Heritage Threads of Gujarat

Upon arrival at Ahmedabad Airport or Railway Station, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel. After check-in and some rest, proceed to explore the city’s rich textile legacy:

• Calico Museum of Textiles (subject to prior appointment): One of India’s finest textile museums featuring rare collections of Indian fabrics, costumes, carpets, tribal textiles, and techniques like tie-dye and block printing.
• Sidi Saiyyed Mosque: Known for its intricate stone lattice work (jaali) windows – a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture.
• Bhadra Fort & Teen Darwaza: 15th-century fort complex with historic gates, royal palaces, and marketplaces.
• Sabarmati Riverfront: Enjoy a peaceful walk along the well-planned promenade, with gardens, sculptures, and fountains.

After breakfast, check out and proceed to Sayla, a charming town known for rural weaving arts:

• Visit a textile workshop in Sayla to see how weaving and beadwork is done using traditional techniques passed down through generations.

After lunch, continue your drive to Gondal, known for its royal legacy and thriving cottage industries:

• Naulakha Palace: 17th-century palace housing an exquisite collection of beadwork, brass utensils, silverware, and hand-painted wooden toys from the royal era.
• Stroll local bazaars to explore jewellery-making, brassware crafting, and Gondal’s signature cotton textiles.

Post breakfast, drive toward Gir National Park, stopping en route at textile towns:

• Jetpur: Renowned for screen printing, block printing, and textile dyeing units. Visit a workshop to observe traditional screen printing in action.
• Junagadh Museum: Explore the Nawabi textile collection, including Zardozi, Brocades, and Persian-influenced carpets once used by Junagadh rulers.

Arrive at Gir, check-in at your lodge/resort near the forest.

Early morning jungle safari (optional) in Gir National Park, the last abode of Asiatic Lions, along with sightings of leopards, nilgai, hyenas, and birdlife.

Post breakfast, drive to Jamnagar, a coastal town known for its Bandhani (tie-dye) heritage.

• Visit Bandhani artisans and observe the intricate process of tie-dye on silk and cotton fabrics. The dyed fabrics are famous for their vibrant patterns and are used in sarees and dress materials.

After breakfast, travel to Anjar, a historic town in Kutch famous for:

• Textile weaving and metal craft: Visit family-run workshops creating embroidered textiles, copper utensils, and silver jewellery.
• Continue to Gandhidham to explore its bustling textile market known for Kutchhi handloom, bedsheets, and ethnic home décor.

Check in at a resort near Bhuj / Kutch.

Today, dive into the rural craft heritage of Kutch by visiting artisan villages:

• Ajrakhpur: Learn about Ajrakh block printing, a 4,000-year-old technique using natural dyes and geometric stamps.
• Bhujodi: Explore the homes of Vankars (weavers), known for shawls and stoles woven on pit looms with traditional motifs.
• Khavda & Sumrasar: Meet Rabari and Ahir embroiderers creating mirror work, chain stitch, and appliqué styles passed down for generations.

Return to resort. Optional evening visit to Bhuj market.

Full-day tour of cultural villages near the White Rann of Kutch:

• Visit Sodha Rajput and Meghwal villages showcasing mud-painted Bhungas, intricate wall art, and handcrafted jewellery.
• Interact with Muthwa Muslim artisans, famous for tiny stitch embroidery with high precision.
• Enjoy local tribal meals and witness their day-to-day lives rooted in pastoral living and craft traditions.

After breakfast, proceed to Dasada, near Little Rann of Kutch, known for tribal arts and wildlife.

• Visit Bharwad and Vadiara Rabari embroidery centres to witness tribal stitching styles – characterized by bold colours, heavy mirror work, and symbolic motifs.
• Optional jeep safari in Wild Ass Sanctuary, home to the endangered Asiatic Wild Ass, desert fox, and migratory birds.

Full-day visit to Patan, a UNESCO-famed textile town:

• Patola Silk Weaving: Visit a family workshop where the world-renowned double ikat Patola sarees are woven by dyeing both warp and weft threads before weaving – a highly complex process.
• Rani Ki Vav (UNESCO Heritage Site): A stepwell masterpiece built in the 11th century, featuring 800+ intricately carved sculptures.

Return to Dasada by evening.

Post breakfast, check out and return to Ahmedabad. Rest of the day at leisure for shopping or optional visits to:

• Law Garden Night Market: Shop for hand-embroidered garments, mirror work bags, and silver jewellery.
• Visit SEWA Centre or Sabarmati Handloom House for authentic handwoven Gujarati fabrics.

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to Ahmedabad Airport or Railway Station for your onward journey with colourful memories and handcrafted souvenirs from Gujarat’s vibrant artisan trail.