- Best time
- October to February
- Nearest airport
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad
- Main railway stations
- Secunderabad, Hyderabad (Nampally), Kacheguda
- Ideal time needed
- 2 to 3 days
- Known for
- Charminar, Golconda, biryani, pearls
Top sights
- Charminar, built in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of the city, with four minarets and a small mosque on the upper floor; the bazaars around it sell bangles, pearls and crafts
- Golconda Fort, a hill fort that began as a mud fort before the Qutb Shahis, famous for its acoustics, since a handclap at the entrance gate, Fateh Darwaza, carries up to the Bala Hissar summit
- Falaknuma Palace (the name translates as Mirror of the Sky), a hilltop palace later owned by the sixth Nizam and now a heritage hotel
- Hussain Sagar, a large lake built in 1562 under Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, with a monolithic Buddha statue in the middle and Lumbini Park and NTR Gardens on its shore
- Birla Mandir, a white marble temple overlooking Hussain Sagar
- Salar Jung Museum, opened in 1951, holding the collection of Salar Jung III, from Indian sculpture to European, Persian and Far Eastern art
- Nehru Zoological Park, opened in 1963, with a lion safari and a natural history museum
Food
Hyderabad is serious about its food. Try biryani at a well-known local restaurant, and look out for haleem during Ramzan, Irani chai with Osmania biscuits, and the sweets of the old city.
Best time to visit
October to February is the best period, with cool mornings and pleasant evenings. Summer, from March to June, is very hot, and the monsoon brings heavy showers from July to September.
How to reach
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad has flights to most Indian cities and many international routes. Trains arrive at three main stations, Secunderabad, Hyderabad (Nampally) and Kacheguda, all with frequent trains to major cities. National highways and regular buses link Hyderabad with Bengaluru, Chennai, Tirupati and Mumbai.
Tips for your visit
Plan at least two or three days. Visit Charminar and the old city in the morning, keep Golconda for late afternoon, and stay on for its evening sound and light show.
Places to see in Hyderabad
SightHyderabadHyderabadCharminarCharminar, Hyderabad's 1591 landmark: its history, four minarets and mosque, Laad Bazaar bangles, Mecca Masjid nearby, and how to get there.
Best: October to FebruaryRead guide →
SightHyderabadHyderabadGolconda FortGolconda Fort in Hyderabad: clapping acoustics, Bala Hissar, diamond-trade history and the evening sound-and-light show. Timings and tips.
Best: October to MarchRead guide →
SightHyderabadHyderabadHussain Sagar Lake and Buddha StatueHussain Sagar, the 1562 lake linking Hyderabad and Secunderabad, with its 18 m monolithic Buddha statue, boat rides, Lumbini Park and Necklace Road.
TelanganaRead guide →
SightHyderabadHyderabadKondapur MuseumKondapur Museum near Hyderabad displays coins, beads, pottery and terracottas dug from a Satavahana-era town, beside the excavation site itself.
Best: October to FebruaryRead guide →Also nearby
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