Getting Around Porbandar
Porbandar is a coastal city in Gujarat and the headquarters of its district, twinned with neighbouring Chhaya and jointly governed with it by the Porbandar–Chhaya Municipal Corporation. It sits between Dwarka and Somnath, so many visitors pass through as part of a wider Saurashtra itinerary. The city is compact and largely flat — it has an average elevation of just a metre above sea level — which shapes how you move around it.
How Tourists Get Around the City
Porbandar has no metro or tram system, and no suburban rail network within the city itself. In practice, visitors get around by road: on foot for the central sights, and by bus, auto-rickshaw or taxi for anything further out. The main sights — Kirti Mandir at the Main bazaar near Manek Chowk, Bharat Mandir, Tara Mandir, the Sudama and Hari Mandir temples, the palaces and Darbargadh, Porbandar Chowpati, and the bird sanctuary — are spread across the city and its waterfront, so a mix of walking and short road trips is the realistic approach.
Rail
Porbandar railway station is the city's railhead and connects it with major cities in Gujarat and across the country. There are daily trains to Rajkot (also via Jamnagar, Bhanwad, Upleta, Dhoraji and Gondal), to Somnath via Junagadh, and to Mumbai via Ahmedabad, Vadodra and Surat. Longer-distance trains run to Delhi, Muzaffarpur and Howrah, linking Porbandar with major cities in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha and West Bengal. A weekly service connects Kochuveli in Thiruvananthapuram and Secunderabad with Porbandar via Mangalore, Calicut, Kochi and Kollam. Direct trains also connect the city with Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Surat, Agra, Prayagraj, Gaya, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Lucknow. For a visitor, the train is the most useful way to arrive from elsewhere in Gujarat or from further afield; book tickets through the usual Indian Railways channels.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Buses are the main form of public transport in Porbandar, operated by both private companies and the government. Buses to Porbandar are available from across Gujarat, and many private coaches run daily to Rajkot, Dwarka, Veraval, Junagadh, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Vadodra, Surat and Mumbai. Because Porbandar sits between Dwarka and Somnath, it fits naturally into a bus route along that stretch of coast. For getting around town, local buses and shared transport cover the main routes; buy tickets on board in the usual way.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material does not describe a formal taxi or ride-hailing market in Porbandar. In practice, road transport in the city is dominated by private and government buses, with auto-rickshaws and taxis filling the gaps for point-to-point trips. If you need a vehicle for a specific journey — for example out to the bird sanctuary or along the coast — arrange it locally rather than assuming an app-based service will be available.
Walkability
Porbandar is small and flat, and several of its best-known attractions sit close together in the centre: Kirti Mandir is at the Main bazaar in Manek Chowk, and Bharat Mandir, Tara Mandir and the Sudama temple are all part of the same central cluster of sights. The Chowpati and the waterfront are also natural walking territory. The city's climate helps here — because it is on the coast, it is the least hot of Gujarat's major cities, with average high temperatures staying below 35 °C in every month. That said, the seasons matter: the cool period runs from October to March, the hot season covers April, May and early June, and the monsoon brings the wet season from mid-June to September. Plan longer walks for the cooler months and the early morning or evening during the hot season.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Porbandar Airport (PBD) is the city's air link. As of September 2025 it was served by one flight from Mumbai. Note that the Spicejet service between Porbandar and Mumbai, which operated twice a week, has been stopped from 18 April 2026, so check current schedules before planning to fly in or out. The source material does not detail ground transport from the airport into the city, so arrange a taxi or local transfer on arrival, or confirm options with your accommodation in advance.
Practical Notes
- There is no metro, tram or intra-city rail network in Porbandar — plan on road transport and walking.
- Buses, both government and private, are the backbone of public transport, with daily private coaches to major Gujarat cities and Mumbai.
- The railway station is the best option for arriving from elsewhere in India, with direct trains to many major cities.
- The city is flat and its central sights are clustered, making walking practical, especially from October to March.
- Air service is limited; confirm whether flights are operating before relying on the airport.