4-hour, small group tour that covers two of the best preserved monuments from the Qutb Shahi period – the Charminar and the nearby Mecca mosque. This will be followed by the Asaf Jahi highlight of Chowmahalla Palace. Add-ons include transport, tickets to monuments and food.
Description
Hyderabad was founded by the fifth Qutb Shahi king, who tasked his Persian builders with creating the best city in the world. The Charminar was one of the elements that were built in accordance with the design, which recreated the plan of heaven on earth. A couple of hundred years later, the Asaf Jahi kings lived and ruled from the Chowmahalla Palace, one of the best-preserved palaces in Hyderabad.
In a small-group half-day tour lasting 4 hours, we will visit one of the best-preserved monuments from the Qutb Shahi period – the Charminar, and the nearby Mecca mosque. We will follow it up with a visit to the Asaf Jahi highlight of Chowmahalla Palace.
Highlights
Charminar: Discover why this iconic Hyderabad monument was built (hint: it had nothing to do with a plague!) and climb to the top for amazing photo ops Chudi Bazaar: Walk through the quintessential Oriental bazaars around the Charminar that have retained their character over the last four hundred years. Peep into the workshops of bangle-makers and silver-beaters, and try your hand at haggling a good price! Chowmahalla Palace: See where the last kings of Hyderabad lived as recently as the 1960s, and marvel at the grandeur that marked their everyday life
Itinerary
Charminar
Mecca Masjid (Outside)
Chudi Bazaar
Chowmahalla Palace
Things to Note
Inclusions
Guide throughout the tour
Narrated walks through the attractions
Bottled water
Exclusions
Any personal expenses
Entry tickets (If add-on not purchased)
Transport (If add-on not purchased)
Things to Carry
Hat
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Wear comfortable and sturdy footwear
Dress so that your knees and shoulders are covered, as some of the places we might go into are of religious significance
Cost
Tour Cost
₹6000 per person for up to 2 persons ₹5000 per person for 3 or more Children under 12 pay half
Add-Ons
Air-conditioned transport – ₹4500 (1 to 2 guests) / ₹6000 (3 to 5 guests) South Indian Breakfast (Start 30 minutes earlier) – ₹400/person Lunch at Shadab – ₹1200 per person
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Curated by Navin Sigamany
Navin founded The Hyderabad Walking Company in 2017 to bring well-curated experiences to folks who wished to explore Hyderabad’s heritage and food. Delivering storytelling tours to hundreds of guests from dozens of countries over the years has helped him hone his craft, to the delight of many tour-goers.
Eager 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
07 Dec 2024
Time well spent. Currently in Hyderabad for two weeks with work from the UK but really only had Sunday to do something of my choosing so it had to be good. I wanted to see old Hyderabad, learn some history and experience a less corporate part of the city. This tour ticked all my boxes and exceeded my expectations. Navin really knows his stuff and it is super interesting. Explains it all really well. He knows all the good spots/angles for the best photos. Nice friendly guy. I opted for hotel pick and drop off and that all went smoothly. Driver was a nice chap also. Wish I had more time to do another one of his tours.
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Fonzhero
10 Oct 2022
Wonderful Had a lovely stay everything was amazing our checkin was very fast and they given us a neat room all the staffs are very polite receptionists are very friendly and they describe us about the membership it is very good
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Jet06222695159
08 Nov 2024
Authenticity! Navin was great - it was so great to have someone lead us through the City. He is so knowledgable and is able to distinguish fact from fiction! Connected us to local craftsman for some shopping and there were no commissions in the process! Passionate about the work he does and make the tour fun, educational and flexible! More
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