Hyderabad is a historic city that has a long heritage and culture. The city offers a rich experience to the tourists through its numerous attractions and places of interests. Hyderabadi cuisine, especially its dum Biryani, is something not to miss at any cost. Read on to know more.

Hyderabad, now the capital of the state of Telangana, is one of the most interesting cities of India for the tourists. This Deccan Plateau city along the river Musi has a rich history and tradition, which is evident in the buildings and culture of the place. It even has a twin city to its fame, Secunderabad. Both these cities are situated around the Hussain Sagar Lake and for the residents here, it is a like a single big city that has now transformed into a vast metropolitan. You can reach here by train or air and stay comfortably in a hotel. There are many choices in Hyderabad hotels as you can choose between the economy and luxury range of accommodations.

Hyderabad has a long history, the most illustrious phase of which began in the 16th century when Quli Qutub Shah ruled here. Owing to his love interest and Telugu courtesan, Bhagmati, the city is also called Bhagyanagaram. Over the centuries and of late, Hyderabad has evolved a lot and today it is the best contender of being the top IT city in the country, next only to Bangalore which already owns this title. Nonetheless, the city has many sobriquets to its credit – the Pearl City of India, the city of Nizams, the city of Nawabs, the Biryani City, and Cyberabad.

Once you arrive in Hyderabad, chances are you would be lost in the maze of modern buildings, sophisticated shopping malls and the whole metropolitan look. But if you look further and further, you can explore the old city and its fortifications that date 400 years back in time. Old Hyderabad is the place which was the seat of the former Nizam of the region. Back in those days, Hyderabad was the richest and largest princely states of India. Its twin city, Secunderabad, was more or less a cantonment for the British who kept their army garrisoned here.

Hyderabad is juxtaposed with parts of north India and south India. Hence, its culture and traditions to have a nice blend of both parts. Overall, the old city of Hyderabad still propagates a conservative lifestyle and it is not quite open to modernity as yet, but Secunderabad is more cosmopolitan in its nature and has developed more elaborately.

Hyderabad has plenty of places of tourist attractions and interests. The foremost among these is the Charminar, which is a structure combined by four minarets. It was once a royal place of worship. Visitors throng here in large numbers and there is a separate entry for foreigners. From the top of Charminar you can take a bird’s-eye view the whole Hyderabad. This monument remains closed on Sundays.

Chowmahalla Palace, Falaknuma Palace, Golconda Fort, Purani Haveli of the Nizam, Salar Jung museum, etc. Are some other places of historical interest in Hyderabad. Toli Masjid in the old city and the Birla Mandir in new Hyderabad are two popular religious sites. You can also explore parks, botanical gardens, entertainment centers, local bazaars, etc. Do not forget to try the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, Double ka Meetha, and Irani Chai.

You can stay for a few days to explore the city well. There are many budget hotels in Hyderabad where you can find an economical range accommodation from a budget point of view.