A travel Guide to Hyderabad

Hyderabad Tourism

The city of Hyderabad shows us that traditionality and modernity can indeed live in coexistence. Located on the banks of the Musi River, the city is placed at the heart of the Deccan Plateau, a mammoth geographical feature of the state and country. The erstwhile ‘Pearl City of India’ has increasingly become a hub for tourists. Whenever people come to visit the state of Telangana, they make sure to enrol themselves in one of those Hyderabad tours.

The modern city has become a hub for trade, commerce, and Information Technology (IT). On the surface, you will see just another metropolitan city of India. But if you walk the streets of Hyderabad and explore just a little further, you will find yourself face-to-face with a rich, royal past. The history lies in the hallowed walls of mosques and historical monuments, where you can feel the pulse of generations before you. These architectural structures make for some of the most famous Hyderabad tourist attractions. Apart from these attractions, the lip-smacking food and the warmth of the people make the city likeable.

So if you want to get lost in streets filled with a rich heritage, sumptuous street food, and the most amiable people, Hyderabad India deserves a visit for sure.

Places to visit in Hyderabad

1. Golconda Fort

The pinnacle of architectural brilliance has to be Golconda Fort. It is very popular amongst the tourists and one of the top Hyderabad attractions. Every visitor to this majestic place leaves in awe. The fort tells you how advanced people were, in terms of building and architecture, even back in the 12th Century. Although in ruins, the fort comprises various palaces and mosques. The place also hosts a light and music show in the evening, which adds to the beauty of the spot. So if you want to go somewhere where you can see the whole city and witness an exquisite sunset, the Golconda fort should be top of your list.

2. Charminar

One of the most prominent Hyderabad tourist places, the towering monument of Charminar is calmly positioned amidst the bustling Laad Bazaar. Also known as the ‘Mosque of the four minarets’, many legends are surrounding the origins of the structure. Nonetheless, Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah provided the country as well as the world with a marvellous spectacle. You can see the Islamic influence on every carve, on every brick of the great structure. Travel enthusiasts make it a point to visit the Charminar whenever in town.

3. Ramoji film city

The Ramoji film city has its name written in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest film city. Spreading over almost 2000 acres of space, this compound provides visitors with once in a lifetime experience. Whenever visiting, make sure to ask your Hyderabad travel guide to take you here for a full day’s outing. The film city is replete with several facilities and sets, enough to accommodate 50 film units at one time. These colourful and innovative sets also act as beautiful opportunities for sight-seeing for the tourists. There are many bus services available inside the city that take you on a tour around this place.

4. Nehru Zoological park

The Nehru Zoological park will bring you closer to nature and animals. An alluring destination under Hyderabad tourism, the park does not have any railings. All the animals are kept inside open-air enclosures, giving them a feel of the way they would normally live out in the wild. The park stretches over hundreds of acres and it is close to impossible to cover every aspect in a single day. The visitors can rent a bicycle or hop on the train to move around quickly. The park houses almost 1500 species of animals. Other than the diverse fauna of the park, there are other activities like Lion Safari, Jurassic Park, Natural History Museum, and much more.

5. Salar Jung Museum

If you happen to be an antique enthusiast, the Salar Jung Museum has to be at the top of your list of Hyderabad attractions. The museum is famous for its huge one-man collection, which is deemed as the world’s largest! Mir Yousuf Ali Khan (Salar Jung III) spent the better part of forty years of his life collecting splendid pieces of art and antiquities from all around the world. After his demise, all the items in his collection were decided to be put up for exhibition in what is now called the Salar Jung Museum. The various galleries house rare manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, and more. You can find pieces of Indian Art, Far Eastern Art, European Art, Children Art, and Middle-Eastern Art in all the collections present here in this priceless structure.

Things to do in Hyderabad

A city so unique, there are several things to do in Hyderabad. Be it satiating your taste buds or quenching your thirst for some adventure, you will find a wide range of activities that allow you to do the same.

Try some Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabad tourism is incomplete without even mentioning Hyderabadi biryani. You might get different renditions of the delicacy in your city or town but nothing beats the real deal. With the rice and meat cooked together in an earthen pot, mixed with delicious spices, the dish is perfect if you want to taste Hyderabad on a plate. Once known as the Nizam’s dish, it has certainly become the people’s favourite as you will find it at almost every nook and cranny of the city.

Experience Laad Bazaar

We all have a shopper inside us. Wherever we go, we dedicate a whole day of our trips to explore the best places to satiate our fancies. When in Hyderabad, the Laad Bazaar is one such place for every shopaholic. With the Charminar adorning the market, visitors and tourists come here and find themselves in front of a variety of goods. Also known as the ‘Choodi market’, the bazaar is famous for its glass and lacquer bangles. Even in the olden days, the marketplace was popular amongst those shopping for weddings or authentic jewellery. The spot gives a tourist a raw and unfettered feel of the city. This is what makes this one of the well-known Hyderabad attractions.

Indulge in adventurous activities

Places like Runway 9 and the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club are perfect Hyderabad tourist places that will help you get that much-needed rush of adrenaline. Runway 9 offers activities like Go Karting, Rock climbing, Laser Combat, and others. The place is famous for its Go Karting as it allows people to unleash their inner racers over a track spread over five acres. On the other hand, the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club organises several exciting activities like trekking, paragliding, water rafting, and more. All enthusiasts must visit these two hubs of adventure to experience the exciting side of the city.

Visit the Qutb Shahi tombs

Near the Golconda Fort, the Qutb Shahi tombs are another fascinating part of Hyderabad tourism. These seven tombs were made in the memory of the seven Qutb Shahi rulers of the region. A beautiful mixture of Persian, Pashtun, and Hindu architecture, these structures are beautified by intricately made chandeliers, pillars, and velvets. So if you want to visit a place of calm and reverence, the Ibrahim Bagh is the place to be at.

Best time to visit Hyderabad

Hyderabad has a warmer climate as compared to other parts of the country, which is exemplified by the scorching summers. By May, the hottest month of the year arrives in the city. The days are quite uncomfortable, while the nights provide some respite. Due to these reasons, summer might not be the best time to visit Hyderabad.

On the other hand, between October and February, the climate all around is quite chilly and pleasant. This is very much conducive for outdoor activities. Therefore the best season to visit Hyderabad would be winter.

How to reach Hyderabad

There are multiple ways to arrive in this metropolitan city. Some of the answers on how to reach Hyderabad are:

By Air: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport receives regular flights to Hyderabad, and connects this archaic city to all the major cities of India as well as foreign countries. This makes taking flights to the destination convenient and easy.

By Train: The city has three main stations, namely, the Hyderabad Railway station, the Secunderabad Railway station, and the Kachiguda Railway station. All these stations connect it to major cities and towns around the country and you can reach the hotels in Hyderabad via cab services.

By Road: The city is connected with other cities via a good road network. People can avail themselves of the various private or state-owned bus services that can help reach the city. You can also book a private vehicle to get a drop directly to your hotel.