Rann Utsav 2026: Dates, Costs and How to Plan the Trip

What Rann Utsav is

A four-month festival on the edge of the Great Rann of Kutch, centred on a tent city at Dhordo. It runs from roughly early November to late February, timed to the months when the salt flat has dried into a walkable white crust.

Pick your dates around the moon

The White Rann under a full moon is the entire point. Full-moon weekends sell out six to eight weeks ahead; the two or three nights either side are nearly as good and much easier to book.

What it costs

Tent city packages run ₹6,000–₹15,000 per night for two, including meals and the Rann permit. Staying in a Bhuj hotel and driving out (85 km, about 1 hr 40 min) costs a third of that — you lose the sunrise but keep the sunset, which is the better show anyway.

The Rann permit

Everyone needs a permit to enter the Rann. It is issued at Bhirandiyara checkpost against a photo ID, or bundled into a tent city package. Carry original ID; photocopies are not accepted.

A four-day plan from Ahmedabad

Day 1 — Ahmedabad to Bhuj (330 km, ~6 hr). Evening at Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal. Day 2 — Craft villages (Bhujodi, Ajrakhpur, Nirona), Kalo Dungar at noon, sunset at the White Rann. Day 3 — Mandvi: Vijay Vilas Palace, the shipyard, and the beach. Day 4 — Return to Ahmedabad, optionally via Dholavira if you have an extra day.

What to pack

Kutch nights drop to 8–10°C in December and January while afternoons sit near 28°C. Layers, sunglasses, and shoes you do not mind getting salt on. The glare off the salt is genuinely severe at midday.

Getting around

Bhuj to Dhordo is 85 km with essentially no public transport after dark, and the good craft villages are strung along side roads. A car for the duration is not a luxury here — it is the only workable option.