Hyderabad city tour with guide & lunch in private car for a heritage experience
Description
In this day tour, we experience the best of Hyderabad in the company of a cultural evangelist. The tour commences at a unique temple which is known to fulfil devotees’ wishes to get a visa for going overseas! The rest of the experience comprises Taramati Baradari the great hall of music with unbelievable acoustics, the Qutub Shahi tombs, Birla Mandir and the lovely Hussain Sagar Lake which captures the pulse of Hyderabad.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This 500 year old temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara and is famous for fulfilling “Visa” wishes of devotees seeking to go abroad! The devotees follow a specific procedure while seeking wishes. They offer 11 “pradakshinas” or circumambulation around the temple. Once the wish is granted, they take 108 pradakshinas of the temple to show their gratitude and thank the God.
Taramati Baradari is a remarkable music hall with unbelievable acoustics and our next halt in the Hyderabad tour in one day. Taramati was the favourite dancer of the Abdullah Qutub Shah who was the 7th Sultan of Golconda. He built this music hall with astonishingly fine acoustics so that her voice would reach him at the Golconda Fort located 3 KM away.
Qutub Shahi Tombs were erected in the memory of the old kings of Golconda. The arch, columns, dome minarets, and galleries look exquisite and are surrounded by gardens called Ibrahim Bagh. As per legend, these tombs were revered during the rule of the Qutub Shahi Kings and even criminals taking refuge here were pardoned.
Birla Mandir is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Apart from the main deity, Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman and Sai Baba are also worshipped in this temple. This magnificent temple was made using of 200 tonnes of pure white Rajasthani marble and took 10 years to build. The architecture style is a blend of South Indian, Utkala and Rajasthani.
Our last stop in Hyderabad tour in one day is at Hussain Sagar Lake, Asia’s largest artificial lake which was built by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah in 1563. The biggest attraction of the Lake is the worlds’ largest monolith statue of Buddha. The Buddha statue is at a height of 72 feet and weighs more than 450 tons. His Holiness The Dalai Lama consecrated this statue in 2006.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up from all hotels in Hyderabad city
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(5)
I learned a lot of history behind the making of Hyderabad and its attractions, thanks to Mr. Srinu Arvapalli, very experience and knowledgeable guide. I enjoyed a lot from his explanations. Thank you.
Great experience with the tour booking via whatsapp, last minute (1 day ahead). Very professional and the guide was great too!
I am glad you enjoyed Hyderabad. Thanks for taking the time to review this tour. It was our pleasure hosting you.
We took a Hyderabad City tour with Sainath. If you enjoy storytelling and don't mind the inaccuracy of information, I'd recommend this tour. It was an enjoyable day, and we visited multiple sites. Despite the hot May weather, Sainath was attentive, helping us stay in the shade and frequently trying to find cold water for us. However, DO NOT BOOK with this person/company if you care about factual accuracy. I believe the guide fabricated information approximately 95% of the time. At the moment, I didn't even question the facts; the storytelling was so smooth that I didn't realize someone could invent stories so easily. Some of the "imaginative stories" he told us about his life included: - Giving a tour to Bill Gates and taking him to a local restaurant. - Treasure hunting in India, where he supposedly found a gem worth $4 million USD with a group, and his share was $20,000 USD. - Losing 30kg in three months, which is a concerning rate of weight loss and not something to boast about. More importantly, I distrust several "facts" he shared about the monuments. For example, he claimed that diamond selling markets only occurred during the full moon, yet I couldn't find any supporting information online. In front of the fort, he stated that only people working inside were allowed to leave to keep the entrance a secret. However, once we were inside, he suddenly said there were monthly gem markets. He even described the exact location of the tax collector, where high-quality diamonds were collected, and where they were inspected. On another occasion, he mentioned there were five palaces, but the fifth was demolished—a claim unsupported by any internet resources I found. He never admitted not knowing something; for instance, he recalled the exact year of a random painting in the palace that had no label. I believe much of the misinformation he shared was highly creative storytelling built around a few basic facts. Overall, the day was still worthwhile. He took us to various places and saved us a lot of waiting time in the sun. It was a very self-reflecting experience to think back on this tour. Our only regret is not calling him out at the moment and even giving him a tip, as I feel bad for supporting this behavior.
To get the most out of my short time in Hyderabad, I booked this full-day tour along with a half-day walking tour the following morning (also through Five Senses). John was my guide for both tours, and he was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. He noticed that I was taking a lot of photos of architectural details at each site and tailored the tour accordingly (without me asking) by offering suggestions for photo spots and insights into the architecture as I was shooting. I would highly recommend this tour (also the “Guided Old City Walk”), especially if you can have John as your guide.
Thanks for these kind words. It was our pleasure hosting you on the Hyderabad city experience. I am glad John managed to meet all your expectations.
Azam is a patient tour guide. Arrived on time to pick me up, explained the attractions in detail and took me for the best Biryani. Highly recommended for 5 Senses.
Thank you so much for your kind review. It was our pleasure hosting you on the Hyderabad City tour and i am glad you enjoyed it.
