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
Book Now
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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.
Excellent! I very much enjoyed the tour in the old city of Hyderabad and learn about the history of the city, the laad bazaar and the Nizam rulers. The tour guide John was really great and guided me well through the streets and the bazaar. I very much liked climbing up the Chaminar and have chai tea and cookies at the local bakery. I had an excellent time during the tour.
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Holger
09 Nov 2024
The Kingdom of Diamonds tour We visited the Golkonda fort and Qutub Shahi tombs. Navin is very passionate about what he is doing, that is why, i think, it is quite a pleasure to have him as a guide.
The his/tory can be boring if the teller is just reciting facts and names. It is not boring to listen to Navin at all. He is knowledgeable, funny, friendly, and glad to answer all your questions. It was a memorable experience.
The tour will take around 4 hours. Come prepared, the Golkonda is huge, with a long walking up. Wear proper shoes, hat. And take a panoramic picture when you get to the top.
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Venera
21 Nov 2018
It all started off with me casually mentioning to Navin that I would like to try out the Dosa's at Govind's. Off went Navin and in a span of minutes put together an entire plan for the walk and got a group of friends together. It was interesting to try out the various tea and bakery items at Nimras and then walk along the various by-lanes and get our dose of history and myths busted. Post that, we ended up at the famous (and original) Govind's.
All in all, a great Saturday morning spent with lots of history, minimal exercise and loads of buttery idli, dosa, and vada.
If you are interested in a fun walk, check out "The Hyderabad Walking Company". You will have fun, add to your store of knowledge and ensure a full tummy.
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Veera
10 Jun 2018
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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