A travel Guide to Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad Tourism

Ahmedabad is the perfect place for people who love to visit great tourist attractions. It is the largest city of Gujrat, a beautiful state in Western India. Also pronounced as Amdavad in the native Gujarati language, the Ahmedabad tours have a number of amazing places for visitors to see, in and around the city. The features that describe this place perfectly are beautiful monuments, gorgeous lakes, and wonderful monuments. Ahmedabad, India has plenty of sightseeing places and every visitor gets mesmerised by them. The city also has great historical significance in India’s struggle for independence and is closely related with some eminent personalities of India, including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

In Gujrat, Ahmedabad is a centre of cultural activities, diverse traditions, different ethnic groups and religious communities. The popular Ahmedabad tourist attractions include the celebrations of Navratri and the annual kite festival, Uttarayan, on 14 January. The Navratri festival is celebrated for nine nights, in which people perform Garba, the folk dance of Gujarat, at different venues across the city. Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Gudi Padwa are other popular festivals of Ahmedabad. The city also celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr, Muharram, and Christmas with great enthusiasm.

Here’s a simple Ahmedabad travel guide to help you plan your trip.

Places to visit in Ahmedabad

1. Sabarmati Ashram: Home of Gandhiji

Sabarmati Ashram, also known as Satyagraha Ashram and Gandhi Ashram, is a very popular place in the whole Gujarat. This is the place where Mahatma Gandhi used to live with his wife, Kasturba Gandhi. Gandhiji also started the famous Dandi March from this place. The Sabarmati Ashram covers an area of 36 acres and is known as a national monument by the Indian Government. The Ashram shows different items that Gandhiji used in his life, including the Charkha, eyeglasses and letters. A visit to this city is incomplete without exploring this historical site. The Ashram is one of the best places to visit in Ahmedabad.

2. Swaminarayan Temple

Shri Swaminarayan Temple is dedicated to Narayan Dev. It was constructed in 1822 on the instructions of Swaminarayan, the founder of the sect. The temple is a beautiful example of the arts of carvings and paintings. The architecture work done on the walls of this temple is magnificent. The carving has been done on Teak wood, brought far away from Burma, to decorate the walls of this temple. It is surely one of the best Ahmedabad attractions in the city.

3. Jama Masjid

Another popular religious place in Ahmedabad is the Jama Masjid, which is situated near the Bhandara fort. It was built in 1424 during the reign of Ahmad Shah I. Every day, the gates open at 6 am and close at 8 pm. The architecture of this Masjid is very detailed and intricate, which makes it a popular place in Ahmedabad tourism.

4. Auto World Vintage Car Museum

The Ahmedabad tourist places cover interesting museums that exhibit its rich history. One such museum is the Auto World Vintage Car Museum. There is an excellent collection of vintage cars, carts, and motorcycles. There are over 100 cars that are kept for display. All the cars belong to popular international companies. This museum is situated near Ahmedabad International airport and it is a great place for people who are fond of cars and other automobiles. The museum stays open every day from 9 am to 9 pm. The entry ticket costs Rs 50.

5. Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden

Ahmedabad tourist places do not just end with the historical and religious sites, but it also includes zoological gardens. The Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden has protected the wildlife of the region since 1951. The zoo is located on the bank of Kankaria Lake and provides a safe home to many indigenous species like Asiatic Lion, Mouse Deer, Indian Wild Ass, and Flamingos. The zoo covers a large area of 117 acres and aims to protect wild animals that have been living at the zoo for many years.

Things to do in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad offers you many fun activities that you can enjoy on your vacation.

Enjoy water sports at Maniar’s Wonderland

Maniar’s Wonderland is an adventure plus amusement zone in Ahmedabad. Here, you can go on thrilling water rides, zip lines, toy trains, joy boats, aqua boats, and other water sports. In the summer season, many people come here with their kids to enjoy their time together and to create beautiful memories.

Take a Heritage Walk in Old Ahmedabad

Of all the things to do in Ahmedabad, Heritage Walk is the one thing that every tourist must do. The municipal corporation of Ahmedabad organises a daily tour through the old streets of the city. It starts at 8 am from the Swaminarayan temple and people walk for 2 km to reach Jama Masjid at 10:30 am. On this walk, you can discover and learn many great things about old Ahmedabad. There are 600 pols (nooks like neighbourhoods) with common courtyards. You can wear slip-on footwear because you’ll be visiting a lot of temples. Going to the Heritage Walk with an Ahmedabad travel guide would be a good idea as they can tell you about all the sites in detail.

Water rides and carnival at the Gorgeous Kankaria Lake

Kankaria Lake is located in the southern part of Ahmedabad. It was built by Sultan Kutubuddin in the 15^th century. It is the biggest lake in the city and one of the popular Ahmedabad attractions for the family and kids because they can enjoy tethered balloon rides, toy train rides, water rides, among other things.

The lake is also a place for sightseeing. You can sit or play around in the beautiful garden near the lake. The last week of December sees a week-long Kankaria Carnival where many arts, cultural, and social events are held by the local artists.

Explore the Science City

Science city was established by the Gujarat government in 1960 with the objective to spread awareness of the progression of science and technology and its applications in human life. In the science city, there is an IMAX 3D Theatre, The Hall of Space, The Hall of Science, The Energy Education Park, and the Life Sciences Park. You can also enjoy the amphitheatre and thrill rides on its campus. The science city is located in a metropolitan area where you can find many luxurious hotels in Ahmedabad.

Best time to visit Ahmedabad

There are different charms of Ahmedabad tourism in different seasons. Read the following information to plan your visit.

Winter

Winter is the best season to visit Ahmedabad. The weather remains mild and pleasant so you can enjoy sightseeing in this season. The months from November to February are the best time to visit Ahmedabad. During this time, the temperature ranges between 12 degrees to 35 degrees Celsius, which is best for sightseeing.

Summer

Ahmedabad experiences severe heat from March to May. The temperature crosses the 40 degree mark every day and sometimes reaches 45 degrees Celsius. Summer is off-season in Ahmedabad, but you can find cheap deals in hotels in this season.

Monsoon

June to October is another good time to see Ahmedabad attractions. The cool air that comes with raindrops the temperature to 19 degrees Celsius. On normal days, you can expect the temperature to remain around 25 degrees Celsius.

How to Reach Ahmedabad

Looking for how to reach Ahmedabad? Here’s some information for you.

By Air

Many airports in India give direct flights to Ahmedabad. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport operates both national and international flights. This airport is located 14 km away from the city and you can easily pre-book a taxi ride from the airport to the city.

By Bus

Ahmedabad is connected to all the cities of Gujarat and also to Mumbai via bus routes. You can find normal as well as deluxe buses on every route. The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) manages the bus services in the city and you can pre-book the seats from their official website.

By Train

Ahmedabad’s railway station, also known as Kalupur Station, is well-linked to every major city of India. This station falls under the national railway circuit and many express trains run from here to other parts of India.