Travel

All you need to know to plan the perfect tour of Vizag

Most tourists come to Vizag only for a limited amount of time. Maybe 2 to 4 days or an entire week. But even that might not be enough to cover the beauty of this magnificent city completely. When you plan your trip to Vizag, you have some places in mind which you want to visit. Most of these places are popular tourist attractions. But when you arrive in the city, it can get difficult to check all the places. That’s why it is important to plan out your ideal Vizag tour.

The best thing about Vizag is that the city has relatively less traffic, which makes it easy for tourists to go from one place to another. If you’re lucky, and you arrive in Vizag when the weather is cloudy, your tour of Vizag becomes easier. If not, you can always escape to Araku Valley or visit

some other places.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself and figure out the places you should visit on your Vizag tour:

#1 Beach person or Mountain person?

RK Beach (on the left); Vanjangi (on the right)

Most people have a clear preference in this regard and they accordingly choose the city they want to visit. But Vizag uniquely offers both avenues. If you’re a mountain person, there’s Araku Valley for you to explore. For beach lovers, there are plenty of beaches in Vizag, the popular ones being RK Beach and Rushikonda Beach.

And for the few outliers who like both beaches and mountains, there’s always Kailasagiri, from where tourists get an excellent view of the Vizag coast.

#2 Nature lover or History geek?

Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary (on the left); INS Kursura Submarine Museum (on the right)

For nature lovers, Vizag can be a very delightful place. The city has a perfect blend of mountains and sea. Apart from that, there is also the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park where a wide range of animal and bird species are housed. Right beside it lies the Kambalakonda wildlife sanctuary which houses a beautiful lake, enveloped with thick forests. With a bit of travel, bird enthusiasts can visit Kondakarla Ava Bird Sanctuary.

But Vizag is richly dipped in history too. With the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), headquartered in the city, naturally, the city has a strong navy presence. This is showcased in the INS Kursura Submarine Museum – one of the highlight tourist attractions of Vizag – and the many lighthouses scattered over the city. Not so long ago, the TU-142 Aircraft Museum was also opened to the public. If you venture a little further, there are remnants of Dutch architecture at Bheemili and ancient Buddhist sites at Bojjannakonda and Thotlakonda.

#3 Shopping or food

Muri Mixture stall (on the left); Etikoppaka Toys (on the right)

Vizag has its own flavour and yet, it has all the flavours too. From North-Indian to Continental to Chinese, you can find all cuisines of food here. Obviously, with Vizag being a coastal city, a lot of people here indulge in seafood. Biryani is loved more than anything else in this city. Though, the BBQ trend has captured the city’s restaurants of late.

But there are a few dishes that separate Vizag from everywhere else – Muri Mixture, Madugula Halwa, Punugulu, Tomato Bajji, Bamboo Chicken, etc.

Surely, if you’re coming to Vizag, you’d surely buy something as well. From Etikoppaka toys to Ponduru Khadi, you can take a piece of Vizag with you. You can also buy some souvenirs from one of the shops at RK Beach. If you happen to visit Araku Valley, you can buy some strawberries or chocolates. The tribal markets at Araku, or shandies as they are called, are also not to be missed. But you know what Araku is famous for? Coffee!

Either way, plan it right and your tour of Vizag can be the most memorable trip of your life.

Disclaimer: Kindly follow Covid-19 norms while on your Vizag tour to keep yourself and the others safe.