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The Hyderabad Walking Company

The Hyderabad Walking Company

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LINK: Photo Feature about the Qutb Shahi Tombs Restoration

2 May 201816 December 2020 The Hyderabad Walking Co.
In images: As Hyd's Qutb Shahi Tombs reopen after 5 years, a peek into the restoration
In images: As Hyd's Qutb Shahi Tombs reopen after 5 years, a peek into the restoration

After five years of being closed to the public for restoration, the tombs of the first five Qutb Shahi kings have been, once again, declared open to visitors. I

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5.0 / 5 - Based on 26 Reviews
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  • TripAdvisor
  • 5 star ratingThe city comes alive Navin is a thoroughly modern man with a passion for history, discovery and all things Hyderabadi. The walking tour is a delight and the evening food tour is even better. If you’d like to get a little closer to real, street-level India, wander with Navin through some of the hidden backstreets or culinary gems of this historic city. Great fun and a wonderful companion and guide.
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    Chris M Avatar
    Chris
    31 Dec 2019
  • 5 star ratingNavin's knowledge makes this tour uniquely valuable! Navin is full of the kind of deep knowledge of history and the locale that immeasurably enriches the already incomparable experience of exploring the Old City, and he delivers it in an engaging way. Importantly, he's very easy to understand even in a crowded marketplace.
    My friend and I had an extra day after a business meeting so we decided to see the old city in the morning before it got too hot. That was a good plan: I expect I will long remember sitting on a wall in the shade of a venerable banyan tree in the courtyard of the Chowmahala Palace with tired feet and an exquisite breeze!
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    FoodiePilgrim Avatar
    FoodiePilgrim
    23 May 2022
  • 1 star ratingNot worth the time or money Here are the reasons I cannot recommend this tour:

    I booked the tour several weeks in advance, but it was not until I was in the car with the tour guide that I was told that the Chowmahalla Palace and Mecca Masjid were closed on Fridays. Maybe the tour should not be offered on Fridays, or maybe they should notify you before you book a tour on a Friday that these two major attractions will not be included.

    From the first few minutes I was in the car with John, the guide, he was relentlessly selling me on going to a pearl jewelry store after the tour to get the best quality and deals. Despite repeatedly telling him I was not interested buying pearls, he continued to propose that we go to buy pearls after tour.

    I received a confirmation email for the tour that recommended having a hearty breakfast for the walking tour. However, our very first stop was a café where we were coerced into eating a variety of local cookies and drinking chai tea.

    For a walking tour, we spent a lot of time in cars—from the hotel to the walking tour area, from the walking tour area to the British Residency (the very disappointing replacement for the palace that was not worth the time or effort it took to get there) from the British Residency to the souvenir store, from the souvenir store back to the hotel. Not much walking; a lot of riding.

    In case you’re wondering, I did not let John take me to buy pearls—after the very aggressive salespeople in the souvenir store, I was done and insisted that John take me back to the hotel.

    For five hours and $120, I do not feel like I got to see very much of Hyderabad, and I did not have a very pleasant experience.
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    Chuck W Avatar
    Chuck
    09 Dec 2024
  • 5 star ratingEager to please I booked last minute and appreciated that Navin and his team responded quickly and accommodated my schedule. John, my guide, was eager to please. As a solo female traveller, having the hotel pickup and drop-off and guide at my side throughout the trip were important to me to feel relaxed and deal with any hiccups (like the ATM not accepting my card, or random man asking for pictures). My recommendations for other travellers considering the City of Pearls tour is to go for it. If you're going to get a hotel pick-up, consider asking for the guide to come with the driver to pick you up - some drivers don't speak English and havingnthe guide there for the ride gives some extra time to ask questions and hear more about Hyderabad. Navin recommended eating a hearty breakfast before the tour to fuel up for all the walking. I would suggest instead to have whatever you normally have for breakfast, as you should have the opportunity to fuel up on delicious chai and cookies at the start of the tour. I went on a Friday as that was the only day available in my schedule. I suggest booking a different day if you have the flexibility, as some attractions are closed or not accessible on Fridays. The alternative that we did (British Residency) was a good substitute but I suspect the regular itinerary would be the way to go. And my last recommendation is don't be shy to ask John (or your guide) for anything. He's eager to please and can give good recommendations if you want to find a good biryani, try a custard apple, or take care of haggling for prices on your behalf and much more.
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    NadiaK888 Avatar
    NadiaK888
    07 Dec 2024
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