Discover Hyderabad
A Storied Capital, 400 Years in the Making
A city of historic proportions; some of India’s epoch-making battles and revolts happened on Deccan soil, bang in the middle of what’s now famous world over as Hyderabad. The story of Hyderabad clocks back to 1591 when Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah founded the city on the banks of river Musi.
Spanning 400 years of change influenced by the reign of dynasties from the Mughals to the Nizams, the time-swept grandeur of a royal past shines through in the multitude of lofty monuments dotting the city’s landscape. Once the largest princely state of India and the designated second capital of the country, Hyderabad with its turbulent past stands out as the centre piece of Indian history.
The World’s Most Dynamic City
Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana and the fourth largest city in India by population. Alive with the energy of a multicultural populace, Hyderabad attracts people from all parts of the world. With its sprawling urban infrastructure, booming economy and cosmopolitan lifestyle, Hyderabad emerged as The World’s Most Dynamic City*, edging out 129 other cities across the globe.
The city charms first-time visitors with its treasure trove of attractions amidst a pleasant weather, bonny environs and warm people. From history to art, tourism, food and hospitality, entertainment, shopping, and trade, Hyderabad packs a punch. The city is crowded with many must-see attractions. There are plenty of places to visit in Hyderabad, and where one can click selfies to freeze time for eternity.
Destination Hyderabad
The world’s favourite Conference venue.
Home to Hyderabad International Convention Centre.
One of the largest convention facilities in India.
Destination Hyderabad
As a conference venue, Hyderabad is a global favourite. The city is home to Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC); one of the largest convention facilities in India, which has played host to the biggest national and international conferences across industries from IT and Telecom to Fintech, Healthcare, Logistics, Infrastructure, Automobiles, Agriculture, Media and Entertainment, and more.
Major conventions, trade shows and meetings held at HICC in Hyderabad include: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Summit, International Seed Testing Association Conference, Commonwealth Law Conference, Bio Asia and NASSCOM Indian leadership Forum.
Art and Entertainment Hub
The city enjoys a vibrant art scene with scores of art galleries, theatre and the fascinating Salarjung Museum; one of the largest museums in the world featuring priceless exhibits dating back to the 4th century. Hyderabad is also a thriving film production hub and is home to the world’s largest film studio ‘Ramoji Film City’ and the world’s largest 3D IMAX screen ‘Prasad’s Imax’. The art and entertainment makes for a great way to discover Hyderabad.
A Titan on the Tourism Terrain
There are scores of tourist places to visit in Hyderabad. The city lures visitors with its endlessly fascinating array of historic and other tourist attractions including the world’s tallest monolithic Buddha rising nirvanically from the placid waters of the sprawling Hussain Sagar Lake; the 2,500 million years old rock formations bedecking the length and breadth of the city; the magnificent ruins of the sprawling, hilltop, 11th century Golconda Fort; the city’s towering landmark and architectural treasure of India the ‘Charminar’; and the opulent 18th century citadel Chowmohalla Palace Complex, to name a few tourist places in Hyderabad. No wonder, the city was ranked second best place in the world for tourism in 2015 by National Geographic Traveler. And not just in the city, there are plenty of interesting places to visit near Hyderabad and have a great time.
The IT Hotspot
From a trading center for diamonds and pearls in the early years to a pharma hub yesterday and a technology hotspot today, Hyderabad has made rapid strides in the last few decades. The biggest names in IT including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, all have a presence in Hyderabad even as more technology companies across the globe make a dash for this IT hotspot. On the expressway to accelerated growth, Hyderabad has already been acknowledged worldwide as a technology powerhouse worthy of India’s IT crown.
The culinary capital of India
Hyderabad, with its wealth of must-taste local specialities, could well qualify as the culinary capital of India. For first-timers as well as regular visitors, no visit to the city is complete without feasting on the sublime local fare from the popular Hyderabadi Biryani and Mirchi ka Salan, to Murgh Do Pyaza, Irani Chai and Shahi Tukda, to name a few. Apart from authentic local fare, Hyderabad’s food district also teases with its global cuisine. The diverse and multi-cultural fabric of Hyderabad ensures an eclectic culinary spread at different price points.
The city has several restaurants from across the world which serve local and global cuisine. From traditional south Indian and North Indian fare to Chinese, Thai, Italian, Spanish, and other cuisine, Hyderabad offers a rich mix of food.
General Information
Commuting within the city: Buses, auto rickshaws, local taxis, Uber and Ola cabs provide transport services within city limits. The MMTS (local train) connects most suburbs of Hyderabad while the Metro with a high frequency of trains, links arterial parts of the city.
Time Zone: India has a single time zone: 5.5 hrs ahead of GMT, 11.5 hrs ahead of American EST (winter) and 4.5 hrs behind Australian EST.
Climate: Hyderabad has an average altitude of about 1,778 feet (542 m) giving it a relatively cool climate compared to most other cities in India. March to June is very hot. Temperature can peak to 47o C. July to September is the rainy season. November to February are cold and temperatures can dip to 9o C. Best time to visit Hyderabad: October to February.
Languages: While Telugu is the official language, English, Urdu and Hindi are also spoken widely.