St Louis to Tirupati Flights

  About St. Louis

Nestled along the sparkling Mississippi River in Missouri, is the beautiful city of St. Louis. The city is iconic in many ways as it has a rich history and also the cultural hub of the place. From barbecued meat to pubs playing blues, the city is lovely and was named after Louis IX of France.

Best time to visit St. Louis

Missouri's summers can be pretty hot and winters, just as cold. However, their spring and fall seasons are just perfect with balanced weather that attracts a lot of tourists. St. Louis enjoys great springs and autumns as the city turns into lovely foliage of orange. Although the two-season is quite short compared to winters and summers, spring and autumn's quaint vibe does good for the city of St. Louis. The city witnesses fall between September to October. During this time, the weathers transition from hot to cold, giving the city just the perfect setting for events and other activities. The autumn months actually open gateways to a plethora of events and festivals hosted by the city to entertain the locals as well as tourists. Events such as Big Muddy Blues Festival, Great Forest Park Balloon Race, Taste of St. Louis, Best of Missouri Market, Saint Louis Art Fair, LouFest, to name a few, are celebrated between September and October.

The hotel prices do get a little steep during autumn as the festivals bring in a lot of action in the tourism industry. Many tourists from within the state as well as from other states in the US, flock over to St. Louis to indulge in these events and celebrations. Hence, finding hotel reservations in St. Louis could get challenging. But if you do plan beforehand, you might not have to worry about these issues. November through March might not be a good time to visit St. Louis as the temperatures are quite unfavourable. However, do not miss their Mardi Gras celebrations which take place in March. It is the second-best in the country after New Orleans. You will also get a good deal on hotel bookings in St. Louis during this time. Besides, the month also sees a drop in temperatures as the city starts to make room for spring. Speaking of which, April and May are also a good time to visit the city as the weather is very tourist-friendly and the city rings in various interesting festivals that cater to audiences with multitudes of interests.

Places to visit in St. Louis

The city of St. Louis has a diverse range of places that you can visit. They start from beautiful museums to amazing parks. The first place that you can start with is the Gateway Arch. It is the pride of St. Louis as it takes tourists through the history of the city. Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is another lovely structure that you would like to visit. It has a very neo-Byzantine Roman Catholic architecture. The Saint Louis Zoo is another lovely place where you can hang out and check out the plethora of wild animals such as sloths, tarantulas, gators, armadillos, penguins and more. The Saint Louis Art Museum is a good place to be marvelled by the art exhibits. There are over 34,000 works of artefacts that will amaze you. Saint Louis Science Centre is another fun place where you can revel in the exhibits of animals, skyscrapers, space and more. The Missouri Civil War Museum is an important place that you should visit as it retells the history of the Civil War and St. Louis' role in the conflict.

Things to do in St. Louis

The Forest Park of St. Louis gives New York City's Central Park a fierce competition for being a gigantic green estate. The place has many recreational activities such as fishing, museums, trekking trails and more. Since the garden is over 500 acres in area, there are too many things that can be done. Trekking, fishing, boating, a golf course, zoo, attending concerts, are some of the things that can be done in the park. You would not be bored here. In case it is all too much of work to do, you can simply lay on the grass and enjoy the St. Louis sun. Grant's Farm has historical significance as it was built by Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant. The farm has alpacas and more such cattle. The Missouri Botanical Garden is a fun place where you can check out the limestone cave as well as sit atop a treehouse. The place certainly stands tall as one of the attractions in the city. The Bush Stadium is very famous as you will get to experience St. Louisians cheer for their favourite baseball team. Indulging in the food culture of St. Louis is a must-try.

Food and restaurants in St. Louis

St. Louis is a multicultural haven with a vibrant and thriving food culture. From Bosnian delicacies to Italian treats, you will find many styles and cuisines of multiethnic backgrounds. In fact, it is actually recommended that you peruse through the Explore St. Louis Neighbourhoods page before stepping out for chow time. It would also help to ask around to get some good recommendations for food in the city. Because of its plethora of options, it is essential that you find the ideal establishment that works with your sensibilities. Since the city does have famous dishes including their own rendition of St. Louis-style barbeque and ribs, it would be nice to first list out what you want to eat and what your options are. You can start your food rendezvous in the city by opting for a classic deli sandwich from Blues City Deli. It is located in Benton Park and makes the most sumptuous and succulent sandwiches. You can also check out Adriana's on the Hill for variety in the sandwich business

Stacked STL also has a good recipe of American food that would cater to your gastronomical needs. To indulge in the classic St. Louis style food, including barbecued meat and ribs, Bogart's Smokehouse and Pappy's Smokehouse would be the best. They do know how to grill their meat and serve a generous spread. The city also has an interesting melange of Italian and Bosnian cuisine that has often caught the fancy of tourists. For a traditional Italian food rendezvous, you can visit Charlie Gitto's and Zia's on the Hill, both located in the Hill District. They are recognised for their exquisite ravioli with a twist of toast. The meat-filled pastas that are panfried make for a wholesome meal. The city's Bosnian food establishments are located five miles outside the centre. At the Grbic Restaurant & Events, you can sink your teeth in their celebrated grilled beef sausages and rolls. Other places that are a must-visit in St. Louis include Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, Gioia's Deli, Roberto's Trattoria and Chophouse, The Crossing and Eleven Eleven Mississippi.

How to reach St. Louis

St. Louis is much in the interiors of the United States and hence, requires some layovers and flight changes. There are no direct flights to St. Louis from India, and it requires a bunch of flight changes and even layovers with long durations. However, the good news is that flight connectivity to St. Louis from Indian cities is quite good. There are a bunch of airlines that offer services to connect Indian cities to St. Louis. Airlines such as Lufthansa, United Airlines, British Airways, Air France, Delta Air Lines, to name a few, have flights to St. Louis from India. The best part about these airlines is that they only have layovers and there is no change of flights required. The most popular route to St. Louis is from Germany. Many of these airlines have layovers in Munich and Frankfurt. Since the layovers are in European cities, they require Schengen transit visas. Applying for a transit visa is very easy as you need to get in touch with the embassy or fill up an online form. It is easy to get hold of a transit visa. Often the layovers in the European airports are quite long.

The flight duration to St. Louis from India is a little time-consuming as the city is in Central America. Due to this, airlines require a second layover in cities within the US. Domestic routes are used to connect flights to St. Louis. The flight duration is close to 26 hours, and the flight tickets are also quite expensive. Finding a cheap flight ticket to St. Louis would be the dream. However, due to the distance and the multiple layovers, the ticket prices to St. Louis from India are often very expensive. You could always opt for making advance booking of flights to St. Louis to be eligible for an online discount. It would be best to use this method as you will have plenty of time to find flights and deals too that would give you discounts on flights to St. Louis. You can also make your hotel reservations in St. Louis while booking flights. Combining the two might help you snag some decent deals online. You could also use up some miles, if you have been collecting them, as a trip to St. Louis could use some miles to save on money.

  About Tirupati

Tirupati or Tirumala as a lot of people call it, is one of the most visited temples in India. It's also one of the richest shrines in the country. Tirupati is the place of worship for Lord Balaji or Sri Venkateshwara, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Hundreds and thousands of devotees visit Tirupati daily to offer their prayers. It is a tradition among a lot of people to shave their heads and offer their hair at his feet to seek his blessings. It is believed that Lord Vishnu incarnated on earth as Balaji to save mankind from all the troubles in Kali Yug. People wait for hours in a queue to get a glimpse of God and offer their prayers. The temple is located on seven hills in Andhra Pradesh, which is yet another speciality about the temple. Though Tirupati is majorly known for its religious significance, there is a lot more than you can do here.

You can visit the Sri Venkateswara National Park after your darshan. The beautiful landscape and view of the valleys will take your breath away. The Sri Venkateswara National Park was built in 1989 and was declared a National Park in 1998. The national park is home to a lot of exotic animals like the Nilgai, Flying Lizard, Hyena and Golden Gecko. You have to pay a certain price for tickets to enter the park and spending some time here will definitely be a treat to the eyes and the mind. If you are in Tirupati with your family and kids, the little ones will definitely be delighted to spot the animals. In addition to this, the holy place also boasts of a Deer Park. You'll find different species of deer and might even get to feed them. You'll find solace from the crowd and spend some time with nature and nature's best here.

You can also immerse in the holy waters of Papavinasam Theertham. It is believed that taking a dip in this holy water will rid you of your sins. Just being here calms your mind and takes you to your happy place. You will also find a lot of waterfalls like the Talakona waterfall, Vaikuntha theertham and so on. There will be several places in the complex where you can sit and meditate. The early morning aarti is one of the most overwhelming and divine feelings. The chants and devotional mantras echo through the hills early in the morning. Swami Pushkarini lake is also a highly recommended place to visit in Tirupati.

Though you will have to adhere to certain decorum and rules when visiting the temple. A strict dress code to wear something traditional must be followed in the temple vicinity. You are also not allowed to consume alcohol or non-vegetarian food while you are in the temple premises. Not to mention, the queue can tend to get on your nerves, so avoid getting into any fights or heated arguments. You will not be allowed to bring any of your gadgets like the camera or phone. While a lot of people believe that shaving their head off and donating their hair is essential, it entirely depends on you and whether you want to do it. It will be fairly easier for you to find and book a hotel in Tirupati.

Best Time to Visit Tirupati

September to February is an ideal time to visit Tirupati. This is when the city experiences winter and the weather is quite pleasant during the day. It can get quite nippy in the night and early mornings can be quite chilly though. The summer will be pretty unpleasant to handle since the southern part of India does experience scorching heat during April and May. It rains in Tirupati from July to September, and while monsoon does make the weather quite pleasant, it won't be the best time to climb the hill even by a car or bus.

Places to Visit in Tirupati

Apart from the main temple of Tirumala Balaji, it is also mandatory to offer your prayers at Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple. It is believed that your prayers will not be complete unless you pray to the Goddess, and according to scriptures, it is important that you pay respects to the Goddess first before heading to Tirumala. Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple is not very close to Lord Balaji's temple. After offering your prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Temple, you can visit the Srivari Museum to know more about Tirupati's inception and how it became one of the most popular temples in the country.

Head over to Papavinasam Theertham to take a dip in the holy water. It is believed that it will wash away your sins, and it also calms your mind instantly. It's the sheer sanctity of the place that makes you embrace your spiritual side. Tirupati is also home to many exotic animals. The Sri Venkateswara National Park houses animals like Hyenas, Nilgai, Golden Gecko and more. You can visit the National Park with your family or alone. You must also visit the Deer Park that has deers of different species, and they're quite friendly, too. If you're lucky, you might get to feed the deers.

Take a tour of the Srivara Museum. You'll get to read more stories about the inception of the temple and the Gods and Goddesses. Since the temple is located on seven hills, each hill has been named after a God or devotee of mythological importance. There is Vrushabhadri, which is also called as the Hill of Nandi, the biggest devotee of Lord Shiva and also an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Anjanadri is the Hill of Hanuman, Neeladri is the Hill of Neela Devi, Garudachalam is the Hill of Garuda, Seshadri is the Hill of Sesha, Narayanadri is the Hill of Narayana and Venkatadri is the Hill of Venkateswara.

There are also a lot of sub-temples and shrines that you can visit along with the Sri Padmavathi Ammavari and Sri Venkateswara temples.

Things to do in Tirupati

Find a spot in the temple after your darshan and just sit in peace to meditate for a while before you make your itinerary. Do not forget to take the famous Tirupati laddoo that is served as the prasad. The temple also serves puliogare, a savoury rice, that is also served as the prasad. The temple city can get noisy, so get away from the hubbub of the crowded places and visit one of the famous waterfalls. You can quietly sit and admire the nature around you. The serene aura of the place and the breathtakingly beautiful scenario makes for the perfect place to take pictures, too.

The National Park and the Deer Park make for the perfect locations to put your wildlife photography skills to the test. While a lot of people rent a car or take a bus to get up to the hill, some even walk or climb all the way up. Though some do it because they love a nice trek, a lot of people do it out of pure devotion to the Gods. Don't just go to Tirupati to offer your prayers to God but also make the most of it by getting to know more about the place and visiting all of the other places mentioned here. Being close to nature is also one of the best places and moments to introspect or to just leave all your worries behind and live in the moment. You will surely be able to leave all your worries behind and be optimistic effortlessly once you visit Tirumala.

Food and Restaurants in Tirupati

While there will be no non-vegetarian food served within the temple premises or on the hilltop, you will find restaurants serving non-veg food a little away from Tirumala. Andhra Spice and Hyderabad House are some of the popular restaurants that serve non-vegetarian food. It goes without saying that it will be quite easy to find South Indian food in the area, and the food will not disappoint you one bit.

How to reach Tirupati (Transportation)

By Air

While there is no international connectivity of flights directly, the domestic flights frequently run to and from Tirupati Airport. You will get pretty good flight deals and cheap flight tickets, too, if you book at the right time. Don't forget to look for offers on flights online. You can also land at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad and take a bus or hire a cab from the airport to Tirumala.

By Rail

Tirupati Railway station is connected to domestic routes like Bangalore, Chennai, Vishakapatnam and Madurai. Renigunta station is also quite close to Tirupati and an easier way to get to Tirupati.

By Road

You will find multiple bus services that run from cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and every part of Andhra Pradesh to Tirupati. It is advisable to carry a few medicines or chocolates with you if you suffer from motion sickness because the way to go up the hill is going to be full of twists and turns.