So you love to go on road trips? Is traveling to Lucknow still on your bucket list? Good! Same here! Paytm brings you the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. We figured out how you can have the best experience.
You must have heard the dictum “Muskuraiye ki aap Lucknow me hai”, written by famous poet Mirza Ghalib. It aptly describes the city that it is. The ever famous tehzeeb of Lucknow has been descended over generations. We’re sure that once in, you’ll relish the experience.
Yet another dictum from the city — “Pehle Aap”, made famous at first by melodious, romantic lines of a song from the Bollywood Movie ‘Bobby’. Then repeated again in the comedy cult ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, also describes the rich heritage of the city. Capital of the political powerhouse state of the country Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow is now growing fast towards being a cosmopolitan city. This can be seen in the several malls, discotheques and clubs that are opening.
How to get there — a road trip from Delhi to Lucknow
There are 2 routes for visiting Lucknow from Delhi. One is the NH 24 route (Delhi — Hapur — Moradabad — Rampur- Bareilly — Shahjahanpur- Sitapur — Lucknow) and other is the NH 2 route (Delhi — Agra –Etawah — Kanpur — Lucknow). Both the routes have fantastic roads and nice places to eat on the way. There is McDonalds on NH 2 and Bikanerwala on NH 24. Delhi to Lucknow is an overnight journey and takes between 8 to 12 hours. Paytm has more than 10 bus operators giving you more than 20 different options to choose from.
Historical Places
The city has a rich cultural heritage, which you should not miss.
Bada Imam Bada/Bhool Bhulaiya — One of the earliest buildings and largest one constructed by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daulah, this building was built by the Nawab to provide employment to the citizens during a major famine. Another major attraction in this building is the famous Bhool Bhulaiya, a labyrinth.
Residency — If you like to witness sites where several bravehearts sacrificed their lives during the revolt of 1857, then Residency is a must visit for you. With life chilling sites in this building, you’ll definitely get into a flashback mode of our country.
La Martiniere College, Boys — The college was the location of the iconic scene from movie Gadar where Sunny Deol uprooted a hand pump. This historical school built by French General Claude Martin, is the only school in the world whose students fought in a war, that of 1857.
We can add a long list of other great places to see: the Chota Imam Bada, Alambagh, Roomi Darwaza, Qaisar Bagh, Dilkusha Garden or Chattar Manzil, where you can witness the grandeur and amazing architecture of the Nawabs. You will not get bored exploring Lucknow, but plan on being exhausted 😉
Places to eat
No city comes closer to Lucknow when you talk about the Awadhi cuisines. With eateries located in all parts of the city offering mouth watering food, you can never be hungry in this city. The world famous Tundey Kebabs, now having branches in most areas of the city is a place to gorge on. Dastarkhwan in Hazratganj offers a great Chicken Masala, hardly found in any other place of the world. The naharis at Akbari Gate are a delicious treat. The Kebab culture has picked up so immensely that even the vegetarian Kebabs have become a roar in the city. Deva restaurant in Kapoorthala, Aliganj offers the perfect Vegetarian Kebabs for the veggies. The basket chat of Royal Café, Hazratganj is a must have.
Where to stay
There is a choice for every comfort zone in the city — from Taj Vivanta with a view over the Ambedkar Park, Clarks Awadh that is one of the major attractions in the city, to Gemini Continental which offers you easy connectivity or variety of guest houses.
What else — more entertainment
In sync with its growing cosmopolitan culture, Lucknow has several hotspot attractions for you. Whether you are a shopaholic, a party animal or a movie buff, this city has all the options available for you.
- Lucknow has five shopping malls for shopping and movie experiences. Apart from that, the famous Hazratganj is a must visit place during the evening.
- There are various clubs of which we can recommend Zero Degree, Blue The lounge, Strokes sports bar, The Mint or De Forbidden.
- Ready for a water splash? Then Anandi Water Park is rightly made for you. Amrapali entertainment city, Four Season fun city or the Fun village bring a lot of great fun too.
We wish you a great time. Book your tickets today via Paytm.
Have you been to Lucknow? Share your experiences and tips with us!
