Places to visit in Hyderabad
These are the places Hyderabad trips are built from. Each trip page lists exactly which of them it covers, and a private trip can swap one for another.
- Charminar and Laad Bazaar: The four-minaret gateway built by the Qutb Shahi kings in 1591, at the heart of the old city, with the lanes of Laad Bazaar around it for lacquer bangles and pearls.
- Golconda Fort: The granite citadel of the Qutb Shahi kings on a hill west of the city, famous for its acoustics: a clap at the entrance gate carries up to the top; the climb to the summit pavilion takes about an hour.
- Qutb Shahi Tombs: The domed tombs of the Qutb Shahi kings in gardens a short drive from Golconda, the largest group of royal tombs in the city.
- Chowmahalla Palace: The palace of the Nizams near the Charminar, with its courtyards, the Durbar Hall and a collection of vintage cars; closed on Fridays.
- Salar Jung Museum: One family's vast collection on the Musi riverbank, from jade and clocks to the marble Veiled Rebecca; closed on Fridays.
- Mecca Masjid: One of the oldest and largest mosques in India, beside the Charminar, begun under the Qutb Shahis and finished under the Mughals.
- Birla Mandir: The white marble temple to Lord Venkateswara on a hill above Hussain Sagar, with a view over the city at sunset.
- Hussain Sagar and Lumbini Park: The lake at the centre of the city, with the monolithic Buddha statue on a rock in the middle reached by boat from Lumbini Park, and Necklace Road and NTR Gardens along the shore.
- Birla Planetarium, Science Museum and Snow World: The easy first-evening stops near the lake: a sky show at the planetarium, the science museum next door, and the indoor snow park, popular with children.
- Ramoji Film City: One of the largest film studio complexes in the world, about 30 km east of the city on the Vijayawada highway: film sets, a studio tour, live shows, gardens and rides, and a full day of its own.
- Srisailam: The temple town in the Nallamala hills above the Krishna, home of the Mallikarjuna Swamy temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, with the Srisailam dam and the steps down to Pathala Ganga.
- Yadagirigutta and Bhongir Fort: The hilltop Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple about 60 km from the city, with the 12th century fort on Bhongir's monolithic rock and the Surendrapuri sculpture park on the same road.
Opening hours and tickets
Friday is the day to plan around: the Salar Jung Museum, Chowmahalla Palace and the Telangana State Museum are closed on Fridays, which is why our plans put the old city on another day when your dates allow. Golconda Fort is open every day from morning to early evening, with a sound and light show after dark. Ramoji Film City runs from the morning into the evening and needs the whole day; outside food is not allowed inside, though a water bottle is fine. Visitors to Mecca Masjid should avoid prayer times, and Birla Mandir usually does not allow phones or cameras inside. Each sight charges its own entry ticket, with extra for cameras at some; hours change on holidays and festivals, so confirm them the week you travel.
What to eat
Hyderabadi biryani is the reason many people come: the dum-cooked kacchi biryani, with the meat and rice sealed and slow-cooked together, eaten in the old city and all over town. Haleem, the slow-cooked wheat and meat dish, is made in the weeks of Ramzan, whose dates move each year. Irani chai with Osmania biscuits in the old cafés, pathar ka gosht, mirchi ka salan with the biryani, and the desserts qubani ka meetha (stewed apricots) and double ka meetha (a bread pudding). Vegetarians eat well too, with veg biryani, Andhra and Telangana meals and South Indian breakfasts everywhere. Meals on our trips are what each trip page lists, so most lunches are yours to choose.