Explore Surat
Places to Visit in Surat
Top attractions and must-see spots in Surat
Beaches
2
Landmarks
9
British and Dutch Cemeteries
Located near Surat Castle, the British, Dutch, and Armenian cemeteries stand as quiet reminders of the city's cosmopolitan trading past. Established during the 17th and 18th centuries when Surat was one of the most important ports in Asia, the cemeteries contain elaborately carved European-style tombs of merchants, diplomats, and company officials. The Dutch Garden adjacent to the site, with its well-maintained lawns and European tombs, is already listed; together these colonial burial grounds offer a vivid window into Surat's mercantile history.
Dutch Garden
A beautifully landscaped colonial-era park known for its European tombs and calm greenery.
Gopi Talav
Built around 1510 CE by Malik Gopi, the Brahmin merchant and governor credited with founding Surat, Gopi Talav is one of the city's oldest and most historically significant sites. Emperor Akbar set up his military camp beside this lake during the 1573 siege of Surat. Revamped by Surat Municipal Corporation in 2012, the lake precinct today features walking tracks, a central fountain, themed zones covering Surat's textile and diamond heritage, a food court, boating, and colourful evening illuminations.
Mughal Sarai
Built in 1644 AD under Emperor Shah Jahan, Mughal Sarai is one of Surat's most significant Mughal-era monuments. Originally constructed as a caravanserai and rest house for Hajj pilgrims departing from Surat's historic port, the structure later served as a jail during the 18th century and has housed the Surat Municipal Corporation offices since 1867. Its ornate arches, decorated parapets, and sculpted stone facade, later complemented by a British-added clock tower, make it a layered heritage landmark.
Rang Upvan
The Tapi Riverfront is a beautifully developed promenade stretching along the banks of the Tapi River through the heart of Surat. Landscaped gardens, jogging tracks, seating plazas, and open lawns line the waterfront, making it a favourite evening destination for residents across the city. The riverfront comes alive at dusk with walkers, cyclists, and families, and offers some of the most scenic sunset views in Surat. Several cultural landmarks and temples sit along its length.
Sardar Patel Museum
A cultural hub preserving Surat’s history, art, and science since the Mughal period.
Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden
Inaugurated in 2011 on the banks of the Tapi River in Ugat, Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden covers 1.40 lakh square metres and is home to over 1,000 plant species including rare herbs, tropical species, and the largest collection of cacti in the region. Run by Surat Municipal Corporation, the garden features a toy train, helium balloon rides, a greenhouse, themed plant sections, a small zoo, and boating on its lake. A high-rated family destination with close to 20,000 visitors a month.
Surat Castle (Old Fort)
A 16th-century fort built to protect Surat from Portuguese attacks, now a striking heritage landmark.
Surat Diamond Bourse
Home to the world's largest diamond polishing industry, Surat produces over 90 percent of the world's cut and polished diamonds. The Surat Diamond Bourse in Dream City, Khajod, is the world's largest office complex, purpose-built to consolidate the city's global diamond trade under one roof. While visitor access to the trading floors is restricted, the bourse and its surrounding diamond district are a testament to the scale of Surat's industry and an essential part of understanding the city's economic identity.
National Parks
1
Scenic Spots
3
Gavier Lake
Managed by Nature Club Surat on Dumas Road near the airport, Gavier Lake is the city's premier birdwatching destination. Over 170 species have been recorded here, including Siberian cranes, flamingos, pintails, and black-winged stilts during the winter migratory season. The lake is ringed by walking trails, watchtower hides, and a bird information centre with binoculars available for visitors. Guided birdwatching sessions are organised every Sunday morning, making it a rewarding outing for nature lovers and wildlife photographers.
Jawaharlal Nehru Garden
Known by Suratis as Choppati, the Jawaharlal Nehru Garden is the oldest and largest garden in the city. Set along Dumas Road near the Tapi River, the garden draws picnicking families, morning walkers, and snack lovers throughout the week. Its centrepiece is a popular musical fountain. The garden also offers river views and easy access to a stretch of street food stalls serving Surat's famous chaat, pani puri, and pav bhaji, making it one of the city's most lived-in public spaces.
Tapi Riverfront
A scenic stretch along the Tapi River with walking paths, gardens, and charming sunset views.
Science
2
Shopping
6Chauta Bazaar
One of Surat’s oldest traditional markets for clothing, jewellery, household goods, and street shopping.
Ghod Dod Road
Premium retail and boutique stretch for designer wear, jewellery, and lifestyle shopping.
Old Bombay Market
Large textile market known for sarees and wedding shopping at wholesale-leaning prices.
Ring Road Textile Market
Surat is India's textile capital and the Ring Road Textile Market is its commercial heart, a dense corridor of over 200 wholesale markets dealing in sarees, fabrics, dress materials, embroidery, and zari. Buyers from across India and the Middle East converge here for everything from bridal silk to printed cotton at wholesale prices. For any traveller curious about Surat's identity as a weaving and trading city, a walk through this market is as much a cultural experience as a shopping trip.
Sahara Darwaja Market
Major textile and festive-wear market known for sarees, suits, and wholesale clothing lanes.
VR Surat
Large modern mall on Dumas Road with brands, dining, and entertainment.
Temple
6
Ambika Niketan Temple
A riverside temple dedicated to Goddess Ambika on the Tapti riverfront in Surat, one of the city's most visited Shakti shrines especially during Navratri and auspicious Mondays.
BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Adajan
The main BAPS Swaminarayan temple complex in Surat, located at Adajan.
Chintamani Jain Temple
Built in 1699 AD during Aurangzeb's reign, Chintamani Parshwanath Jain Temple is one of the oldest Jain temples in Surat. Deceptively plain from the outside, its interior reveals extraordinary wooden architecture with intricate carvings, vegetable dye paintings, and frescos depicting Acharya Hemachandra, King Kumarpal, and the Jain Tirthankaras. An Archaeological Survey of India protected monument, it remains a serene pilgrimage site and heritage landmark in the heart of the city.
ISKCON Temple Surat
Established in 1978 on the banks of the Tapi River in Jahangir Pura, the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Damodar Temple spans over 13,600 sq ft and ranks among Surat's largest temples. Srila Prabhupada personally visited and approved the site in 1970. The temple hosts daily aartis, kirtans, and bhakti programmes, drawing devotees in large numbers on Sundays and during Janmashtami, Radhashtami, and Gaura Purnima celebrations.
Rammadhi Temple
Rammadhi, known locally as Mini Girnar, is a prominent pilgrimage complex on the banks of the Tapi River in Jahangir Pura. Dedicated to Lord Rama, the shrine also houses Navgraha and Shani temples within its grounds. The continuous Ram dhun chanted by priests 24 hours a day gives the site a deeply meditative atmosphere. The riverside setting, lush greenery, and calm surroundings make it a cherished spiritual retreat for Surat's residents.
Swaminarayan Temple Vedroad
Shree Swaminarayan Temple on Vedroad is the first temple of the Swaminarayan Sampraday's Vadtal Desh to be built in pink stone in Surat, featuring beautifully carved facades and a central shrine housing the idol of Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj. Affiliated with the Vadtal Dham headquarters, the temple complex is home to resident saints, conducts regular spiritual discourses, and serves as a vital community hub for devotees across the city.