Sasan Gir to Junagadh Taxi Fare: Cab Rates & Route Guide
Junagadh sits 52-55 km northeast of the Sasan Gir safari gate — 1.25 to 1.5 hours via Mendarda. A sedan costs Rs.2,400 one way, an Ertiga Rs.3,000, and an Innova Crysta Rs.4,200. The road leaves the teak forest fast, crosses farm country, then hits Junagadh’s city traffic near the railway overbridge. And if you are finishing a Sasan Gir National Park safari guide morning slot and aiming for Uparkot Fort before lunch, departure time matters more than the fare.
This is the classic wildlife-to-heritage link — lions in the morning, 2,300-year-old fort walls by afternoon. No tolls, no border tax, both points inside Gujarat. But operators bill a 90-100 km minimum even for this 53 km run, CNG boots swallow luggage space, and Junagadh’s one-ways confuse outstation drivers. Book with the return and waiting terms written down.
Route Overview – Sasan Gir to Junagadh by Car
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Distance | ~52-55 km via Mendarda (Sasan Gir → Mendarda 25-28 km → Junagadh 25-27 km) |
| Travel Time | 1.25 to 1.5 hours; 2 hours with city traffic or monsoon diversions |
| Route | Sasan Gir → Mendarda → Junagadh (SH state highway, district road) |
| Highway Notes | 2-lane asphalt throughout, forest buffer first 12 km, rural straight runs after Mendarda |
| Toll Estimate | Rs.0 — no toll plazas. City parking Rs.50-100 at Uparkot / Girnar base |
The drive starts at Sasan’s safari reception and heads northeast — opposite direction to the Somnath-Veraval flow. First 12 km run through Gir buffer. Teak and khair on both sides, speed breakers every 2 km, forest guards with challan books. Dawn brings nilgai to the shoulder. Keep windows up, headlights low.
Mendarda is the midpoint — fuel, tea, tyres. Past it the road straightens across groundnut and cotton belts into Junagadh’s outskirts. Last 5 km slow down. Railway crossing, college chowk, then the walled-city bottleneck near Majevadi Gate. Your driver will cut via the bypass if Uparkot is the drop. So tell him the exact drop — fort parking, Girnar Taleti, or station — before confusion starts. Different turns, different traffic.
Surface holds year-round. Patched in sections in 2024-25, but July-September brings shoulder erosion near two culverts after Mendarda. Still motorable. Just add 15 minutes and skip night runs when trucks park half on the lane.
Taxi Fare Breakdown – What You Actually Pay
Below are standard one-way fares for the Sasan Gir to Junagadh drop in 2026. Operators bill a 90-100 km minimum for outstation duty, so this 53 km ride is priced as 90 km plus driver return — that explains the per-km math. City drops cost Rs.200 more than station drops due to old-city loops:
| Vehicle Type | Models | Capacity | Luggage | One-Way Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan | Swift Dzire, Etios | 4 seater AC | 2 bags | Rs.2,400 |
| SUV | Ertiga | 6 seater AC | 2 bags | Rs.3,000 |
| SUV (Premium) | Innova Crysta | 6 seater AC | 4 bags | Rs.4,200 |
| Tempo Traveller | 12 Seater | 12 seater AC | 10 bags | Rs.6,500 |
| Tempo Traveller | 17 Seater | 17 seater AC | 10 bags | Rs.7,000 |
| Tempo Traveller | 26 Seater | 26 seater AC | 10 bags | Rs.8,500 |
The CNG Luggage Warning
Almost every Dzire and Ertiga here runs on CNG. Cylinder in the boot. Space for 2 medium bags — nothing more. Hotel stay luggage for Junagadh plus safari gear? Will not fit. An overhead carrier for Ertiga/Innova costs Rs.300-400 extra — essential for 3+ bags in CNG cars, request it at booking. Innova Crysta solves it without the frame.
What’s Included vs. What’s Extra
What’s included: Fuel, driver allowance, GST on aggregator bills. What’s extra: Fort/Girnar parking Rs.50-100, night charge Rs.200-300 (10 PM-6 AM), waiting Rs.100 per hour after 60 minutes.
No toll on this sector. No state tax — intra-Gujarat run. One habit to fix at booking: ask “Is Uparkot parking and old-city entry included, or will the driver ask at the gate?” Junagadh’s fort lane has a collection point that surprises first-timers. Get the answer on the slip.
Why Are Round Trips Sometimes Cheaper?
One-way Rs.2,400 already folds in empty return — driver dead-heads to Sasan. Same-day return (106-110 km total) runs Rs.3,500-4,000 sedan, Rs.4,500-5,000 Ertiga. Per-km falls from Rs.45 to Rs.33. And for Girnar days the car sits 4-5 hours at Taleti parking anyway. Round-trip locks the car, kills the last-minute car hunt at 5 PM when ropeway crowds exit together. Worth it October-March.
Car Rental Options – How to Book
Online aggregators: MakeMyTrip lists Sasan-Junagadh sedans around Rs.1,710-2,029 plus taxes, CabBazar shows Rs.1,300 base. Those are bare fares for 53 km included — driver bata, waiting and city parking get added at checkout. Useful for a paper trail and free cancellation till 24 hours before. Expect final Rs.2,200-2,600 for sedan on the day.
Local stands in Sasan Gir: Stands near the safari gate, Sasan bus stop and Mendarda chowk hold most cars for this sector. Walk up, check tyres and AC, note the plate, take the driver’s number. Bargaining works for same-day return. Ask for a written slip — fare, 90 km minimum billing, waiting terms, parking. Lodge desks add Rs.200 commission but replace the car fast if it fails on the Mendarda stretch.
Timing your pickup: Share exact drop — Junagadh Junction, Uparkot parking, or Girnar Taleti — plus luggage count. Fort visits need a 9:30 AM exit from Sasan to beat city school traffic. Ropeway days need 7:30 AM exit to catch the 9 AM cabin queue before it builds. Drivers know the shortcuts through Joshipura if you ask.
Best Route via Mendarda
One practical road. Sasan Gir → Mendarda (25-28 km) → Junagadh (25-27 km). Two lanes, centre line faded in places, but wide enough for buses. The Talala-Keshod-Junagadh loop adds 35-40 km and is only used when Mendarda culverts flood in August. If your driver suggests the long loop on a dry day, he is padding km. Push back.
Traffic splits by direction. The Sasan Gir to Veraval car rental road south carries pilgrim buses. The Mendarda road north carries milk tankers, school vans and safari jeeps returning to Junagadh workshops. Slower, but fewer jams. Overtake only on the straight farm stretches — curves near the buffer hide oncoming tractors.
En Route Stops & Waypoints
| Stop | Distance from Sasan | What to See / Do |
|---|---|---|
| Sasan Gir Gate | 0 km | Start — safari reception, last ATM, fill fuel, buy water |
| Mendarda | 25-28 km | Fuel, dhabas, tyre repair, restrooms — only proper halt |
| Junagadh City Entry | 50-52 km | Railway overbridge, bus stand bypass, city traffic starts |
| Uparkot Fort | 53-55 km | Fort parking, ticket counter, 3-4 hr walk zone |
| Girnar Taleti Base | 58-60 km | Ropeway lower station, Bhavnath Temple, parking |
Mendarda is the only halt worth taking. Two clean dhabas on the Junagadh side, one CNG station with morning queues. After Mendarda — nothing till city. Fill water here. Junagadh entry clogs 9-11 AM with school and court traffic; fort parking fills by noon in winter. Aim to cross Mendarda by 10 AM for a smooth city entry.
What to Do in Junagadh
Junagadh rewards a full day — fort, hill and maqbara sit within 6 km. Base yourself at the cab; distances are short but walking is long. Carry cap, 1 litre water, and cash for tickets:
- Uparkot Fort (8 AM-6 PM, Rs.100 adults / Rs.50 children / Rs.500 foreigners): 2,300-year-old citadel on the city’s east edge. Ticket covers Navghan Kuvo and Adi Kadi Vav stepwells, plus Khapra Kodiya Buddhist caves, Nilam-Kadanal cannons and Jama Masjid — interiors shut strictly around 5:30-6:00 PM. Scan the QR at the gate or book online at uparkotfort.com to skip weekend queues. Needs 3-4 hours on foot; morning light is best.
- Girnar Hill + Ropeway (8 AM-5 PM): Gujarat’s highest at 1,116 m, 5 km from fort. Udan Khatola ropeway covers 2,126 m to Ambaji Temple in 8-9 minutes — about Rs.400 one-way, Rs.700 return. Beyond Ambaji, 9,999 steps continue to Gorakhnath Peak and Dattatreya shrine. Last ride down is 5 PM — miss it and you walk. Ropeway halts in high winds (recent suspensions at 70-85 kmph gusts), which can leave you waiting at Ambaji plateau or force a 5,000-step descent — check the wind-status board at Taleti base before heading up. For a wildlife add-on near town, read the Girnar nature safari guide for slots, zones and lion chances outside Sasan core.
- Mahabat Maqbara (9 AM-6 PM, Rs.20): Spiral-minaret mausoleum near the station — 1 hour, photogenic at 4 PM. Damodar Kund, edicts and Sakkarbaug Zoo nearby only if time remains.
Safari-to-Heritage Same-Day Itinerary
Lions at dawn, fort by lunch — doable, but only on the early safari. The Devalia Safari Park interpretation zone is the fallback when core permits sell out — 1.5 hours, assured sightings, back by 9:30 AM:
- 6:00-9:00 AM: Core safari. Luggage packed, room billed, driver on call at gate.
- 9:30 AM: Depart Sasan via Mendarda. Non-stop unless fuel needed.
- 11:00 AM: Reach Junagadh. Park at Uparkot, quick tea.
- 11:30 AM-2:30 PM: Uparkot Fort walk (3 hrs). Carry water — no vendors inside upper walls.
- 2:30-3:00 PM: Lunch near Majevadi Gate — thali joints, not highway dhabas.
- 3:30-5:30 PM: Girnar Taleti ropeway return to Ambaji, or Maqbara + edicts if legs are done.
Winter version shifts 30 minutes earlier — fog till 7:30 AM slows the buffer exit. Summer version flips the order: fort 7-10 AM is impossible from Sasan same morning, so stay at Junagadh previous night and do safari next dawn. Tell your lodge the plan; 5:30 AM wake-up lines start at 5:45 AM.
Best Time to Drive & Road Conditions
Early morning (6:00-9:00 AM): Best window. Cool, empty, wildlife near the buffer. Reach Junagadh before school traffic. Fog Dec-Jan cuts visibility to 50 m till 7:30 AM — low beam, no overtaking in the forest patch.
Late morning (9:30 AM-12:00 PM): Standard safari-transfer slot. Moderate traffic, dhabas open at Mendarda. Summer hits 40°C by 11 AM — AC on full load strains small hatchbacks, so prefer sedan with good tyres.
Avoid: Night after 8 PM. Buffer stretch unlit, nilgai crossings, trucks parked half-lane near Mendarda. Monsoon (July-Sept) adds culvert waterlogging — add 20 minutes. If IMD flags a Saurashtra cyclone, Junagadh city floods first at the underpass; check with driver the night before. Girnar Parikrama in Kartik (Nov) chokes Taleti roads for 5 days — add 1 hour or dateshift.
Return Options – Junagadh to Sasan Gir
- Pre-booked round-trip cab: Simplest. Driver waits at Uparkot (Rs.50-100 parking) or Taleti (Rs.100-150). Sedan return Rs.3,500-4,000. Keeps the ropeway-exit scramble solved.
- Local taxi in Junagadh: Stand outside Junction station and Majevadi Gate. Sedan to Sasan Rs.2,600-2,800 — Rs.200 above Sasan rates. Few cars after 7 PM; bargain before boarding.
- GSRTC bus: Junagadh to Sasan via Mendarda — 3+ daily, Rs.120-170, 1h50m-2h15m. Last link around 6 PM. Junagadh bus port has a proper enquiry counter; Sasan side is a roadside halt.
- Train + cab: Junagadh Junction on Rajkot-Veraval line. Maliya Hatina (30 km from Sasan) is the nearer broad-gauge halt for some expresses — local autos (Rs.300-400) reach Sasan faster than cutting through Junagadh city traffic. Then auto/cab to Sasan. For coastal onward, operators flip a Diu to Junagadh car rental in reverse — ask for Junagadh-Sasan-Diu package (195 km, 4.5 hrs). Many combine it with our Sasan Gir to Somnath car rental circuit for a 3-day Gir-Junagadh-Somnath loop.
Highway Safety & Practical Tips
- Wildlife protocol: Lion/leopard on road — stop, dip to low beam, wait. No honking, no reversing fast. Peak 5:30-7:00 AM near Sasan west gate.
- Fuel: Fill at Sasan or Mendarda. Junagadh pumps queue at noon. CNG at Mendarda and Junagadh — 20-min queues at 9 AM, so top up the night before a ropeway-day run.
- Cash + network: UPI works at Mendarda, patchy in buffer. Keep Rs.1,000 cash for parking, tickets, tea. Jio/Airtel hold throughout; Vi drops near forest.
- Documents: Keep safari permit separate from fort tickets. Photograph odometer at Sasan start — settles 90 km minimum-billing disputes on this 53 km run.
- City driving: Junagadh old city is one-way around the fort. Let the driver park and walk the last 400 m. Challans for wrong-side entry near Maqbara are common for outstation plates.
- Luggage check: Count bags at lodge veranda. Carrier straps loosen on Mendarda rumble strips — re-tighten at the halt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distance from Sasan Gir to Junagadh?
52-55 km by road via Mendarda. Sasan Gir to Mendarda is 25-28 km, Mendarda to Junagadh is 25-27 km. Girnar Taleti base is another 5-6 km from Junagadh city, making it 58-60 km gate-to-ropeway.
How much does a taxi from Sasan Gir to Junagadh cost?
Sedan Rs.2,400 one way, Ertiga Rs.3,000, Innova Crysta Rs.4,200. Tempo 12-seater Rs.6,500. Same-day return Rs.3,500-4,000 sedan. Parking Rs.50-100 extra at Uparkot or Taleti.
How long does it take to reach Junagadh from Sasan Gir?
Budget 90 minutes on the road plus city entry. The Mendarda stretch itself is 1.25 hours non-stop; school-run congestion and fort-area parking push most arrivals to the 1.5-2 hour band in daytime.
What is the best route from Sasan Gir to Junagadh?
Sasan Gir → Mendarda → Junagadh on state highway — 2-lane asphalt, no toll. The Talala-Keshod loop is 35 km longer and only used when Mendarda culverts flood in August.
Can I do a morning safari and Junagadh sightseeing the same day?
Yes, with the first safari slot and a waiting cab. Leave Sasan around 9:30, bank on an 11 AM city entry, and keep the afternoon split — fort first, ropeway or Maqbara after lunch. A same-day return booking avoids the evening car shortage.
How much luggage fits in a Sasan-Junagadh cab?
Dzire/Ertiga on CNG take 2 medium bags. Innova takes 4 large bags. With 3+ suitcases ask for a roof carrier at Rs.300-400 — drivers do not carry it by default.
What are Uparkot Fort timings and entry fee?
Open daily 8 AM-6 PM. Rs.100 for Indian adults, Rs.50 for children, Rs.500 for foreigners. Ticket covers both stepwells; inner structures close around 5:30 PM. Book QR/online to skip weekend lines, and go before 11 AM.
What are Girnar ropeway timings and ticket price?
Runs 8 AM-5 PM to Ambaji Temple, about Rs.400 one-way and Rs.700 return. Ride is 8-9 minutes for 2.1 km. Last ride down is 5 PM — after that you walk. Higher peaks need steps on foot.
Is night driving safe from Sasan Gir to Junagadh?
Avoid after 8 PM. Buffer stretch is unlit with wildlife movement, and trucks park half-lane near Mendarda. If you land late at Junagadh, drive to Sasan next morning.
Are there buses or trains from Junagadh to Sasan Gir?
Yes. GSRTC buses Junagadh-Sasan via Mendarda (Rs.120-170, 2 hrs, last ~6 PM). Trains run Junagadh-Veraval line with Maliya Hatina 30 km from Sasan as alternate halt, then cab. Cabs remain fastest at 1.5 hrs door-to-door.
