A splendid hello to all our readers,

It has been a while since we spoke to you all. Today, we write about one of the most awaited family road trips to this mesmerizing place — the ‘Rann of Kutch’, the White Desert of India. I’m pretty sure that one of the main reasons you’ve landed on this post is not only to visit this beautiful place but also to understand how one makes a family road trip. Well, don’t worry, we’ve got this covered — and the wait is finally over! We will tell you in detail how to plan your trip, the do’s and don’ts, and how to do it with a ten-year-old traveler 😊.

We decided to visit this place on New Year’s Eve and started our journey from Delhi in the last week of December 2024 in our automatic Tata Nexon. The journey was staggered over three days with pitstops at Ajmer, Mount Abu, and Dholavira.

Day 1: From Delhi to Ajmer

We started early in the morning of 28th December 2024 from Delhi with no advance hotel reservations. The plan was to find a hotel close to the city center to visit local places on foot. And it worked out pretty well. We ended up making reservations at LN Courtyard, and we strongly recommend this hotel for its hospitality, cordial staff, location, and the restaurant on the top floor. So, this was nearly 440 km covered via the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and we reached the hotel around lunchtime — a drive of almost 6.5 hours. The highway is awesome with almost no traffic except for a few heavy vehicles seen trudging along in their respective lanes.

We visited the most famous Dargah Shareef in the evening and strolled through the busy markets of Ajmer for the rest of the day. Dargah Shareef had some festive celebration on that day which made it way too crowded, so we decided to pay homage at the entrance gate and enjoy the rest of the evening in the Dargah Shareef’s colourful and vibrant market. The only negative was the streets were untidy, and people seemed quite okay with the filth around. Later, we visited Ajmer Fort in Naya Bazaar, which was very quiet but voluminous. Getting entrance tickets here is a breeze. If you have time, you can visit this place, alternatively, one can visit the Brahma Temple in Pushkar, which is nearly 40 km from Ajmer.

At Ajmer Fort

Day 2: From Ajmer to Mount Abu

After having a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we started for Mount Abu via the Golden Quadrilateral route. On our way, we were blessed to have visited Shri Shankheshwar Parshwanath Teerth Jain temple with its beautiful marble architecture. It was very newly built, with no visitors during the afternoon hours. The security staff was very hospitable as well.

We broke our journey for lunch and then reached our hotel in Mount Abu — Forest Eco Lodge Homestay — in the evening after having driven 415 km over 7.5 hours.

For first-timers, Mount Abu is a hill station set on a high rocky plateau in the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan and is surrounded by forest. To our surprise, it was a place with a relatively cool climate and beautiful views.

In the late evening, we visited the Mount Abu market, where we had rich delicacies like the chocolate spoon and chocolate brownie at ‘The Chocolate Room’ — a must-visit place. There were a few shops selling an infinite variety of ice cream cones. We also gave it a try but didn’t really like them. Then, very near was Nakki Lake, where we strolled till late hours, enjoying the nightlife here before coming back to the hotel and calling it a day.

The hotel we stayed at here was the only bad experience we had on our entire trip. The staff was money-minded, and the area outside our room with a bonfire dugout was full of trash — beer cans, whiskey bottles — all littered. The next morning, while breakfast was part of the service, it was served with too much hesitation, and the only things provided were four pieces of bread toast and two cups of coffee — for three of us. This homestay is totally to be avoided! Do not get influenced by the ratings/reviews — all were forced, and the staff even had the audacity to ask for our phone to submit a review. Definitely a place one should not stay at.

Day 3: From Mount Abu to Dholavira

After a night at the lodge, we started the last leg of our journey to Dholavira. We did not know this was going to be a long drive in hot weather. On our way, we were lucky to find a restaurant named ‘Honest’. During our stay in Gujarat, we realized this was a very popular restaurant chain offering authentic food made with high-quality ingredients. It caters well to all palates. This is the safest option when it comes to outside food in Gujarat.

After lunch, we continued our journey and finally reached Heritage Resort Homestay in Dholavira after driving for almost 7 hours. This was a beautiful homestay with hut-like houses resembling Victorian-styled homes in London. This place offered private stargazing at night and also had cultural events arranged for visitors.

Please bear in mind there aren’t many dhabas or restaurants on the route to Dholavira, so stop by the first decent joint you see. We had to wait quite a while before reaching Honest Restaurant.
The visit to Dholavira was long but totally worth it when we started witnessing the white sand marshes on both sides. The reason we chose this place was to be close enough to the ‘Road to Heaven’, our dream destination. The stay here was pristine, to say the least, with beautiful views of the desert road. Here are the pictures:

The next morning, we visited places like the Dholavira Harappan Civilization Archaeological Site, the museum, and the Fossil Park. Believe me, all are worth visiting, with the Fossil Park being the best. We almost went to the centre of the White Sand Lake here. The archaeological site still holds remnants of the Indus Valley civilization — their methods of cultivation, water harvesting, and lifestyle whispering through the ruins. Please hire a local guide here to understand the place better. We also visited the local market, where traditional products like handicrafts, bedsheets, curtains, showpieces, and paintings were sold. Few moments we cherished here:

Day 5: From Dholavira to Dhordo

After spending two days in Dholavira, we journeyed ahead to Dhordo, a small town with beautiful homestays. As soon as we began, the journey turned magical the moment we stepped onto the ‘Road to Heaven’ — a 90 km narrow stretch flanked by white salt flats. We fell in love with this road and decided to spend as much time here as possible.

It was pretty late by the time we reached, but we were glad to see the Kutch Festival setup along the way. We were very excited to experience it the next morning. The Kutch Festival is a popular event held during the winter months from December to February.

The next morning, we visited Kalo Dungar — the Black Hills, Kutch’s highest viewpoint. It was a two-hour ride through barren lands and remote villages. The place was quite crowded with tourists but offered stunning views. We even tried to trek down the mountain to reach the white desert visible from the top, but to no avail. The hills were steep, and no clear paths existed. Also, given its proximity to the Pakistan border, this area has dense forests and sharp elevations.
The most memorable sight was the layering — the Black Hills of Kalo Dungar, followed by the white desert of Kutch, with Dholavira on one side and Arabian Sea beyond.

Another excellent addition was the mystic ‘Magnetic Hill’. Believe me, while coming back from Kalo Dungar, we decided to test whether the magnetic force here truly defies gravity — and it did! I left the car idling at the marked spot, and as soon as the brakes were released, it started moving forward on an otherwise flat surface for nearly 200 meters.

We also visited the Kutch Festival — vibrant, crowded, and full of culinary treats.

Later, we headed to the Rann of Kutch. Quick tip: If you’re traveling by car, please book the permit online, as the area lies close to the Pakistan border. We parked at the entrance and, unaware of the permit requirement, had to board a bus ferrying tourists to the desert. The permit costs only ₹200 per day. Once you reach, you’ll see camels and horse riders transporting visitors — quite a sight! The view is surreal — a vermillion sun in a blue sky over a sea of white.

The stay here was warm and welcoming, with simple yet delicious food.

On our way back from Dhordo to Dholavira, we set out early at 5 a.m. to watch the sunrise on the Road to Heaven. We stayed there for almost two hours, soaking in the magic.

In the end, I would say — the White Desert of Kutch stretches endlessly, where salt and sky melt into one. Here, we feel like tiny grains in a vast, boundless space. No matter how far you walk, the journey doesn’t end — until you find your soul.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post. Please do let us know if you have any queries about planning your trip to the Rann of Kutch. A few quick pointers:

• There are no petrol stations in Dholavira, so plan accordingly. The nearest one is in Dhordo.
• Stay hydrated — this place gets hot during the day and cools off significantly at night. We were here on New Year’s Eve, and it was scorching during the day (and yes, it’s a ‘dry’ state 😄).

If you have questions about visiting the Rann of Kutch, drop them in the comments. Till then, ciao!