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Neighbourhood in Hyderabad District, Telangana, India
Photo: ambrett, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Central Hyderabad is the modern city centre of Hyderabad, lying between the Musi River and Hussain Sagar Lake. It was developed after the Independence to house the government offices of the capital of Andhra Pradesh and later Telangana. This area is now the city commercial and government centre.
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The secretariat housing the Government of Telangana in Hyderabad. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the building also blends the Indo-Islamic architectural features generally with domes. It was built in 2021-2023 to replace the earlier secretariat housing the Government of Andhra Pradesh till 2020.
A former royal palace built in 1913 during the reign of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, and is considered one of the architectural masterpieces of Hyderabad. The building has since hosted the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh and later Telangana.
S. N. Vanita Maha Vidyalaya - Exhibition Grounds
An exhibition that runs in the months of January & February every year. It showcases various items made across India. It runs every year starting 1 Jan-15 Feb in the Exhibition grounds.
An art gallery
Chitramayee
Displays a stunning array of artifacts dating back to the 1st century to the 20th century. Ranging from the Lotus Medallion of the 1st century to the Amazing Kalankari work that adorned the bed-spreads of the Nizams to a period room that displays the typical living room of the Nizam time to the Jain sculptures and Statues - this place has it all.
The show at the Planetarium lasts 35 min and is moderately interesting. The Science Museum, on the other hand, is poorly maintained. The Dinosaurium at the upper level is interesting. It contains a complete skeleton of a dinosaur Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis discovered in the village of Yemanapalli in 1988. Modern Art Gallery is near the Dinosaurium (ignore the signboard near parking directing to lower level). It's the personal collection of Nirmala Birla; also quite interesting.
St George's Church is one of the oldest churches in the city of Hyderabad, India. It was built in the year 1844 AD. The church was built as an Anglican church but is now under the auspices of the Church of South India.
Established in 1820, this is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad.
The Khairatabad Mosque was completed in 1626 CE by Khairunisa Begum, also known as Ma Saheba, daughter of VI Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah. She built the mosque for her tutor, Akhund Mulla Abul Malik. Adjacent to the mosque is an empty domed tomb. The mosque features a three-arch opening in front, accompanied by decorative slender minarets.
Built in the 17th century. Located on Karwan Road, close to the Purana Pul bridge.
Damri Masjid
The mosque dates back to the Qutb Shahi period. It was constructed in 1671/1672 CE. The mosque features a five-arch opening in front, accompanied by decorative slender minarets.
The industrial house of the Birlas have the tradition of building magnificent marble temples in cities of India, all of which are known as Birla Mandir. This one is one of the best. The temple manifests a blend of South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkala temple architectures. It is made of 2,000 tonnes of Rajasthani white marble. The granite of the presiding deity is about 3.4 m tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella on the roof. The consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal are housed in separate shrines. There is a brass flagpole in the temple premises which rises to a height of 13 m on top of Naubat Pahad (mountain). This clean, sparkling white temple dedicated to Venkateswara has viewing areas that afford a great view of the city. Sadly, no electronics are allowed, including cameras and phones; your bags are checked at the entrance. Shoes are not allowed, so come early in the morning so the ground will not be too hot. There is a free cloakroom available for both electronics and shoes.
A Hindu temple dedicated to a local form of Hindu goddess Shachi. It is popular during the Bonalu festival.
Tank Bund
The artificial lake is a historical landmark, built during the reign of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah in 1562 by damming the Musi. This forms the boundary between Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Surrounding the lake are various parks, temples, statues and historical buildings. This is one of the few walkable places in the city. At the centre of the lake stands a famous 18m high statue of the Buddha installed in 1992. Boat rides to the Buddha statue are available from Eat Street (near Necklace Road MMTS Station) and Lumbini Park. Speed boats do not stop at the Buddha statue. The road circling the lake on the north and west is known as Necklace Road, and is nicknamed "the Chaupati of Hyderabad" due to its resemblance to the Girgaon Chowpatty in South Mumbai.
A popular family entertainment and event venue. The water park offers a wide range of wet and dry rides, attractions, and amenities for visitors of all ages.
See water cascades, go on guided car rides. Go on a boat ride and see the Buddha statue at the centre of the lake. It also offers nice Laser Shows in the evening which is first in India.
Built by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in memory of N.T. Rama Rao, his father-in-law and ex-Chief Minister, this is an amusement park which houses some nice attractions like a mini-train, a haunted house, a boat ride, etc. There is a cafe where the seating is in the shape of vintage cars. You can either spend money on the rides or generally stroll around and gape at the fountains and the giant insects. For rides, the ₹ 45 combo you can buy at the entrance is a good deal.
Koti Women's College, formerly the British Residency
A mansion built in the syle of a Palladian villa, built for James Achilles Kirkpatrick when he was British Resident of Hyderabad between 1798 and 1805. It continued to be centre of British power in the south of India until independence in 1947. Set in a large forested, walled compound, it was once the embassy of the East India Company to the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Within the compound is a miniature model of the Residency – built for Kirkpatrick's Indian wife Khair un Nissa, who remained in purdah. Restoration works were completed in January 2023. Inside you can see the ornate dining room, offices and pictures of the many famous dignataries who visited in its heyday. The entrance features a long flight of stairs with ornate pillars supporting a giant pediment. Although European in style, it was constructed by local artisans using locally sourced material, with funding from the Nizam. Lime and mud plaster covered the brick and stone and masonry with teak wood beams providing the structural support.
Known as the Bagh-e-aam (Garden for the commoners), it has well laid-out gardens and is surrounded by the imposing State Legislative Assembly building, the Jubilee Hall, the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, the Health Museum and the State Archaeological Museum. This was the old zoo and now is a beautiful place for both children and adults.
For pleasant morning walks with kids.
JVR Park
With lake.
KBR National Park
A small park in Jubilee Hills in which the Chiran Palace is located. Known as the "jungle amidst the concrete jungle", the park provides an excellent lung space and environment from the busy city life and rising pollution levels. It has over 600 species of plant life, 140 species of birds and 30 different varieties of butterflies and reptiles. You may find peacocks and a variety of small mammals and birds here. There are few water bodies present in the park providing the needed moisture for the plants and quenching the thirst of birds and small animals. The park is frequented in the evenings and weekends by young and old alike. The Chiran Palace is a modern facility designed to serve the needs of the prince, unlike other palaces of the Nizam.
Vegetarian, and quite well-known in Hyderabad. South Indian dishes like dosas, idlis and uttappas. "North Indian" also available, but best avoided. Is extremely crowded on weekend nights, and there is a waiting time of up to 30 min. Does not serve alcohol.
Biryanis and meat curries, moderately priced.
Biryanis
Try the excellent malai kebabs (chicken) and apollo fish
Mildly spiced food from Rayalaseema, rustic decor. Not for vegetarians.
One of the original "Udupi" style restaurants, this is strictly vegetarian and does not serve alcohol. It is part of the Taj Mahal Hotel, not to be confused with the Taj chain of luxury hotels. The food in the restaurant is tasty and good, and like Udupi restaurants, serves South Indian, North Indian and "Chinese". You are advised to stick to South Indian. The ambiance in the air-con section is old-school.
Serves multiple cuisines, but raved about for its Arabic and Lebanese food. Lunch and dinner. Credit cards accepted.
Mostly Indian Chinese.
Nice ethnic ambience and the rooftop setting is amazing, and the food is excellent.
Has a decor that reminds you of Mumbai. Menu specialities include ragda patties and other items popularized by Mumbai's streets in addition to Mughlai and Hyderabadi dishes. Live Ghazals every evening.
The ₹ 199 non-veg, lunch buffet is really tasty. Service, ambiance and the lake-side location is awesome.
Mughlai, Chinese and Hyderabadi dishes.
A complex of four restaurants and one bar.
Makes an attempt to move away from Indian Chinese.
Serves global cuisine. Only buffet for lunch and only à la carte for dinner.
Excellent Chinese place, though it tends more towards Indian Chinese. Try the dim sums and the darsaan for dessert. Good ambience and excellent service.
Has received great reviews for its kebabs and tandoori dishes. But avoid the Thai stuff, as it looks like a pale imitation. The ambience is great, the seating is outdoors amidst much greenery. Often, they have live gazal music for dinner.
Kitschy decor, good food, but overpriced. As the name suggests, serves Punjabi and Mughlai food, but the menu is entirely mainstream. The drink menu has exotic stuff like golgappa with vodka, and gulab jamun with brandy.
Cuisine is from the Northwest Frontier Province while the decor tries to create the ambience of an African safari. The food is good, the wine list is extensive and quite good.
Themed on the eponymous 19th century train. Seating is available inside the "carriage" or on the "railway station". Waiters are dressed in turbans and railway announcements are interspersed with the music. The food is good, the pickles interesting and you have a good choice of drinks. Try the licchi ki taheri for dessert.
Highly rated for Andhra delicacies like ragi sangati and gongura mamsam
Indian and World cuisine.
A rooftop restaurant with an exotic ambience. Serves Mughlai and Chinese.
The ambience is of a Dhaba, complete with a pan shop, a well and a quack peddling herbal remedies for "marital problems". Interesting variations on traditional Punjabi dishes, but the dessert selection is meagre.
Unlimited starters on a barbecue grill on your table. Desserts are OK.
A fairly successful attempt to recreate Mexican cuisine in Hyderabad. To be visited more for the food than for the ambience.
Has a nice view of Hussain Sagar lake, but the food, at its best, is passable.
Coffee shop serves Sunday brunch. Sushi Bar.
Lounge bar and restaurant, with a wide range of cuisines from different parts of the world. Closed until December 2017 for renovation.
Opulent Chinese restaurant.
Sports grill. American, Italian and Mexican food with sport viewing.
Kebabs from all over, including Hyderabad and Northwest Frontier.
Italian style, completely vegetarian.
South Indian cuisine with a trendy twist. Lunchtime platters with 10 starters, 8 main course items and 4 desserts served in a span of 40 min. Regular menu items are dosa with mutton curry and idly with chicken curry. The condiment trolley has 17 types of chutneys, pickles, spicy powders, papads and vadiyalu from South India. Desserts; paan ice cream, all-spice chocolates and traditional south Indian sweets are made in-house.
Coffee, mocktails and sandwiches, with Hollywood themed decor.
Place for sandwiches, burgers and puffs.
Excellent place for breads and related foods - especially for health conscious. Includes breads like whole grain breads, ragi breads and sugar free cakes.
Wonderful drinking chocolates and crepes. Also a good place to hang out and have a conversation, though it does get crowded on weekends during the evening.
Quality Indian sweets.
Pizzas and burgers. Also serves Indian Chinese snacks.
Baked biscuits, cakes and burgers. Has 3 outlets.
Lakeview Palace, Road no 1, Banjara Hills, (opposite Taj Banjara). 11:30AM-11PM
GVK No 1 Banjara Hills. Part of world wide chain. Excellent ambiance, check their website for events.
Trendy lounge bar.
Sleek, trendy lounge bar.
Nice rooftop bar and restaurant.
Upscale, celebrity hang-out, great place but very expensive. Has a dress code, shoes mandatory.
Elegant bar at Hampshire Plaza.
Basic budget hotel. Most rooms are not air-conditioned.
Air-conditioned and non air-conditioned deluxe rooms & 25-bed dormitory with multiple bathrooms, and all basic facilities available.
Air-conditioned and non air-conditioned rooms. Budget hotel, offers room service, clean & economical rooms and free wifi, online reservations, rated environmentally friendly, no restaurants. Close to transportation.
Basic functional hotel with attached vegetarian restaurant. Caters mainly to visitors from North India.
Close to the Birla temple and other attractions. Good budget choice in an area where there aren't many budget hotels.
Small hotel in the middle of the Ameerpet shopping district. Don't expect a quiet stay, but the rooms are spacious and elegant. This hotel is geared more towards weddings and celebrations, not for business travellers or tourists.
Air-conditioned and non air-conditioned rooms.
Designed after castles from medieval Bavarian Europe. All-suite accommodations, meeting and event space, onsite restaurants, a fitness centre and swimming pool. Close to important attractions.
Centrally located and targeted at the business traveller who needs a place to sleep. Provides complimentary internet and most other business facilities. In addition, it has a couple of reasonable restaurants.
Business hotel, internet, conference facilities. Venue, a vegetarian restaurant is part of the hotel, as is One Flight Down, a basement pub. The location is more suited for access to the main city rather than Hi tech city.
Basic, functional and clean hotel. 2 restaurants, one is vegetarian and the other has a bar. It is located near the city centre, at a reasonable distance from both tourist attractions and office complexes, though it is not suitable if you need access to Hi tech city. 2 banquet halls, geared more towards weddings and other celebrations.
An adequate and comfortable hotel, located close to the Nampally railway station. Large rooms, restaurant.
Cozy hotel, slightly far from the city centre. Room service and laundry available. Has conference room facilities. Houses 2 restaurants.
Close to the railway station. Basic, but adequate facilities. Vegetarian dining available. As it is close to the main road, it is somewhat noisy.
Chic hotel in the market area of Abids and well connected with city and other business centres. Good for business and leisure travellers and is very close to the airport.
Close to the airport, strictly adequate.
A good, reasonably priced hotel. Has been renovated, and the suite rooms are luxury. Free Wi-Fi and a complimentary breakfast.
Caters to business travellers and has easy access to Punjagutta, Begumpet and the secretariat areas. Complimentary breakfast, WiFi and most other facilities you'd expect from a business hotel.
This is a newer property. Has Stir, an all-day coffee shop.
Well worth a stay if the location is right. Well-appointed rooms, with WiFi and all amenities you would expect at the price.
Close to business areas, but far from tourist attractions or from Hi tech city. Free internet, and have a restaurant Promenade and a bar Harry's.
This is one of the few 4-star hotels in this area. Free breakfast and free internet. Has a fitness centre and a swimming pool. Suitable for business travellers and tourists.
Close to the city's business areas. Rooms are well-furnished, free breakfast coffee shop, internet and access to the minibar. Once upon a time is the speciality restaurant. The Mustang Bar and Torque the pub.
If price is no object, this is the place to stay. Located in the centre of the business district. It has 3 full-service restaurants. Deccan Pavilion is open 24 hr, and serves up a Sunday brunch from 12:30-3PM. South Indian restaurant Dakshin and an Irish-themed pub Dublin.
Taj Banjara is by the side of its own private lake. The lake is not very well-maintained or clean, but the rooms are. Conference facilities and good for business events. Open-air restaurant Kabab-e-bahar serves Indian BBQ. Underdeck, a basement pub.
The least expensive of the 3 Taj hotels. Restaurant Spice Junxion serves fusion South Indian cuisine, with a wide variety of pickles, spiced martinis are a speciality of the restaurant.
This is the closest that Hyderabad has to a grand old hotel. Taj bought a failing property and turned it into one of the premier hotels in Hyderabad. The hotel interiors are over the top, but rooms are tastefully done, though the hotel's age shows in some places. Golden Dragon Chinese restaurant, Ahala the pub, conference facilities available.
Wholesale clothes market.
Fruit market.
Wholesale market.
One of the oldest and the largest pearl companies in India.
Designer and made-to-order & customised heavy suits, sarees and fancy blouses.
Gunfoundry, Abids
Designs by a new wave of young Hyderabadi fashion designers, they also have natural hand-made soaps for body and hair.
Lingerie shop (lingerie, ladies wear, nightwear).
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