Dwarka to Somnath Taxi Fare Cab Rates & Route Guide
Somnath sits 230-240 km south-east of Dwarka — five to five and a half hours on the NH51 coast road through Porbandar, with a sedan one-way at Rs.3,400-5,200, an Ertiga at Rs.4,800-6,500, and an Innova Crysta at Rs.7,500-9,600. This is the temple-to-temple corridor: the Char Dham end at Dwarkadhish, the first Jyotirlinga at Somnath, and a single highway stitching them along the Arabian Sea. Time it off the darshan clock, not the hotel checkout — check Dwarkadhish Temple darshan timings, take the mid-morning slot, roll out of Dwarka by 12:30 after Rajbhog, and the road delivers you at Prabhas Patan before the sunset Sandhya Aarti — slot timings and the evening window sit in our Somnath Temple complete guide.
What changes on this run is the market, not the math. It is a high-volume pilgrimage corridor, so per-kilometre rates sit below the Gir outstation runs — but operators still bill a 225-250 km minimum against the 230-240 km actual, three to five FASTag gates split the coast, and both drop ends price differently: Dwarka quotes temple-side or bypass, Somnath quotes temple gate, Prabhas Patan, station side or Bhalka. The whole run stays inside Gujarat — no border tax, no ferry, 236 km of road as the only link. Porbandar sits on the road either way: the Gandhi-birthplace halt costs you time in the town, not kilometres on the map.
Route Overview – Dwarka to Somnath by Car
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Distance | ~230-240 km gate-to-gate on the coastal line (Dwarka → Porbandar ~108 km → Madhavpur ~145 km → Veraval ~223 km → Somnath); 225-250 km on the interior variants |
| Travel Time | 5 to 5.5 hours nonstop on the coast road; 4.5 to 5.5 on the interior line; add 45-60 minutes for a Porbandar halt and 30-45 for Veraval town traffic |
| Route A (Coastal NH51) | Dwarka → Bhogat → Porbandar → Madhavpur → Mangrol → Veraval → Bhalka Tirth → Somnath — the dispatcher’s default; Porbandar sits on the road, not off it |
| Route B (Interior Line) | Dwarka → Khambhalia → Bhanvad → Keshod → Veraval → Somnath — ~225 km but patchier 2-lane sections; a long inland sweep via Dhoraji and Junagadh (235-250 km) matters only when Gir joins the plan |
| Highway Notes | 4-lane concrete on the Dwarka–Porbandar section, then NH51 mostly 4-lane with sea crosswind and two town cuts (Porbandar, Veraval); Route B trades surface for lighter traffic; the last 6 km runs past Bhalka Tirth into Prabhas Patan |
| Toll Estimate | Rs.150-350 combined across the gates on either line — FASTag standard on every registered cab; app quotes often show toll included |
| Airports on the Map | PBD Porbandar sits at the 108 km mark on Route A; Keshod (IXK) lies ~50-55 km north of Somnath with Alliance Air links to Ahmedabad, Diu, Mumbai and Porbandar three days a week; Diu and Rajkot Hirasar cover the rest of the Somnath end — quote each as its own drop sector |
The run starts in Dwarka’s temple-town traffic and turns south onto the coast highway. First 40 km run along the sea-facing belt past the Bhogat crossing — pilgrim buses pulling out of temple-town stands, cattle on the shoulder at dusk, good surface but narrow overtaking room where the road hugs the shore. Beyond that the landscape settles into salt flats and groundnut, drivers hold 70-80 kmph on the bypass stretches, and the first natural halt arrives on schedule at Porbandar — 108 km, about two hours out.
At the Porbandar junction you decide how the day runs. Stay on the coastal line and the halt is free: Sudama Temple Porbandar and Kirti Mandir sit in the town you were driving through anyway, and a 45-60 minute stop still lands you at Somnath before the evening aarti. Switch to the interior line if you want the lightest traffic and no town cuts — but you lose the halt and gain little in kilometres. Whichever line you book, hold it from the junction — a mid-run “shortcut” means padded kilometres.
The drop discipline applies here in miniature. Veraval’s truck belt and market crossings slow the last 25 km, Bhalka Tirth sits about 6 km before the town as the natural final photo halt, and then Somnath splits into its drop zones: temple gate for darshan-first travellers, Prabhas Patan for lodges, station side for the Veraval rail connection, Bhalka for the beach hotels. Say which one before you leave Dwarka, get it on the slip, and the last 6 km stop being a negotiation at the temple barricade.
Taxi Fare Breakdown – What You Actually Pay
Below are standard one-way fares for the Dwarka to Somnath drop in 2026 — the Dwarka to Somnath taxi fare, since Somnath prices by drop point, not by pin. The actual run is 230-240 km on the coast road, but operators on this sector bill a 225-250 km minimum: you are paying for the driver’s empty ~235 km back to Dwarka, which is why the sedan sits above a raw 235 km × rate calculation. Temple-gate and Prabhas Patan drops are standard; the station-side and Bhalka ends, and any Diu or PBD airport sector, are quoted separately:
| Vehicle Type | Models | Capacity | Luggage | One-Way Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | Swift Dzire, Etios | 4 seater AC | 2 bags | Rs.3,400-5,200 |
| SUV | Ertiga | 6 seater AC | 2 bags | Rs.4,800-6,500 |
| SUV (Premium) | Innova Crysta | 6 seater AC | 4 bags | Rs.7,500-9,600 |
| Tempo Traveller | 12 Seater | 12 seater AC | 8 bags | Rs.8,500-11,000 |
| Tempo Traveller | 17 Seater | 17 seater AC | 10 bags | Rs.11,000-14,000 |
| Drop Add-on | All types | — | — | + Rs.200-500 for station side or Bhalka over the temple-gate drop |
Published rates on this corridor run about Rs.10-19 per km — Dzire class near Rs.12, Innova Rs.17, Crysta Rs.19 — so 235 km at the sedan rate looks like Rs.2,800-3,000 on paper. The one-way quote lands higher because of the empty return and the 225-250 km minimum. Portals list sedans Rs.3,250-4,600 all-in; shrine-gate touts at Dwarka start at Rs.2,500-3,000, usually before toll, sometimes before driver bata, always on an older car. Fares swing Rs.300-700 by weekend and again in the Janmashtami and Maha Shivratri weeks. Ask for the breakup slip — 235 km × rate + driver bata Rs.250-350 + GST — and confirm out loud: “Is the temple-gate drop included, or is station side / Bhalka extra?”
The CNG Luggage Warning
Dzires and Ertigas in the Dwarka fleet run CNG. Cylinder in the boot. Two medium bags fit — the third rides on the back seat with someone’s knees. A temple-town run means garvi, suitcases and prasad bags — 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 confirmed at booking in Dwarka, not asked for en route. On a 235 km run there is no convenient point to fit a frame: Porbandar’s halts are fuel stops and shopfronts, and Veraval’s fitters do not work to your aarti deadline. Innova Crysta carries 4 large bags without the frame. Count bags before the driver leaves your lodge.
What’s Included vs. What’s Extra
What’s included: Fuel, driver allowance (bata Rs.250-350 for this sector), GST on aggregator bills, 60 minutes of free waiting at the Somnath drop. What’s extra: Highway toll — Rs.150-350 combined across the gates on either line, and FASTag is standard for cabs, so the plazas read the tag electronically with no cash stop and operators add the total to the slip; station-side or Bhalka drop add-on Rs.200-500; night charge Rs.200-300 (10 PM-6 AM); waiting Rs.100 per hour after the first free hour; and town parking Rs.50-100 at either temple end.
No border tax — intra-Gujarat all the way. The surprise on this route is the drop-point gap: a temple-gate quote and a station-side quote differ by Rs.200-500, and some operators stop at the Somnath barricade and charge the last 2 km as waiting-time extra when the temple gate is closed for a procession. Ask the number before you sit down and confirm: “Is the exact drop included — temple gate, Prabhas Patan lodge, station side, or Bhalka?” Write it on the slip.
Why Are Round Trips Sometimes Cheaper?
One-way Rs.4,000 bakes in an empty return — 235 km down, 235 km back empty. Same-day return (460-480 km total) runs Rs.5,500-7,000 sedan, Rs.6,500-7,500 Ertiga, Rs.9,000-10,500 Crysta. Per-km drops from about Rs.17 to Rs.12. For Somnath the car waits anyway if your plan is Dwarkadhish morning darshan, Porbandar lunch, Somnath evening aarti and back for a night train from Dwarka — round-trip holds the car through that idle stretch and kills the 8 PM scramble when the one-way cabs have all gone back. Groups of 6+ do better in one Innova than two sedans — parking for one, waiting for one. One thing to settle before you leave Dwarka: on an 8-10 hour round-trip day, driver bata covers one meal — most operators expect you to either buy the driver’s lunch at the Porbandar halt or add Rs.100-150 meal money to the slip.
Car Rental Options from Dwarka
Four booking channels cover this run, and they do not price the same. The lodge desk books through a Porbandar or Rajkot fleet and adds a small commission — convenient, but the driver is often someone else’s. The Dwarkadhish temple gate stands are useful for same-day renegotiation but weak on paperwork, and they quote hardest to out-of-state plates. Aggregator apps give a fixed upfront price and a driver rating, yet on a 235 km pilgrimage outstation they load driver bata and GST late, and the Somnath drop point is usually excluded from the quoted fare. Direct fleet operators on WhatsApp give the best rate for this distance — sedan from Rs.3,400, Ertiga from Rs.4,800 — but you must send your own slip: lodge name and gate time, exact drop, vehicle model, toll treatment, roof-rack need, and whether station-side or Bhalka counts as the drop.
Whatever channel you pick, ask the same five questions before paying a token: Is the drop temple gate, Prabhas Patan, station side or Bhalka? Is toll included or extra? Is driver bata inside the quote? Is FASTag active on this vehicle? How many bags fit with the CNG cylinder in the boot? On this length the spread between the cheapest and dearest sedan quote runs Rs.1,000-1,800 — the questions cost two minutes and settle most of it.
Coastal NH51 vs Interior Line
One useful fact first: the fare sits inside the same 225-250 km billing minimum either way, so choosing is about road standard, halt value and exit hour, not price:
| Factor | Route A – Coastal NH51 | Route B – Interior Line |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | ~230-240 km via Bhogat, Porbandar, Mangrol and Veraval | ~225 km via Khambhalia, Bhanvad and Keshod; 235-250 km via Dhoraji and Junagadh |
| Time | 5 to 5.5 hours nonstop; 6+ with the Porbandar halt | 4.5 to 5.5 hours |
| Road Standard | 4-lane concrete Porbandar–Dwarka expressway, then NH51 mostly 4-lane; two town cuts (Porbandar, Veraval) | Patchier 2-lane sections past Bhanvad; lighter through traffic |
| Best For | The default run — a Porbandar halt, first-timers, the sunset-aarti clock | No-town-cut preference, or chaining Dwarka with the Gir circuit through Dhoraji and Junagadh |
| Watch-outs | Porbandar and Veraval market traffic, sea crosswind on open stretches, festival weeks clogging the temple approach | Fewer fuel and facility halts, slower averages where the surface breaks up |
| Halts | Bhogat tea point, Porbandar (45-60 min), Mangrol, Veraval | Village tea halts only — no landmark stop worth a slip amendment |
En Route Stops and Breaks
Distances below are cumulative from the Dwarka gate, at a realistic driver pace of 55-60 kmph plus halts. The decision that matters is when to stop:
| Stop | From Gate | Why Stop |
|---|---|---|
| Bhogat Crossing | ~35-45 km, 40-50 minutes | First tea and fuel on NH51; the last easy halt before the expressway push to Porbandar |
| Porbandar | ~105-108 km, 2-2.5 hours | The natural half-way halt: Kirti Mandir and Sudama Temple in the town you drive through anyway, plus full lunch options and fuel — 45-60 minutes still lands you pre-aarti |
| Madhavpur Ghat | ~145-150 km, 3 hours | Beach halt at the Krishna–Rukmini marriage site — rough sea and strong undercurrents, so a photo stop only, never a swim; chai stalls and restrooms |
| Mangrol | ~158-162 km, 3-3.5 hours | Fishing-town lunch option if you skipped Porbandar; large fuel stations on the bypass |
| Veraval | ~223 km, 4.5-5 hours | Gateway town: truck belt, market crossings, last big fuel and pharmacy before Somnath — reconfirm your drop point here |
| Bhalka Tirth | ~226-234 km, last 6 km | Krishna’s samadhi spot on the approach road; a 10-15 minute final halt before the temple town |
| Somnath Drop | 230-240 km, 5-5.5 hours | End — temple gate, Prabhas Patan lodge, station side or Bhalka, as written on the slip |
Two patterns hold for every itinerary on this route. First, break at Porbandar, not at two hours: full-service restaurants with clean washrooms thin out fast after the Porbandar bypass — the Madhavpur hotel strip is what is left — and a 45-60 minute halt at the 105 km mark keeps the driver alert for the Veraval approach, which is the most demanding hour of the run; Kirti Mandir also closes its inner rooms earlier than the town does, so arriving at 12:30 beats arriving at 2:00. Second, lock the Somnath drop point while you still have phone signal at the Veraval halt — once the driver is committed to the temple barricade, changing to station side or Bhalka mid-traffic costs you the waiting time and the Rs.200-500 difference.
Dwarka Pickup Points
Dwarka prices pickups by how close the cab can get to the Dwarkadhish temple lanes. Lodge-side and temple-gate pickups are standard for stays inside the old grid — but the lanes are narrow, processions close them without notice, and a big car will wait at the main-road gate instead of your door. Say “nearest main-road gate” at booking if your lodge sits inside the temple grid. The Dwarka bus stand and the main road stands quote freely, and the highway-bypass pickup (the NH51 exit toward Porbandar) usually saves 15-20 minutes of temple-town reversing — worth choosing if you have bags loaded and a 12:30 exit to protect.
Two airport notes for this side. PBD Porbandar sits at the 108 km mark on your own road to Somnath — a flight in or out there is a sector on the route, not a detour, and it quotes as its own drop/pickup (Rs.500-800 over a city point). Jamnagar lies about 130-135 km back east and is the other option for Dwarka-bound flights; quote it as a standalone sector too, never as “on the way”. Dwarka railway station (DWK) handles the temple-town trains and sits a short hop from the lodge cluster — a station pickup is standard, an airport pickup on this end is not.
Somnath Drop Points – Temple Gate, Station, Bhalka
Somnath’s drops split four ways, and they are 2-7 km apart — small distances that price differently: private drivers also push hard to set you down at the Veraval bypass junction instead of running the tight market road to Prabhas Patan, because the bypass is on their exit lane. Your lodge door is not the junction — write the door on the slip in Dwarka:
| Drop Zone | Typical Landing Point | Fare Impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somnath Temple Gate | Barricade line on the main approach | Standard city drop, included | Best for darshan-first travellers; the road packs before the sunset aarti — give the driver the gate number, not just “temple” |
| Prabhas Patan Lodges | Hotel doors in the town grid | Usually included with temple-gate drop | The default for overnight stays; agree a walk-up point if your lodge sits inside the one-way lanes |
| Station Side | Somnath halt (SMNH) 2-3 km, or Veraval Junction (VRL) 7 km | Often Rs.200-500 above temple drop | Veraval carries the longer-distance trains — say which station, because “the station” reads two different ways on a slip |
| Bhalka | Bhalka Tirth side, beach hotels north of town | + Rs.200-500 over temple drop | The quiet-end drop; drivers accept it gladly — it is on their way out of town |
| “Barricade Stop” | Any point short of your address during aarti traffic | Refuse it | Some quotes cut the last 2 km as waiting during the evening crush; get the full-door drop on the slip in Dwarka, not in the jam |
Two clocks multiply every drop in Somnath. The sunset Sandhya Aarti packs the temple approach, and the light-and-sound show afterwards releases its crowd across the same road — if your arrival window lands inside either, add 20-30 minutes to the final 6 km or ask to be set down at the Bhalka end and walk in.
One last sizing note for split journeys. If the rail plan breaks your road leg — train to Veraval, then the last stretch — the 7 km connection is priced and described in our Veraval to Somnath taxi guide: same drop points, same Rs.200-500 spread, but a shorter bill. The reverse direction of today’s whole run is a separate corridor with its own published fares; treat the two as one continuous circuit when you book rather than paying two minimums.
Before You Book – The Darshan Clock Checklist
Darshan Timing Sets Your Exit Hour
The Somnath run is decided the night before, at the Dwarkadhish darshan counter. Take the morning darshan, be out by 12:30-1:00 PM after the Rajbhog, and the day runs itself: Porbandar halt by 2:30, Veraval by 5:00-5:30, and the Somnath barricade before the sunset aarti crowd builds — with the light-and-sound show still ahead of you. Book the evening darshan instead and the sequence inverts: you leave Dwarka around 6-7 PM on night-charge rules, arrive after 11 PM, and miss the aarti you drove 235 km for. On Janmashtami and Maha Shivratri weeks the temple lanes close earlier — settle both the slot and the exit time with your driver the evening before. The full slot mechanics live in our Dwarkadhish Temple darshan timings guide; the rule for this route is one line: morning darshan, afternoon on the road.
Write the Slip Fields Before the Driver Leaves
Six fields, all on paper before the car exits the Dwarka gate: pickup lodge name and gate time (or “bypass pickup, lodge name”); vehicle model and registration number; driver mobile number; exact drop — temple gate, Prabhas Patan lodge, station side (SMNH or Veraval) or Bhalka; whether toll and driver bata sit inside or outside the quote; and whether an overhead rack was fitted in Dwarka. Photograph the slip. Phones, smartwatches and leather belts are not allowed inside either temple, so whatever stays with you at the Dwarkadhish gate also stays in the cab boot during the Porbandar halt. On this route the disputes that reach the phone are almost never about the fare — they are about a drop point that was never named and a driver stopping at the barricade when the booking said the lodge door.
Money, FASTag and Night Rules
Aggregator bookings are card-and-UPI clear; direct fleet bookings usually take a small token online and the balance in cash or UPI at the Somnath drop — agree which at booking. Carry Rs.500-600 in small change even on a prepaid cab: on outstation trips some operators hand the toll to the passenger at the gate instead of running their FASTag. Every gate that runs your driver’s tag goes on the slip as a line item; if a tag fails and he pays cash, keep the receipt and match it against the Rs.150-350 estimate.
Two time-window rules apply after 10 PM: the night charge of Rs.200-300 becomes legitimate, and drivers start negotiating the last stretch — some will suggest leaving you at the Veraval junction “for a local cab”. Settle it at booking: “If we arrive after 10 PM, you complete the drop to the door, night charge included.”
Somnath to Dwarka – The Return Run
The reverse run prices almost the same — one-way sedan Rs.3,600-5,400 into Dwarka, because Somnath-origin quotes sit Rs.300-600 above the Dwarka side — but the clock works in your favour again. After the night aarti or a morning Somnath darshan, leaving between 7:00 and 8:00 AM clears the Veraval truck belt before it thickens: Porbandar lunch around noon, Dwarka temple lanes by 3:00-4:00 PM, and the return Rajbhog or evening darshan window still open. Say “Dwarka drop: temple-side or bypass, lodge name on the slip” — drivers know the cluster but not which lane you are in, and the wrong gate costs 15 minutes of reversing against festival traffic.
| Option | Door-to-Door Time | Cost Band | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way sedan (either direction) | 5-5.5 hours | Rs.3,400-5,400 | Fixed plans, rail connections on one end, one bag-light car per leg |
| Same-day round trip | 5-5.5 hours each way plus wait | Rs.5,500-7,000 sedan | Darshan-both-ends days, Porbandar halt and the aarti, no re-negotiation at either temple |
| Overnight train + cab | ~9 hours + 7 km hop | Rail Rs.250-450 + station cab Rs.200-400 | Budget night travellers — direct 19252 Dwarka 8:45 PM → Veraval 5:15 AM, no change; luggage under two bags |
| GSRTC bus | 5-6 hours plus waits | Rs.250-450 per seat | Solo light travellers with no aarti deadline — no door drop at either end |
The rail option is real but door-to-door slower: the daily Okha–Somnath Express (19252) runs one-seat overnight from Dwarka to Veraval Junction — about 8:45 PM to 5:15 AM, no change — with the return 19251 out of Veraval at 11:05 PM, then a 7 km station cab for the last hop. It wins on price; it loses the moment the aarti clock matters, since the night train lands you at dawn, not at the gate. And if the temple circuit is being stitched from the forest first, the Sasan Gir to Dwarka car rental leg feeds this run — book Gir → Dwarka → Somnath as one continuous hire. The Veraval-origin variant of today’s corridor has its own published fares in our Veraval to Dwarka car rental guide.
A same-day round trip with both darshans bolted on runs 13-15 hours — two drives plus two temple queues. Split it across a night, or hold the car as a waiting vehicle on a fixed idle price instead of meter-watching at the barricade.
Best Time to Drive & Road Conditions
October through March gives the cleanest run on the coast — dry surface, cool mornings, drivers holding 70-80 kmph on the bypass stretches between Bhogat and Porbandar. Two weather windows need planning rather than avoiding. In the monsoon (June-September) coastal squalls and crosswind slow the open sections and the salt-flats stretches hold water at the edges, so add 30-45 minutes to the 5-5.5 hour window and hold the driver to the mainline rather than the shoulder. In December and January, sea fog sits on the belt before sunrise — the first hour belongs to the driver at 40-50 kmph, and a 9:30-10:00 gate exit is safer than a pre-dawn start. Around Janmashtami and Maha Shivratri, the Dwarka lodge cluster fills and the Somnath approach packs for the aarti: book the car a day ahead, and if you have a fixed train or flight, keep one spare hour in the window.
FAQs: Dwarka to Somnath Car Rental
What is the distance from Dwarka to Somnath by car?
About 230-240 km by road on the coastal NH51 line — Dwarka → Bhogat → Porbandar → Mangrol → Veraval → Somnath — taking 5 to 5.5 hours nonstop. The interior variants run 225-250 km. Porbandar sits at the 105-108 km mark on the default line, and Veraval is the last big town, about 7 km before the Somnath drop.
How much does a taxi cost from Dwarka to Somnath?
One-way sedan Rs.3,400-5,200, Ertiga Rs.4,800-6,500, Innova Crysta Rs.7,500-9,600, 12-seater tempo Rs.8,500-11,000. Operators bill a 225-250 km minimum against the 230-240 km actual. Weekend and festival weeks move fares Rs.300-700; portal totals usually include bata and toll, street quotes often do not.
Which route is better — via Porbandar or the interior line?
Via Porbandar on NH51 — it is the default: 4-lane concrete on the Dwarka–Porbandar section, Porbandar’s halt on the road you drive anyway, and the sunset-aarti clock protected. The interior line via Khambhalia and Bhanvad suits only travellers chaining Dwarka with the Gir circuit through Dhoraji and Junagadh, or anyone avoiding town cuts entirely.
How long does it take to reach Somnath from Dwarka?
5 to 5.5 hours nonstop on the coast road, 4.5 to 5.5 on the interior line. Add 45-60 minutes for the Porbandar halt, 30-45 for Veraval town traffic, and 20-30 if your arrival lands inside the Somnath evening aarti crush. A 9:30-10:00 AM Dwarka exit reaches the barricade by 3:00-4:00 PM.
Is Porbandar a detour on this route?
No — Porbandar sits on the road either way. Kirti Mandir and Sudama Temple are inside the town your cab was driving through anyway, so a 45-60 minute halt costs you time in town, not kilometres on the route: 105-108 km from Dwarka, and Somnath still reachable before the evening aarti.
Can I reach Somnath for the evening aarti after Dwarkadhish darshan?
Yes — that is the standard plan. Take the morning Dwarkadhish darshan, roll out by 12:30-1:00 PM after the Rajbhog, halt 45-60 minutes at Porbandar, and reach Somnath by 5:30-6:30 PM with the sunset Sandhya Aarti still ahead. An evening darshan in Dwarka flips it — you would travel on night-charge rules and arrive after the aarti.
Are tolls included in the fare?
Usually extra: budget Rs.150-350 combined across the gates on either line. Registered cabs run FASTag, so plazas read the tag with no cash stop and operators add the total to the slip. Portal quotes sometimes fold toll in — confirm in writing before you pay the token.
Is there a direct train from Dwarka to Somnath?
No train reaches Somnath station (SMNH) direct from Dwarka, but the daily Okha–Somnath Express (19252) runs one-seat overnight from Dwarka to Veraval Junction — about 8:45 PM to 5:15 AM — and the return 19251 leaves Veraval at 11:05 PM. Add the 7 km station cab for the last hop. Door-to-door the taxi wins on time (5-5.5 hours); the sleeper train wins on price if your schedule has slack.
Is night driving safe on this route?
Avoid after 9 PM. The coast belt is unlit with village crossings and cattle on the shoulder, the Porbandar and Veraval town cuts are unpredictable in headlights, and the Somnath approach barricade is easy to overshoot. If you must, stay on the NH51 mainline, keep the driver on the agreed drop, and pay the Rs.200-300 night charge with the full-door completion clause already on the slip.
Is a round trip cheaper than two one-ways?
Almost always. A same-day sedan round trip runs Rs.5,500-7,000 against two one-ways of Rs.6,800-10,400, because the return leg stops billing as an empty run. Per-kilometre cost drops from about Rs.17 to Rs.12, and the car waits with you through the Porbandar halt and the Somnath aarti.
