I was so excited to share about this Dinosaur fossil park because this was my very 1st visit to fossil park. I know you don’t believe it, but seriously, I have never been to any fossil park. And the best thing was it just 30kms away from my hometown. Hence, when I visited India this year, I have decided to go there. I mean I shouldn’t miss this place and its so close to my parent’s home, right? Hence, I finally visit my first Dinosaur fossil park in Raiyoli, India.
Those who don’t know, Raiyoli, is a small town in the state of Gujarat. I know to hear the name of Gujarat, you associate Gathiya (name of snack) and Garba, but now you can think of fossil parks too. No matter what type of tourist you are, Gujarat has something for everyone. Either you love nature or a heritage site.
How to reach Raiyoli?
For international tourists, the nearest airports are Ahmedabad airport and Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport in Mumbai. There is one more domestic airport in Vadodara. You might take a domestic flight from any other airport in India.
From the airport, you can rent the car and Drive to Raiyoli. For your information, when you rent a car in India, it comes with a driver. Hence, you don’t need to worry about driving.
Where to stay?
Raiyoli is a small town, so it doesn’t have any lodging facilities yet; still, you will find plenty of lodging options in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Balasinor.
You can stay in Ahmedabad and take a one day trip to Raiyoli. Ahmedabad has a lot to offer. You can check my post Things to do Ahmedabad to plan your trip further.
Information about Dinosaur Fossil Park
- Museum timings:- 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (Tuesday to Sunday), Monday Closed
- The entry fee was 50 rupees when I visited.
- They don’t allow any backpack or anything bigger than a purse. You can put it in the locker free of charge.
- If you are really interested in exploring the details, then at least spare half a day for a museum.
- There is a small cafeteria, which offers very limited options. Also, a few street food options outside the museum. If you have any dietary restrictions, I will recommend you to carry your own.
Dinosaur Fossil Park in Raiyoli India
Paleontologists accidentally came across the fossil remains from Raiyoli in the 1980s. Since then, this place attracted many researchers and archeologists. These lead to several excavations taken place in the area. The findings revealed that there were more than 13 species of dinosaurs that thrived around 65 million years ago. Wow, that’s a long time back, right?
This fossil park contains life-sized statues of Dinosaurs. My visit to fossil park made me dig deeper into the history of Dinosaurs. The museum is almost 25,000 sq. Feet in size. You will see two giant dinosaur sculptures outside the museum. The moment you enter the museum, you will feel like you are entering the forest. They have painted the walls imitating forest and sides covered with artificial trees and leaves. As you go further, you will notice the museum has been divided into two floors. There was a total of 10 galleries spread in the basement, and the ground floor depicting various forms of displays.
I really enjoyed the 3-D movie focused on Rajasaurus Narmadensis. There was one gallery that displayed details of dinosaurs of India and Gujarat. We also explore the fossil exhibit. It was so much fun learning about Mesozoic times with visual display. I didn’t know there are so many types of dinosaurs. This museum had more than 30 sculptures that give information about their shape, size, habit, and habitat.