If you are looking for a tourist destination to visit near Hyderabad then you need not be disappointed, along with an extensive list of places to see in Hyderabad, there are equally enchanting places to visit around the city as well. Whether you are looking for a one day trip or a long break from work; whether it is a last minute travel plan or a pre-planned romantic getaway or for a family vacation, there are destinations suiting everyone’s travel idea. Here is a list of popular places ideal for a short weekend break.
No Indian can survive without street side stalls. Foodie that we undeniably are, we have an special place for chats and snacks, especially sold on those small stands and vehicles, with invariably long queues and crowds awaiting their turn for the mouth watering offerings.
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It is only recently when I had started exploring weekend destinations around Hyderabad. The good news is that the exploration has been better than I expected as the state of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are bestowed with innumerable numbers of tourist destination. Although not well-known, there are many hidden gems around Hyderabad, offering nothing less than a boon to travelers like me.
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The city of Hyderabad depicts an interesting confluence of the traditional and the modern, the past and the present. When planning a vacation to Hyderabad, chuck all the ideas of a laid-back vacation out from your head and get ready to be on your toes the entire day as with an unending list of tourist attractions, you are bound to have a jam-packed itinerary. Since it is impossible for anyone to soak in the multifarious charms which the city has to offer in a limited time span, we at Holidays DNA have complied a list of the top ten tourist spots which you should certainly not miss, when on a vacation in Hyderabad.
Amongst the numerous epithets associated with Hyderabad, the one which is most likely to attract tourists of all age groups, all generations, all genders alike is Biryani City. And the famous Hyderabadi Dum Biryani is synonymous with Paradise Restaurant or Persis Gold is a popular hotel located in MG Road, Secunderabad, India. Recipient of Best Biryani 2012 Times Food Award, does one really need any more incentives to taste the biryani of this restaurant?
Nothing can beat the wide array of flavors Hyderabad offers to its food lovers. Owing to two rich traditions, the cuisine in Hyderabad is a beautiful combination of Spicy Andhra style on one side and Nizam’s Deccani cuisine on the other side. With a history of more than 400 years, savoring Hyderabadi cuisine is nothing less than a delightful experience which you will remember all your life.
Once a Hyderabadi always a Hyderabadi is what describes a typical Hyderabadi wherever they go, be it out of the city or out of the country. The typical Hyderabadi hindi dialect, the laid back attitude, being a complete foodie and enjoying even a small achievement with a bunch of friends is what differentiates a hyderabadi from the others.
The place has created such a kind of influence on its culture and people that one can easily identify a hyderabadi from a large group of people. The old heritage monuments, Pearls, the Hyderabadi biryani, Irani chai is what describes this city of Nawabs.
One has a lot of options to explore once they visit this beautiful city of Pearls. Be the historical monuments like Charminar, Golconda Fort, the tomb of Quli Qutub Shah, which leaves one spellbound by the kind of architecture and attention to detail given in building them; Or the Ramoji Film city, one of the largest film studios in the world, with its state of art facilities for making movies and the amazing sightseeing places one can enjoy with the entire family.
Or else, one can just spend a lazy evening with their friends and family boating at the Hussain Sagar, Lumbini Park, or by watching a movie at Prasadz and enjoying a bite at the Eat street. If you are shopaholic, the old city is the place for you where one can shop for pearls, bangles, and dresses. All you need to have is a knack for bargaining with the shopkeepers.
One cannot say their visit to Hyderabad is complete without having Hyderabadi biryani. Have the famous Hyderabadi Biryani at Bawarchi or Paradize and you will want to have it again and again. Also, have a cup of Irani chai with Karachi biscuits in the evening with your friends and you are going to thoroughly enjoy it. Make sure to have someone for your company and you will never get enough of this place.
The city of Hyderabad along with umpteen numbers of sightseeing options also offers interesting shopping options. The city is known for shopping for pearls, handicrafts along with various apparels, leather goods and traditional jewelry. From high end shopping malls offering all kinds of international brands to local bazaars and roadside stalls, the city of Hyderabad presents its visitors with an ultimate shopping experience.
Some of the common shopping areas of Hyderabad are Abids, Basheer Bagh, Nampally, Begum Bazar, Laad Bazaar and MG Road. At these places, you will find both shopping malls as well as stores for good.
Abids has been one of the prime commercial centres of Hyderabad since the 90s. And at Nampally, you have the annual festival Hyderabad Numaish which is also known as All-India Industrial Exhibition and attracts merchants as well as visitors from not just the entire country but also from the continent nearby.
For handicrafts and handloom items, one can go to the handicrafts centre at Ravindra Bharati opened by the state tourism. One can also find handloom houses at places such as Kalanjali in Nampally, Lepakshi in Tank Bund, Central Cottage Industries Emporium in S.D.Road Secunderabad, etc. Some of the prominent shopping areas of Hyderabad are:
The art and craft village, Shilparamam offers visitors with a wide variety of handicrafts not just from Telangana or Hyderabad but from all over the country. One can have handlooms, textiles, carpets as well as traditional decorative items like brassware, Nirmal paintings, Kondapalli toys and Bidri ware. The place is good for sightseeing as well and has good options of eateries as well.
Located close to the historic Charminar, Laad Bazaar has been a popular centre of trade since the era of Nizams, since the Qutub Shahis. The place still showcases a touch of history in the way trade is done here. Popular for bangles, Laad Bazaar also offers zari and embroidery works, sarees, various traditional clothing stuff along with pearls and semi precious stones. The place is a popular tourist spot with almost 500-600 foreign tourists visiting every day.
Koti Bazaar also presents interesting shopping opportunities. From traditional wear to handicrafts to colorful bangles to jewelry to pearls jewelry to wholesale items. The products are very moderately priced at Koti Bazaar. However, having some good bargaining skills can always be helpful.
Begum Bazaar and James Street are two other interesting shopping places in Hyderabad.
Till now, if you were in complete awe of Hollywood and wondered if there would even be an Indian counterpart to it, your answer then lies in a visit to "Ramoji Film City", Hyderabad, which holds a certification from Guinness World Records of being the largest integrated film city in the world. Constructed over a sprawling 1,666-acre of land, Hollywood’s Universal Studios could fit into this space four times over, with room to spare. RFC has the distinction of handling 400 movies per year in various Indian languages and can handle 15 shoots in a day. RFC provides a varied range of facilities for shooting, post-production, accommodation, restaurants, logistics and security and above all fun, frolic and entertainment, juxtaposed together.
Looking for way to spend your evening? Or wondering where to take your children and parents? If you are searching for a place which is as enjoyable to kids as it to the older generation then Necklace Road is the answer. Built in the similar style as the Queen's Necklace of Mumbai, this place is indeed one of the most happening hang outs of Hyderabad. With children playing, couples and families sitting on the grass in front of the lake, it is always bustling with activities. From admiring the serene Hussain Sagar to treating yourself with some of the best street food like bhel-puri, pani-puri or relishing an ice cream cone as you walk across the mesmerizing lake to having a different dining experience at Eat Street by the side of lake to enjoying a boat ride across the lake, there are ample of entertaining options.
Read more: Necklace Road: An indispensable Hangout for Hyderabadis