City Attractions

Charminar - the major landmark in Hyderabad with four graceful minarets located in the old city. It is built as a memorial for plague victims. Charminar in most occasions is used to represent the city and the state and is hailed as a unique Deccan monument. It is in the midst of Charkaman.

Falaknuma Palace - Built by an Italian architect through one of the Paigah nobles, Nawab Viqar al-Umra', complete in Italian marble. It's a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture with Louis XIV-style decor, a lavish Mughal ambience, Italian marble staircases and ornate fountains. It has now been undertaken by Taj group to develop this as Heritage Hotel.

Golconda Fort - Once abandoned by Qutub Shahis, Golconda Fort is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India. Seated on a hill on one side and spiraling fort on the other, it's location and internal design made it one of the strongest forts in the world.

Chowmahalla Palace- It was the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty, where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. Initiated in 1750 by Nizam Salabat Jung and designed along the lines of the Shah's palace in Isfahan, this actually consists of a group of palaces each used as a Durbar Hall. It has now been aesthetically renovated and is also venue for conferences.
Salar Jung Museum - The museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. Collections includeThe Veiled Rebecca and other huge collection of artifacts dating back to a few centuries. A mere day isn't enough to cover the whole museum.

Mecca Masjid - a stone-built mosque, which lies immediate southwest of Charminar. Remarkable for its architecture, size and its royal splendor, this is one of the most beautiful mosques in Hyderabad. It is famous for its symmetry and the gateway bricks that are believed to be from Mecca.

Birla Mandir - a Hindu temple made of white marble located on top of a hill overlooking the city.

Birla Science Museum - The science centre is another beautiful structure, reflecting the advances made in science and technology. The interior décor matches the architectural exterior of the centre built over 10,000 sq ft (930 m2). The centre is host to a number of divisions such as the Planetarium, the Science Museum, and the centre for Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences.

Public Gardens - Located adjacent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the gardens host the Horticulture department of Andhra Pradesh, the state museum of history and archeology and a sprawling park. Beside this is the Lalithakala thoranam, which is a venue for various cultural activities.

Ravindra Bharati - The stage for all performing arts, especially for those enhancing the state and Indian cultures. Shows are held almost every evening throughout the calendar year which include musical and dance performances, drama, award ceremonies and special events of the government.

Birla Planetarium - The Planetarium is another magnificent building with a big dome resembling that of the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur and some of the earliest government structures in New Delhi. A special attraction are the shows which unveil the mysteries of the cosmos and the origins of the universe, comets, eclipses, unidentified flying objects and the clash of titans. The latest addition is the Dinosaurium, which houses a collection of dinosaur egg fossils. The highlight of the museum is a mounted Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis, the remains of a 160 million old dinosaur.

Purani Haveli - The official residence of the Nizam.

Qutub Shahi Tombs - Home to various Tombs dedicated to Rulers of Qutub Shahi dynasty, located at Shaikpet, near Golconda Fort. These are an example of Deccan architecture with large minarets, huge domes, delicate marble designs and multiple inner passages.

Lumbini Park - This is one of the popular parks in the city. The main attraction of this park was the Musical fountain. It is now replaced by the 1500 seater Laserium, the first of its kind in the state. Boat rides take you across the lake to give you a closer glimpse of the Buddha.

Hussain Sagar - It is a man-made lake famous for the 19-metre tall Buddha statue on a platform island called Rock of Gibraltar present in the middle of the lake. Located on its banks is Tank Bund which consists of beautiful gardens and statues of famous personalities. Boating and water sports are a regular feature at the lake.

Nehru Zoological Park - This zoo is a natural habitat housing a large variety of animals, birds, nocturnal species, aquatic and amphibian species. Located close to this is the Mir Alam Sagar, which is proposed to be converted into an Aquarium along the lines of Sentosa, Singapore. Its unique feature is the 21 in-built masonry dams that are jewel shaped, which were built in 1806 by the then prime minister Mir Alam.

Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy Botanical Gardens - These gardens located at Kondapur are spread across a sprawling area of 130 acres (0.53 km2), housing different varieties of herbs, plants, trees etc. These gardens provide a complete visual treat to the eyes with water bodies, meadows and rich grasslands - nature at its best. Night Safari Park is adjacent to this.

Chilukuru Balaji Temple - It is the temple of Lord Sri Venkateshwara. It is a very popular temple located around 23 km from Mehdipatnam.

Necklace road - This popular boulevard lies on the other side of the lake, linking the IMAX theatre and Sanjivaiah park. This has become the-place-to-be for the Hyderabadis in the evenings. This strip provides a scenic atmosphere with lush lawns and long rows of flower beds. Eat-Street, Water Front are popular restaurants located on this strip. The latest addition to this strip is the Jala Vihar, a mini water world designed to soothe your senses.

NTR Gardens - This leisure spot is located beside the IMAX theatre. Situated on 36 acres (150,000 m2) of land adjoining the Hussain sagar, these gardens provide of entertainment and recreation to families and youth alike. It also houses a memorial of Late Shri N.T.Rama Rao, former Chief Minister. It is renowned for its creative design which includes tree-top restaurants and architecture.

Osman Sagar, Gandipet - This largest man-made lake in Hyderabad is a major drinking water source to the city. Abutting the lake are lush gardens that provide an ideal ambience for a holiday.

Himayat Sagar - It is the twin lake to Osman Sagar, Gandipet lake. It comes along the way on Outer Ring Road enroute to airport which provides a beautiful view.

Laad Bazaar - Also called Chudi Bazaar is on the west of Charminar, and known for its exquisite bangles, jewelry and pearls.

Lotus Pond - A beautiful garden built around a pond situated in Jubilee Hills, said to have been designed by an Italian designer. This garden is currently maintained by the Municipal Corporation. It is also home to a few rare species of birds.

Durgam Cheruvu - Also called The Secret Lake it is a peaceful boulevard near the bustling Madhapur.

Shilparamam- Located opposite Cyber Towers, HITEC city, it is an arts and crafts village which was conceived with an idea to create an environment for the preservation of traditional crafts such as sculpting wonders from stone, weaving in cotton, silk and gold thread, Dhaka muslin, Kondapalli toys, Bankura horses, gudda-guddis of Punjab, temple arts and a motley of Indian arts and crafts. Close to this is the Shilpakala vedika, a conference hall built with exquisite ethnic decor as well as with all state-of-the-art facilities.

Sanghi Temple - A temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara graces a promontory overlooking Sanghi Nagar, near Ramoji Film City.

Ramoji Film City (RFC) - It is the world’s largest integrated film studio cum theme park, at nearly 3,000 acres (8 km²). It is also one of Asia’s most popular tourism and recreation centres. Recently, it has made its way to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest film studio in the world. Opened in 1996, it is about 20 min. drive from Hyderabad on Vijayawada Highway.