What is famous about Surat?

Formerly known as 'Suryapur' the city of Surat is the eighth largest city in India. Surat is proud of being the '3rd cleanest city of India' and the '4th fastest growing city in the world'. The place is meant to be for every food lover. The cuisine of this place is so famous that it even has a saying ‘Surat nu Jaman ane Kashi nu Maran’ which means that 'Eat in Surat and Die in Kashi'.

Surat Tourism (2025) - Gujarat > Top Places, Travel Guide

Surat Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 1-2 days

Best Time: October to March Read More

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"Gujarat’s diamond city with street food and textile trade"

Surat Tourism

Surat, having its name associated with Saurashtra (the good land), is a port city in Gujarat. The second most populated city in the state, Surat is a global diamond cutting centre and a commercial hub of textiles. Known as 'the city of flyovers', it attracts tourists who are interested in the colonial history of the region and the exotic wildlife.

Packed on the south bank of a sharp bend in the Tapi River (Tapti), Surat is located 306 km south of the state capital, Gandhinagar. Once known for silk-weaving, it emerged as a major textile and diamond hub of India, with the shops in the New Textile Market area often crowded with buyers and shoppers. Prominent tourist attractions in Surat are the Surat Castle, Science Centre Complex and the Diamond Gallery among others.

Having the reputation of being light-hearted, easy-going, and fun-loving, with a passion for food, Surat is an absolutely great place for a family vacation.

Ambika Niketan Temple

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Dumas Beach

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Beaches of Surat

Surat has many beaches to visit, however, none of them is really spectacular. But for the locals, they still act as points of interests and if you are in Surat, then you can go and visit a few beaches too. Dumas Beach is the most popular beach here. The beach is located on the coast of Arabian Sea. The beach is famous for black sand and Ganesh Temple. Suvali Beach is also quite a popular beach and is less crowded and has cleaner surroundings. It is a good place for a picnic as well. Other beaches include Hajira Beach, Tithal Beach and Umbharat Beach.

Industries in Surat

The city of Surat has a flourishing trade in both diamonds and textiles.The city is often called as the Silk City of India, and being a textile hub, is famous for its human-made fibre, cotton mills and Surat Zari Craft. The estimated annual turnover for the textile industry is a staggering 5 billion rupees. Surat is also the biggest centre of diamond cutting and polishing in the world, with the diamond industry being established as early as 1901 by Gujarati emigrants from East Africa. The industry has then grown from strength to strength, with diamond exports contributing significantly to the state’s revenue.

History of Surat

Surat’s rich history dates back to the age of the epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, and according to mythology, it is the place where Lord Krishna paused in his travel from Dwaraka to Mathura. Known as Suryapur in the earlier days, it was a bone of contention between the different European forces like the British, Portuguese, Dutch and French, who all vied to gain control of the strategically located port city. By the 19th century, the city was under the control of the British. The great Maratha warrior Shivaji also attacked the city multiple times to gain control of its growing wealth and prosperity. Post-independence, the city, has emerged as an important industrial and commercial hub of India.

Restaurants and Local Food in Surat

Surat is a place known for its food. The variety of cuisines here is quite large and are best displayed in Gujarati Thalis. The restaurants in the town are reasonably priced. One can find many inexpensive restaurants that offer filling meals.
Locha, made from gram flour and steamed lentils is an all time favourite dish of the locals. Ghari is a very popular sweet. Other famous food items are Undhiyu Rasaawala Khaman, Surati Khaman (spicy), khakhra, thepla, etc. Surti cuisine is traditionally very spicy. Ponk is a cereal that has been roasted and is available only here in Surat. In Surat, the roadside stalls, called laaris sell a lot of Indian-Chinese food items as well including Dry Manchurian and Chinese Bhel.
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Suggested Itinerary for Surat

Day 1: When you reach Surat, check in and have local breakfast. Then you can start by going to Swaminarayan Temple. It is located on the banks of river Tapti and it was constructed in the year 1996. You can also visit Chintamani Jain temple and Sardar Vallabhai Patel museum. You can also visit Sankat Mochan temple and enjoy street food at Godoliya area.
Day 2: Start early and visit Ambika Niketan Temple located on the banks of River Tapti devoted to Goddess Ashtabhuja Ambika. From there you can go to Dumas Beach. Enjoy the sea beach and local food over there. You can also try horse and camel ride over there. From there you can go to Hajira bridge and spend some time enjoying the sea breeze over there.
Day 3: Get up early as today will be a long trip. Start with going to Bulsar. It is a must visit for nature lovers. There is a national park located there known as 'Vansda National Park'. Many animals like leopard, panthers, tigers, wild boars and many others can be seen here very closely. Then you can visit Udvada. It is believed to be one of the holiest cities for Parsis as they believe that the holy fire of Parsi community is kept there.

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Dumas Beach - Renowned Urban Beach in Surat

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FAQs on Surat

Who should visit Surat?

The city is mostly meant for people with business interests in the city. Surat is also frequented by people from nearby towns in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

What are the places near Surat?

The top places near to Surat are Mumbai which is 232 km from Surat, Daman which is located 83 km from Surat, Lonavala which is located 276 km from Surat, Silvassa which is located 102 km from Surat, Ajanta and ellora caves which is located 276 km from Surat

What are the things to do in Surat?

The top things to do in Surat are Dutch Garden, Dumas Beach, Hajira Village, Sardar Patel Museum, Ambaji Temple, Dandi Beach. You can see all the places to visit in Surat here

What is the best way to reach Surat?

Surat is a major city of India. It is well connected to major cities via air, train and roads. Surat has its own airport, railway station and falls on Delhi-Mumbai highway and Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway. Surat is around 3-4 hours away from each of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Surat is also a coastal city and has one of the biggest ports of India at Hazira.
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What is the local food in Surat?

What is the best time to visit Surat?

The most suitable time to visit Surat is during the months of October to March. The weather conditions of Surat are like that of any other city in the western region of India. The summer season here is warm, can get extremely hot and the temperature can shoot up to 40-45 degrees centigrade. The days can be unpleasant and uncomfortable. The nights are usually pleasant. The mild winters here, are a sigh of relief for the town with the temperatures dropping down to 15-20 degrees centigrade. Winters, that begin around October all the way up till March, are the perfect time to plan a trip to Surat. Also during October-November, Navaratri is celebrated here with a lot of enthusiasm and dances like Garba and Dandiya can be enjoyed all over the town.
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What is not so good about Surat?

The city doesn't have much to offer to tourists apart from temples and eating joints. The beaches are dirty and not really worth visiting from other parts of the country.

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Surat Reviews

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Antara Mandal

7 years ago

The best thing I like about this place is the food. At present, there are a number of small cafes popping in and around the city. I would recommend eating locho, one of the best street foods there. S (Read More)urat has one English Cemetery which is not maintained properly but if you love history, you will find it really interesting especially the epitaphs on the graves from the time of British raj. Summers in Surat are pretty pleasant especially if you're near the sea but it tends to get really humid.

mayank agarwal

7 years ago

Surat is very nice city and if i say city of Bridge and Delicious food restaurant and best restaurant in surat is Sugar N Spice at RIng Road Surat. Lots of Food variety in both Veg and Non Veg. i lov (Read More)ed it Raj Kachori, Best Choley Bhature, Chaat, Cheese Dosa, Lasagna, Punjabi Thali Etc etc. And for best Veg Buffet restaurant is Deewan E Khaas and Non Veg Buffet Taste of India

Rohit Shroff

7 years ago

- Surat is a beautiful city. It is a complete package for the whole family, pleasing all ages. This city is extremely lively, full of colors and energy. The days here can be extremely hot, especially (Read More) if you are travelling during summers. Make sure you have enough precautions to protect yourself from the scorching heat of the sun.

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Surat Travel Essentials

"Gujarat’s diamond city with street food and textile trade"

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