Hyderabad Highlights Tour: Old City Landmarks and Chai at Nimrah

Four centuries of Indo-Islamic architecture, a chai break in a family kitchen, and the spice markets where the city still trades

A 4-hour guided tour of Hyderabad's Old City with a local storyteller, visiting the Paigah Tombs, Charminar, Char Kamans and Badshahi Ashoorkhana, ending with Irani chai and Osmania biscuits at Nimrah café. Private air-conditioned transport, bottled water and all entry fees are included. The guide speaks English, Telugu or Hindi. Pickup from your hotel is arranged.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Charminar30m
2. Hussain Sagar Lakepass by

Explore Hyderabad's historic landmarks

• Visit Paigah Tombs
• See Charminar monument
• Tour Char Kaman arches
• Experience baking at Nimrah café
• View Badshahi Ashoorkhana
• Explore Mir Alam Mandi market
• Admire pearls from Hyderabad

The experience

You're picked up from your hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle and driven into the heart of Hyderabad's Old City, where a local guide meets you to walk the streets built by Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591. The Paigah Tombs come first: intricate Indo-Islamic structures with pierced marble facades and mosaic tile work that the 18th-century Paigah families, among the city's most powerful aristocrats, commissioned as their final resting place. The guide explains the blend of Asaf Jahi and Rajputani styles carved into every surface, and how the tombs sit in the Pisal Banda suburbs, set apart from the bustle around them.

From there you walk to the Charminar, the four-pillared monument built in 1591 as the city's centerpiece: some say to mark the end of a plague, others to honor the four caliphs of Islam. The four arches of the Char Kamans stand directly south, part of the royal plaza where noblemen once passed through each morning on their way to the sultan. You'll see the Badshahi Ashoorkhana, built in 1594 with brilliantly colored tile-mosaic decoration that has kept its vibrant colors for four centuries, and pass through Mir Alam Mandi, a former nobleman's palace now the city's prime spice and vegetable market. The guide shares stories of how Hyderabad earned its name as the City of Pearls, a tradition of pearl drilling that has run through generations and once caught the eye of the Nizams themselves.

The tour ends at Nimrah café and bakery, one of the oldest in Hyderabad. You'll step into the kitchen to watch the baking and chai-making process, taste Irani chai (tea) and authentic Osmania biscuits, and have a chance to chat with a family member or local about how the café has operated for decades. Bottled water is provided throughout, and your driver waits with the vehicle to return you to your hotel when the tour finishes.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle for the full 4 hours.
• hotel pickup and return.
• bottled water.
• all entry fees and taxes to the monuments.
• Irani chai (tea) and Osmania biscuits at Nimrah café.
• expert local guide in English, Telugu or Hindi.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Hyderabad by locals

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guide who walks you through the Old City's monuments at a leisurely pace with stops for history and architecture, rather than exploring independently or joining a larger group.

Traveler reviews

4.92★★★★★★★★★★

24 verified traveler reviews

5 ★22

4 ★2

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Telugu and Hindi.

What exactly is the Charminar and why was it built?

The Charminar is a four-pillared monument built by Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 as the centerpiece of the newly founded city of Hyderabad. It was constructed either to commemorate the end of a plague that had swept through the city or to mark the city's foundation itself. The four pillars are also said to represent the first four caliphs of Islam. The inscription on the foundation stone translates as "Fill this my city with people as Thou hast filled the river with fishes, O Lord."

What are the Paigah Tombs and what makes them special?

The Paigah Tombs are the burial monuments of the Paigah families, among the most influential aristocrats of 18th-century Hyderabad. Located in the Pisal Banda suburbs, they are intricately carved and enclosed in facades of pierced marble, showcasing some of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture: a blend of Asaf Jahi and Rajputani styles. The tombs feature remarkable mosaic tile work that demonstrates the families' patronage of the arts and their wealth.

What happens at Nimrah café during the tour?

At Nimrah café and bakery, one of the oldest in Hyderabad, you'll enter the kitchen to watch the baking and preparation of Irani chai (tea) and Osmania biscuits. You'll taste both the chai and biscuits, and have the chance to chat with a family member of the café or local residents about the café's history and how it operates.

What does the guide tell you about Hyderabad's pearl industry?

Hyderabad is known as the City of Pearls because it became India's main pearl trading and drilling center. The pearl industry flourished under the patronage of the Qutub Shahi kings and the Nizams, who had an affinity for sparkling jewels. Pearl drilling is a delicate skill practiced for generations, and crushed pearls were believed to have healing and beautifying properties. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the richest of the Nizams, was said to have hoarded sacks of pearls in his palace basements.

How long is the tour and what's included in the price?

The tour runs 4 hours and includes private air-conditioned transport, bottled water, all entry fees and taxes, Irani chai and biscuits at Nimrah café, and hotel pickup. The guide is available in English, Telugu or Hindi. Tips to the guide and driver, and lunch, are not included.