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Trip cost · Kutch, Gujarat
Rann Utsav 2026: Dates, Full Moons and What It Really Costs
Rann Utsav is the season when the Great Rann of Kutch dries out white and a tent city goes up at Dhordo. Here are the 2026-27 dates, the full-moon nights that sell out first, the Tent City price, and what a do-it-yourself trip from Bhuj costs instead.
Photo: NandaMunish, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
Rann Utsav 2026-27 runs from 1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027 at Dhordo, about 85 km north of Bhuj. Tent City packages start at ₹6,300 for one night, plus 18% tax (₹7,434), with meals and the permit handled for you. The cheaper night on the Rann is a bhunga homestay at Dhordo or Hodka, about ₹3,500 a room with meals. A full three-night trip from Bhuj, mid-range, with a return taxi to the Rann, is about ₹20,400 solo or ₹14,700 each for a couple. The White Rann permit is ₹100, bought online.
The Great Rann is a seasonal salt desert. It floods in the monsoon, dries out white each winter, and on a full-moon night it glows. Rann Utsav is the official season built around that: a tent city at Dhordo, cultural shows, and fixed transfers from Bhuj. You do not need it to see the Rann. The salt, the permit and the moonrise are the same whether you sleep in a tent city or a mud hut down the road.
Every figure below comes from Trip Under's Kutch page and its sources, checked on 16 October 2026. Traveller reports are labelled. Getting to Bhuj is not included; check that fare before you go.
Rann Utsav 2026 dates and the full-moon windows
The season runs 1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027. The Rann is at its best from Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec, when it is dry and white. The full-moon windows are the nights people come for, and they sell out first.
Infographic · month by month
Kutch month by month
Month-by-month as text
Jan: Best · Feb: Best · Mar: Good · Apr: Avoid · May: Avoid · Jun: Avoid · Jul: Avoid · Aug: Avoid · Sep: Avoid · Oct: Passable · Nov: Best · Dec: Best
From Trip Under's season scores. The Rann is flooded in the monsoon and very hot from April.
Book the full moon first. If your dates are fixed to a full-moon window, book the bed before anything else, whether it is a tent or a homestay.
What the Tent City costs
Rann Utsav Tent City packages start at ₹6,300 for one night, plus 18% tax, which comes to ₹7,434. They are booked direct at rannutsav.com. Meals, the shows and the permit are handled for you, and there is a fixed transfer from Bhuj.
| Transfer from | Pickup times | Time to Dhordo |
|---|---|---|
| Bhuj railway station | 8:15, 10:00, 13:30 | 1 h 45 m |
| Bhuj airport | 10:00, 15:30 | 1 h 45 m |
Before you pay, check on the booking page exactly what the package covers and whether the price is per person or per tent. Packages differ, and the headline price is the cheapest one.
The Tent City is the easy option: someone drives you from Bhuj and every meal is sorted. It is also the most expensive bed near the salt.
The cheaper night: a bhunga homestay
Photo: Sudha Kulkarni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Stay in a bhunga, a round mud hut, at Dhordo or Hodka instead. Rooms usually run ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 with meals, for 2 to 5 people, according to budget travel guides. You still get sunset and moonrise on the Rann, for half the Tent City price or less. Spend the other nights in Bhuj, where guesthouses run ₹500 to ₹2,000.
| Stay | Where | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guesthouse | Bhuj | ₹1,200 | The cheapest base. Budget guides put Kutch guesthouses at ₹500 to ₹2,000 a night. |
| Bhunga homestay, meals in | Dhordo or Hodka | ₹3,500 | Round mud huts near the Rann, usually ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a room with meals, for 2 to 5 people. Book ahead in full-moon weeks. |
| Rann Utsav Tent City | Dhordo | ₹6,300 | Packages from ₹6,300 for one night plus 18% tax, booked direct at rannutsav.com. Meals, shows and the permit are handled for you. |
The catch is transport. The Rann is about 85 km from Bhuj. A taxi costs around ₹3,200 one way, which is what travellers reported paying in 2025, not an official rate. Agree the price, the waiting time and the return before you leave. GSRTC buses run from Bhuj bus stand towards Khavda via Bhirandiyara, the permit checkpost, in about 1 h 10 m. Services are few and we could not confirm the times or fare, so check gsrtc.in and expect a shared jeep for the last stretch to Dhordo.
Infographic · where the money goes
₹20,400 for three nights from Bhuj, one person, mid-range
Taxi: about ₹3,200 each way, a 2025 traveller report. Ground costs: Trip Under's Kutch daily rate (mid-range, ₹3,500 a day). Getting to Bhuj is extra.
Cost by travel style and group size
Three nights from Bhuj, with the taxi to the Rann and back split across the car. A couple or a group pays much less each, because the taxi and the room split.
| Who | Ground cost each | Taxi share each | Total each |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo, shoestring | ₹6,000 | ₹6,400 | ₹12,400 |
| Solo, mid-range | ₹14,000 | ₹6,400 | ₹20,400 |
| Solo, comfortable | ₹28,000 | ₹6,400 | ₹34,400 |
| Couple, mid-range | ₹11,500 | ₹3,200 | ₹14,700 |
| Group of 4, mid-range | ₹10,100 | ₹1,600 | ₹11,700 |
Infographic · cost each, 3 nights from Bhuj
Group size changes the bill more than anything
Mid-range, including the return taxi to the Rann split across the car.
The cheapest trick is filling the taxi. Ask at your Bhuj guesthouse who else is going out to the Rann that day.
The White Rann permit
- Fee: ₹100 per person over 12, ₹50 for ages 6 to 12, free under 5. Vehicles are free.
- Where: online at rannpermit.gujarat.gov.in. You upload an ID and it takes a few minutes. Buy it before you leave Bhuj so you skip the queue at the Bhirandiyara checkpost.
- Indian nationals only. The online permit is for Indian citizens. Foreign visitors should confirm the current process with the Kutch permit office (02832 251007) before driving out.
- Tent City guests have the permit handled as part of the package.
The White Rann is near the Pakistan border. Stay on the public route to Dhordo, Kala Dungar and Dholavira. Beyond that the BSF controls access. The UK FCDO advises against all travel within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border.
What else to see while you are there
| Place | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sunset and moonrise on the White Rann | ₹100 | 3 h |
| Kala Dungar viewpoint | Free | 2 h |
| Dholavira Harappan city | ₹40 (Indians, reported) | Full day |
| Craft villages: Hodka, Ludiya, Bhujodi, Ajrakhpur | Free | Half day |
| Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal, Bhuj | Check locally | 2 h |
Dholavira is the big day out: the Harappan city is 220 to 250 km from Bhuj, reached across the Road to Heaven, a 30 km causeway over the salt from Khavda. It needs your own taxi, and the price is on request. Lakhpat fort and gurdwara (135 km) and Mandvi beach (58 km) are easier day trips from Bhuj.
A simple three-night plan
What to know before you go
- Pack a warm layer. December and January nights on the Rann are cold, even if Bhuj was hot at noon.
- Carry cash. Homestays, villages and craft buys need it. Bhuj has plenty of ATMs; do not count on one past Bhuj.
- Food is easy for vegetarians. Gujarati thalis, kadhi, bajra rotla and dabeli are everywhere. Budget travellers report about ₹300 a day if you eat where locals eat. Vegans need care, because ghee, buttermilk and curd go into almost everything.
- Book every piece yourself. Trip Under is not an agency. The permit, the room and the taxi are each booked direct.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Rann Utsav 2026 dates?
Rann Utsav 2026-27 runs from 1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027 at Dhordo in Kutch, Gujarat.
When is the full moon at Rann Utsav 2026?
The full-moon windows this season are 23-25 November, 22-24 December, 21-23 January and 19-21 February. They sell out first, so book early.
How much does the Rann Utsav Tent City cost?
Packages start at ₹6,300 for one night plus 18% tax (₹7,434), with meals, shows and the permit handled. Check whether the price you see is per person or per tent, and what the package covers.
How much is the White Rann permit?
₹100 per person over 12, ₹50 for children aged 6 to 12, and free under 5. Vehicles are free. Indian citizens buy it online at rannpermit.gujarat.gov.in.
Can I visit the Rann of Kutch without staying in the Tent City?
Yes. Stay in Bhuj or a bhunga homestay at Dhordo or Hodka (usually ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a room with meals), buy the permit online and take a taxi to the Rann. Three nights from Bhuj costs about ₹20,400 for one person, or ₹14,700 each for a couple.
How far is the White Rann from Bhuj?
Dhordo is about 85 km from Bhuj, around 1 h 45 m by taxi.
Sources and how we priced this
- Season dates, Tent City price, tax, meals and Bhuj pickup times: rannutsav.com (operator).
- Permit fees, online process and Indian-nationals-only rule: White Rann permit portal (official).
- Full-moon windows and season advice: Outlook Traveller (news).
- Border advice: UK FCDO.
- Homestay prices, food budget, taxi fare, Dholavira fee: traveller and budget guides. These are reports, not official rates.
- Daily costs and stays: Trip Under's Kutch page, built on our cost model. All checked 16 October 2026.
Keep reading
Plan your own Kutch trip
Set your dates, group and style on the Rann of Kutch page and see the beds, food and taxi add up.
Open the Kutch page →Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.