Aura of India: Cities in Andhra Pradesh: Vizag, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Amaravati

The beach road curving along the sea at Visakhapatnam, seen from Kailasagiri hill

Photo: IM3847, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Visakhapatnam's Beach Road at first light, with the city rising behind the sand.

Andhra Pradesh has no single great city: it has a chain of port and river towns down a long coast, and a capital still being built in the middle.

Visakhapatnam, the port between the hills

Visakhapatnam, usually called Vizag, is the largest city in the state. It is a working port and naval base wrapped around a bay between green hills. Visitors come for the long Beach Road, the view from Kailasagiri hill, the submarine museum on the sand and the hilltop temple at Simhachalam, and start the train ride up to Araku here.

The city's flights moved on 17 August 2026 to the new Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, about an hour's drive north. There is no metro yet: the first phase is still waiting for central approval.

Vijayawada, Amaravati and Guntur: the capital region

Vijayawada is a crowded river city on the Krishna, and the railway junction where the lines from Chennai, Hyderabad and Howrah meet. The Kanaka Durga temple stands on Indrakeeladri hill above the river, and the Prakasam Barrage carries the road across it, best seen at sunset. About five kilometres south-west, the rock-cut Undavalli caves rise three storeys around a great reclining Vishnu; the Archaeological Survey of India charges ₹25 for Indian visitors and ₹300 for foreigners, as of October 2026.

Amaravati, across the Krishna, became the capital in law in April 2026, when Parliament wrote its name into the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. In October 2026 it is a vast building site with about 41,000 workers, and completion is targeted for October 2028. There is no town to stay in yet, so visitors sleep in Vijayawada. The ancient Buddhist stupa site that gave the capital its name is a separate village upstream, with a small museum. Guntur, to the south-west, is a market city whose chilli yard, the largest in Asia, sets prices well beyond India.

The Godavari towns: Rajamahendravaram and Kakinada

Rajamahendravaram, still Rajahmundry on most timetables, is an old river town on the wide Godavari, crossed here by long road and rail bridges. It is about two hours from both Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada by the fastest trains, and has its own airport. Tourist boats to the Papikondalu gorge leave from a jetty upriver at Devipatnam, and resumed in October 2026 after the monsoon break. The city will host the Godavari Pushkaralu, a river festival held once every twelve years, from 26 June to 7 July 2027; expect huge crowds.

Kakinada, on the coast to the east, is a quiet port town known for kaja, a fried pastry soaked in syrup. About 15 kilometres away on the Yanam road, the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary protects one of India's largest mangrove forests.

Tirupati, Nellore and Kurnool in the south

Tirupati lives for the temple on the Tirumala hills above it. Most of its visitors are pilgrims, and its hotels, buses and queues are organised around darshan, the sight of the deity. The airport is at Renigunta, and trains stop at both Tirupati and Renigunta Junction. Book darshan only through the temple trust, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, and for the shrine itself read Andhra Pradesh's temples. Nellore, on the Penna river, is a trading city with an old Ranganathaswamy temple, worth a stop on the coastal railway rather than a trip of its own. Kurnool, on the Tungabhadra in the west, is where travellers stay to see the Belum Caves and Orvakal's rock garden.

Down the coast by train

The coastal railway ties the main cities together. The fastest trains run from Visakhapatnam to Rajamahendravaram in under two hours, and on to Vijayawada in about two more; the whole 350 kilometres takes about four hours. Samalkot, a short ride from Kakinada, is a stop on the way.

South of Vijayawada the line runs on towards Nellore, Renigunta and Chennai. That stretch is long, so most people take a night train or fly to Tirupati. Kurnool lies inland on the line to Bengaluru, and is easiest from Hyderabad or by road.

Cities to know

Visakhapatnam (Visakhapatnam): port, beaches and the way to Araku; 1,730,320 in the urban area at the 2011 Census.
Vijayawada (NTR): Kanaka Durga, the barrage and Undavalli; 1,476,931 in the urban area at the 2011 Census.
Amaravati (Guntur): the capital under construction.
Guntur (Guntur): the chilli market.
Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari): the Godavari bridges and the 2027 Pushkaralu.
Kakinada (Kakinada): the port, its sweets and the Coringa mangroves.
Tirupati (Tirupati): the town below Tirumala.
Nellore (Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore): a temple on the Penna.
Kurnool (Kurnool): the gateway to Belum and Orvakal.

On the Andhra coast, trains link one river town to the next, and the new capital rises between them.

Plan your visit

Best season	October to March for all the cities here. Vijayawada, Guntur and Kurnool, away from the sea, are very hot from April to June; Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, on the coast, can be hit by cyclones from October to December.
How to reach	Fly into Bhogapuram for Visakhapatnam, Gannavaram for Vijayawada and Amaravati, Renigunta for Tirupati, and Rajahmundry for the Godavari towns. Main stations: Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati and Renigunta.
Getting around	Trains along the coast and state APSRTC buses to every town. City buses, autos and app cabs inside the cities; no city has a metro yet.
Where to stay	Beach Road or Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam; Vijayawada near the station or Benz Circle; Rajamahendravaram near the river; Tirupati near the railway station, or Tirumala rooms booked through the temple trust.
How long to spend	Two days each for Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada with Amaravati, and Tirupati with Tirumala; a day for Rajamahendravaram. For the hills, caves and food, see the Andhra Pradesh guide.

Open Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh in Google Maps

Questions people ask

Which are the most developed cities in Andhra Pradesh?

There is no official ranking of developed cities, so this guide does not make one. At the 2011 Census the largest urban areas were Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore and Kurnool.

What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in 2026?

Amaravati, named in law in April 2026 with effect from June 2024, after years of argument that included a plan for three capitals. It is still being built, so visitors stay in Vijayawada or Guntur.

Is it Rajahmundry or Rajamahendravaram?

Both. Rajamahendravaram is the official name of the city; the railway station, the airport and many people still say Rajahmundry.

Pages

Cities in Andhra Pradesh: Vizag, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Amaravati