Chowmahalla Palace
Chowmahalla Palace
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Chowmahalla Palace
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Charminar
Hyderabad’s most iconic architectural delight, Charminar is beyond just a popular
monument. It’s the nucleus of the busiest and most vibrant lanes of the Old City
studded with shops selling bangles and pearls. It can be too crowded and overwhelming, but to every tourist’s delight, the gems and hidden treasures in this
neighbourhood are full of culturally rich stories. The best view of one of the city’s
oldest mosques, Mecca Masjid is from the top of Charminar. It’s quite a usual sight of
walking into a grey sea of pigeons with an aroma of meaty street food and melting
dosas, as you are exploring the little pockets around this magnificent historic building. Walk along the streets that lead you to museums and palaces of the Nizams who ruled the city and soak up the old world charm in its truest character.
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
695 within 3 miles
Attractions
155 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- Minal PMumbai, India147 contributionsMust visit place in HyderabadThis beautiful place has four palaces in its premises. The Khilawat palace is where former Nizam's used to hold their "Durbar". It is most specious palace adorned with huge crystal chandeliers. There is museum displaying antiques, crackeries, weapons of the their Era. Place is well preserved and nicely maintained. Their is vintage car collection, furniture, clothes etc on display in various parts of palace. You can also dress up in jewels and buy souvenirs from their in-house shop. It is closer to Charminar and a must visit place in Hyderabad.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 4 December 2023
- asdaSapBangkok, Thailand630 contributionsGood to visit.We hired a car with a driver and visited the palace as the first stop. We arrived there around 11 am on Wednesday. It was not busy. The walk was easy. There was only one building that we can enter. It was more like a museum display, telling a history of the dynasty reigned over the area for about 200 years. There were displays of chinaware, constumes, weapons, and photos taken. The best thing was to climb up the last bulding to view the reflection ponds. We sodnt around 1.5 hours. There was quite a small museum shop.Visited December 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 13 December 2023
- NomTumYumSingapore, Singapore332 contributionsRundown, and poorly maintained but worth visitingIt’s a pity that this place is poorly maintained. Not worth the admission fee BUT the place houses a lot of history and heritage. We enjoyed walking and looking at the artifacts though the exhibits were stored in rooms that were stuffy and dusty. A must go though manage your expectations- the building isn’t well maintained and everything seems to be falling apart.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 December 2023
- SomersetspringTaunton, United Kingdom89 contributionsA Beautiful PalaceI spent a week in Hyderabad on my travels and Chowmohalla palace was recommended for a visit. It was a great day out and perfect for me. The building itself is superb and looks amazing from the outside. When you go in its even better. The detail in the carvings and the craftsmanship in the floors ceilings and walls is there to be admired. The artefacts are beautifully displayed whethr its the clothing they have preserved, the furniture or the weapons on display, a great deal of effort has been put in for the visitor to enjoy. Then of course there are the vintage cars and bikes - a real treat. Finally, the grounds are so good to walk around - although could do with a bit more shade. Overall this was a great visit. I recorded a bit on youtube @jerrymilton2024Visited February 2024Travelled soloWritten 18 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
1,793 reviews
Excellent
805
Very good
765
Average
195
Poor
22
Terrible
6
Vikas Singh
Ghaziabad, India4,140 contributions
Oct 2021
Cameras are now more allowed. They have stopped selling camera tickets. However you can take pictures with your mobile on purchase of a mobile photography ticket. There is a free locker service. In case you do not wish to pay for mobile photos or have accidentally brought your camera along you can deposit them in the locker.
Durbar Hall or Khilwat Mubarak
The heart of Chowmahalla Palace it was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure marble platform on which the Takht-e-Nishan or the royal seat was laid. Here the Nizams held their durbar and other religious and symbolic ceremonies. On specific days of the year such as the Nizam’s birthday, Muharram and Eid, the British resident and dominion heads would present the nazr (an offering, usually of gold coins) as a mark of respect. Private celebrations and other public ceremonies such as Investiture were also done by the Nizam at this venue.
Durbar Hall or Khilwat Mubarak
The heart of Chowmahalla Palace it was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure marble platform on which the Takht-e-Nishan or the royal seat was laid. Here the Nizams held their durbar and other religious and symbolic ceremonies. On specific days of the year such as the Nizam’s birthday, Muharram and Eid, the British resident and dominion heads would present the nazr (an offering, usually of gold coins) as a mark of respect. Private celebrations and other public ceremonies such as Investiture were also done by the Nizam at this venue.
Written 17 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cat T
Peterborough, UK45 contributions
Jan 2020
Would be a good place to stop for a few hours - rooms to wonder around, and a lawn to sit on. Beautiful perspectives. Once again we had fun being stopped by the other visitors to have our photo taken with them. An old collection of cars if that's of interest.
Just slightly frustrated with a £10 charge to use a "professional camera" (not paid). Someone needs to tell the Indian authorities that many professional photographers use their phones.
Just slightly frustrated with a £10 charge to use a "professional camera" (not paid). Someone needs to tell the Indian authorities that many professional photographers use their phones.
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alia M
Cairo, Egypt11 contributions
Dec 2019 • Friends
Let me start by saying that it is a huge area to cover, so be ready to walk.
For car enthusiasts, there is a display of vintage cars previously owned by the previous residents.
For architecture enthusiasts, everything about this palace will awe you. Especially the details on the facade and ceilings.
The palace is made up of several buildings. Each building serves a purpose (i.e, dinning hall, residency, etc).
I reccommend stopping by the store inside, they have a beautiful selection of handmade products.
P.s, lookout for the doorless balcony.
For car enthusiasts, there is a display of vintage cars previously owned by the previous residents.
For architecture enthusiasts, everything about this palace will awe you. Especially the details on the facade and ceilings.
The palace is made up of several buildings. Each building serves a purpose (i.e, dinning hall, residency, etc).
I reccommend stopping by the store inside, they have a beautiful selection of handmade products.
P.s, lookout for the doorless balcony.
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aifaz
16 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Chowmahalla Palace is more beautiful than most historical buildings I have visited abroad. I had heard it was beautiful but did not think it would surprise me so much. Could not believe that such a beautiful architecture was tucked away in the heart of the city.Apart from the exotic beauty from the exterior, It also has an exotic collection of articles, furniture, pictures,Islamic handwritten scriptures, chandeliers, vintage cars and much much more. It also has a history of the contributions made to the country by the various Nizams of Hyderabad...
A must visit for sure❤️
A must visit for sure❤️
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Global-Bhatakanti
Pune, India1,098 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
Reviewed 11 Nov 2022
Chowmahalla Palace is now a restored monument of historical significance. Once it was one of the main residence of erstwhile king of Hyderabad, the Nijam. There is a small museum in the main palace (but if you have seen Salarjung Museum) you can skip this. The name stems from Chow (4) Mahal (palaces). The entry ticket is 50 for adults. There are toilets at the entrance.
Suggested Time to spend: 1 hour.
Can be covered as part of Hyderabad sightseeing day itinerary as: Salarjung Museum - Chowmahalla Palace - Charminar - Shopping.
Chowmahalla Palace is now a restored monument of historical significance. Once it was one of the main residence of erstwhile king of Hyderabad, the Nijam. There is a small museum in the main palace (but if you have seen Salarjung Museum) you can skip this. The name stems from Chow (4) Mahal (palaces). The entry ticket is 50 for adults. There are toilets at the entrance.
Suggested Time to spend: 1 hour.
Can be covered as part of Hyderabad sightseeing day itinerary as: Salarjung Museum - Chowmahalla Palace - Charminar - Shopping.
Written 11 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rd07
Noida, India129 contributions
May 2022
I was recommended this palace by my driver, I had never visited this place despite being in Hyderabad many times. Its well preserved palace and kept pretty well. Its too hot to visit during day time as the whole palace is non airconditioned. you can walk to charminar from here or take an auto for 20 rupees.
Written 8 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mainak_Choudhuri
Mumbai, India44 contributions
Mar 2021
Chowmahalla Palace was the primary residence of the Nizams. it is about 500 m walking distance from the Charminar along the New Laad Bazar Road. The entrance is from the side of the palace.
There is a large fountain in front of the palace. the main palace contains the coronation hall with the throne used by the last Nizam (VIIIth). Apart from the coronation hall, there are smaller rooms containing photographs, video, life history of the Nizams, two armor rooms, and a Quran room (need to take off your shoes to enter) in the ground floor, and three galleries containing the furniture, paintings and utensils of the Nizams in the first floor.
Behind it are four smaller structures on four sides of a central fountain, Tehniyat Mahal (closed for visit) Aftab Mahal, Afzal Mahal and Mehtal Mahal (closed for visit).
Behind these four mahals is the antique cars garage.
It takes about 2.5 hours to see the entire complex.
There are washrooms and drinking water at the entrance, and a shop selling some excellent books.
There is a large fountain in front of the palace. the main palace contains the coronation hall with the throne used by the last Nizam (VIIIth). Apart from the coronation hall, there are smaller rooms containing photographs, video, life history of the Nizams, two armor rooms, and a Quran room (need to take off your shoes to enter) in the ground floor, and three galleries containing the furniture, paintings and utensils of the Nizams in the first floor.
Behind it are four smaller structures on four sides of a central fountain, Tehniyat Mahal (closed for visit) Aftab Mahal, Afzal Mahal and Mehtal Mahal (closed for visit).
Behind these four mahals is the antique cars garage.
It takes about 2.5 hours to see the entire complex.
There are washrooms and drinking water at the entrance, and a shop selling some excellent books.
Written 3 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rahul2604
Muzaffarpur District, India32,566 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
Former residence of Nizam,once the richest person on earth still very unmaintained,needs to do lots of efforts to maintain and refurbish.
It’s situated close to Charminar,ticket price is rs 100 for Indian.
This campus have multiple buildings but most of the buildings are closed for visitors,whatever is open is not maintained properly,even toilets were one of the dirtiest I had seen in any attractions in recent days,galleries doesn’t have proper signage about exhibits.
The vintage car gallery was best to see but even that is not properly maintained,few vehicles were like scrap,sad to see the conditions,very much disappointed.
It’s situated close to Charminar,ticket price is rs 100 for Indian.
This campus have multiple buildings but most of the buildings are closed for visitors,whatever is open is not maintained properly,even toilets were one of the dirtiest I had seen in any attractions in recent days,galleries doesn’t have proper signage about exhibits.
The vintage car gallery was best to see but even that is not properly maintained,few vehicles were like scrap,sad to see the conditions,very much disappointed.
Written 19 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karuna A
91 contributions
Dec 2021
Walking through a Nizam's home, looking for snippets of what it must truly have been like to live there. A glimpse from their perspective.
I remember my grandmother telling me stories of the Nizam & his wife, his children. This visit for me was so much nostalgia for her.
The place is beautiful. its like a museum of so many ages of their lives. The grounds, the mosaic the chandeliers.
Their Rolls Royce & other cars.
Definitely a nice place to see.
I remember my grandmother telling me stories of the Nizam & his wife, his children. This visit for me was so much nostalgia for her.
The place is beautiful. its like a museum of so many ages of their lives. The grounds, the mosaic the chandeliers.
Their Rolls Royce & other cars.
Definitely a nice place to see.
Written 23 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EASWARCHANDRAN P
Mumbai, India125 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
Current Chowmahalla Palace is a restored monument which was once being used as the main residence of the king of Hyderabad called “NIZAMS”
It is a huge palace nicely maintained with surrounded by huge beautiful lawns etc.
There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of the lawn.
The Durbar Hall is the heart of Chowmahalla Palace.
This Darbar hall is huge with number of tall pillars, decorated ceilings, antique chandeliers.
In the centre of the hall there is marble platform on which the royal seat was being laid. The NIZAMS held their durbar here apart from other religious/ royal ceremonies by sitting on the platform.
The palace also exhibits many royal items such as weapons, cutleries, clothes, jewelleries, vintage cars which were being used by the royal family.
Further the life of the NIZAMS was being explained through number portraits on the palace walls.
Overall, one can enjoy the beautiful palace, lawns etc here.
Definitely it is worth seeing.
It is a huge palace nicely maintained with surrounded by huge beautiful lawns etc.
There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of the lawn.
The Durbar Hall is the heart of Chowmahalla Palace.
This Darbar hall is huge with number of tall pillars, decorated ceilings, antique chandeliers.
In the centre of the hall there is marble platform on which the royal seat was being laid. The NIZAMS held their durbar here apart from other religious/ royal ceremonies by sitting on the platform.
The palace also exhibits many royal items such as weapons, cutleries, clothes, jewelleries, vintage cars which were being used by the royal family.
Further the life of the NIZAMS was being explained through number portraits on the palace walls.
Overall, one can enjoy the beautiful palace, lawns etc here.
Definitely it is worth seeing.
Written 6 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I want to know about the dinning there. Is there any restaurant and do we need to make prior reservation to book the table. Is there any contact to speak to the authority there?
Written 29 November 2022
Chowmahalla is not a dining place, none nearby either. There's a small shop inside, after you have entered the premises and begun walking through the corridor, that sells biscuits, wafers and the like. You're probably referring to the Falaknuma Palace which is now a grand hotel and restaurant run by Taj and requires prior booking.
Written 1 December 2022
No Food allowed inside the premises
Written 24 August 2022
Can I take my father who's on wheelchair to visit Chowmahalla palace? We can carry out own wheelchair. Only wants to know if it's accessible by wheelchair
Written 5 January 2022
I think you can take him on a wheelchair, but am not too sure about the authorities having one... its best to carry your own....
Written 17 January 2022
Can I take my mother who is on wheel chair. I can carry my own wheel chair but do they have provision
Written 18 December 2021
Some parts like the courtyard, car museum can be accessed by wheelchair rear part of the palace has a flight of stairs to view.
Written 20 December 2021
Can we take home food and have picnic inside the palace ?
Written 4 October 2019
There is no canteen inside the palace neither any proper restaurant nearby. It is a restricted area and we have not noticed guests having food picnic style inside the premises. Yes there are lawns and shades inside the palace but don't know if u can have picnic inside. Otherwise go there after lunch as there is no restaurant inside or nearby
Written 5 October 2019
There is no restriction on dress code
Written 15 July 2019
No DSLR/SLR. Mobile camera for 50
Written 16 June 2019
Showing results 1-10 of 24
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing