one bill.
• Junagadh heritage day: If the day is loose, add Uparkot Fort and the Girnar ropeway at Taleti — both sit on your outbound line. Our Girnar Nature Safari guide covers the lion safari near Junagadh if you want forest twice in one trip.

Safari + Khodaldham Same-Day Itinerary

Lions at dawn, goddess by lunch — short enough to do on a half-day permit day. The Devalia / buffer fallback keeps the timeline if core permits vanish — exit gate by 9:30 either way:

1. 6:00-9:00 AM: Core safari. Bags packed, room settled, driver at gate by 9:15.
2. 9:30-10:00 AM: Depart Sasan via Mendarda and the Junagadh line. Fuel only if the gauge worries you — Junagadh bypass has the last clean pumps.
3. 11:30-12:00 PM: Clear Junagadh bypass. Hold the bypass — Uparkot/Girnar stops were agreed or not.
4. 12:30-12:45 PM: Jetpur interchange, then eyes up for the Kagvad village board — the only turn on the run.
5. 1:00 PM: Khodaldham main gate. Free front-gate parking, shoes off, darshan while the halls are still light.
6. 1:00-3:30 PM: Sanctum, carved cloisters, garden loop — and lunch at the Prasad Gruh before the 2:30 PM window closes.
7. 3:30-4:00 PM (optional): Virpur Jalaram add-on (8.6 km), then depart — Sasan by 6:30-7:00 PM on a 2-2.5 hour return.

Summer flips the math — 42°C by noon cooks the open gate road. Keep the cab running between drops rather than walking the 400 m from the parking to the gate with elders. Start 30 minutes earlier if Virpur is on the list — the Jalaram queue moves slow after 5 PM. Monsoon reverses it: add 20-30 minutes for wet farm stretches near Mendarda, and ask the driver to treat the village spur as 30 km/h — surface water hides the speed breakers. Either way, 5:30 AM lodge wake-up is non-negotiable for the 6 AM safari gate line.

Best Time to Drive & Road Conditions

Early morning (6:00-9:00 AM): Cleanest for the buffer fringe, but you are still on safari — realistic exit is 9:30. Winter fog Dec-Jan trims visibility on the Mendarda straight; low beam through the fringe, high beam after the villages.

Late morning (10:00 AM-1:00 PM): Normal safari-transfer band. Heat builds past 11 AM across the Junagadh belt; AC load high, café stops thin after Jetpur interchange. Fill water at the Junagadh bypass halt if you skipped city.

Avoid: Night after 9 PM on the full run — the farm stretch is unlit with tractor trailers parked blind on the shoulder, and the Kagvad board is easy to miss in headlights. Monsoon (July-Sept) softens SH shoulders near Mendarda — stay centre-lane. Falgun fair weeks and full-moon Saturdays jam the gate road for 500 m; add 30 minutes or shift the drop to the morning slot so you are not circling the free lot with the meter still running.

Return Options – Khodaldham to Sasan Gir

• Pre-booked round-trip cab: Default. Driver waits at the free front-gate lot through your darshan and garden loop. Sedan return folds into Rs.5,200-6,000 round-trip math. No evening car hunt at the Kagvad board.
• Local taxi at the gate: A few cars linger on festival days; otherwise the gate has no rank. Sedan to Sasan quotes Rs.3,800-4,500 — Rs.300-600 over Sasan-origin rates. Fix the price before loading bags and photograph the fare on your phone.
• GSRTC bus: Frequent services run the Junagadh–Rajkot corridor to Virpur and Jetpur; a direct Sasan drop is sparse and slow (4+ hrs with change). Get off at the Kagvad board and cover the last 4 km by local rickshaw — agree the fare before you board.
• Train + cab: Virpur (8.6 km) and Jetpur (14 km) are the nearest stations on the Junagadh–Rajkot rail belt; from there it is a short cab hop to the temple, then the long leg to Sasan. Slow with changes (5+ hrs). Cabs stay fastest at 2-2.5 hrs door-to-door — and the same cab that dropped you is almost always cheaper than stitching station taxis.

Temple-Road Safety & Practical Tips

• Wildlife protocol: First 25 km fringe active 5:30-7 AM. Lion on road — stop, low beam, wait. No honk, no close pass.
• Junagadh bypass discipline: City exit only if Uparkot / Girnar / station is on the slip; otherwise hold the bypass and keep east on the highway. No “quick lunch” dives into college-hour traffic without a drop order.
• The Kagvad board: The only turn. Call it out loud when you see the Jetpur interchange — “board coming, stay alert.” Miss it and the backtrack eats 15-20 km at meter rate.
• Luggage check: Count bags at lodge steps. Overhead carriers on CNG cars cost ₹300–₹400 and must be requested when you book — not at pickup. Carrier nuts shake loose on SH rumble strips — re-torque at Mendarda or Junagadh bypass halt.
• Fuel: Fill at Sasan or Junagadh bypass. Jetpur interchange is the last reliable pump before the spur; the village road has none. CNG drivers — top up before the highway push; Virpur town lines run long on fair days.
• Payment slip: Write the 115 km billing, waiting after 60 min, night charge window, and “Khodaldham main gate” before the buffer closes. Keep a photo on your phone — gate-road disputes go faster with a timestamped shot than with a verbal memory at 5 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the distance from Sasan Gir to Khodaldham?

About 105 km by road via Mendarda, Junagadh and the Kagvad village board — the Sasan Gir to Khodaldham distance by car measured gate-to-gate. Sasan Gir to Junagadh is 52-55 km; Junagadh to Khodaldham is 48 km more, including the final 4 km spur from the highway. The Kagvad turn sits roughly 101 km from the safari gate.

How much does a taxi from Sasan Gir to Khodaldham cost?

Sedan Rs.3,400-3,900 one way, Ertiga Rs.4,200-4,800, Innova Crysta Rs.5,500-6,200. Tempo 12-seater Rs.7,500-8,500. Same-day return sedan Rs.5,200-6,000. Temple parking is free. Operators bill an 110-120 km minimum against the 105 km actual.

How long does it take to reach Khodaldham from Sasan Gir?

2 to 2.5 hours nonstop. With a Junagadh stop expect 3-plus hours. Night driving is not recommended — the Kagvad board is easy to miss in headlights and the farm stretch is unlit.

What is the best route from Sasan Gir to Khodaldham?

The Mendarda–Junagadh line: Sasan Gir → Mendarda → Junagadh bypass → Junagadh–Rajkot highway → Kagvad village board between Jetpur and Virpur → 4 km spur → Khodaldham main gate. Hold the Junagadh bypass unless Uparkot / Girnar / station is pre-agreed.

Can I do a morning safari and Khodaldham the same day?

Yes — take the 6-9 AM core slot, leave by 9:30-10:00, and keep a waiting round-trip or continuous cab. Junagadh bypass by 11:30-12:00, Kagvad board by 12:45, temple gate by 1:00 PM, and back at Sasan by 6:30-7:00 PM. Add an hour only if Uparkot or Virpur joins the plan.

How much luggage fits in the cab?

Dzire/Ertiga on CNG take 2 medium bags. Innova takes 4 large bags. For 3+ suitcases get a roof carrier at ₹300–₹400 — ask at booking. This is a 105 km sector — confirm the frame before you leave Sasan, not at the Junagadh halt.

Is parking available at Khodaldham temple?

Yes — free parking at the front gate for cars, taxis and tempos. Falgun fair weeks and full-moon Saturdays fill the main lot by late morning and spill to an overflow field about 300 m out. Drop people at the gate first, then park; say “Khodaldham main gate” so the cab is not left at the trust office address.

Which is the nearest railway station to Khodaldham?

Virpur, about 8.6 km from the temple, and Jetpur at 14 km — both on the Junagadh–Rajkot rail belt. From either station, a short cab or rickshaw hop reaches the temple gate; agree the local fare first. For flights, the nearest airport is Rajkot International Airport (Hirasar) — about 91-95 km from Kagvad via NH 27, roughly a 2-hour taxi ride, so book buffer time accordingly. The old Rajkot city airport no longer handles regular commercial flights.

Is night driving safe to Khodaldham?

Avoid after 9 PM. The fringe is unlit with wildlife, tractor trailers park blind on the farm-queue shoulder, and the Kagvad board slips past in headlights. If you must, stay on the main highway till the Jetpur interchange, slow right down for the board, and do not attempt the village spur after dark without the driver having run it in daylight.

Are there buses or trains to Khodaldham?

Yes, with changes. GSRTC buses run the Junagadh–Rajkot corridor to Virpur and Jetpur — get off at the Kagvad board and rickshaw the last 4 km; a direct Sasan drop is sparse (4+ hrs with change). Trains serve Virpur and Jetpur on the Junagadh–Rajkot line, then a cab to Sasan. Cabs stay fastest at 2-2.5 hrs door-to-door.