Things To Do in Ahmedabad

If you have time to do only one thing in Ahmedabad, step back in time with the city's Heritage Walk, which takes you through the historic heart and soul of the old city and unveils the true nature of its people and the way they used to, and still do, live. The guided walk (tel. 079/2539-1811; daily at 8am for 2 1/2 hrs; Rs 50) is preceded by a short but informative slide show, before leaving from Temple Swaminarayan and covering about 3km (2 miles), through the labyrinthine alleyways and old carved wooden residences which are so much a part of the fabric of the city, and ending at Jama Masjud. It provides excellent photographic opportunities, especially of its picturesque pols (the self- contained neighborhoods defined by trade, not religion). The ornate architecture, community wells, secret passages, old wooden gates and doors, and the many chabaturas for housing and feeding birds provide a true sense of wonder of how a bygone era can still infuse life in the city today. Note that the Municipality also runs city bus tours for areas not covered by the walk (tel. 079/2550-7739; 9am-1pm and 1:30-5:30pm; Rs 60; depart from the bus stand at Lal Darwaja).