About Hyderabad

Country: India | State: Telangana

Ideal Trip Duration: 2-3 Days

Nearest City to Hyderabad: Hyderabad

Best Time to Visit Hyderabad: November to March

Peak Season: April to May & October to December

Hyderabad (also known as Bhagya Nagaram) is the fifth largest metropolis of India and the capital of the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It is known for its rich history and culture with monuments, mosques, temples, a rich and varied heritage in arts, crafts and dance. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls, Hyderabad is today one of the fast developing cities in the country and a modern hub of IT, ITES, and Biotechnology. Hyderabad is often referred to the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad together which are commonly referred as a single city. Hyderabad is one of the top places to experience Telangana tourism.

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (the ruling family of the Golconda - previously a feudatory of Bahmani sultanate that declared independence in 1512) founded the city of Hyderabad on the banks of the Musi River in 1591. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured Hyderabad in 1687, but the Mughal-appointed governors of the city soon gained autonomy. In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who was granted the title Nizam-ul-Mulk ('Governor of the country') by the Mughal emperor, defeated a rival official to establish control over Hyderabad. Asaf Jah's successors ruled as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The rule of the seven Nizams saw the growth of Hyderabad both culturally and economically.

Hyderabad is the financial and economic capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad is known as the city of pearls, lakes and, lately, for its IT companies. Hyderabad is home to the second largest film industry in India, Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood which produces approximately 150 movies every year.

Hyderabad is one of the top tourist destinations in South India with wonderful historical sites dating back to 16th century, palaces, museums, temples, gardens and lakes. Charminar is the most identified landmark of Hyderabad which was built in the year 1591 with Chowmahalla Palace, Falaknuma Palace and Ladbazar being nearby attractions. Golconda Fort and Qutb Shahi tombs are breathtaking sites to experience the history of Hyderabad. Mecca Masjid, Birla Temple, Sanghi Temple and Chilukur Temples are most notable pilgrimage sites in the city. Hussain Sagar Lake, Necklace Road, NTR Park, Lumbini Park, Buddha Statue, Charminar, Golkonda Fort, Qutubshahi Tombs and Chowmahalla Palace are the top tourist places in Hyderabad. Ramajo Film City in the outskirts of the city is one of the largest film cities in the world and it's a great one day trip from the city center.

Hyderabad has great connectivity from major cities in India and countries like Dubai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, USA & Europe. The bus connectivity is also good from major cities in central and south India like Bangalore, Vijayawada, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, etc. Hyderabad has three major railway stations - Secunderabad, Hyderabad Deccan & Kachiguda. Two major bus stations serve Hyderabad - MGBS (also called Imliban) and Jubilee Bus Station.

It usually takes 2-3 full days to visit the major Hyderabad points of interest. November to March is the best season to visit Hyderabad.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Very Good
STD Code: 040
Languages Spoken: Telugu, English, Hindi
Major Festivals: Ganesh Chaturthi(Sep/Oct),
Dusshera (Oct),
Holi (Mar),
Kite Festival (Jan)
Notes/Tips:
Long distance, inter-state buses and buses towards AP and southern towns start from MGBS (Vijag, Vijayawada, Tirupathi, Nalgonda, Bangalore, Chennai, Hubli, etc) while buses to northern parts of Telangana start from Jubilee Bus Station (Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal, Nizamabad, Adilabad, etc).

How to Reach Hyderabad

By Air

Nearest Airport: Hyderabad - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (22 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Hyderabad - Nampally Railway Station (0 Kms)
Secunderabad Station (8 Kms)
Hyderabad - Kacheguda Railway Station (5 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Hyderabad - Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (3 Kms)
Secunderabad - Jubilee Bus Station (8 Kms)

Top 12 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

Heritage

#1 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 4 km from Nampally Railway Station, Charminar stands in the heart of the old city and is the most important monument in the city. Charminar is one of the top places to visit in Hyderabad city and a grand heritage site in Telangana state. Along with Golconda Fort, Charminar is the prime tourist places to visit in Hyderabad.

The Charminar was constructed in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah to mark the end of an epidemic of plague in Hyderabad city. Since the construction of the Charminar, the city of Hyderabad has almost become synonymous with the monument. It is located near the bank of the river Musi. Charminar is derived from two distinct words Char and Minar, which means four towers. It is a massive and impressive structure with four minarets.

Charminar is constructed in Indo-Islamic architecture. Marble, limestone, mortar and granite .....

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Heritage

#2 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 5 km from Nampally Railway Station and 1 km from Charminar, Chowmahalla or Chowmahallat Palace is a magnificent palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is one of the top attractions you must include in Hyderabad packages. The palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad. The palace remains the property of Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, heir of the Nizams.

The name 'Chowmahallat' comes from two Urdu words, Chow (four) and Mahallat (palaces) means Four Palaces. While Salabat Jung initiated its construction in 1750, it was completed by Asaf Jah V, between 1857 and 1869. Extending from the Laad Bazaar on the north to the Aspan Chowk Road on the south, the palace originally covered 45 acres but only 12 acres remain today. This palace is one of the top tourist places to visit in Hyderabad city. It was the place where the Nizams entertained their official .....

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Heritage

#3 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 9 km from Nampally Railway Station and 5 km from Charminar, Falaknuma Palace is one of the finest palaces in Hyderabad. It originally belonged to Paigahs of Hyderabad State, and later acquired by the Nizam of Hyderabad. It was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, prime minister of Hyderabad in 1898, brother-in-law of the Nizam VI, Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan. This is one of the top attractions of Hyderabad city.

Falaknuma (meaning 'Star of Heaven') was designed by an Italian architect and its foundation was laid in 1884. The entire process of construction took 9 years. It was purchased by Nizam VI in 1897 and functioned as a royal guest house. The Palace is located atop a hill at an elevation of 2000 ft. and occupies a total area of 32 acre.

The palace was built in the shape of a scorpion with two wings that are spread out in the north. The middle part is occupied by the main building and the kitchen, Gol Bangla, Zenana Mahal and harem quarters stretch to the south. .....

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Heritage

#4 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 11 km from Nampally Railway Station, Golconda Fort (also written as Golconda Fort) is situated towards the western outskirts of Hyderabad. The fort is one of the prime places to visit in Hyderabad and also an important heritage site in Hyderabad city. Along with Charminar, Golconda Fort is the prime tourist places to visit in Hyderabad.

The word 'Golconda' originated from Golla Konda which stands for Shepherd's Hill in Telugu. Golconda Fort was first constructed as a mud fort by the rulers of Kakatiya Dynasty in the 13th century. The fort was rebuilt and strengthened by Pratapa Rudra of the Kakatiyas. It was further strengthened by the Musunuri Nayaks, who defeated the Tughlaq army occupying Warangal. The fort was ceded to the Bahmani Sultanate as part of the treaty in 1364. It was later re-built with granite by initial Qutub Shahi kings, which took about 62 years to complete. Golconda .....

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Pilgrimage

#5 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 2.5 km from Nampally Railway Station, Birla Mandir is a magnificent marble temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. The temple stands on 280 feet high hillocks called Kala Pahad & Naubat Pahad in the center of Hyderabad city. This is one of the most popular tourist places in Hyderabad.

Dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara (Balaji), the temple is made of white marble brought from Rajasthan. This is one of the must visit tourist places in Hyderabad city. The temple was constructed by Birla Foundation in 1976, which has also constructed several similar temples across India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir.

This temple is a wonderful blend of Nagara and South Indian temple architecture. A Rajagopuram built in the South Indian style greets the visitors. The tower over the main shrine of Lord Venkateshwara called the Jagadananda Vimana is built in Dravidian style, while the towers over .....

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Heritage

#6 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 10 km from Nampally Railway Station & 1 km away from the Banjara Darwaza of Golconda Fort. Qutub Shahi Tombs are the burial ground of the 7 kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The tombs are very popular for their unique architecture and grand structures. Qutub Shahi Tombs are one of the best among Hyderabad tourist places and a major heritage site in Hyderabad city.

Planned and built by the Qutub Shahis themselves, these tombs are said to be the oldest historical monuments in Hyderabad. The tombs are built in Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles using grey granite, with stucco ornamentation. These tombs are standing at the center of a garden known as Ibrahim Bagh, containing ponds and planted pathways.

There are more than 30 tombs in the enclosure besides some open air tombs. The tombs vary in size from small to large. The tombs are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches, each tomb are quadrangular and rise from 9 to 15 .....

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Heritage

#7 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 3.5 km from Nampally Railway Station & 0.5 km from Lumbini Park, Buddha Statue has been placed on the rock of Gibraltar in the placid waters of the Hussain Sagar. The Buddha Statue is the world's largest single-stone statue of Buddha with a height of 72 feet (including base) and the weight of 450 tons. This is one of the prime attractions in Hyderabad city.

During his visit to New York, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao (1983-89) saw the Statue of Liberty and inspired to build a similar structure of Gautama Buddha in the famous Hussain Sagar Lake. Erected as part of the Buddha Poornima project in 1985, this monolithic statue was erected out of a white granite rock. It was carved by 200 sculptors for two years. After 5 years and the expenditure of $3 million, the statue stood at 58 feet and weighed 350 tons, making it the world's tallest monolithic .....

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Park

#8 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 3 km from Nampally Railway Station, Lumbini Park is located near the Tank Bund on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake. The Lumbini Park has been named after the birthplace of Buddha and it lies just opposite a famous Buddha statue. The boats to reach Buddha statue start from Lumbini Park.

The park was developed as part of the Buddha Purnima project of the state government in 1994. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the city of Hyderabad and one of the best places to visit in Hyderabad city. In 2007, it was one of the targets of the 25 August 2007 Hyderabad bombings that killed 44 people.

The Lumbini Park has become an ideal place of relaxation and a place of amusement. The key features of the park are the fantastic floral clock, the cascading artificial waterfalls and the dancing musical fountains. The Park offers the opportunity to watch one of the greatest laser shows currently .....

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Wildlife

#9 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 7 km from Nampally Railway Station & 4 km from Charminar, Nehru Zoological Park located in Bhadurpura is one of the most popular places to visit in Hyderabad and one of the biggest zoological parks in the country. It is visited by large number of family tourists, especially in the summer season.

Established in 1959, it is spread across 300 acres of lush green land. It houses over 1500 species of animals and birds. The park comprises a Natural History Museum, a Lion Safari Park and a children-s train. The Mir Alam Tank is with in the zoo park premise and boating facility is available here. Many species of birds like pelicans, peacock, dove, love birds, parakeets, pied horn bills, grey horn bills and manias, finches and buntings are found here.

Timings: 8 AM to 5:30 PM. Closed on Mondays & Public holidays.
Entry Fee: Rs.30 for Adults, Rs.15 for Child, Rs.20 for Camera, Rs.100 for Video
Battery Operated Vehicle: Rs. 50 for Adults & Rs. 30 for Child
Safari: .....

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Miscellaneous

#10 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 2 km from Nampally Railway Station, Birla Planetarium & Science Museum is located near Birla Temple in Nampally area of Hyderabad. This is a large planetarium providing a virtual tour of the solar system and is one of the must visit places for children in Hyderabad.

Situated on a small hill known as Naubat Pahad, it was established in 1985. It is one of the most modern planetariums in the country. The Planetarium offers daily sky shows (in Telugu and English) unfolding various aspects of the Cosmos, the beautiful mysteries of the Universe, the Hubble Space Telescope, Eclipses, the puzzling Unidentified Flying Objects. The sound effects give the feel of being in an outer space, which adds to the thrill and excitement. Special interactive sessions for students are also organized here. The Planetarium also conducts a popular course on Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The B M Birla Science Museum was the second phase of the Science Centre and it was opened in 1990. .....

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Museum

#11 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 4 km from Nampally Railway Station & 15 km from Charminar, The Salar Jung Museum located near Afzal Gunj is one of the best museums in India. This is also one of the most visited among Hyderabad tourist places. Situated on the southern bank of the Musi River, this museum houses the collections of Mir Yusuf Ali Khan, commonly known as Salar Jung III, Prime Minister of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. The museum has a collection of over 50000 items for exhibition.

There are 38 galleries in the Museum spread across three buildings- Central Block, Eastern Block and Western Block on two floors. The collection of the museum and the library were transferred from Diwan Deodi to the new building in the year 1968 and two more buildings were added in the year 2000. The Veiled Rebecca made with Italian marble is one of the main attractions of the museum including Musical Clock, Marguerite & Mephistopheles .....

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Miscellaneous

#12 of 60 Places to Visit in Hyderabad

At a distance of 35 km from Nampally Railway Station, Ramoji Film City (RFC) is situated near Hayathnagar on NH9 towards Vijayawada. This is the world's largest integrated film studio complex and also a popular tourism and recreation center. This is a popular getaway from Hyderabad to spend a full day.

Ramoji Film City is spread over a vast area of about 2500 acres, is a major film-making facility in India. Owned by film producer and media baron Ramoji Rao, the construction of RFC was completed in 1996. The Film City has been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest film studio complex. It can accommodate about 50 film units at the same time. The outdoor locations and lush greenery of Ramoji Film City attract tourists as well. The studio has produced films in a number of languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Oriya, Marathi, Bengali and international films.

Ramoji Film City is a popular family getaway in Hyderabad. It also serves as .....

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Top 3 Hyderabad Packages

Package Duration Starting Price Details
Quick Tour of Hyderabad in 2 Days 2D/1N ₹ 5150 View Details
Best of Hyderabad in 3 Days 3D/2N ₹ 7950 View Details
Hyderabad with Yadagirigutta in 3 Days 3D/2N ₹ 7950 View Details