White Desert in Kutch, Gujarat

For the adventurous spirit, The White Desert is a perfect place to visit

Quick Information

See Map
Best time to visit
Nov - Feb
Ideal Duration
2-3 Days
Visa
N/A
Starting from
Rs. 6,000
  • Cultural Show
  • Shopping
  • Desert Safari

About White Desert in Kutch

White Desert in Kutch, also known as the Great Rann of Kutch, is located in western Gujarat.

One of the hottest regions in India, the desert is the site of popular Rann Festival in Gujarat which is held from November to February every year. Camel rides, hot air balloon safari, jeep safaris, and watching cultural dances are popular things to do in White Desert in Kutch.

Situated at the Indo-Pak border, the astonishing Great Rann of Kutch is also the largest salt desert in the world. A paradise for every holiday seeker, if one wants to savor its vibrant culture, then opting for a tour package for the Rann of Kutch, especially during the Rann Festival is one of the best ideas to go with. An excursion through the white deserts lets its visitors witness the many colorful aspects of this region that it is made of. In addition to that, one can also grab a chance to take a sneak peek into the lives of the locals, which in itself is a unique experience.

Rann of Kutch Festival

Spanning 30000 square kilometres between India and Pakistan lies a salty marsh called the Rann of Kutch. This is the largest salt desert in the world. It is made up of three parts: The Great Rann of Kutch, the Little Rann of Kutch and the Banni grasslands. The word Rann is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Irina’, which means desert.

The best time to visit Rann of Kutch is during the Rann Utsav. The famous Rann Utsav in white desert of Kutch is held every year in the winter season. From November through February, the cultural activities at Rann of Kutch Festival enthrall tourists of all ages.

This Marsh can be accessed through the Kharaghoda Village of Sundernagar District. The monsoon rains fill the flat lands of the marsh with water. This land is approximately 49 feet above sea level and has no outer drain and the water stagnates here. During the summer as the hot sun causes the water to evaporate, a bed of minerals and salt is left behind, which creates this unique salty marshland.  During exceptionally heavy monsoons, the wetlands extend from the Gulf of Kutch on the west through to the Gulf of Cambay on the east.

Geographical Division

Studies have proved that this area was an extension of the Arabian ocean. Seismic activity caused the land to rise near the shore creating a lake. This lake is said to have been in use until the time of Alexander the Great.

The Ghaggar River used to feed the Rann of Kutch until it began to dry out. This happened due to seismic activity, which altered the course of its tributaries to the Indus. The traces of the old delta, the change of river courses and the formation of the Rann has been documented in detail by the Geographical Society of India.

Today the river Luni feeds the Rann of Kutch in from the northwest and the river Rupen from the east and the river Banas from the west.

Being part of a desert, the temperatures are the highest in the sub-continent. The temperature can go up to 50 degrees and higher. However, the winter temperatures can drop equally low with even zero degrees being recorded frequently.

Ecologically Rich lands

The unique nature of the land has given rise to vegetation, which has become home to some varied species of animals and birds. Flamingos and other migratory birds call the Rann their home. As do the Chinkaras, nilgai, wild asses and much more.

Most of the marsh has been marked off as a protected area with limited access to human beings. Several animal sanctuaries have been formed to protect the local species. Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Banni Grasslands Reserve and Chari-Dhand Wetland Conservation Reserve, are places to be visited to get to see the wildlife.

Take a look at our Kutch tour packages and Rann of Kutch tour packages to start your journey.

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Kutch Packages Reviews

Read on to find out why our customers love us!

Shuvadeep's 7 days trip to Kutch

Overall it was a very good trip, we were able to cover most of the places mentioned on the itinerary. Well planned and executed. Somnath and Gir was a very good experience. Dwarka was not that much good due to rush and crowd mismanagement. Transportation : Was very good, driver was very much helpful and understanding. Hotels : Dwarka, Somnath were exceptionally well with good restaurants. i would rate 4/5 for those places. Resort in Gir was not so good compared to other two places, ambience was great but room , pool were not so good. i would rate 2/5 due to cleanliness issues and restaurant not taking any orders was just having common buffet. Staff were helpful in all places, would rate 4/5.

Shuvadeep Chandra Mumbai

Abhishekdudwadkar's 5 days trip to Kutch

Had a good experience for sightseeing areas of Gujarat and found it extra convenient and comfortable in Kia Carens. Driver was also good.. And special thanks to Payal madam for helping out in making itineraries. Hotels and their service were good except Shlok In where food service was not satisfactory otherwise it was nice. Just few suggestions it would be good if we can get an ordered list of places as per route with their timings. Because many places had their timings. Also, one will get an idea where to reach on which time and how much time to spend on particular spot.

Abhishekdudwadkar Mumbai

Ashok's 4 days trip to Kutch

The experience was excellent and we can plan future trips with travel triangle, as we are already practicing

Nisha Padhi Ahmedabad

Anand's 4 days trip to Kutch

Very good trip. The travel operator DIU holidays was very well behaved and helpful. Didn't had any bad experience in entire trip. Thanks Khushboo from Travel traingle for following up.

Anand Rai Hyderabad

Aaaaa's 4 days trip to Kutch

The hotel at Dwarka was not good at all. The rooms very below average and there was no cleanliness in the rooms. Other than that the hotels at other locations were fine.

Aaaaa Ssshe Gandhinagar

Karunakar's 7 days trip to Kutch

Good Services by Traveltriangle. Location of Hotel Somnath gate way was not good. Lots of fishy smell was coming. It was very irriting. But room amenities was good. Somnaath & Dwarika visit.

KARUNAKAR SAHOO Bhubaneswar

Renu's 5 days trip to Kutch

It was a wonderful trip. I highly recommend travel triangle. My tour operator was wonderful. Thank you for such a wonderful trip

Renu Sharda

Vijay's 5 days trip to Kutch

Very nice managed trip thanks a lot Very nice managed keep the good work

Vijay Shukla Delhi

Sushant's 4 days trip to Kutch

Provided Driver was good but Vehicle was not in good condition ex all AC wents were not working and broken, back door lock was broken Hotel at Somanth was under construction Property Rest all was good Fern hotel at Dwarka Somnath temple darshan

Sushant Jangam Pune

Arushipal's 6 days trip to Kutch

There was some issue with hotel booking in Vivanta The cab also got puntured

Arushipal Delhi

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FAQ's of Kutch

Read on to find out why our customers love us!

Navaratri, Rann Utsav, and Uttarayan (kite festival) are famous festivals in Gujarat. The Bhavnath Fair in Junagadh, Vautha Fair in Vautha, Shamlaji Mela near Himmatnagar, and Dang Darbar in Ahwa are popular fairs to visit in Gujarat.

Ahmedabad is considered one of the safest city in India, especially for solo travellers. The Gujaratis are very warm and welcoming people. However, it is best to take care of yourself like in any other place during travel and keep your luggage safe at all times.

While Gujaratis are known for their vegetarianism, non-veg food is not all that hard to find in major cities in Gujarat. There are plenty of restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine in Gujarat.

 

The white desert in Rann of Kutch is the salty desert which it is made of. Considered as the largest salt desert, Rann of Kutch is famous for its white desert. 

With the sea on one side and desert on the other side, the Rann of Kutch is filled with an array of ecosystem, such as desert vegetation and mangroves. And, the deserts of Kutch are abode of such wildlife that can bear the harsh conditions of the region.

 

 

The Rann of Kutch used to be the part of the sea before an earthquake turned that exposed sea bed into a desert. As the monsoon season arrives, the Rann of Kutch merges in sea water, and the sea water finally recedes in the month of October. And, that’s how the whole process of salt farming happens.