Weekend getaways from Surat

Gujarat's only hill station, at about 1,000 m in the Sahyadris of Dang district. Boating on Saputara Lake, a ropeway to Sunset Point, a tribal museum and cool air; the monsoon turns the ghats lush and green.

Best time: October to March; lush in monsoon

Former Portuguese enclave where the Daman Ganga meets the sea: Moti Daman's fort walls, the Church of Bom Jesus, seafood shacks and breezy Devka and Jampore beaches. Brown-sand seafront for evening strolls, not swimming.

Best time: October to March

The world's tallest statue, 182 m of Sardar Patel facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada. A viewing gallery at 153 m, a museum and riverside lawns make an easy overnight from Surat. Book gallery slots ahead.

Best time: October to February

Leafy capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on the Daman Ganga, once Portuguese, with riverside gardens, a lion-safari park and quiet forest roads to Khanvel and Dudhani. Alcohol is legal, unlike neighbouring Gujarat.

Best time: November to March

Valsad's brown-sand beach fringed by casuarina trees, with the seaside Swaminarayan and Sai Baba temples at either end. A classic family evening spot: camel carts, snack stalls, big sunsets. High tides rule out swimming.

Best time: October to March

A quiet 750 m hill station above Dharampur, ringed by dense forest near the Pangarbari sanctuary. Marble Chatri Point and waterfall viewpoints, best in and just after the monsoon. Carry food; facilities are basic.

Best time: July to February

Sleepy coastal town holding the oldest continuously burning Zoroastrian fire in India, lit here in 1742. Century-old Parsi lanes, a Zoroastrian museum and famed Parsi food. Temple entry is Parsis-only.

Best time: November to February

Where Gandhi's 1930 Salt March ended. The Salt Satyagraha Memorial has a 40 m monument, bronze statues of the 78 marchers, solar trees and salt pans; pair it with Saifee Villa and old Navsari town. An easy day out.

Best time: October to March

Gujarat's cultural capital: the vast Laxmi Vilas Palace of the Gaekwads, the Baroda Museum in leafy Sayaji Baug, and a lively old city. Fast trains from Surat make it an easy weekend; Navratri garba is spectacular.

Best time: October to February

UNESCO site where a 16th-century capital lies below Pavagadh hill. Carved mosques, stepwells and fort gates, plus a ropeway to the hilltop Kalika Mata shrine. Start early; the summit gets crowded on weekends.

Best time: October to February