One Day Bike Trips from Ahmedabad: 10 Rides Worth the Early Start

Ahmedabad does not get talked about as a riding city, and that is a mistake. Within a morning's ride you have some of the finest stepwells in India, a 4,500-year-old Harappan port, a sun temple, wild asses on the salt flats, blackbuck grasslands and, in the monsoon, a forest that looks like it belongs in Kerala. The roads are mostly flat and wide, which makes trips from Ahmedabad a great place to build up to longer days.

This list gives you ten rides, sorted by distance, from a 20 km stepwell run to full days out to Champaner and Velavadar. Each has the road you take out of the city, an honest ride time and the season it is worth doing in, because in Gujarat the season decides almost everything.

Before you plan, two things. The Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway is closed to bikes, so anything toward Vadodara runs on the old NH48 through Nadiad and Anand. And several of the best rides here are seasonal: the bird lakes are at their best in winter, Polo Forest in the monsoon, and two of the wildlife parks are shut completely from mid-June to mid-October.

Bike trip distances from Ahmedabad

Road distances for these trips from Ahmedabad are measured from the city centre around Ashram Road, one way. Ride times assume you leave at dawn and stop once for tea.

Short trips, under 80 km

• Adalaj | about 20 km | 40 minutes | a five-storey stepwell from 1499
• Thol Lake | about 40 km | 1 hour | winter birds on a village lake
• Nalsarovar | about 65 km | 1.5 hours | a huge wetland you see by boat
• Lothal | about 80 km | 1.75 hours | a Harappan dockyard

Full day, 80 to 160 km

• Little Rann at Dasada | about 100 km | 2.25 hours | wild asses on the salt flats
• Modhera and Patan | about 100 to 125 km | 2 to 2.5 hours | the sun temple and Rani ki Vav
• Vadnagar and Taranga | about 110 to 140 km | 2.5 to 3 hours | an old town and a Jain hill temple
• Polo Forest | about 150 km | 3 hours | the monsoon ride
• Champaner and Pavagadh | about 150 km | 3 hours | a UNESCO city under a hill
• Velavadar | about 150 km | 3 hours | blackbuck grasslands

The SP Ring Road is your friend for getting out quickly in any direction. North toward Mehsana, Modhera and Patan the highway is wide and fast. South toward Lothal and Velavadar the roads are flatter, emptier and hotter.

Short bike trips from Ahmedabad

1. Adalaj

Distance: About 20 km one way | Ride time: 40 minutes | Best for: A ride before breakfast

The Adalaj stepwell was finished in 1499, five storeys of carved sandstone going down to the water, with light falling through the openings in a way that changes every hour. Go early, before the tour groups, and you can have the lower levels almost to yourself.

It is the shortest of all the trips from Ahmedabad, and a perfect first ride for someone new to riding out of the city.

Rider tip: Pair it with the Gandhinagar side for breakfast, and be back on the ring road before the office traffic starts around nine.

2. Thol Lake

Distance: About 40 km one way | Ride time: 1 hour | Best for: Winter birding on an easy ride

Thol is a village lake west of the city that turns into a bird sanctuary every winter. From November to February you can see flamingos, pelicans, cranes and ducks by the thousand, and the walking path along the embankment gets you close without disturbing them.

Rider tip: The sanctuary usually opens around 6 am, and the birds are most active in the first two hours. There is an entry fee and a separate camera fee, so carry some cash.

3. Nalsarovar

Distance: About 65 km one way | Ride time: 1.5 hours | Best for: A proper wetland, seen from a boat

Nalsarovar is a much bigger wetland than Thol, and the way to see it is on a wooden boat poled out through the reeds. In winter the lake holds tens of thousands of migratory birds, and a sunrise boat ride here is one of the calmest mornings you can have within reach of Ahmedabad.

Rider tip: Boat rides take two to three hours and cost a few hundred rupees a head, less per person if you share a boat. The roads around the lake are narrow village roads, so ride slowly and watch for cattle.

4. Lothal

Distance: About 80 km one way | Ride time: 1.75 hours | Best for: One of the oldest ports in the world

Lothal was a port town of the Harappan civilisation around 4,500 years ago, and the remains of its dockyard, one of the oldest known anywhere, are still visible in the flat land south of the city. The site museum has beads, seals and tools found here, and it puts the whole place in context.

It is one of the trips from Ahmedabad that surprises people most, because it looks like very little until you understand what you are standing on.

Rider tip: The museum is closed on Fridays. The site is fully exposed with almost no shade, so go early and carry water.

Full-day bike trips from Ahmedabad

5. Little Rann at Dasada

Distance: About 100 km one way | Ride time: 2.25 hours | Best for: Wild asses and the flat white horizon

The Little Rann of Kutch is a vast salt desert, and the Wild Ass Sanctuary here is the only home of the Indian wild ass. Ride to Dasada, check into a camp or book a jeep safari, and go out onto the flats at dawn or dusk when the herds move.

Rider tip: The sanctuary is closed from 15 June to 15 October. Do not ride your own bike out onto the Rann. The surface is soft in places, there are no landmarks, and it is easy to get lost or stuck. Take a local jeep for the flats.

6. Modhera and Patan

Distance: About 100 to 125 km one way | Ride time: 2 to 2.5 hours | Best for: Two of the finest monuments in Gujarat

The Modhera Sun Temple was built in the 11th century under the Solanki kings, with a stepped tank in front of it that is almost as beautiful as the temple. About 35 km on is Patan, home of Rani ki Vav, a UNESCO-listed stepwell so richly carved that it is printed on the ₹100 note. Patan is also where the famous double ikat Patola silk is still woven by hand.

Of all the full-day trips from Ahmedabad, this is the one to do first. The highway north to Mehsana is wide and easy, and the two sites together make a complete day.

Rider tip: Both sites are usually open from about 8 am to 6 pm. Reach Modhera first while the light on the tank is soft, and do Patan after an early lunch.

7. Vadnagar and Taranga

Distance: About 110 to 140 km one way | Ride time: 2.5 to 3 hours | Best for: A quieter heritage day

Vadnagar is one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in Gujarat, with the carved Kirti Toran arches, Sharmishtha lake, and a new archaeology museum built over its excavation site. About 30 km on, Taranga Hill has a group of Jain temples on a hill of rounded rocks, with a short, pleasant climb up to them.

Rider tip: The roads between the two are village roads with speed breakers that are not always painted. Keep your speed down after Vadnagar.

8. Polo Forest

Distance: About 150 km one way | Ride time: 3 hours | Best for: The monsoon

Polo Forest is the reason Ahmedabad riders look forward to the rain. Out through Himmatnagar and past the granite hills of Idar, the road to Vijaynagar runs into a forest that turns deep green from July to September, with streams, the Harnav dam and the ruined Sharneshwar temple sitting among the trees.

It is the longest of the regular trips from Ahmedabad, and in the monsoon it is also the best.

Rider tip: The inner forest roads get muddy and slippery after rain, and some paths close after very heavy downpours. Stay on the main roads and be out of the forest before dusk.

9. Champaner and Pavagadh

Distance: About 150 km one way | Ride time: 3 hours | Best for: A lost city under a hill

Champaner was a 15th and 16th century capital, and its mosques, city walls and step wells are now a UNESCO World Heritage park, with the Jami Masjid as its finest building. Above it rises Pavagadh hill, with the Kalika Mata temple at the top, reached by a ropeway and a final climb of a few hundred steps.

Rider tip: The expressway to Vadodara is closed to bikes, so ride the old NH48 through Nadiad and Anand, then Vadodara to Halol. The ropeway usually runs from about 6 am to just before 7 pm, and weekends at Pavagadh are very crowded.

10. Velavadar

Distance: About 150 km one way | Ride time: 3 hours | Best for: Blackbuck and big open grassland

Velavadar National Park, on the way to Bhavnagar, protects a stretch of golden grassland and one of the largest populations of blackbuck in India. Watching a herd of them leap across the grass is worth the long, flat, hot ride. In winter the park is also known for a huge roost of harriers that come in at dusk.

Rider tip: The park is closed from 15 June to 15 October. Check at the gate how visitors can enter and whether bikes are allowed inside. Many people take a jeep or a car with a guide. There is little shade or food on the way, so eat before you leave the highway.

Bike trips from Ahmedabad for a weekend

Some trips from Ahmedabad need a night away. Stay a night, and these become possible.

• Bhuj and the White Rann | about 335 km | the long, empty ride into Kutch. Our Ahmedabad to Bhuj route guide covers the road, and the White Rann is best from November to February
• Saputara | about 400 km | Gujarat's hill station, with a proper ghat climb at the end, best in the monsoon
• Diu and the Saurashtra coast | about 370 km | quiet beaches and the old Portuguese fort

Planning your trips from Ahmedabad

The night-before list:

A few Gujarat-specific habits help too:

• Beat the heat. Gujarat's flat highways are easy riding, but from March onward they get very hot by late morning. Leave at dawn. A full pre-ride checklist the night before makes the early start painless.
• Watch for kite string in January. Around Uttarayan in mid-January, glass-coated kite string hangs across roads in and around the city, and it causes serious neck injuries to two-wheeler riders every year. Ride slowly, keep your visor down and consider a neck guard.
• Watch for animals. Nilgai, cattle and dogs wander onto village roads, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Wear the gear. If you are still building your kit, start with the essentials for beginners.
• Be honest about the distance. Polo, Champaner and Velavadar are all around 300 km round trips. If you have not done that yet, see how to pick a ride that matches your skill level.
• Riding in a group? Pick shaded regroup points in advance, because on these flat roads the group stretches out fast in the heat. Our group riding guide covers the rest.

When to go

November to February is the main season for trips from Ahmedabad. The mornings are cool, the bird lakes are full and every monument ride is comfortable. March to May is dawn riding only, with afternoons well above 40°C. July to September belongs to Polo Forest and the green hills around it, though the heaviest rain days are best spent at home.

Two things are worth timing on purpose. Thol and Nalsarovar are at their best from November to February, and the Little Rann and Velavadar are closed from 15 June to 15 October.

Common questions

Which is the best bike trip from Ahmedabad for a beginner?

Adalaj or Thol Lake. Both are close, the roads are easy, and you are home by lunch. Modhera on the wide Mehsana highway is the natural next step. Before your first highway day, read up on the mistakes new riders make on their first highway ride.

Are there good bike rides within 50 km of Ahmedabad?

Yes. Adalaj at about 20 km and Thol Lake at about 40 km are both short trips from Ahmedabad that fit into a morning.

How far is Polo Forest from Ahmedabad by bike?

About 150 km, around three hours via Himmatnagar and Idar. It is a long day out and back, and best in the monsoon.

Can I ride a bike on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway?

No. Two-wheelers are not allowed on it. Use the old NH48 through Nadiad and Anand instead.

What time should I leave Ahmedabad for a day ride?

Around 6 am for anything beyond the city edge. You get cooler air, emptier roads and more active wildlife, and you are heading home before the hottest part of the day.

Find your riding day

The hard part of most trips from Ahmedabad is not the road. It is getting a group together, agreeing on a Sunday and leaving before the heat. That is the problem RydrLoop solves. Post the ride, find riders going the same way, and get a group out of the city while it is still cool.

If you are riding from somewhere else, the same idea works out of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Hyderabad.

Pick a stepwell, set the alarm, and go.