Daman, Diu and Silvassa Travel Guide: Where to Go, How to Reach

Photo: Sumit sharma, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is one union territory made of three separate pieces of land on India's west coast. Daman and Diu were Portuguese until 1961, and their forts, churches and seafronts still show it; Dadra and Nagar Haveli is forest and tribal country in the hills behind the coast. Travellers come for short breaks: beaches and forts in Daman and Diu, green hills and lakes around Silvassa.

Three small places, hundreds of kilometres apart, joined by an old Portuguese past.

Where to go

• Moti Daman Fort: the walled Portuguese town on the south bank of the Daman Ganga river, with the Bom Jesus Church, old government buildings and a lighthouse.
• Nani Daman: the smaller fort of St Jerome across the river, the fish market and the old town.
• Devka and Jampore beaches: Daman's long, open shores, best for sunset walks; the sea here is better for watching than swimming.
• Diu Fort: a sixteenth-century Portuguese sea fort at the eastern end of Diu island, with cannons, ramparts and wide views of the sea.
• St Paul's Church and Diu town: a carved Baroque church and narrow lanes of painted houses inside the old walls.
• Naida Caves: a maze of rock passages and shafts of light just outside the Diu town walls, thought to be left behind by old stone quarrying.
• Nagoa Beach: a curved, sheltered beach near the village of Bucharwada on Diu island.
• Silvassa and its lakes: the capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, with the Vanganga Lake garden and a tribal museum, and the Dudhni reservoir in the hills.
• Vasona Lion Safari: a lion safari park in a fenced forest about 10 km from Silvassa, visited in a mesh-screened bus or van, open from 9 am to 5 pm.

Districts

The union territory has three districts. They came together when Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into a single union territory on 26 January 2020; the capital is Daman.

• Dadra and Nagar Haveli: the inland district, about 491 sq km between Gujarat and Maharashtra, with its headquarters at Silvassa.
• Daman: a coastal district of about 72 sq km on the Arabian Sea, surrounded on land by Gujarat's Valsad district.
• Diu: an island district of about 40 sq km off the south coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat, joined to the mainland by bridges.

Silvassa and Daman are about 30 km apart by road; Diu is several hundred kilometres away, on the far side of the Gulf of Khambhat.

Festivals

• Nariyal Purnima (August): the fishing community offers coconuts to the sea at the end of the monsoon, with boat races on the creek between Moti and Nani Daman.
• Navratri (September or October): nine nights of garba dancing, as across neighbouring Gujarat.
• Christmas (December): midnight masses and lit churches in Daman and Diu, with celebrations that run into the New Year.
• Tarpa festival (usually December): music on the tarpa, a long gourd wind instrument, and dances of the Warli, Kokna and Dhodia communities around Silvassa. Check the dates before you go.

Food to try

• Fish curry and rice: the daily meal of the coast, made with the catch of the day.
• Fried bombil: Bombay duck, a soft local fish, coated in semolina and fried crisp.
• Prawns and crab: cooked with coconut and spices in Daman and Diu.
• Nagli rotla: a thick flatbread of finger millet, eaten in the villages of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• Gujarati thali: dal, vegetables, rotis, rice and sweets on one plate, the vegetarian meal of the region.

Stories from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

• Silvassa, Daman and Diu: The Three Districts and How to Combine

Plan your visit

Best season	October to March, when the coast is dry and mild. June to September brings heavy monsoon rain; Silvassa's hills are at their greenest then, but the sea is rough.
How to reach	Daman and Silvassa: Vapi railway station on the Western Railway main line, about 12 km from Daman and 18 km from Silvassa; nearest airports Surat and Mumbai. Diu: Diu airport has flights from Mumbai and a few Gujarat cities; the nearest major railway station is Veraval, about 88 km away. Pawan Hans runs helicopter services between Daman and Diu.
Getting around	Taxis and auto-rickshaws in Daman and Silvassa, which are about 30 km apart. On Diu island, hired scooters and bicycles are common, along with auto-rickshaws.
Where to stay	Moti Daman and the Devka beach road in Daman; Diu town or Nagoa beach on Diu; Silvassa town and the forest roads around it in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
How long to spend	Two days for Daman, a day for Silvassa, and two to three days for Diu, which is a separate trip.

Open Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, India in Google Maps

Questions people ask

How many districts does Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have?

Three: Dadra and Nagar Haveli, with its headquarters at Silvassa, Daman and Diu. The two former union territories were merged on 26 January 2020, and Daman is the capital.

How do I reach Diu?

Fly to Diu airport, which has flights from Mumbai and a few Gujarat cities, or take a train to Veraval, about 88 km away, and continue by road. A Pawan Hans helicopter service links Diu with Daman; check schedules before you go.

Can I visit Daman and Diu on the same trip?

They are far apart, about 770 km by road around the Gulf of Khambhat. Most travellers visit Daman with Silvassa, and Diu with Gir or Somnath in Gujarat.

Is it safe to visit Daman in the monsoon?

The towns are fine to visit, but the sea is rough from June to September, so stay out of the water. Silvassa's lakes and hills are at their best in the rains.

What are the timings of Vasona Lion Safari?

The park near Silvassa is open from 9 am to 5 pm, according to the UT administration; safaris run in mesh-screened buses or vans. Check before you go.

Written by Muthu, editor of Aura of India. Sources: UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu: homepage, about the UT administration, Vasona Lion Safari, DNH and DD Tourism: how to reach Daman, DNH and DD Tourism: how to reach Diu, National Informatics Centre: UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (three districts). Last verified: 13 October 2026.

Your turn: Daman, Diu or Silvassa: which would you choose for a quiet weekend, and why?