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Voykit pocket guide · India
Patan
પાટણ
Give Patan one full day: Rani ki Vav at opening, then the old town gates and Jain temples. Sleep in Mehsana or Ahmedabad, not here.
Patan was the capital of Gujarat for about 650 years, from 746 to 1411, and its stepwell Rani ki Vav is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town is small and walkable in the old core, but the sights sit 2–4 km apart and hotels are basic. Most travellers see it as a half-day or full-day stop between Ahmedabad and Mehsana, or as a base for Modhera and Siddhpur.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- પાટણ
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Avoid
- Apr–Jun (40 °C+), Jul–Sep monsoonApr–Jun (104 °F+), Jul–Sep monsoon
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₹3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · Tourist helpline (India, 24 h) 1363
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Gujarati thali (unlimited) | ₹150–350 |
| Chai | ₹10–20 |
| Bottled water, 1 L | ₹20–30 |
| Autorickshaw, 3 km in townAutorickshaw, 1.9 mi in town | ₹50–100 |
| Patola silk scarf | From about ₹5,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₹500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMD · Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International, Ahmedabad
- About 125 km by road; 2–2.5 h by car, longer by train.About 78 mi by road; 2–2.5 h by car, longer by train.
Typical fares
- Rani ki Vav entry
- ₹40 Indian / ₹600 foreign visitor, 08:00–18:00 (check)₹40 Indian / ₹600 foreign visitor, 8:00 AM–6:00 PM (check)
- Patan Museum entry
- ₹5 Indian / ₹50 foreign visitor, closed Wed and 2nd and 4th Sat (check)
- Autorickshaw Patan bus stand → Rani ki Vav
- ₹50–100 (check)
Get around
Autorickshaws are the main way around; agree the fare before you get in. The old town, its gates and the pol streets are best walked. Rani ki Vav is about 2 km west of the bus stand — a rickshaw or a 25–30 min walk.Autorickshaws are the main way around; agree the fare before you get in. The old town, its gates and the pol streets are best walked. Rani ki Vav is about 1.2 mi west of the bus stand — a rickshaw or a 25–30 min walk.
See and do
Known for
- Rani ki Vav stepwell (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Patola double-ikat silk weaving
- Panchasara Parshwanath Jain temple
- Sahastralinga Tank
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Modhera Sun Temple | Taxi or bus west on the Mehsana road, about 25 kmTaxi or bus west on the Mehsana road, about 16 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Siddhpur | Taxi or bus north, about 30 kmTaxi or bus north, about 19 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Mehsana | Train or bus, about 50 kmTrain or bus, about 31 mi | 1–1.5 h |
| Vadnagar | Taxi or bus via Mehsana, about 60 kmTaxi or bus via Mehsana, about 37 mi | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Station and bus-stand area
- Walkable to the bazaar and gates; basic hotels, ₹500–1,700 a night.
- Patan–Chanasma highway
- Roadside hotels with parking; you need a rickshaw for the old town.
- Mehsana (about 50 km)
- Better hotel choice and rail links; use it as a base and day-trip in.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Namaste | નમસ્તેnamaste |
| Thank you | આભારaabhar |
| How much is it? | કેટલા રૂપિયા?ketla rupiya? |
| Where is the stepwell? | વાવ ક્યાં છે?vaav kyaan chhe? |
| Please stop here | અહીં ઊભા રહોahee ubha raho |
| I don't want it | મને નથી જોઈતુંmane nathi joitu |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- Rani ki Vav has almost no shade: go at 08:00 opening, carry water and a hat.
- Patan Museum closes Wednesdays and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, plus government holidays.
- Some old-town lanes are narrow and shared with scooters and cattle: walk single file.
- Summer heat from April is a real risk; plan indoor or early-morning sightseeing.
- Card payment is patchy outside hotels: carry small rupee notes.
Patan is a small, low-crime town and safe for tourists by day. The real risks are summer heat, unlit lanes after dark, rickshaw fares with no meter, and dehydration at the stepwell — carry water and small notes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Patan yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Rani ki Vav stepwell (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Patola double-ikat silk weaving
- Panchasara Parshwanath Jain temple
- Sahastralinga Tank
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gujarat Tourism — Patan: www.gujarattourism.com/
- UNESCO World Heritage List — Rani-ki-Vav: whc.unesco.org/en/list/922/
- Indian Railways — train enquiry: www.indianrail.gov.in/enquiry/StaticPages/StaticEnquiry.jsp
- GSRTC (Gujarat State Road Transport): www.gsrtc.in/
- Wikivoyage: Patan (Gujarat), revision 5291799 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5291799
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Patanપાટણ
આ સરનામે લઈ જાઓ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Patan; most are in New Delhi, with consulates in Mumbai and Ahmedabad (check).
Rani ki Vav is a protected monument: no tripods, no touching the carvings, no food inside.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/patan-gujarat). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.