A Complete Guide on Weekend Getaways from Ahmedabad

Introduction

One of the most prominent cities in Gujarat, Ahmedabad is well known as a commercial hub, shopping destination and foodies’ paradise. The city is also an ideal place to go for short trips and weekend getaways. Plenty of options are around when you look for weekend getaways from Ahmedabad, be it a quiet place to relax or a historic place linked to ancient cultures or a wildlife adventure, you get it all just a short drive away.

The central location of the city between Gujarat and near to Rajasthan makes it a great place to travel to nearby tourist destinations. With good infrastructure and good roads, both these states offer diverse and easily accessible weekend getaways from Ahmedabad. These destinations can be either covered as a weekend getaway or a one-day trip from Ahmedabad. Now for easy understanding I have divided this article into parts – weekend getaways in Gujarat and weekend getaways in Rajasthan. So, let’s check out the list of various weekend getaways from Ahmedabad.

Also Read: The Minimalist Guide to Weekend Getaways

Weekend Getaways in Gujarat

Located on the western coast of India – Gujarat is a vibrant state famous for its vibrant culture, rich heritage, wildlife and mouth-watering Gujarati snacks and cuisines. True to its tourism tagline ‘Vibrant Gujarat’, the state offers a lot of lively attractions to all kinds of travelers. Here is a list of different places that can be covered as weekend getaways in Gujarat.

Kutch

Distance from Ahmedabad: 400 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Also known as ‘The White Desert of India’, Kutch is one of the most beautiful places in India. It is considered to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world and you can see pure white salt deserts as far as your eyesight goes. The centre of attraction here is the Rann of Kutch, which comes to life during the Rann festival. The annual event is held during the months October to march in Dhordo village – 80 kms from Bhuj. Rann utsav is popular for its camp stays, cultural programs, functions and adventure activities like hot air ballooning.

Major attractions:          

Dhordo Village for Rann Utsav, Dholavira, Mandvi Beach, Aina Mahal, Kalo Dungar

Gir

Distance from Ahmedabad: 370 kms/ 8-9 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Popularly known as ‘The Land of Asiatic Lions’, Gir national park is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in India. Gir is home of the majestic Asiatic lions and has played a significant role in preserving them. The sanctuary also has a good population of other animals like leopards, blackbuck deer and a wide variety of birds. One can take a jeep safari to see the wildlife up close. Gir national park is one of the most popular wildlife weekend getaways in Gujarat.

Major attractions:          

Gir National Park and Jeep Safari

Saputara

Distance from Ahmedabad: 400 kms/ 8-9 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

The only hill station in Gujarat, Saputara is popular for its lush green forests, mountains and waterfalls. The region is a perfect place for nature lovers and adventure seekers as one can go for activities like trekking and paragliding here. Apart from this the major highlights here are the Saputara lake – popular for its natural beauty and boat rides and the viewpoint for amazing sunrise and sunset views. To reach the viewpoint one needs to take a cable car ride of 15 mins. The weather in Satpura remains pleasant throughout the year, but monsoon rains make it more enjoyable.

Major attractions:          

Saputara Lake, Boat ride, Sunrise/ sunset View Point, Gira Falls

Surat

Distance from Ahmedabad: 270 kms/ 6-7 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

Also known as the Diamond city of India, Surat is popular for its trade in diamonds and textiles. Surat is the biggest centre of diamond cutting and polishing in the world. Its textile industry is famous for man-made fibre and zari work. Apart from being the commercial hub, Surat is also a popular spot when it comes to weekend getaways from Ahmedabad offering beaches, waterparks and other attractions.

Major attractions:          

Dumus beach, Amazia waterpark, Iskon temple and Gatteshwar Mahadev temple

Daman

Distance from Ahmedabad: 365 kms/ 8-9 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

Daman is a beautiful little city on the southern coast of Gujarat. The region is known for its rich history, beaches, natural beauty and easy availability of liquor. The presence of many liquor shops and bars makes Daman a favorite destination for people residing in the neighboring dry state of Gujarat. Most of the people come here to have easy, cheap and widely available liquor.

Major attractions:          

Lighthouse, Jampore beach, Shopping and amusement parks (devika and mirasol)

Dwarka

Distance from Ahmedabad: 440 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

‘Home of Lord Krishna’, Dwarka is an important pilgrimage spot in India and a part of the char dham yatra. Due to its religious significance, Dwarka attracts thousands of pilgrims throughout the year. The major attraction here is the Dwarkadhish temple also known as Jagat mandir dedicated to lord Krishna. The eve of Janmashtami is the most special and celebrated occasion here and devotees from all over the world come to attend rituals and prayers.

Major attractions:          

Dwarkadhish temple, Nageshwar temple, Rukmani devi temple, Sudama sethu, Dwarka beach and Lighthouse

Somnath

Distance from Ahmedabad: 400 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

Somnath which means ‘Lord of the Moon’, is a temple which apart from temples also offers beaches, museums and other attractions. The main attraction here is the Somnath Temple, said to be the first of 12 jyotirlingas of lord Shiva and the oldest temples in the country. The existence of this temple is even mentioned in ancient texts like Bhagavad Gita, Shiva Purana and Rigveda. The temple has seen a rough era and destruction during the Mughal rule of Ghazni, Khilji and Aurangzeb, but the temple was later revived and restored.

Major attractions:          

Somnath Temple, Somnath beach and Triveni Sangam temple

Statue of Unity

Distance from Ahmedabad: 200 kms/ 3-4 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year

Located on the banks of river Narmada overlooking the Narmada Dam, Statue of Liberty is a memorial to the Iron man of India – Sardar Vallabhai Patel. The statue is 182 m tall making it the tallest statue in the world. The place was inaugurated specially on 31^st Oct 2018 – on the occasion of the 143^rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel. Since the opening, statue of unity has become one of the most visited and popular weekend getaways in Gujarat.

Major attractions:          

Statue of Unity, Sardar Sarovar dam, Valley of flowers, Cactus Garden and Zarwani falls

Weekend Getaways in Rajasthan

One of the most colorful states in India, Rajasthan is popular all over the world for its rich heritage and culture. The land of Kings and forts, Rajasthan is full of mighty architectural marvels and spectacular landscapes. Weekend getaways in Rajasthan is a great way to explore different parts of the state. When it comes to weekend getaways from Ahmedabad, there are plenty of options like Udaipur, Mt. Abu, Kumbhalgarh, Chittorgarh and Jodhpur which you may consider for short trips.

Udaipur

Distance from Ahmedabad: 260 kms/ 7-8 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Also known as City of Lakes, Udaipur is a beautiful city surrounded by Aravalli hills from all directions. Udaipur has a rich history and cultural background which makes it a popular and most visited tourist destination. Easy access and numerous attractions add Udaipur to the preferred list of weekend getaways from Ahmedabad.

Major attractions:          

City palace, Lake pichola, Jagdish temple, Vintage car museum, Fateh sagar lake, Bagore ki haveli

Kumbhalgarh

Distance from Ahmedabad: 315 kms/ 7-8 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

The birthplace of great Rajput warrior Maharana Pratap, this historic town is known for its majestic monuments, palaces and temples. The Kumbhalgarh fort is the major attraction here and it is truly a massive structure, located strategically at the foothills of Aravalli hills. With a length of 36 kms, the wall of Kumbhalgarh is the second largest wall in the world after the Great wall of China.

Major attractions:          

Kumbhalgarh fort, Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary and Jeep safari

Chittorgarh

Distance from Ahmedabad: 380 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Also known as City of Pride and Honor, Chittorgarh is a land of forts and fortresses which throws light on stories of sacrifice and heroism of Rajput kings and queens. The main attraction here is the Chittorgarh fort – the largest fort bult in India on a hilltop over an area of around 700 acres. The fort has witnessed some great battles in the history especially the conquest of Alaudin Khilji, during which Rani Padmini performed the self-sacrifice also called Jauhar along with other ladies of the fort.

Major attractions:          

Chittorgarh fort, Rani kumbha palace, Padmini palace, Gauri kund and Vijay stambh

Mt. Abu

Distance from Ahmedabad: 230 kms/ 6-7 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

The only hill station in Rajasthan, Mt Abu is known for its cool pleasant weather and green surroundings. The main attraction here are the Dilwara temples – an important pilgrimage site for Jains and the architecture of the temple makes it one of the must-see temples in the country.

Major attractions:

Dilwara temples, Nakki lake, Mt Abu wildlife sanctuary and Sunset point

Jodhpur

Distance from Ahmedabad: 450 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

With most of the houses painted in shades of blue, ‘The Blue City’ of Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan. The city is famous for its magnificent forts, palaces, temples and havelis. Mehrangarh fort is the major attraction here and has been shown in many Hollywood and Bollywood movies like the Lion King, Batman Dark Knight Rises, etc. Apart from its rich history and culture, the city of Jodhpur is also famous for shopping and food trails. One can shop for Bandhej fabric, handicrafts, paintings, traditional footwear and more. In terms of food the popular items include – mirchi vada, ghewar, kachori, makhaniya lassi and lal maas (non-veg dish).

Major attractions:          

Mehrangarh fort, Umaid bhawan palace, Jaswant thada, Shopping and Food trails

Conclusion

A five day long tiring week can be changed to an exciting one by spending a two days weekend in the right way. By traveling to new places, you can turn your weekends from boring to interesting one. Though Ahmedabad itself offers a lot to explore, heading and discovering the nearby places surely has its benefits. Hope the above list of weekend getaways from Ahmedabad will help you slide away to a place of your choice.

Also read: A Complete Guide on Weekend Getaways from Delhi