Hyderabad in 7 days

The city of pearls and biryani: 400-year-old bazaars, Golconda Fort and India's most fragrant food scene. Best time to visit: October-February. Average daily budget: $25 to $70 USD.

Day 1, Land & wander

Base: Old City (Charminar), The historic core: Charminar, Laad Bazaar's bangles and the Mecca Masjid.

Morning: Charminar and Laad Bazaar. The 1591 icon of the city, surrounded by bangle, pearl and attar markets.

Afternoon: Explore Old City (Charminar), The historic core: Charminar, Laad Bazaar's bangles and the Mecca Masjid.

Evening: Golconda Fort. Climb the acoustically famous citadel of the diamond-trading sultans; stay for the evening show.

Eat: Hyderabadi dum biryani: the city's defining dish, mutton or chicken

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills, Upscale dining, malls and the city's best hotels.

Morning: Chowmahalla Palace. The restored seat of the Nizams, once among the richest men on earth.

Afternoon: Explore Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills, Upscale dining, malls and the city's best hotels.

Evening: A proper Hyderabadi biryani. Slow-steamed dum biryani at Paradise, Shadab or a hundred argued-over rivals.

Eat: Haleem, the slow-cooked wheat and meat porridge famous in Ramadan

Day 3, Food & markets

Base: Hussain Sagar & Necklace Road, The lakefront promenade linking the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Morning: The Qutb Shahi Tombs: a serene garden necropolis most tourists skip.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Hussain Sagar & Necklace Road, The lakefront promenade linking the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Evening: Irani chai and Osmania biscuits at Nimrah Café beside the Charminar.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Irani chai with Osmania biscuits at an old Irani café

Day 4, Local neighbourhoods

Base: HITEC City & Gachibowli, The modern tech district of cafés, breweries and glass towers.

Morning: The Paigah Tombs, whose lime-and-mortar filigree work outshines far more famous monuments.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore HITEC City & Gachibowli, The modern tech district of cafés, breweries and glass towers.

Evening: Shilparamam crafts village in HITEC City for direct-from-artisan shopping.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Double ka meetha (bread pudding) and qubani ka meetha (apricot dessert)

Day 5, Day trip

Base: Golconda, The fort zone west of the centre, with the Qutb Shahi tombs nearby.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Golconda, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Golconda, The fort zone west of the centre, with the Qutb Shahi tombs nearby.

Evening: Dinner at Hyderabadi dum biryani: the city's defining dish, mutton or chicken, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Golconda.

Eat: Hyderabadi dum biryani: the city's defining dish, mutton or chicken

Day 6, Hidden gems

Base: Old City (Charminar), The historic core: Charminar, Laad Bazaar's bangles and the Mecca Masjid.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Old City (Charminar), then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Old City (Charminar), The historic core: Charminar, Laad Bazaar's bangles and the Mecca Masjid.

Evening: Dinner at Haleem, the slow-cooked wheat and meat porridge famous in Ramadan, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Old City (Charminar).

Eat: Haleem, the slow-cooked wheat and meat porridge famous in Ramadan

Day 7, Slow finish

Base: Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills, Upscale dining, malls and the city's best hotels.

Morning: Slow start: coffee in Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills, then an unhurried walk before the heat or the crowds.

Afternoon: Explore Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills, Upscale dining, malls and the city's best hotels.

Evening: Dinner at Irani chai with Osmania biscuits at an old Irani café, then a quiet drink wherever the locals are in Banjara Hills & Jubilee Hills.

Eat: Irani chai with Osmania biscuits at an old Irani café

Hidden gems

The Qutb Shahi Tombs: a serene garden necropolis most tourists skip.
Irani chai and Osmania biscuits at Nimrah Café beside the Charminar.
The Paigah Tombs, whose lime-and-mortar filigree work outshines far more famous monuments.
Shilparamam crafts village in HITEC City for direct-from-artisan shopping.

Getting around

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is 35km south; the Pushpak airport bus and prepaid taxis take 45 to 90 minutes to the centre. In the city, the metro covers key corridors and is air-conditioned relief; Ola and Uber are cheap and everywhere; auto-rickshaws handle short hops but insist on the meter. The old city is best explored on foot in the morning.

Safety

Hyderabad is one of India's safer big cities, with low rates of tourist-targeted crime. Standard big-city precautions apply: keep phones and bags close in the crowded bazaars around Charminar, use app taxis at night, and dress modestly when visiting mosques. Drink bottled water, eat where the queues are longest, and carry tissues for street food stops.

Hyderabad in 3 days | Hyderabad in 5 days | Full Hyderabad guide