Lucknow is highly admired for its developed taste of arts, a refined sense of ‘Tehzeeb’, and some incredibly great sites to visit. However, looking beyond the city’s border can pay off well for this weekend. There are plenty of exquisite places to explore around Lucknow. Whether you are looking forward to having a relaxing weekend away from home or want to give a nudge to the aesthetic in you through soaking in the natural beauty, our list of weekend getaways from Lucknow has it all. Read on to find how you can make the most out of your summer weekend.
Agra
Needless to say, Taj Mahal is the main attraction of the place. Its serene beauty imbued with a timeless love story can leave anyone mesmerised. However, we suggest you to not keep your visit limited to it. There are a number of other historical locations such as Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s Tomb, Jama Masjid and Mehtab Bagh, which should totally be on your itinerary. And yes, the city’s delicious food and colorful shops would make you want to stay longer than you intended. So plan accordingly.
How to Reach
Agra is just a 4-hour drive away from Lucknow, thanks to Yamuna Expressway. Rail and air routes are also available between the two cities.
Ayodhya
This city has stayed a lot in the limelight; it grabbed a lot of headlines in the last 20 years for both political and religious reasons. But other than that, this is a sacred place for all Hindu devotees, for it is regarded as the birthplace of Lord Ram. You’ll find strings of famous temples there such as Treta Ke Thakur, Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Kanak Bhawan and Hanuman Garhi. In addition, there are a number of grand forts, important from the mythological point of view. Believed to be built by Kush, Lord Ram’s son, Nageshwar Nath temple attracts thousands of visitors every year. Other important sightseeing includes Dashrath Mahal, Ramkatha Museum, and Hanuman Garhi. However, the city is not confined to Hindu pilgrims only, it has a number of Buddhist & Jain shrines and museums as well.
How to Reach
By road, you can go through national highway 27 and should reach there from Lucknow in about 3 hours. The rail route is also available.
Rae Bareli
This eminent city is known for both of its old and modern-day architectures. There are a plethora of beautiful places to visits, such as Botanical Garden, Behta Bridge, and Samspur Bird Sanctuary. Being a tropical terrain the city is, it receives extreme cold and hot in winters and summers respectively. So, the best time to visit there is during the period of September-October.
How to Reach
It is located just 82 km away from Lucknow and can be reached easily as there are frequent bus services available.
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is one city which is admired for beautifully blending the modern life with its culturally rich past. This bowl-shaped city is famous for its excursion destinations such as Lumbini, Kapilavastu, Kushinagar, Chauri Chaura and more. Music, art, and dance shows are Gorakhpur’s undeclared specialities. While you are there, don’t miss the railway museum, Gita Vatika, and Gorakhnath temple. Besides Hindus, the city also holds religious significance for Sikhs, Buddhists, and Muslims.
How to Reach
About 250 km far from Lucknow, you can reach the city from Lucknow in about 4 hours.
Allahabad
Allahabad is yet another getaway for those who want to get in touch with their spiritual side. It is one of the major pilgrimage centres of the country and has plenty of tourists every year, especially during the Maha Kumbh. This city attracts lots of devotees from the country for here the three sacred rivers in Hindu culture: Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati meet. This ‘Sangam’ is hugely celebrated with tourists visiting in large numbers from all over the world.
How to Reach
Located 200 km away from Lucknow, Allahabad is well connected through air, road and rail routes.
A break from the ‘city of Nawabs’ once in a while is a great breather. So don’t hold back, start planning your next adventure now.
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