Mount Girnar is a sacred hill rising 1,117 metres above the Saurashtra plain, 5 km from Junagadh, and the climb to its cluster of temples at the summit involves ascending over 10,000 stone steps. Pilgrims and fitness enthusiasts both make the ascent, which typically takes 3–4 hours going up and 2–3 hours coming down. The standard advice is to start before dawn — you avoid the worst heat, you see the sunrise from the summit, and you share the trail with serious pilgrims rather than the midday tourist rush.
At the top are five Jain temples dating from the 11th to 13th centuries, of which the Neminath Temple is the oldest and most revered. The highest peak — Gorakhnath — requires a further scramble past the Jain temples to a Hindu shrine at the summit. Langur monkeys patrol the steps throughout, importuning snacks from pilgrims. The staircase has chai stalls and coconut water sellers at intervals, which helps. Warm layers are useful at the summit even in winter — the wind can be sharp at altitude.