Your perfect weekend in Vizag

If you are planning for a 2-day trip or a 3-day extended weekend, Vizag is a great destination. It is like a complete package with something for everyone. You will find beautiful beaches, peaceful temples and kid friendly parks in the city. Further, coffee plantations at Araku valley and the magnificent Borra caves are only a short distance away.

Just to help you plan, we have created a brief itinerary for your perfect weekend in Vizag.

Day 1

Arrive in Vizag in the morning by train/bus/flight and reach your hotel. Opt for a stay at Beach road near Ramakrishna beach for proximity to the city and the beach.

The best beach around Vizag is probably the Yarada beach. About an hour ride from the city, it can also be reached by public transport. Spend your time relaxing on the beach, frolicking in the water and enjoying the views of ghats around.

The light house on Dolphin’s nose is close to Yarada beach so best to club these two excursions. The light house is open on all days in the evening and offers amazing view of the dockyard, the ghats and the sea from the top. You may take an auto or a bus if you don’t have your own ride.

Take the bus/auto ride to the top of Kailashagiri. This hill top has been developed as a good picnic spot. It is famous for its larger than life Shiva-Parvati white statues. The parks are kid-friendly and have some snacks bars as well. But the highlight was the amazing view from the top on either side of the hill. The Vizag coastline stretching in the distance created a sight to behold. There is a short cable car ride to and from top of the hill. You can give it a try in case you haven’t ridden in a cable car before.

After sunset, you can visit the INS Kurusura submarine. This museum in an actual real submarine is a unique experience not to be missed. And, no need to spend your day light here as the museum is open till late in evening.

Day 2

Start early to catch the 7 am passenger train to Araku valley. It takes 4 hours to reach Araku, but the train ride is fun and the view of the valley is beautiful. For the journey you have 2 options, either book the reservation beforehand with early planning (as it fills really fast), or take the general ticket on the same day. If you opt for the latter, be prepared to experience the packed crowd of general class and limited options to sit.

Once you reach Araku valley, enjoy one of the best coffee you will ever have at the coffee museum. You can peep in the tribal museum quickly to look at the mannequins depicting tribal life. Then hire a local vehicle to tour the valley. You can visit the waterfalls or go the other side towards Borra caves. On the way enjoy the panoramic views at the numerous viewpoints and stop at coffee plantations to see them up close.

Have lunch at one of the Bengali restaurants near Borra caves entrance. Then visit the caves. You would be surprised by the sheer size of the caves. They are huge! And the natural beauty of rocks cuts and stalactites-stalagmites is accentuated by the perfect lighting of the caves. The light and the strange structures together make it a surreal experience.

Be careful walking up and down the passage as it might be slippery when wet. Also, it is a fair bit of walk so be prepared for that. But all of it is totally worth the effort. We loved our visit to Borra caves.

It would be best if you plan beforehand for your return. You could catch the return train, but that leaves Borra at 5:15 pm giving very little time in the area. Alternately you can either take the public bus (might be crowded) or take the taxis (which are costlier but faster).

Day 3 (Extended weekend)

Begin this day in a more pious manner by paying a visit to Simhachalam temple. This beautiful temple is devoted to Lord Narasimha and is situated on top of a hill (20 km from the city). The drive up the hill is great and gives fine views of the countryside around. The temple is peaceful.

Go on the other direction to explore the Rishikonda beach. With several shops and eating joints around, this is a more commercial beach. But being on outskirts of the city, it is still less crowded and cleaner than the city counterpart. Walk along the length of the countryside and identify your our favorite spot.

You can spend some time at the Ramakrishna beach as well but like many city beaches, it is too crowded and not so clean. And frankly you have options of better beaches around the city.

Best time to visit

Winter is the best season to visit Vizag as summers are hot ‘n’ humid and monsoon is wet. So the best time is end of November to February or mid-March.

Do you have any question regarding your trip to Vizag? Drop in a comment or send us a mail.