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12 places to visit in Lucknow
that are not tourist traps
The best things to do in the City of Nawabs, a
spinning wheel of heritage cuisine, textiles, and
soul-stirring history
BY VARISHA TARIQ
2 February 2025
My home, Lucknow, the capital of Uttar
Pradesh popularly known as the city of
Nawabs, is a charming city that is often
overlooked on the tourist circuit even
though it is only three hours away from the
Taj Mahal and a few hours away from Delhi.
A city with a culture defined by its leisurely
attitude, Mughlai cuisine, chikankari work,
and literature, Lucknow is a sufi poet's
dream. In the heart of Lucknow lies
Hazratganj and from here, if we were to take
a walk to Rumi Gate, we would be eclipsed
by the beauty of Old Lucknow. From basket
chaats, galouti kebabs, and biryani to
chikankari suit shops and tonga rides, every
nook and cranny of Lucknow is immersed in
art and poetry, making it one of the world's
hidden historical and culinary gems. Here
are the best places to visit in Lucknow.
Best places to visit in Lucknow
Residency and 1857 Museum
Ajaish Jaiswal
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Residency is a collection of compounds that
hold an essential piece of Indian
Independence history: the uprising of 1857.
Found amidst a beautiful green landscape,
the ruins of the residency serve as a
reminder of the country's first step to free
itself from a colonial past. It was an
erstwhile home for British officers that still
includes a banqueting hall, Treasury House,
Begum Kothi, church and cemetery, but then
it became a battleground where the people
of Awadh fought the first battle for
independence. Inside, a museum with
sound effects pierces reality and harks back
to the past. You can watch the 15-minute
documentary on the residency or join a
heritage walk on national holidays.
Don’t be surprised to see many couples
sprawled across the residency, the walls
bearing the names of many past lovers, love
is a revolution in its own right.
Timings: Museum (10am-5pm, closed Friday)
Residency (7am-6pm, closed Monday)
Tickets: Rs15 per person
Bada Imambara
Ajaish Jaiswal
An imambara is a court, where people come
together to worship. Bada Imambara was
constructed in 1784 by Nawab Asad Ud
Daula, the fourth Nawab of the Awadh
region. Lucknow’s imambaras are
particularly known for they provide a place
for Shia worshippers to mourn the
martyrdom of Imam Hussain during
Muharram. Adorned with domes shaped
like garlic and minarets shaped like cloves,
this sophisticated monument was built to
employ the people of Awadh, following a
catastrophic famine. The construction lasted
11 years because every day it was built, and
every night the work was destroyed to keep
people employed for as long as possible. The
Bada Imambara is one of the most iconic
monuments in Lucknow, divided into four
parts: the central hall, the bhool bhulaiya or
maze, the mosque and the bawli quan or the
step well. The bawli especially showcases
how surveillance was designed—the
architecture of the well allows for outsiders
to see just water, but for insiders to see the
reflection of the outsiders.
Timings: 9am-6pm, closed Friday
Tickets: Rs50 for Indian adults and Rs25 for kids
Chota Imambara
Ajaish Jaiswal
Chota Imambara was called the Palace of
Lights by Europeans as it houses many
lamps, venetian lights, and magnificent
chandeliers. The monument took half a
century to be built by Lucknow’s erstwhile
ruler Mohammad Ali Shah and houses a
clock tower, a garden, a pond, and the tomb
of members of the Nawab family. On the
outside, you can find the walls scripted with
Quranic verses and intricate calligraphy all
over the monument. What sets it apart is the
palatial design, heavily influenced by
Persian and Mughal schools, a gentler and
more glowing companion to the Bada
Imambara. One of the hallmarks of this
imambara is different tazias inside (the tazia
is a replica of the mausoleum of Prophet
Muhammad’s grandson). Among other
fascinating artefacts are Tipu Sultan’s sword
and the robe of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Timings: 9am-6pm, closed Fridays
Tickets: Rs50 per person for Indian adults and
Rs25 for kids
Rumi Darwaza
Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow RBB
Much like Delhi’s India Gate or Arc de
Triomphe in Paris, Rumi Darwaza is a
massive arch on Lucknow’s Hussainabad
Road. The inspiration for the road came
from Sublime Porte, Bab-i-Hümayün in
Turkey, and Nawab Asad-ud-Daula wanted
to rival it. Rumi Darwaza, 60 feet tall with a
lofty grandeur and deeply influenced by a
fusion of Turkish, Mughal, and Persian
architecture, became the prototype for
Awadhi design. While built as a gateway to
Lucknow, it now signifies entry into Old
Lucknow.
Pro tip: This gateway especially looks
beautiful after 7pm. Take a tonga ride from
here to explore the rest of Chowk.
La Martiniere College
Ajaish Jaiswal
La Martiniere College is one of India’s most
famous institutions for school, but what sets
it apart is its marvellous campus. Located
next to a forest and with a lake on campus,
this is a castle turned into a school. This
colonial-era building has been so well
preserved that it is often used for movie
shoots and is an iconic landmark that the
public can visit. Enter from gate no.4,
encountering Mews, the stable for horses,
after which you come across the restored
grave of Boulone Lise (the daughter of
Nawab Fazal Khan Bahadur and British
major general Claude Martin’s companion),
with its picturesque garden, and Constantia
that is an amalgamation of Italian, French,
Persian and Mughal architecture. Don’t
miss the vaulted ceiling in the blue room
(with baroque designs) the lobby and the
gothic chapel. If Hogwarts was in India, this
is what it would look like.
Timings: 9 am to 12.30 pm.
Safed Baradari
Safed Baradari, Lucknow Ajaish Jaiswal
Originally built as a space for mourning,
Safed Baradari now hosts weddings and
events like literary festivals. Movies like
Umrao Jaan have been shot at this
monument. The fenestration shapes the way
light comes in, with beautifully designed
pillars, and arched gateways covered in
stucco work, chandeliers that intersect with
city lights, casting spotlights in different
parts of the room. The congregation hall is a
favourite for a traditional Awadhi wedding.
Clock Tower (Hussainabad)
Ajaish Jaiswal
The clock tower, located in Hussainabad
alongside Bara and Chota Imambara, towers
over the old Lucknow and is also known as
Ghanta Ghar. This tower was built to
replicate Big Ben, and it is one of the tallest
in India, with a height of 221ft. Designed by
Roskell Payne, you can see the influence of
British architecture and Gothic styles. One
should visit if they are in the city during Eid,
Diwali or Independence Day.
There is no entry fee, and, as it is located in
the middle of a park, can be visited anytime.
Lucknowi Eats
Mixed with spices and butter chicken tandoori is
roasted over coal making it a popular mughal and
awadh cuisine. Rajdeep Ghosh
The heart of Lucknow lies in its food. The
city has been a trailblazer in creating, or
recreating, some of the most iconic dishes of
the Mughlai world, with influences from
Persia, Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, and the
flavourful spices of North India itself. To
begin with, have breakfast at Sharma Ji Ki
Chai in Lalbagh with their fresh bun
makkhan chai, which feels so addictive, and
crisp fried samosa. From there head to
Netram for some delicious chole pudi, or to
the historic Moti Mahal in Hazratganj for
some kulfi, batashey or, if you are visiting in
winter, tantalising makhan malai. Move to
Ram Asrey for some decadent gillouri sweet
and stop for the fanciful basket chaat at
Royal Cafe, where the chaat is made inside a
basket and is the city’s favourite.
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On both sides of Hussainabad Road, Chowk,
there exists a plethora of restaurants,
serving delicious food, from Mughai and
Arabic to Indo-Chinese. I would recommend
the chicken burrah from Kebabchi,
Kashmiri chai right behind Rumi Darwaza,
the colour of rose pink, generously loaded
with fresh cream. Crispy and aromatic, the
nihari-kulcha combo from Rahim Kulcha
Nahari is a must-have, and you will
probably keep revisiting the city for this
dish alone. The famous and gorgeously
flavoured biryani from Idris Biryani, or
Mubeen’s, if you prefer a restaurant vibe,
are both unforgettable.
Iconic Restaurants
Lebua, Lucknow Shahzad Siddiqui
Some of Lucknow’s iconic restaurants, on
the higher end, include Falaknuma
Rooftop Restaurant, Clarks Avadh where
you can spend an evening looking at the
gorgeous view of old Lucknow, listening to
sufi music and tasting some authentic
Mughlai food, the legacy of Chef Imitiaz
Qureshi. Saraca is a heritage hotel and
restaurant that serves delicious meals,
embraced by Awadhi architecture. For the
best butter chicken in town, head to
Dastarkhwan. For a more relaxed vibe, you
can also visit Hazelnut Cafe, or Cherry tree
Cafe in Habibullah Estate.
Lucknow's tunday kebab Hindustan Times/Getty
Images
A trip to Lucknow is, of course, incomplete
without a visit to its most iconic food
institution, Tunday Kebabi. The restaurant
has a branch in every big location, so this
place has to be first on your list. The
restaurant also prepares ready-to-cook
kebabs, which you can take back with you.
Must-do experiences
Ajaish Jaiswal
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Ganjing in Hazratganj: This is a popular
concept centred around walking, eating and
shopping with loved ones in Hazratganj,
which is filled with all kinds of shops,
restaurants, street food, cafes, theatres,
bookstores, and many other delightful
distractions. You can head to one of the
popular boutiques for chikankari or other
textiles such as Sindh, Ada, Chhangamal,
Calcutta Silk house, indulge in street food
walk, or just sit on one of the benches and
take in the city.
Dining, Nawabi-style: Dine at the Palace of
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Qaiserbagh Palace
Complex: For an Awadhi dining experience
in Lucknow inside a royal property, you can
book, preferably a week in advance, a dining
experience in Mahmudabad House located
in Qaiserbagh area, right next to Safed
Baradari. Website
Artisan at the Sheesh Mahal Ajaish Jaiswal
See zardozi artisans at work: This is not a
factory visit created for tourists, this is
authentic chikankari and zardozi work
being done by local artisans in Sheesh
Mahal, the former house of Nawab Masood
Ali Abdullah. (Timings: 9:30am-1pm, 2:30pm-
8pm. Closed Sunday)
Winter festivals: If you plan to visit the city
during winter, head over to UP Darshan
Park as there is always a crafts exhibition,
showcasing different crafts of the state.
Attend the Sanatkhada Festival, held
towards the end of January, at Salempur
House and Baradari, where Urdu poetry,
delightful food and intellectuals waxing
lyrical on ishq come together for a
wonderful time.
Shopping
Ajaish Jaiswal
Janpath Market: If you want to escape the
clustered old Lucknow markets and visit a
chikankari and handicraft marketplace that
is more accessible, visit Janpath Market,
alongside Hazratganj. You can find exquisite
and detailed chikankari work of all ranges.
Nazrana has a really good collection of
kurtis. For some traditional batuas, shop at
Batua How to tell machine chikankari from
handmade? The latter is always messier..
(Timings: 10am-11pm; Closed Sundays)
Chowk Market: Did you think chikankari
was all Lucknow had to offer? Think again
because in Chowk you will find authentic
attar and attar makers. Some of the most
circulated artisanal attars in the world have
their origins here, with the fragrance of rose,
jasmine, or sandalwood, and a thousand
others, carefully crafted to delight your
senses. (Timings: 11am-10:30-pm; Closed
Thursdays)
Aminabad Market: Aminabad is clustered,
with hundreds of shops everywhere, barely
any space on the road for cars, but inside it,
there is a place called Gadbad Jhaala, where
you will find opulent costume jewellery,
bangles of all colours, anything that you
could ever need for a party. Pick up zardozi
items, or stroll through shops like Dada
pote ki dukaan (Shop 173) or Novelty Cloth
House to find malmal suits, sarees, dress
materials or even traditional gararas.
(Timings: 10:30am-10:30pm; Closed Thursday)
Parks
The Ambedkar Memorial Park, Lucknow
jaturunp
With more than nine hundred parks, and
development projects that have led to the
establishment of some gorgeous landscapes,
Lucknow is home to stunning green spaces.
Janeshwar Mishra Park (5am-9pm; entry
free) is a 376-acre landscape, one of the
largest in Asia and rich in flora and fauna.
Modelled after Hyde Park in London, it was
designed by renowned American Artist,
Edward Breathitt. Find a picnic spot, cycle
or walk alongside its beautiful lakesides.
The Ambedkar Memorial Park (11am-9pm;
entry Rs20 per person), on the other hand, is
designed to honour the history and
contribution of the Dalit community in
India, especially that of Dr. BR Ambedkar.
Designed in the shape of a flower bearing
four petals, it features a bronze statue of
Ambedkar inside the Ambedkar Stupa,
much like the statue of Lincoln at the
Lincoln Memorial in Washington. If you
want a quieter experience, head to the lush
green Ram Manohar Lohia Park (6am-
10pm; entry Rs5 per person) or the garden
inside National Botanical Research
Institute.
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