AHMEDABAD TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO AHMEDABAD
Heritage | City
About Ahmedabad
#2 of 17 Places to visit in Gujarat | #38 of 100 Places to visit in India
Ideal Trip Duration: 2 Full Days
Nearest City to Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad
Best Time to Visit Ahmedabad: October to March
Peak Season: November to February
At a distance of 29 km from Gandhinagar, 109 km from Vadodara, 175 km from Bhavnagar, 220 km from Rajkot, 230 km from Mount Abu, 250 km from Udaipur, 257 km from Surat, 310 km from Jamnagar, 534 km from Mumbai, 585 km from Bhopal, 681 km from Jaipur and 905 km from Delhi, Ahmedabad is the largest city and also the former capital of Gujarat. Situated on the banks of the River Sabarmati, it is one of the popular places of heritage in India, and among the must-include places in Gujarat tour packages.
Ahmedabad is India's first UNESCO World Heritage City and is also regarded as one of the fastest-growing cities in India. Also known as Amdavad, the city of Ahmedabad is the commercial hub and also the living symbol of the rich cultural heritage of Gujarat state. Popularly called the Land of Gandhi, Ahmedabad is closely associated with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of the nation. It has been one of the most important centers of trade and commerce in western India since medieval times. Presently it is famous for its textile mills and is often referred to as the Manchester of the East.
The history of Ahmedabad dates back to the 11th century when it was known as Karnavati after the name of King Karandev, a Solanki Ruler. The Solanki rule lasted until the 13th century when Gujarat came under the control of the Vaghela dynasty of Dwarka. Gujarat was conquered by the Sultanate of Delhi at the end of the 13th century AD. Later, Sultan Ahmed Shah conquered the place and renamed it Ahmedabad in 1411 AD. In the year 1573, the city of Ahmedabad was taken over by the Mughal emperor Akbar. Peshwas and Gaekwads jointly ended Mughal rule and established Maratha Empire in 1583. The British captured Ahmedabad in 1817 and was under the British till independence.
The city of Ahmedabad played an outstanding role in India's freedom struggle. The Indian independence movement developed strong roots in the city when Mahatma Gandhi established two ashrams, the Kochrab Ashram near Paldi in 1915 and the Satyagraha Ashram on the banks of the Sabarmati in 1917 that would become centers of intense nationalist activities. Ahmedabad became the capital of the new state of Gujarat after separated from the State of Bombay in 1960.
Splendid monuments, wonderful museums, and gorgeous lakes are the prime attractions of Ahmedabad tour packages. Sabarmati Ashram, Kankarai Lake, Jama Masjid, Akshardham Temple, Adalaj Stepwell, Huthee Singh Jain Temple, ISKCON Temple, Vintage Car Museum, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Swaminarayan Mandir, and Sardar Patel National Memorial are some of the well-known places to visit in Ahmedabad.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport is the nearest airport which is about 10 km from Ahmedabad. It has flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Lucknow. Ahmedabad Junction is well connected by trains with Mumbai, Allahabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Puri, Chandigarh, Tirunelveli, Kutch, New Delhi, Okha, Kolkata, Bangalore, Jodhpur, Lucknow, Rameswaram, Ajmer, Jaipur, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Dwarka, Bhavnagar, Vishakhapatnam, Bikaner, Mysore, Trivandrum, Kochi, Surat, Vadodara, and Jaisalmer. Ahmedabad is well connected with buses from New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Agra, Jaipur, Gandhinagar, Gandhidham, Amreli, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Mount Abu, Udaipur, Surat, Jamnagar, Bhuj, Porbandar, Anand, and Vadodara.
Ahmedabad is a land of fairs and festivities. Uttarayan International Kite Festival, Navratri, Diwali, and Holi are the most famous festivals celebrated with great excitement and enthusiasm in Ahmedabad.
The best time to visit Ahmedabad is from October to March while the peak season is from November to February. Better to avoid summer as the sun is scorching during the days and the temperatures are high.
UNESCO Heritage City