24 Hours In Ahmedabad

With the growth of business and economic status of Ahmedabad, you may often find yourself in this city — sometimes with a few hours to kill. The city offers rich history, delectable Gujarati food, easily accessible places of interest and gorgeous handicrafts for its travelers. If you’d rather explore the city than staring into a screen, here is a list of must-dos when in Ahmedabad.

Dada Harir ni Vav

Dada Harir ni Vav opens as early as 9am. And if you make it to this destination before that time, you could spend some time at the mosque of Sultani, which is behind the step-well.
Over 500 years old, the step-well, made of sandstone in the style of Solanki architecture, is five stories deep and features an octagonal plan on the top. Inside the well, vertical pillars and platforms are stacked one upon another, and horizontally, the views unite as the step-well deepens from one end to the other, lending itself to beautiful perspectives.
Step-wells of Gujarat are well known, and your trip to the city won’t be justified without a visit to Dada Harir ni Vav, which is accessible by local modes of transport. The more famous step-wells such as Adalaj Vav and Rani ki Vav in Patan are best visited on longer trips to the city.

Vintage Car Museum

Museum

If you are a fan of automobiles, this place is a must-visit. The Vintage Car Museum houses over 100 vintage cars of all brands, shapes and sizes. Set up by Pranlal Bhogilal, founder-president of the Vintage and Classic Car Club of India, the museum also allows visitors to pay a small fee and ride the car of their choice.
Vintage Village, a Gujarati-themed dining restaurant complements the museum and serves elaborate Gujarati thali for lunch and dinner during the day.

Sabarmati Ashram

The famous Dandi March began from this Ashram in the year 1930. Partly a museum, this place reverberates peace from every corner. You could spend time looking through pictures, handwritten notes, excerpts from history or by walking around Gandhiji’s house to learn about his life. Have more time on your hands? You may want to try spinning the charkha, shop for authentic khadi clothes or stroll along the Sabarmati River.

Calico Museum of Textiles

Museum

Managed by Sarabhai Foundation, the Calico Museum is one of the leading and celebrated textile museums in the world and an important Indian institution. The Calico collection along with Sarabhai Foundation’s collection of outstanding bronzes, Pichwais paintings, Jain art objects and Indian miniature paintings are housed at this museum. Its outstanding collection of Indian fabrics exemplifies handicraft textiles spanning five centuries.
In case you decide to make a visit to this spectacular museum, you may want to pre-book the guided tour via phone.

Amdavad ni Gufa

Cafe

Amdavad ni Gufa is an underground art gallery designed by the famous architect B.V. Doshi and exhibits the work of the famous artist M.F. Hussain. Also known as Hussain-Doshi ni Gufa, the roof of this cave-like underground structure is made of interconnected domes covered with tiled mosaics. Above ground is Zen Café, an open-air coffee shop that serves scrumptious ice tea, coffee, Indian tea, pizzas and sandwiches. The Gufa and café are open to the public from 4pm to 8pm.

Sidi Sayed Mosque

Market, Market, Mosque

Open to visitors as late as 10pm, Sidi Sayed Mosque is more than 400 years old and the most famous mosque in Ahmedabad. The mosque was built with yellow sandstone in Indo-Islamic style of architecture and is famous for its beautifully carved ‘Tree of Life Jali’ — latticework done on one of the semi-circular arch windows — which is now the unofficial symbol of Ahmedabad and inspiration for the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad’s logo.

Shopping at Law Garden and Dinner at Khau Gali or Swati Snacks

2B72DKB Law Garden Night MarketAhmedabad Gujarat India

While in Delhi or Mumbai, a trip to Chandni Chowk or Linking Road is obligatory. Likewise, a trip to Law Garden perfects your stay in Ahmedabad and is more fitting for girls who love splurging on local handicrafts.

The name of this place comes from Gujarat Law Society College and a park housed in the same area. Take your time to explore small street shops alongside the road and bargain to your heart’s content before purchasing that piece of jewelry, bed sheet, Gujarati saree blouse, kurti, long skirts, wall hangings, home décor items, shawls or stoles, all adorned in kutch embroidery.

Walk towards the end of this street at the crossroad and to your left is Khau Gali, famous for its lip-smacking street food. Khau Gali makes for a quick treat of local varieties of different world cuisines. An ice cream sandwich is a must-have.

To your right at the crossroad is Swati Snacks. If you decide to visit Law Garden, be sure to try this eatery for a truly memorable trip. Swati’s simple, homemade-style Gujarati food might keep you longing for more. You may want to try patra, thalipit-pitla, sugarcane juice, panki chatni and baked masala khichdi.
Law Garden, Maharashtra Society, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, India

Swati Snacks, Panchavati Road, Law Garden, Ahmedabad, India, +91 79 2640 5900

By Aditi Gupta

For Aditi, writing is a natural extension to her passion of photography and through Culture Trip, she hopes to entice the audience with interesting stories from escapades to different destinations around the country and the world. More about her on about.me/adese.