Tourist places in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state has a lot of places to visit around with both family and friends. It is historic and at the same time modern with the IT industry growing here by the year in the last 2-3 decades. It has a few historic monuments, temples, lakes and parks to visit. Below are the tourist places in Hyderabad:

1. Charminar – The symbol of Hyderabad, it was built by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 CE and has four minarets. It is believed to be constructed to mark to eradication of Plague disease. It has a lot of shops spread around selling pearls, bangles, etc. A must visit place for all the tourists.

2. Golconda – The famous Golconda fort was originally constructed by the Kakatiya kings in the 11th century and later developed by the Quli Qutb Shah dynasty. What remains today is the ruins and it was famous for the Diamond mines around. It also houses mosques, temple and also the place where Bakta Ramdas was imprisoned.

3. Salarjung Museum – It is an art museum located on the banks of river Musi and was established in 1951 CE. Salar Jung family was mainly responsible for it’s rich collection of art and literature from all over the world. The statue of veiled Rebecca is one of the main attractions. There are a total of 39 galleries currently spread across Central, Western and Eastern blocks.

4. Birla Mandir – This famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara was built by the Birla foundation and opened in the year 1976 on the hill called Naubad Pahad. It was built using white marble and has a 11 feet granite idol of Lord Venkateswara. One can have a beautiful view of part of Hyderabad city from the top.

5. Birla Planetarium – Located very close to Birla Temple, the planetarium has shows in 3 different languages related to the space, earth and other planets in the Solar system. Very informative for kids.

6. Birla Science Center – Located very close to Birla Temple, the Birla Science center comprises of museum, science center, art gallery and a dinosaurium which has a giant skeleton of Dinosaur found in Telangana. It has a lot of interactive exhibits that one can experiment.

7. Qutb Shahi Tombs – Located very close to Golconda fort, they contain the tombs of the seven kings/sultans from Qutub Shahi dynasty. There are also a few mosques built by the various kings.

8. Mecca Masjid – This huge mosque is located very close to Charminar and is one of the main places of worship for the Muslims.

9. Nehru Zoological Park – It is one of the biggest Zoo in India with a lot of variety of animals and birds. It has a Lion Safari, Reptile house and also a Nocturnal home. Has a toy train which goes around the park and one can have a good view of all the animal enclosures from the train.

10. Lumbini Park – Just adjacent to Hussain Sagar lake, it is a small park spread across 7.5 acres with musical fountains, laser auditorium and also a beautiful view of the Hussain Sagar. There are boats to go to the huge Buddha Statue which is in the middle of the lake. It was opened in the year 1994.

11. NTR Gardens – Named after the famous Telugu actor and former Chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh, NTR gardens also houses his memorial and a very beautiful park with lots of flora and fauna.

12. Indira Park – Located in the Lower Tank Bund area of Hyderabad city on the other side of the Hussain Sagar, it was opened to public in the year 1978. It is spread across 76 acres and has quite a quite a few big trees, children’s park and a large lake inside for boating. Good place for a picnic with family.

13. Sanjeevaiah Park – It is towards the other side of Hussian Sagar and is quite big spread across 92 acres in the Secunderabad area. There is a flower/Rose garden, kids play area and also has the 2nd tallest India flag with a flag post of 291 feet height and with dimensions of 72 feet X 108 feet. One can find a variety of birds here.

14. KBR National Park – One of the large green spaces in the Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad, it is spread across 390 acres and opened in 1994. It is a place for morning walkers and other nature lovers which has a wide variety of flora and fauna with quite a few species of birds and also a variety of plantation. It was declared a National park in 1998 and houses a palace, peacock bungalow, etc.

15. Botanical Garden – Located in the Kothaguda/Kondapur area near Hitech city in Hyderabad, it is spread over 274 acres and has a lot of variety of plants and birds. It has food court, adventure zone, open gym, small lake with boating and a walking track around where quite a few people visit this park for their morning or evening walks. It is also famous of picnics and large gatherings.

16. Durgam Cheruvu – Located in the Hitech city area of Hyderabad it is a picturesque lake with a lake front, park and boating. The cable bridge built across the lake is a marvel to watch. There is a jogging/walking track around the lake and quiet a few people visit this place for morning and evening walks.

17. Gandipet – Gandipet or Osman Sagar lake is one of the major sources for drinking water for the city of Hyderabad. There is a park next to the lake and makes for a very good picnic spot for families and friends alike.

18. Tank Bund – Built on the Hussain Sagar lake, Tank Bund connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. One side of the bund is lined up with statues of famous Telugu personalities and some lawns making it a very famous tourist spot for both locals and outsiders alike.

19. Necklace Road – Located along the Hussain Sagar lake, it is a picturesque 3 kms road stretch similar to Queen’s necklace in Mumbai and has quite a few food joints, parks along the way. It connects the 3 parks NTR Gardens, Lumbini park and Sanjeevaiah park.

20. Sudha Car Museum – Located in the Bahadurpura area of Hyderabad, it is a unique automobile museum and one of it’s kind in India. It has handmade cars made by K. Sudhakar and has a collection of vintage cars and creative cars in the forms of everyday objects.

21. Chowmahalla Palace – Located in Motigall of the Old city area of Hyderabad, it was the Palace of Nizams of Hyderabad State. Chowmahalla Palace was the power point of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official residence of the Nizams during their reign. It gives the visitors a sneekpeek of the luxurious lifestyle of Nizams. It has a wide range of exhibits like decorative items, show-pieces, jewellery, artwork and weapons used during those days.

22. Statue of Equality – Around 35 kms from Hyderabad in Muchintal village, it has a huge 216 feet tall statue of Hindu saint Ramanujacharya from 11th century CE. It also has the replicas of 108 Divya desams(Vaishnavite temples). It was inaugurated in the year 2022.

23. Rashtrapati Nilayam – Around 13 kms from Hyderabad in Bolarum area of Secunderabad, it is official retreat of the President of India where the President stays for a few days every year during winter as part of Southern Sojourn to conduct official business. It used to be open for public viewing only for a few days in early January every year till March 2023 but is now open throughout the year. It has Landscaped gardens, seasonal flowering plants, natural cascading waterfalls, Rock garden, Herbal Garden, etc.

24. Shilparamam – Located in Madhapur, the Hitech city area of Hyderabad, Shilparamam is an arts and crafts village which was started to save the traditional Indian culture. There are ethnic festivals all round the year and also traditional programmes held on the stage inside. The stalls inside sell a lot of traditional stuff and tourists can buy a lot of stuff at one place here.

25. Ramoji Film City – Around 35 kms from Hyderabad on the VIjayawada highway, it is one of the largest film cities in the world. There are a lot of tourist attractions, fun rides, shooting spots/film sets of major movies, live shows, beautiful landscapes, etc. A perfect spot to spend with family and friends.

26. Bansilalpet Stepwell – Located in Bansilalpet area of Secunderabad, this was restored between November 2021 to December 2022 and opened to public in December 2022. Also called Naganah Kunta, it is a 6 levelled stepwell and dated around 17th-18th century.

Please click here for places to visit around Hyderabad and here for Temples in Hyderabad.