Visiting Golconda Fort Hyderabad – tourist tips

View from top of Golconda Fort

This is the fort that can give you the chills and thrills. If you go by day, the heat is killing, the climb arduous. Go there in the evening for the sound and light show and it’s almost as if you can hear the fort speak long after the show fades out. It’s one of the truly atmospheric forts whose ramparts are still forbidding.

Best way to reach Golconda Fort Hyderabad

The easiest and most effective way to reach it is the local bus. Just ask the locals who thankfully speak Hindi, English and even Marathi unlike other parts of South India. There is no direct bus, but two connecting buses. But it’s fast, it’s convenient and pretty empty and more importantly frequency is good. There’s a bus depot just outside Golconda Fort so it’s very accessible. You can make quick booking of flights & hotel accomodation through the box below (article continued below box).

Golconda Fort Sections

Golconda Fort Map

Main entrance to Golconda Fort

Entrance gate ~ note the detailed carvings

Entrance doors

Path to Darbar Hall from where you can start climbing up

Five metal cannon

Rani Mahal

View from the top of the fort

Sound and Light Show review at Golconda Fort Hyderabad

For the tickets avoid buying the more expensive tier seats which is supposed to give a better view. You get a good view even from the row of lesser priced plastic chairs than the tiered seat stand. Yes, it’s just a stand placed on the side. Try and get there early so you can catch the front row.

Since the dark means mosquitoes, they light small fires at the front. Smoky but adds to the effect. But cover feet and hands to avoid getting bitten and take a pillow or shawl to place on the plastic chairs as it gets really cold in the evenings.

The sound and light show is wonderful solely because of Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone delivery. The rest of the narrators just don’t match up. But it’s worth sitting through it. For some strange reason the narrative ends at the annexation by Aurangzeb. It’s almost as if the Hyderabad tourist board does not wish to talk about the history of the fort once dynasties changed.

The best part is the outer arches of Golconda Fort still stand, through which the modern road snakes. And there are homes and shops along the way much like it must have been in yore. Never experienced this combo of history and the contemporary living cheek by jowl. So do make a visit. It’s also clean and proper signage. There’s a cold drink samosa stall as well as guides and booklets.

All in all, a visit to the Golconda Fort is a must during a trip to Hyderabad.