Aura of India: Charminar and Hyderabad’s Old City: Timings, Fees and Bazaars

The Charminar in Hyderabad's old city in late afternoon light

Photo: Hari Om Prakash, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

The old city of Hyderabad, at dusk.

The Charminar stands at the crossing, and the lanes around it stay awake.

Four minarets at a crossing

The Charminar, the four minarets, was built in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the ruler who founded Hyderabad. It stands at the heart of the old city, south of the Musi River, where four roads meet. Each of its arches opens onto a different street, and each street is a market. After dark the arches are lit and the monument seems to float over the traffic.

The bazaars after dark

Laad Bazaar runs west from the Charminar, a lane of glittering bangles made of lac, a natural resin, set with small stones. Brides come here for the full set. Around the corner are sellers of pearls, perfume in glass bottles and embroidered cloth. The Mecca Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, is a few steps away. Irani cafés, old tea rooms started by Persian migrants, serve sweet tea and Osmania biscuits late. In Ramzan, the fasting month, the whole quarter eats haleem, a slow-cooked stew of wheat and meat, after sunset.

Why people come

For two centuries Hyderabad was ruled by the Nizams, once counted among the richest men in the world. Their palaces, jewels and courtly Urdu culture gave the old city its manners and its food. Modern Hyderabad is a technology city of glass towers in the west, and many visitors come for work. The old city is where they come to understand what the name meant. Chowmahalla Palace, the Nizams’ seat, is a short walk from the Charminar.

Getting there

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has flights from across India, the Gulf and Southeast Asia, and is about forty-five minutes from the old city by road. From the newer parts of town, take the metro to MG Bus Station, then an auto for the last two kilometres. The streets around the monument are partly closed to traffic. Walk them.

An afternoon and evening in the old city

Start at Chowmahalla Palace after lunch. It is less than a kilometre from the Charminar, and the palace suggests about two hours for a visit. The ticket counter closes at five, and visitors leave by half past five.

Walk to the Charminar and climb to the first floor before it closes at half past five. From the balconies the four streets run off below, each to its own market. Come down into Laad Bazaar as the lamps go on in the bangle shops. The Mecca Masjid is a few steps south-west; its great courtyard is busiest at Friday prayers. Finish in an Irani café with chai and Osmania biscuits, or with a plate of biryani.

Chowmahalla, the Nizams' palace

The Asaf Jahi Nizams ruled Hyderabad from 1724 until 1948, when the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, joined the state to the Indian Union. Chowmahalla, whose name means four palaces, was their seat. The southern courtyard, the oldest part, holds four palaces: Tahniyat, Mahtab, Afzal and Aftab Mahal. The northern courtyard has the Bara Imam, a long corridor of rooms that once held the administration, and a clock tower whose Khilwat clock still keeps time.

The heart of the palace is the Khilwat Mubarak, the durbar hall, where the Nizam sat on a marble throne platform for ceremonies. Today the rooms show cars, clothes, arms and furniture from the court. Photography with a phone is allowed for a small fee; filming is not.

For the evening

Arrive before sunset and stay until the lights come on.
Bargain for bangles. The first price is a starting point.
Chowmahalla Palace closes at five and all day on Fridays. See it before dusk.
Dress modestly near the mosque, and ask before photographing people.

Stand at the crossing once before you leave. The lanes feeding it are the part worth staying for.

Plan your visit

Charminar	First floor open 9 am to 5.30 pm; the ground level from 6 am. ₹25 for Indian visitors and ₹300 for foreign visitors (₹20 and ₹250 cashless); under-15s free, as of October 2026. Check at the counter.
Chowmahalla Palace	10 am to 5 pm, Saturday to Thursday; closed on Fridays. ₹150 Indian adults, ₹50 children under ten, ₹500 foreign visitors; mobile photography ₹50 (as of October 2026).
Best season	October to February. Ramzan evenings, when the old city eats haleem after sunset, are the liveliest of the year.
How to reach	Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is about forty-five minutes away by road. By metro, ride to MG Bus Station, then take an auto for the last stretch. The Old City metro line past the Charminar is still being planned and is not open.
Where to stay	The central districts around Abids and Nampally for the old city; Banjara Hills or Jubilee Hills for the newer town.
How long to spend	One long afternoon and evening for the old city. Two or three days for Telangana's capital, with Golconda Fort and the Qutb Shahi tombs.

Open Charminar, Hyderabad, Telangana in Google Maps

Questions people ask

What are the Charminar timings?

The monument opens at 6 am, but the first floor, where the ticket takes you, is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm. The upper levels are sometimes closed for conservation.

Is Chowmahalla Palace open on Fridays?

No. Chowmahalla is closed on Fridays and open from 10 am to 5 pm on the other days.

Can I take the metro to the Charminar?

Not directly yet. The nearest station is MG Bus Station, a short auto ride away. An Old City line with a Charminar station is planned but not built.

What should I buy in Laad Bazaar?

Lac bangles set with small stones, the street's speciality, and pearls from the shops around the Charminar. Bargain: the first price is a starting point.

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Charminar and Hyderabad’s Old City: Timings, Fees and Bazaars