The Royal Hyderabad

Hyderabad had a humble beginning in a mud fortress built by the Kakatiyas of Warangal on the hill of Golconda, in the 11th century AD. In the 14th century, Golconda went to the Bahamani kings. From the 15th century onwards, and till the time the province of Hyderabad was surrendered to the British Empire, it was under the rule of different Muslim kingdoms, the Qutub Shahi kings, Aurangzeb’s empire and Nizam II of the Asaf Jahi kingdom. The city was brought into the Indian union after the country’s independence and, in 1956; Hyderabad became the capital of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh now Telangana.

The strong influence of Muslim culture and civilization is visible in the city’s many beautiful mosques, minarets and gardens. The city is also famous for its Hyderabadi cuisine, popularized under the rule of Nizam II, its handicrafts, textiles, gems and jewellery, especially pearls.

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM

Tour starts.

09:00 AM – 09:30 AM – Birla Mandir

After breakfast we visit Birla Mandir.The temple manifests a blend of Dravidian, Rajasthani and Utkala architectures.It is constructed from 2000 tons of pure white marble.

Tea break on route to Chowmahalla palace

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Chowmahalla palace

India has many palaces which were built by some of the great ancient rulers. Chowmahalla is one such palace which remains as a masterpiece. The design and the features of this palace are marvelous and even the modern buildings built with modern technology cannot compete with the beauty and charm of this palace.

This palace still stands as symbols which represent the culture and skills of our ancestors. Chowmahalla Palace, were the rulers of the Hyderabad state (Nizams) who lived under the flag of Asaf Jahi dynasty All the major ceremonies during the reign of the Nizams were conducted in this palace. At present the palace is owned by a member of the Nizams lineage named as Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah.

12:00 PM – 12:15 PM – Hi Tech City

Before you experience the old much talked about Hyderabad, will take you thru the new developing Hyderabad which is almost 17kms away from Old city. Most commonly called as “Cyberabad” and Hi-tech City, it’s a new world developed by IT companies. Here you will experience the sky-high buildings and modernity.

12:30 PM – 01:30 PM – Shilparamam

Stop at Shilparamam, a crafts village, conceived in the year 1992. Sprawling over 65 acres (260,000 m²) of land in the hi-tech hub city of India, Shilparamam gives a scenic ambience of tradition and cultural heritage. The lush and serene environment of Shilparamam is sculpted with woodwork, jewellery, clothes and local crafts of each region of the country. Showcasing a plethora of artistic ethos, Shilparamam is set amidst gardens, cascading waterfalls and natural rock heights.

02:00 PM – 03:00 PM – Lunch

03:30 PM – 05:00 PM – Shopping

Explore the wedding Emporiums. Hyderabad has got some age-old retailers who’ve through all these years kept up with the latest fashions and selling some amazing traditional Indian wear, with anarkalis being among them. The city has now become the second-best in the country (after Chennai, which is) for bridal Kanjeevaram pattu sarees with a whole lot of stores, some new and some old spread throughout. Our guide will suggest you some of the renowned stores to shop for these silks.

05:30 PM – 06:00 PM – Tea

06:30 PM – 07:30 PM – Necklace Road

Hussain Sagar Lake is one of the largest Man Made Lakes in Asia. There are boats available which take you to the “ROCK OF GIBRALTER” where Lord Buddha statue is placed. An 18-meter high monolithic statue of Lord Buddha towers over the lake from atop the Rock of Gibralter. This boulevard is complete with beautiful lawns, restaurants, recreational facilities and good views of the city of Hyderabad.

08:00 PM – 09:00 PM – Dinner

Drop back to the city center.

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM

Tour starts.

09:00 AM – 09:30 AM – On route to Charminar

Day tour starts. On the way to Charminar, experience the Assembly Building. It is the first Legislative Assembly that came into being on 1st March 1952 in the old state of Hyderabad. The Mozamjahi Market, famous for it old shops, Osmania Hospital, which is one of a kind building, and the High Court. You may take a photo stop over in these places to capture the beauty of these century old buildings.

09:30 AM – 10:00 AM – Tea

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Charminar

Charminar is a massive and impressive structure with four minarets. Each of these minarets is beautifully crowned by a dome with petal like designs at the base level. It should be noted that these minarets have different stories, which are marked by its carved ring. There is a beautiful mosque located at the western end of the open roof on the top of Charminar. When taking into consideration this Charminar totally, we can say that it has a Islamic architecture style. When it is illuminated during night, it looks equally spectacular.

Built in 1591AD by the then King Sultan Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah. Ever since the construction of the Charminar, the Hyderabad city has almost become synonymous with the monument.

Photo Stop at Mecca Masjid and Jama Masjid. Know the history of the oldest and biggest mosque in the city.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Laad Bazaar

We start the walking tour of Laad Bazaar. You may shop for the specialties of Hyderabad here. Laad Bazaar is the main market for bangles,  semi-precious stones,  pearls, jewellery, products such as silverware,Nirmal,  Kalamkari paintings,  Bidriware,  lacquer  bangles studded with stones,  saris and hand-woven materials of silk, cotton,  brocade,  velvet and  gold embroidered fabrics, traditional  Khara  Dupattas, lacquer bangles and perfumes.

12:15 PM – 01:30 PM – Salar Jung Museum

Out of the several rare objects present in Salar Jung Museum one of the important and interesting object collected by Salar Jung I was “Vellied Rebecca,” an enchanting marble statue which was acquired by him from Rome in 1876 during his visit to Italy.  The western collection is from England, Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany.  A set of ivory chairs is said to have been presented by Louis XVI of France.

The Salar Jung Museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. It is well known throughout India for its prized collections belonging to different civilizations, dating back to the 1st century.

02:00 PM – 03:00 PM – Lunch 

03:30 PM – 04:00 PM – Qutub Shahi Tombs

Visit the Qutub Shahi Tombs which is almost 12kms. These 21 magnificent domed granite tombs, with almost as many mosques, sit serenely in landscapes gardens about 2kms northwest of Golkonda Fort, where many of their occupants spent large parts of their lives. The tombs great domes are mounted on cubical basis, many of which have beautiful colonnades and delicate lime stucco ornaments.

04:10 PM – 05:00 PM –  Hi Tea 

05:10 PM – 08:00 PM – Golconda fort

The magnificent architecture of the Golconda fort is manifest in its acoustic system, the structural grandeur of the palaces and ingenious water supply system. One visit to this fort and you will get transported to that eventful age of the Qutub Shahi dynasty that speaks of their glorious achievements. One is stunned to see the meticulous details of the architecture and the fading gardens which were once upon a time, replete with sprawling lawns and fountains.

Golconda was famous for its Diamond Market. It gave the world some of the best known diamonds, including the Koh-I-Noor diamond, the Hope Diamond and the Orloff Diamond of Catherine the Great.

08:30 PM – 09:30 PM – Dinner

Drop back to city center.

Almost 35kms drive away from the city (One-Way)

07:30 AM – 08: 30 AM

Tour starts.

09:00 AM

Escape to Ramoji Film City, a magical realm filled with excitement and wonderful surprises at every turn.

As the world’s largest integrated film city and India’s only thematic holiday destination with magic of cinema, there’s something special for everyone here.

Spread across a sprawling 2000 acres Ramoji Film City, set up by the Ramoji Group in 1996, is a dreamy celluloid journey. It is certified by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest Film studio complex. At Ramoji Film City, a filmmaker can walk with a script and walk out with a film. For the others, Ramoji Film City flings open a wonderland.

Lunch at the Film City (Tara/Sitara or similar)

08:00 PM – 09:00 PM – Dinner

Drop back to city center.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 TOUR ENDS