The City of Pearls Tour

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

Once you submit this, we will get back to you within 48 hours to confirm.

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.