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Hyderabad Travel Guide

Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India, located on the banks of the Musi River and the Deccan Plateau. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are "twin cities" near Hussain Sagar Lake.

By Train Route
Indian Railways runs to Hyderabad from all over India.
There are three major railway stations Secunderabad , Nampally (Hyderabad Deccan), and Kachiguda.

By Car Route
If you want to go on long drive, Hyderabad is at a drivable distance from Bangalore (via NH7 - 552 km). It is 752 km from Chennai (NH9 and NH5) and 753 km from Mumbai (NH9 till Pune and the expressway to Mumbai.

Hyderabad Sights

Charmina

The Charminar was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate the eradication of plague, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad. The towers rise to a height of 48.7 m above the ground. There is a mosque with 45 prayer spaces located inside in the upper storeys. The structure actually stands in the middle of a busy road, but a pedestrianization project is under way. Atop the minarets, you get a panoramic view of Hyderabad city.

Golconda Fort

Golconda Fort in the 16th century, Golconda was the capital of the Qutb Shahi kingdom. Golconda consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km long outer wall with 87 semi circular bastions; some still mounted with cannons, eight gateways, four drawbridges and number of royal apartments & halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables etc, inside. The glorious past of Golconda Fort is narrated effectively with matchless Sound and Light effects at night.

Qutb Shahi Tombs

Qutb Shahi Tombs of the Qutb Shahi sultans lie about one kilometer away from Golconda's outer wall. These structures are built in Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles using grey granite made of beautifully carved stonework, and surrounded by landscaped garden. A Museum on site exhibits weapons, armour, and utensils of the Qutub Shahi period. (11:00 - 17:00}. Schedule: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM Closed on Fridays

Mecca Masjid

Mecca Masjid is two hundred yards southwest of the Charminar is the Mecca Masjid, so named because the bricks were brought from Mecca to build the central arch. The Qutb Shahis never finished the building of the mosque, which was completed by Aurangzeb in 1694. To build Mecca Masjid took about 8000 masons and 77 years to be completed. Mecca Masjid is poetry in stone, with a hall measuring 67m and soaring to a height of 54m.

Falaknuma Palace

Falaknuma Palace it was built by the Paigah, Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra. It was purchased by the then Nizam VI during 1897 for use as a royal guest house, and its hospitality became unmatched during the heyday. The palace provides a good view of Hyderabad. Falaknuma houses a collection of rare treasures collected by the Nizam including paintings, furniture, statues. The Jade collection of the Palace is unique in the world.

Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla Palace was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam. Here the Nizams held their durbar and other religious and symbolic ceremonies. The clock above the main gate to Chowmahalla Palace is affectionately called as Khilwat Clock. It has been ticking away for around 250 years.

Birla Mandir

Birla Mandir This white marble temple of Lord Venkateshwara floats on the city skyline, on Kala Pahad The temple manifests a blend of South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkal temple architectures. In its entirety, it is made of 2000 tons of pure Rajasthani white marble. It is built on a 280-feet high hillock called the Naovath Pahad in a 13 acres plot. The construction of the temple took 10 years and it was consecrated in 1976.

The Salar Jung Museum

The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum at Dar-Ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi river in the city of Hyderabad. The Museum has 40,000 pieces spread over 78 rooms of Dewan Devdi, an ancestral city palace of the Salar Jungs before moving to its present location. Among the prized collections are: veiled Rebecca, Jahangir's dagger, Noor Jehan's fruit knife, Yaquti-ul-Mastami's 12th century Quran, The Clock and the Man-woman statue. The collection inclde books, to porcelain, to guns, to swords, to statues from around the world. The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm ( Fridays is closed).

Nehru Zoological Park

Nehru Zoological Park is the largest Zoo in India. It is located near the Mir Alam Tank in Hyderabad. It was established in 1963 and named after the first prime minister of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru. It is spread over an area of 300 acres. It has a wide selection of animals - nearly 1,500 species of birds, animals and reptiles are housed here. The zoo runs different safari trips every day, like Lion Safari, Tiger Safari, Bear Safari, Butterfly Safari and children's train. It is closed on Mondays.

Hussainsagar Lake

Hussainsagar Lake is a lake in Hyderabad, India built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah . It was a lake of 24 kilometres built on a tributary of the River Musi to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city. Boating, speed boats, motor boats and 48 seater launch etc are a regular feature in the Hussainsagar. In the lake one of the World's tallest monolithic statues of the Buddha stands on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar', in the middle of the lake.

Ramoji Film City

Ramoji Film City is the world's largest integrated film studio complex at over 2,000 acres of land It is also a popular tourism centre, containing both natural and artificial attractions. For shopping enthusiasts, there are nice handicrafts, pottery and other decorative articles for purchase. The visitors are shown around the various sets where blockbusters have been filmed or the numerous gardens where the Indian song sequences were choreographed.

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