A plan for Hyderabad

If you are visiting Hyderabad on business, it is easy to miss the 400-year-old city. The one that immediately hits the eye is a sprawling metropolis of shopping malls and office buildings with glass façades. The magnificent "old city" that was once the seat of the Nizam, the ruler of the largest and the most opulent princely state, and the twin city of Secunderabad where the British maintained a cantonment to keep the army within striking distance of the Nizam, can be seen only if you take the time out to see them.

Name

The name "Hyderabad" (Telugu: HIGH-duh-RAH-bahd, Urdu: HEH-dur AH-bahd) literally means "Lion City" in Persian. A popular legend suggests that the founder of the city, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, named it "Bhagyanagar" ("Fortunate City") after Bhagmati, a Telugu courtesan he had an affair with. After she converted to Islam and took on the name of "Hyder Mahal", he renamed the city to "Hyderabad".

Hyderabad's many epithets include the City of Pearls, the City of Nizam, the Biryani City, and historically, Farkhunda Bunyad ("Of Auspicious Foundation").

History

In the 10th century, the kings of the Kakatiya dynasty built the fortress of Golconda (from Telugu Gollakoṇḍa (గొల్లకొండ), literally the "shepherds' hill"), about 10 km to the west of what is now old city. Over the next few centuries, the fort became a major centre of diamond trade fed by the mines of Kollur, so much so that the word "golconda" became synonymous with great wealth. The fort changed hands many times before it came under the control of Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk in 1463. He had quelled rebellion in Golconda, and the Bahmani sultan appointed him the "subedar" or governor of the region.

By 1518, Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk declared independence from the Bahmani Sultanate and called himself the Sultan of Golconda, establishing the Qutb Shahi dynasty. His son Ibrahim constructed the Hussain Sagar Lake in 1563, and in 1589, his grandson Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah moved his capital from the fort to Hyderabad due to water shortages at the old location. In 1591, he ordered the construction of the Charminar, reportedly in gratitude to Allah for stopping a plague epidemic before it could do too much damage.

Individual listings can be found in Hyderabad's district articles

As you would expect from a city with a rich heritage, Hyderabad has many historical monuments, but there is much more to see. While the specific attractions are on the district pages, here is a quick rundown of attractions to visit and where they are located:

Monuments

By Indian standards, Hyderabad's monuments are not very old, which means that they are better preserved. Many of the attractions including the iconic Charminar are in Old City, albeit the even older Golconda Fort and Qutb Shahi Tombs in Golconda. In Central Hyderabad, you find some of the major attractions built after independence, such as the Buddha Statue located on an island in the midst of the Hussain Sagar Lake, and the Birla Mandir.

Museums and galleries

Hyderabad offers a feast for history buffs. It has many museums and palaces displaying historical objects collected by the Nizams or their aristocrats, the most recognizable among them being the Salar Jung Museum. The Chowmahalla and Falaknuma palaces, both under private ownership, have artefacts, photographs and memorabilia from the times of the Nizams, and there is a Nizam's Museum as well. All of these are in Old City.

The Banjara Hills area has some art galleries including the State Gallery of Art.

Lakes

There are quite a few artificial lakes and water bodies in and around Hyderabad, built over the past few centuries to alleviate the water shortage. Hussain Sagar Lake at the centre of the city is a major waterfront attraction, surrounded by parks, statues and monuments. Durgam Cheruvu which opened in 2019, is a natural lake in Cyberabad and worth a visit. Osman Sagar and Mir Alam Tank are also worth a mention. There are many others in and around the city in varying states of upkeep.

Individual listings can be found in Hyderabad's district articles

Many resorts and amusement parks offer adventure sports, watersports and other rides. While some are located within the city, most are found on the outskirts.

Heritage walk, Charminar. 07:00-09:00 every Sun and 2nd Sat. They are organized by the Telangana tourism department and led by a knowledgeable guide and Tourist Police. There are several types of walks: one that ends at Chowmohalla palace, and another that ends at Badshahi Ashoorkhana. Bonus: breakfast served too. It's probably better to call beforehand and confirm which walk is operating. Ticket price is ₹50 per head and can be bought at Char Minar on the spot.

Friends of Snakes Society, ☏ +91 83 74233366-77-88. For reptile conservation work and field trips.

Play cricket- Cricket is also a popular sport in Hyderabad. Hyderabad has the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. It is the home ground for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Hatsclub Hyderabad Adventure & Trekker’s club (HAT’s), ☏ +91 7799096396, hatsfunclub@gmail.com. Active and well-organised trekker’s group organising out of the Hyderabad area. It makes an effort to be as inclusive as possible by offering adventure treks at all levels, from bouldering and trekking to birdwatching and exploring wilderness.

Individual listings can be found in Hyderabad's district articles

No visit to Hyderabad would be complete without sampling its unique cuisine, a rich blend of royal Mughlai flavours, Nizams special, and spice-up culinary traditions of South India such as: Hyderabadi biryani, pathar-ka-ghosht, nahari, haleem, double-ka-meetha, khubani-ka-meetha, seviyon-ka-meetha and kheer.

A popular dish of Hyderabad is biryani. It is prepared with a blending of Mughal kitchen and the style of cooking practised by the Nizams. Hyderabadi biryani has a distinct aroma. Garnished with pudina, fried onion & boiled eggs. Mostly it is served with dahi-ki-chutney and mirchi-ka-salan. Biryani was traditionally made with goat meat, but in modern times it has many variants like lamb biryani, chicken biryani, biryani khaam, biryani zard or zafrani or the most exotic of all joban malti biryani in which mutton, partridges and quails were cooked with rice.

There are many stories about biryani. One of them says, in 1398 legend Turk-Mongol conqueror Timur brought a pot full of rice to feed this army.

Culinary delicacies of Hyderabad include:

Hyderabadi dum biryani. Dum refers to the baking process and basmati rice and meat or vegetables are mixed in a pot and heated for a long time. During the Nizam's time, the biryani was made with goat carefully cooked with rice. (updated Mar 2025)

Double Ka Meetha. A dessert made from bread, milk and dry fruits. (updated Mar 2025)

Falooda. A favourite drink of Hyderabad. (updated Mar 2025)

Gosht. Made from a buck/billy/young goat, and is associated with the Hyderabadi cuisine. Hyderabadis prize the meat of a male goat. (updated Mar 2025)

Hyderabadi Haleem. A dish that is available only during the month of Ramadaan (Ramzan). (updated Mar 2025)

Irani chai. This is the tea of Hyderabad, available at any of the ubiquitous "Chai" shops. However, not all of them have the best hygiene and it is best to go with a local. The crowd at the stalls is composed mainly of blue-collar workers and college students so expect a noisy environment with conversational topics that range from movies to politics. (updated Mar 2025)

Individual listings can be found in Hyderabad's district articles

There is plenty to do at night in Hyderabad, though local regulations have most places serving last drinks by 23:00. On weekdays, drinks in some of the pubs have the best offers, as most clubs are empty until Thursday or Friday nights, when the clubbers emerge. But the sheer number of nightlife spots makes it hard to choose which ones to list. As a general rule they tend to be clustered around Begumpet (Secunderabad) and Road No.1, Banjara Hills (Central).

Alcohol is available easily from numerous liquor shops, known as wine shops in local parlance, spread across the twin cities, in restaurants with bars attached (including most upscale ones) and in pubs.

Warning: Drunk driving is not tolerated, and police enforce the rule strictly. After 11:00PM, almost all the roads have police patrols and check for drunk driving. If caught, you may end up paying fines, apart from the vehicle being seized and a couple of rounds to the police station in worst scenarios.

Some of the good pubs and bars are part of hotels, and they have been covered along with their hotel listing under Sleep.

Hyderabad's public transport options have been increasing over the years. It has an overcrowded bus network and a rudimentary local train network. In the past 5 years, it has had its own elevated metro rail service that provides fast and cheap connectivity to some areas.

The ubiquitous yellow and black auto-rickshaws have now been supplemented by the app-based taxi services that provide fairly good service all over the city. Driving yourself around the city may be an excellent option or a terrible choice, depending on which areas you want to go to, and how comfortable you are with other people driving like utter lunatics.

By metro

The Hyderabad Metro is a fast, clean and efficient mode of travel, and is better than driving or taking a cab for the areas it serves. Trains run at every 4 minutes from early morning to late in the night.

The trains run on an elevated corridor. Ticketing and platforms are above ground level. Lifts from street level are available at all stations. Many stations have escalators as well. You can buy single journey tickets or reloadable cards. Ticket vending machines are available but may not work reliably.

Parking is available in most stations, but car parking is likely to be inadequate during rush hours. Bike parking is more available. A couple of stations have shopping malls with adequate parking areas attached to them. The metro has a tie-up with Ola, which has installed kiosks at all stations to easily order a cab to get you to your destination.

Ticket prices start from ₹10, while ₹60 will take you from one end of the city to another.

Signage at the stations and the trains is quite good and is available in all three languages, including English. Announcements in the trains are clear and helpful, and overall, the travel experience is a pleasant one.

The metro has three lines: Red, Blue and Green connecting 57 stations.

The Red Line starts from Miyapur in North Hyderabad, goes via Central and Old City and terminates at L B Nagar in East Hyderabad.

The Blue Line supports West Hyderabad, Secunderabad and East Hyderabad. It starts at Raidurg at HITEC City, and ends at Nagole.

The Green Line connects Secunderabad and the Old City, starting at Jubilee Bus Station and terminates at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS).

Hyderabad used to suffer from terrorism between 2007 and 2013. There were bomb blasts at Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park, places often frequented by travellers and also at busy marketplaces. Since the city is free of terrorism since 2014, the chances that you will be in danger are quite low. However, you should still make your own risk assessment, as the intrusive security will more likely dampen your enjoyment of your Hyderabad vacation than any physical danger. Every shopping mall, theatre and palace has metal detectors and security guards patting you down.

The Old City used to be a communally sensitive zone, and a venue for religiously aggravated riots between Hindus and Muslims. It was common for the police to impose a curfew in that area while the rest of the city went about life without any problems. The area remains at the heart of Hyderabad's crime wave, and though many tourist attractions including Charminar are in this area, it is best to avoid late night visits, especially if you are a woman.

Beyond these, Hyderabad is rather safe for visitors. Muggings and violent crime are uncommon, and most crime involves thefts. Chain snatching is common in the city, and one has to be watchful in crowded areas. The usual tourist-oriented scams in India are not as bad in Hyderabad as in other places. However, foreigners will be hounded for money at tourist sites like the old city. Just ignore the beggars and they will go away.

Police

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Region is governed by three law enforcement agencies:

Hyderabad City Police — covers Old City, Central Hyderabad, North Hyderabad and South Hyderabad

Due to an influx of young men and women from various parts of the country, Hyderabad's culture and attitudes have taken a turn towards modernity. However, the Old City is still deeply conservative, so dress appropriately.