Located in the state of Andhra Pradesh in the southern part of the country of India, the city of Hyderabad houses a number of places of interest. Starting from historical places of visit to the beauty of nature, the city has all. On one side, the age old monuments along with the museums portray the glorious past of the city whereas, on the other, the beauty of the place gets reflected from its lakes, parks and landscaped gardens.

Different tourist attractions in Hyderabad

Since, any place becomes interesting to someone depending upon his or her interest, the tourist attractions of this city can be broadly divided into the following heads:

Religious places in Hyderabad:

The city of Hyderabad houses the following religious places of visit:

Birla Mandir: Dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, this temple built of white marble is located on Kala Pahad. The idol resembles Tirupati.
Mecca Masjid: Completed in 1694 by Aurangzeb, this mosque has got a 54 m high hall with 15 arches. The roof of the hall is supported by a group of 5 arches on its three sides. It even houses the marble graves of Asaf Jahi family towards its south.
Paigah Tombs: Unique to these tombs dedicated to the Paigah nobles, geometrical designs has got perforated patterns. The magnificent structures reflect stuccowork decoration as well as Rajasthani and Asaf Jahi architectural style.
Qutub Shahi Tombs: Standing on a high platform these tombs are dedicated to the legendary kings of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. These are said to be the city’s oldest monuments. These tombs were built with grey granite in a blended pattern of Hindu, Pathan and Persian architecture.

Some of the other religious places in the city are as follows:

Ashtalakshmi Temple
Chilkur Balaji Temple
Chote Hazrat Ki Dargah
Darbar Maisamma Temple
Jama Masjid
Katta Maisamma Temple
Raymond Tomb
Sanghi Temple
Thousand Pillar Temple

Gardens and Parks in Hyderabad:

This city of southern India has got many parks and gardens, which even include some of the national parks as well as wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the famous ones are as follows:

Kasu Brahmanda Reddy (K. B. R.) National Park: Being one of the biggest parks in Hyderabad, this National Park has got deciduous greenery of southern tropical type and is home to 15 butterfly species, 20 reptile species and 100 bird species.
Lumbini Park: Located on the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake, this park is known for its floral clock and water fountain. The landscaped garden and the boating facility are some of the added attraction of the place.
Nehru Zoological Park: Sprawling over an area of 300 acres, this place is famous for housing more than 250 species of birds and animals within its lush greenery.
Public Garden: Enclosing many renowned places in Hyderabad, this is one of the popular gardens in the city, which has got a pond with boating facility within its premise.

To name a few more parks and gardens in Hyderabad are:

Hyderabad Botanical Garden
Indira Park
Kidwai Garden
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park
Mrigavani National Park
N. T. R. Garden
Sanjeevaiah Park
Srisailam Sanctuary

Historical places of interest in Hyderabad:

Following are some of the tourist attractions of historical importance that reflects the city’s past:

Asman Garh Palace: Constructed by Sir Osman Jah, this granite made palace has presently got an archaeological museum inside it.
Charminar: Built in the year 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah is an architectural splendor. It houses a mosque along with forty five prayer spaces. The four minarets of this minar are 48.7 m high.
Golconda Fort: Being one of the significant forts of the country, this fort portrays the city’s glorious history. The enchanting evening light and sound show is one of the main attractions of the fort.
Falaknuma Palace: Built in 1892 by Nawab Vicar-ul-Umra, the palace was designed by an architect from Italy. This palace houses a huge collection of books, English furniture, manuscripts, paintings, statues etc.

There are many other historical monuments in Hyderabad, some of which are mentioned below:

Medak Fort
Nizamabad Fort
Purani Haveli
Warangal Fort

Lakes in Hyderabad:

Some of the following lakes are the best places to be visited by people who love to spend time with nature:

Hussain Sagar Lake: Featured with varied water sports and boating, this lake has got a statue of Buddha standing on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’, which is considered to be amongst the biggest monolithic statues in the world.
Osman Sagar Lake: Even called as Gandipet, this lake situated on the city’s outskirts is a famous picnic spot. Sagar Mahal, one of the heritage buildings stand there overlooking this lake.
Secret Lake or Durgam Cheruvu: People mainly visit this lake located near Shilparamam Crafts Village behind Jubilee Hills for boating.
Shamirpet Lake: This lake along with the deer park located there forms a good picnic spot. Comfortable cottages and forest lodges with accommodation facilities can even be booked by contacting the Forest Department of Andhra Pradesh.

Besides the ones mentioned earlier, two of the other most visited lakes in the city are as follows:

Himayat Sagar Lake
Mir Alam Tank

Museums in Hyderabad:

The museums that reveal the art and cultural heritage of the city are as follows:

Birla Science Museum or Birla Planetarium: Equipped with modern Japanese technology, this planetarium is situated on Naubat Pahad.
Salar Jung Museum: Famous for housing one of the highest one-man antique collections in the world, this museum displays items like Mughal miniatures, Persian carpets, Japanese lacquer ware, Chinese porcelain and some famous statues.
Andhra Pradesh State Archaeological Museum: Built in the year 1920, this museum exhibits some of the unique pieces of art and antiques. Its building reflects the Indo-Saracenic architectural style.
The Nizam's Silver Jubilee Museum: Located within Purani Haveli, this museum houses last Nizam’s mementos and gifts. Vintage cars like Mark V Jaguar, Packard and Rolls Royce are even exhibited there along with gold models of varied buildings of the city.

Some of the other Hyderabad museums, which are worth visiting, are mentioned below:

Health Museum
Khajana Building Museum
Shilparamam Crafts Village

Amusement Parks in Hyderabad:

The city has even got some places for amusement. If you want to enjoy some amusement rides with your family or friends, following are the places that you need not miss:

Elles World: This amusement park located near Gandipet has got fun rides meant for children as well as adults.
Ocean Park: Situated at Gandipet, this landscaped garden covering 20 acres land has got numerous amusement as well as water rides. It even houses a multi-cuisine restaurant within its premise.
Snow World: Being the country’s 1st park based on the theme of snow, this amusement park provides opportunity to its visitors to enjoy a fun day at -5° C as well as artificial snow fall.
Treasure Island: Located over 60 acres area at Gandipet, this fun place includes activities like go-karting, horse riding, swimming, disco, billiard and many more.

Other places of interest in and around Hyderabad:

Apart from the places of interest mentioned above, the city has got some of the other tourist attractions, which are worth visiting. Hyderabad even forms gateway to some of the following places of visit:

Chow Mohalla Complex: Categorized as a heritage building, this complex includes 4 palaces built in European and Mughal architectural style. Among them just the main one is double storied.
Dhola-ri-Dhani: This is an artificial set up providing the flavor and ethnicity of the state of Rajasthan. Camel ride, folk dances and puppet shows along with authentic cuisine of the state of desert are some of the major attractions of the place.
Ramoji Film City: Spread over an area of 1000 acres, this is a dream world of celluloid. Shooting of many movies have been done here.
Taramati Baradari: It is a cultural complex housing theatre hall, open-air auditorium along with a hotel and a multi-cuisine restaurant inside it.

One can even visit the following places, while traveling to Hyderabad:

Alampur
Amaravati
Araku Valley
Bhadrachalam
Mount Opera
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
Nizam Sagar Dam
Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary
Srisailam
Vijayawada

Last Updated on 11/17/2011

Places of Interest Hyderabad