Discover Surat

Surat combines a long trading history with distinctive cuisine, festival traditions and striking architecture. The city can be explored through a range of themes: from regional dishes and historic buildings to museums, science and a park on the Tapi. You can shape your trip around the interests that matter most to you.

Trading history and lively traditions

Surat is one of Gujarat’s oldest cities and was an ancient trading centre in India. The city is also known as the “Diamond Capital of the World”; nearly 90 percent of the world’s diamond cutting and polishing is attributed to it. These two aspects give an impression of Surat’s historical and economic significance without reducing the city to a single theme.

Festivals are also part of the city’s cultural identity. Uttarayan, the kite festival, is celebrated in Surat. During Navratri, people of all ages come together for Dandiya-Raas and Garba dances.

Discover Surat’s cuisine

Regional specialties include Surati Undhiyu, Locho, Ghari and Surti Sev Khamani. Locho has a particularly specific description: this steamed snack is made from chickpea flour and lentils, is considered a local favourite in Surat, and should be eaten immediately. Ghari is a sweet for which Surat is known. Together, these dishes give your search for regional cuisine a clear connection to the city; eating Locho straight away is explicitly part of the recommendation.

Architecture, museum and city history

Surat’s Clock Tower was built in 1871 by Khan Bahadur Burjorjee Hormusjee Fraser for 14,000 rupees. Surat Fort also marks a more recent point in history: the Surat Municipal Corporation restored the fort, and on 29 September 2022 the Indian Prime Minister inaugurated it virtually. The two dates mark distinct moments in the city’s history—the construction of the clock tower and the virtual inauguration of the fort after its restoration.

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Museum is located in Chowkbazar. Its collection includes traditional textiles, porcelain, glassware and metalware, paintings, old books and wood carvings; individual holdings may change. Visitors interested in different forms of craftsmanship, art and everyday culture will find a broad range of collection themes here.

Mughal Sarai is an old monument in Surat. The building was originally constructed as a sarai in 1644 under Emperor Shah Jahan—that is, as an inn for travellers. Its façade stands out for its arches, cornices, decorated parapets and sculpted patterns.

Another special place is the Armenian cemetery next to the British and Dutch cemeteries in Surat. It can be difficult to find. Its gravestones are heavily inscribed and do not have the structures found in the other two cemeteries.

Science and further discoveries

The Jagdish Chandra Bose Aquarium houses more than 100 fish species and is located in the Pal area. At the Science Centre, the Fun Science Gallery features more than 50 exhibits on scientific principles, including Newton’s laws, the Bernoulli principle, optics and electromagnetic induction. The number of exhibits may change. The Science Centre’s planetarium presents planets, the Moon, stars and nebulae in a theatre. The aquarium, gallery and planetarium therefore focus on different subjects: fish species, physical principles and celestial bodies.

The Heritage Walk takes in the city’s art, architecture and culture. The Nature Park is also nearby, on the left bank of the Tapi, upstream and about 10 kilometres from Surat City.

Location pointers for your accommodation search

If you plan to visit the aquarium or museum, Pal and Chowkbazar offer two specific location pointers: the aquarium is in Pal, and the museum is in Chowkbazar. You can take these neighbourhood names into account when choosing the location of your holiday apartment, depending on which attraction is of particular interest to you. The approximate distance from Surat City is a separate planning consideration for the Nature Park.

For the broader travel overview: Surat.