Places to visit in Hyderabad

• Musi River: Stretching around the banks of the Musi River, Hyderabad lies in the northern part of the Deccan Plateau, dotted with small hills (672m Banjara Hill is the highest) and numerous artificial lakes like Hussain Sagar, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar created by damming the Musi.
• Golconda Fort: To the west of the city lies Golkonda, formerly a hill of shepherds (Golla Konda) fortified by the Kakatiya dynasty and later the seat of the Qutb Shahi rulers. The Sound and Light Show at Golconda Fort is an excellent introduction to the city’s history. Follow this up with a visit to the majestic Qutb Shahi tombs nearby.
• Charminar: The stunning Charminar is located in the Old City. Built by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah in 1591, the majestic structure is embellished with stucco decoration and comprises four minarets (hence, the name), each 177 feet high, with spiral staircases leading to the floors below. Atmospheric old bazaars surround the Charminar.
• Mecca Masjid: Hyderabad’s rulers also built the Mecca Masjid, where soil from Mecca, was used for the bricks in the mosque’s central arch. It was built by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. He began work on it in 1617 and employed some 8,000 masons to build it. In 1694, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb added two elegant minarets to the mosque which features a rectangular hall and a high roof supported by 15 arches.
• Salar Jung Museum: It is a treasure trove that houses ‘one of the largest one-man-collections in the world’. If you are a museum junkie, also check out the AP State Archaeology Museum, the Nizam’s Museum, the City Museum and the Birla Science Museum. The amazing Salar Jung Museum houses the vast private collection of Yousuf Ali Khan or Salar Jung III (1889-1949) who served as Prime Minister to Nizam Osman Ali Khan for 14 years. Exhibits include paintings, miniatures, furniture, and sculptures from all over the world.
• Ramoji Film city: In the northwest are posh residential and commercial precincts Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Begumpet dotted with bars and restaurants. In the eastern part of the city is the world’s largest film studio Ramoji Film City while Shilparamam (an arts and crafts village) at Madhapur is another big draw for tourists.

High-end shopping/luxury shopping/shopping malls in Hyderabad

• MPM Mall         
• Sanali Mall
• GVK One Mall   
• Next Galleria Mall          
• Manjeera Trinity Mall
• City Centre Shopping Mall         
• Inorbit Mall      
• Forum Sujana Mall        
• Hyderabad Central Mall
• Babukhan Mall: Spread on around an area of 80000 sq feet, Babukhan Mall has an interesting array of both national and international brands.          
• FMG Mall: The mall has a great collection of branded products under all categories. It also more spacious as compared to the other shopping spots in the city.     

Lepakshi, the Andhra Pradesh handicrafts emporium sells Nirmal paintings, Kondapalli toys, leather lamp shades, Banjara embroidery, besides other local handicrafts. Evolution, Contemporary Arts, Crafts and Textiles in Punjagutta sells Andhra crafts, pottery, handloom fabrics and an eclectic range of furniture and wood sculptures. For more retail therapy, try any of the large malls such as GVK One Mall and Inorbit Mall, where you can find local and international high street brands.

Street/local shopping in Hyderabad

Historically a pearl- and diamond-trading centre, Hyderabad is known as the City of Pearls. Even though it’s far from the coast, the city is the best place to pick up pearls and jewellery. Drop into the city’s traditional bazaars that have tantalised buyers for centuries–pick up lac bangles encrusted with coloured stones at Laad Bazaar near Charminar, Begum Bazaar and Sultan Bazaar. There’s a lot to buy here–bidriware (metalwork handicraft from neighbouring Bidar in Karnataka), zari and zardozi (embroidered textiles using gold, silver and other metal threads) and kalamkari (hand-painted or block-printed cotton textiles). Singhania’s, official textile suppliers to the Nizams, sell rare weaves like Jamevar, Banarasi, Bhagalpuri, Kota and Sambalpuri saris at their Banjara Hills outlet.

Nightlife in Hyderabad

• 10 Downing Street or TDS: 10 Downing Street or TDS at Begumpet is the city’s oldest party spot and remains quite popular party places.
• Bottles & Chimney: If you want to go dancing, try Bottles & Chimney, also in Begumpet, which has DJs playing everything from hip-hop and house to Bollywood on Saturdays, with a deck on the first floor for private parties and an excellent bistro on the lawns.
• Kismet: The uber-stylish Kismet at The Park Hotel has an attractive entrance through a tunnel with laser lights and visual projection screens.
• Altitude: Altitude on Hyderabad Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre’s eighth-floor terrace overlooks Hussain Sagar Lake and offers retro acoustic blues, classic rock and live fusion with speciality mocktails like Nawab’s Punch made of fruit juices, vanilla ice cream and condensed milk. Don’t worry; there’s also a cocktail menu for those that want something stiffer.
• The Playboy Club: The Playboy Club at Novotel Hyderabad has a great dance floor and a VIP lounge with a mini theatre plus a single malt and cognac library.
• Grill Room: Another option is Grill Room, a nightclub turned lounge.
• Rooftop lounge bars: Rooftop lounge bars are the rage, especially in the plush Jubilee Hills neighbourhood–Air Café, Vertigo the High Life, Fly High by LS, Over the Moon at Hotel Daspalla and the enormous Klub Trinity with a complete clubbing experience and separate sections called Star Gazer, Sun Lounger and Moon Walker, are your options!
• The Sky Lounge: The Sky Lounge at Hotel Avasa in Hi-Tech City has a rooftop dance floor with a great view.
• Komatose: Komatose at Holiday Inn offers a great Saturday Drunch (drinks and brunch).
• Drunken Poets Café: Drunken Poets Café at BKR Hotel in Kondapur has good live music.
• Hard Rock Café: Hard Rock Café at GVK One Mall has live rock bands every Thursday.
• Café Reboot: No matter where you go in Hyderabad, there are a lot of places to party–Café Reboot in Madhapur, the psychedelic Rain, which is packed on Friday and Saturday or the dark interiors of Spoil with the bartender performing flaming cocktails and flaring tricks–this is a city with a lot of options.

Best hill views

Hyderabad’s undulating landscape gives it several points to hang out–the boulders of Banjara Rocks, Durgam Cheruvu in Jubilee Hills or Moula Ali hillock are your best bets for a quiet evening outdoors.

Heritage walk

To enjoy Hyderabad at a slow Nawabi pace, take a heritage walk from Charminar to Badshahi or Purani Haveli or try the Chowmahalla Palace Walk. Discover little-known facts about this fascinating city, like the tamarind tree in Osmania Park, which saved many lives during the 1908 floods.

Parks, gardens and more

North of central Hyderabad lie Hussain Sagar, and Tank Bund Road lined with statues of luminaries where most of the city's parks and recreational centres are located – Sanjeevaiah Park, Indira Park, Lumbini Park, NTR Gardens, Buddha statue and Tankbund Park, with Birla Mandir and Birla Planetarium nearby.

Club hopping

Go club hopping at Banjara Hills or take a long drive along the Necklace Road. Don’t forget to visit the Chilkur Balaji Temple (known locally as the Visa God) – since people applying for an overseas visa often come here as it’s believed to make their wish come true.

Lumbini Festival

Hyderabad has a vast Buddhist connection, and the Lumbini Festival is celebrated with great pomp and show at the Nagarjunasagar Dam, close to Hyderabad. The festival marks especially the importance of Buddhism in Telangana and celebrates its rich and ancient Buddhist heritage. It is, in fact, a kaleidoscope for tourists to the arts, crafts, culture, and cuisine of Telangana/Andhra Pradesh.

The Deccan Festival

The Deccan Festival is one of the most popular festivals which is organised by the Department of Tourism, Andhra Pradesh. Celebrated around the month of February or March, this is a five day festival that echoes authentic Hyderabadi culture. The festival comprises a grand food, dance and music festival, in addition to the pearls and bangle fair.