Visakhapatnam, affectionately known as Vizag, is Andhra Pradesh's largest city and premier port, beautifully situated between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, making it one of India's few citi...
Visakhapatnam
City of Destiny by the Bay
Andhra Pradesh, India
4.5
BeachesNaval HeritageBorra Caves
beachcity
Duration: 2–3 Days
Budget/day: ₹1,500 – ₹5,000
Best season: Oct – Mar
Altitude: Sea level
Nearest airport: Visakhapatnam International Airport (within city, 16 km)
Nearest railway: Visakhapatnam Railway Station (city centre)
Best places to visit in Visakhapatnam
Things to do in Visakhapatnam
- No photoLeisure / HeritageView full guide
2–3 hours
RK Beach Sunrise Walk and Submarine Museum
Visakhapatnam's iconic Ramakrishna Beach stretches for several kilometres and is best experienced at sunrise when joggers, fishermen, and local families share the cool sands. The INS Kursura submarine museum on the beach — a decommissioned submarine you can walk through — is a fascinating and unique attraction.
- No photoNature / AdventureView full guide
Full day
Araku Valley Train Journey
Board the Kirandul Express from Visakhapatnam for one of India's most scenic rail journeys through 58 tunnels and 84 bridges to reach the coffee-growing Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats. The journey itself — with tribal villages, waterfalls, and dense forest — is as magnificent as the destination.
- No photoNature / AdventureView full guide
1.5–2 hours
Borra Caves Exploration
The Borra Caves in the Ananthagiri Hills near Araku Valley are among India's largest limestone caves, formed over a million years and studded with extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations that local tribal communities associate with divine origin. The illuminated chambers feel genuinely otherworldly.
Best Time to Visit and Weather Info
Best time: October to March
Cyclone risk from Bay of Bengal during October–November. Summer (April–June) is very hot and humid.
Winter
Best Time ⭐Nov – Mar
18°C – 32°C
The most comfortable time. RK Beach, Araku Valley, and the submarine museum are all enjoyable. Vizag has a vibrant café culture.
- Visit Araku Valley (120 km) for tribal culture, coffee, and waterfalls — a day trip or overnight stay
- INS Kurusura Submarine Museum on RK Beach is a unique attraction
Summer
Very Hot 🔴Apr – Jun
28°C – 42°C
Extreme heat and high humidity from the Bay of Bengal. Outdoor activities are very uncomfortable.
- Beaches are hot but sea breeze helps in the evenings
- Visit in the early mornings
How to Reach
✈️By Air
Airport: Visakhapatnam International Airport (16 km from city centre)
Duration: ~30 mins
Direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
Taxi: ₹500 – ₹900
Airlines: IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, GoAir
🚂By Train
Station: Visakhapatnam Railway Station
Major junction on the Howrah–Chennai mainline. Well-connected to all major cities.
- East Coast Express — Kolkata (Howrah) (~16 hrs)
- Godavari Express — Hyderabad (~11 hrs)
🚌By Road
NH-16 (Chennai–Kolkata highway) runs through Vizag. APSRTC buses from Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar.
- Hyderabad: 625 km, 10–11 hrs via NH-65
- Vijayawada: 350 km, 6 hrs via NH-16
- Bhubaneswar: 430 km, 8 hrs via NH-16
Itineraries
Local Food
Vizag's food is coastal Andhra Telugu cuisine — rice-based, generously spiced, coconut-forward, and with some of the freshest seafood on India's east coast.
Royyala Iguru (Prawn Curry)
Fiery Andhra prawn curry with curry leaves, green chilies, and coconut — intensely flavoured.
Where: Dharani, Bamboo Bay restaurant; local non-veg eateries
₹250 – ₹500
Pesarattu
Green moong dal crepe with ginger and green chili — Andhra's healthiest and most popular breakfast.
Where: Local breakfast stalls and restaurants
₹60 – ₹100
Gongura Chicken
Chicken cooked with sorrel leaves (gongura) — the quintessential Andhra Pradesh sour-spicy dish.
Where: Andhra restaurants throughout Vizag
₹200 – ₹380
Chepa Vepudu (Fish Fry)
Whole fish marinated in Andhra masala and deep-fried — simple and spectacular.
Where: Seafood restaurants near RK Beach
₹200 – ₹450
Bobbatlu (Puran Poli)
Sweet flatbread stuffed with lentil and jaggery — Telugu festive sweet.
Where: Sweet shops and local restaurants
₹30 – ₹60 per piece
Araku Coffee
Internationally acclaimed arabica coffee grown in the Araku tribal highlands — try it at source.
Where: Araku Valley cafés; VUDA Koffee Day outlets in Vizag
₹80 – ₹200
RK Beach road has excellent seafood restaurants and evening food stalls. Araku Valley is a must for tribal food experiences and the world-famous Araku coffee.
FAQs
- Vizag is famous for RK Beach, the INS Kurusura Submarine Museum, Araku Valley (tribal highland with coffee estates), Borra Caves, Simhachalam Temple, and being one of India's most important naval and industrial ports.
Best Places Similar
Puri
Puri, on Odisha's Bay of Bengal coast, is one of the four sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites) of Hinduism and home to the Jagannath Temple — one of the most important and powerful Vaishnava temples in India, dedicated to Lord Jagannath (a form of Vishnu/Krishna) and famous for its annual Rath Yatra chariot festival, one of the world's largest religious processions. The long, golden Puri Beach is one of the most beautiful on India's eastern coast, and the lively beach culture of fishermen, sand artists, and evening aarti ceremonies creates a unique spiritual-seaside atmosphere. The temple town's traditional patta chitra art and its generous servings of prasad at the Ananda Bazar make Puri a destination of both devotion and delight.
Konark
Konark, a small town on Odisha's coast 35 kilometers from Puri, is home to one of India's greatest architectural wonders — the Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I, conceived as a colossal stone chariot of the Sun God Surya with 24 intricately carved wheels and seven horses. The temple's thousands of sculptures depicting celestial beings, erotic carvings, animals, and mythological scenes represent the apex of Odishan temple architecture and craftsmanship. The annual Konark Dance Festival held against the dramatic backdrop of the illuminated Sun Temple is one of India's most magnificent cultural events.
Goa
Goa, India's smallest state nestled on the Konkan Coast, is the country's premier beach destination and a unique cultural fusion of Portuguese colonial heritage, vibrant Hindu traditions, and a cosmopolitan party spirit that draws millions of domestic and international tourists year-round. From the lively club scene of Baga and Calangute in North Goa to the serene palm-fringed shores of Palolem and Agonda in the south, Goa caters to every type of traveler. The spice markets of Old Goa, the baroque cathedrals and churches of Portuguese heritage, the seafood shacks on the beach, and the legendary Goa Carnival make this coastal paradise endlessly appealing.
Nearby destinations
Puri
363 km · Puri, on Odisha's Bay of Bengal coast, is one of the four sacred dhams (pilgrimage sites) of Hinduism and home to the Jagannath Temple — one of the most important and powerful Vaishnava temples in India, dedicated to Lord Jagannath (a form of Vishnu/Krishna) and famous for its annual Rath Yatra chariot festival, one of the world's largest religious processions. The long, golden Puri Beach is one of the most beautiful on India's eastern coast, and the lively beach culture of fishermen, sand artists, and evening aarti ceremonies creates a unique spiritual-seaside atmosphere. The temple town's traditional patta chitra art and its generous servings of prasad at the Ananda Bazar make Puri a destination of both devotion and delight.
Konark
390 km · Konark, a small town on Odisha's coast 35 kilometers from Puri, is home to one of India's greatest architectural wonders — the Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I, conceived as a colossal stone chariot of the Sun God Surya with 24 intricately carved wheels and seven horses. The temple's thousands of sculptures depicting celestial beings, erotic carvings, animals, and mythological scenes represent the apex of Odishan temple architecture and craftsmanship. The annual Konark Dance Festival held against the dramatic backdrop of the illuminated Sun Temple is one of India's most magnificent cultural events.
Tadoba
497 km · Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra's oldest and largest national park located in the Chandrapur district, is increasingly recognized as one of India's best tiger reserves and offers some of the highest rates of tiger sightings in the country, earning it a well-deserved reputation among wildlife photographers and safari enthusiasts. The park's dry deciduous forest, open meadows, and scenic Tadoba Lake create a diverse habitat that supports not only tigers but also leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, gaurs, and hundreds of bird species. Tadoba's accessibility from Nagpur and the quality of its guides and safari vehicles make it an excellent alternative for those who cannot get permits at more famous reserves like Ranthambore or Kanha.
