Top Places to Visit in Hyderabad

The city of smiles, of lights, of a thousand faces, endearingly called the Pearl City, Hyderabad offers a variety of tourist attractions ranging from Heritage monuments, Lakes and Parks, Gardens and Resorts, Museums to delectable cuisine and a delightful shopping experience. To the traveller, Hyderabad offers a fascinating panorama of the past, with a richly mixed cultural and historical tradition spanning 400 colourful years. 

1. Charminar

The Charminar is as much the signature of Hyderabad as the Taj Mahal is of Agra or the Eiffel Tower is of Paris. Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of Hyderabad, built Charminar in 1591 at the centre of the original city layout. It is said to be built as a charm to ward off a deadly epidemic raging at that time. Four graceful minarets soar to a height of 48.7 m above the ground. Charminar has 45 prayer spaces and a mosque in it. Visitors can view the architectural splendour inside the Charminar. The monument is illuminated in the evenings and a pedestrianisation project around the monument is under implementation.

Timings: 9am – 5:30pm

Entry fee: INR 5 per person for Indians, INR 100 per person for foreign nationals

Photography: Allowed

2. Nehru Zoological Park

spanning 300 lush green acres, the Nehru Zoological Park is a must for nature lovers. It has over 250 species of animals and birds, most of which are kept in conditions as close to their natural habitats as possible. This is the first zoo to create moated enclosures for animals. The Lion Safari Park, Natural History Museum and Children’s Train are the added attractions. 

Timings:

• April – June: 8am – 5:30pm,

• July – March: 8:30am – 5pm

• Closed every Monday

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Entry fee: Children - rs 15, Adults- rs 30

Photography: Allowed

3. Golconda Fort

Golconda is one of the famous forts of India. The name originates from the Telugu words “Golla Konda” meaning “Shepherd’s Hill”. The origins of the fort can be traced back to the Yadava dynasty of Deogiri and the Kakatiyas of Warangal. Golconda was originally a mud fort, which passed to the Bahmani dynasty and later to the Qutb Shahis, who held it from 1518 to 1687 A.D. The first three Qutb Shahi kings rebuilt Golconda, over a span of 62 years. The fort is famous for its acoustics, palaces, ingenious water supply system and the famous Fateh Rahben gun, one of the cannons used in the last siege of Golconda by Aurangzeb, to whom the fort ultimately fell.

Sound & Light Show at Golconda Fort
The glorious past of Golconda Fort is narrated effectively with matchless Sound and Light effects. The unique Sound & Light Show takes you right back in time, when Golconda was full of life, glory and grandeur.

Timings: 9am – 5:30pm

Entry fee:

• INR 5 per person for Indians
• INR 100 per person for foreign nationals
• INR 130 per person for Light & Sound Show

Photography: Allowed, INR 25 per camera for videography.

4. Qutub Shahi Tombs

One of the verifiable spots to visit in Hyderabad is the arrangement of totally excellent Qutub Shahi Tombs tucked away against the stunning setting of the beautiful Ibrahim Bagh. These speak to the last resting ground of leaders of the establishing line of Hyderabad. The most true and grand show of Persian, Hindu, and Pathan building outlines committed to the seven lords who ruled Golconda for almost 170years, the rulers themselves assembled these tombs.

Timings: 9:30am – 6:30pm

Entry fee: NA

Photography: Allowed, INR 20 per camera

5. Birla Mandir

Situated on the south end of Hussain Sagar Lake, the Birla Mandir is a charming present day sanctuary worked on the Kala Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. With blended building styles from Odhisha and South Indian, the place of love is decorated with colorful epic scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata that are finely etched in marble. The inward place of worship of the sanctuary has a 11ft tall imitation of Tirupati Venkateswara. Delight in a few marble carvings portraying Indian mythology in the abutting 'Mukha Mandapam'. The sanctuary additionally houses consorts of Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal and also has a different place of worship committed to Buddha.

Timings: 7am – 12pm, 2pm – 9pm

Entry fee: NA

Photography: Not Allowed

6. Ramoji film city

The world’s largest integrated film city, spread across 2,000acres ensures that every visitor makes most from the day spent here. Features include well-defined categories of entertainment suited for different ages from Eureka, the performance arena modelled on the lines of royal forts hosting live shows, to getting a tour of a typical film studio, multi-cuisine restaurants, shopping venues, kids’ park, and even a bird park. This destination can be enjoyed over a day trip or one could stay back at this holiday destination.

Timings: 9am – 5:30pm

Entry fee:

• INR 800 per person for general guided tour for adults without food
• INR 700 per child for general guided tour for children (3-12 years) without food
• INR 1,799 per person for Ramoji Star Experience for adults with food
• INR 1,499 per child for Ramoji Star Experience for children (3-12 years) with food

Photography: Allowed

7. Hussainsagar Lake

Excavated in 1562 A.D. by Hussain Shah Wali during the time of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, the lake has a promenade that is a busy thoroughfare today. Boating and water sports are a regular feature in the Hussainsagar. One of the World’s tallest monolithic statues of the Buddha stands on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’, in the middle of the lake. Added to all these, AP Tourism has additional boating facilities like speed boats, motor boats, 48 seater launch etc. Starlit dinner on-board and private parties also can be arranged on the Launch. Surroundings of Hussainsagar Lake provide marvellous entertainment options like NTR Gardens, Necklace Road, Tank Bund, Prasads Multiplex, Lumbini Park, Sanjeevaiah Park etc., Timings: 1pm – 9pm, all days of the week Entry fee: INR 10 (boating) Photography: Allowed 8. Birla planetarium Birla Planetarium is India’s most modern planetarium and first of its kind in the country. It is equipped with advanced technology from Japan and is built on Naubat Pahad adjacent to Kala Pahad. And the Science Museum stands tribute to the advancement achieved by Science and Technology. Timings: 10:30am – 8pm, all days of the week Entry fee: INR 50  Photography: Allowed 9. Osmansagar Lake Osmansagar, better known as Gandipet, on the outskirts of Hyderabad is an excellent picnic spot. Osmansagar is one of the two lakes on the city’s periphery that supplies drinking water to the great metropolis. The lake is a reservoir created by a dam across the Isa, a tributary of the River Musi. Abutting the lake and the bund are lush gardens that provide the ideal ambience for an outing. Overlooking the lake is the heritage building, Sagar Mahal, built as a resort by the Nizam of Hyderabad and converted now into a lake resort managed by AP Tourism. Timings: 9am – 5pm, all days of the week Entry fee: INR 5  Photography: Allowed KEEP TRAVELING WITH TRAVEL DUNIYA