Vizag or Visakhapatnam is one of the most popular tourist places that you can visit in the country. Located in Andhra Pradesh it is also one of the oldest port cities as well. But we are not going to talk about the history of this location though. Rather I will share a 3 days 2 nights Vizag day wise tour plan. In this Vizag Tour Guide article I will share everything that you need to know before planning a trip to this location. I will divide this article into the main sections that will make it easier for you to understand the Vizag Tour Plan well. So I will mention
1. Hotels
2. Transport
3. Sightseeing places
4. Food
5. Budget
No matter if you are planning a trip there solo or planning a group trip, this article will be helpful for you. And by the end of this Vizag Tour Guide you would exactly know the details about this trip from transportation to sightseeing and most importantly budget. So keep on reading this Vizag Tour Guide article so that you can gather all the information about a visit to this beautiful location, Vizag.
Vizag Tour Guide
How to reach
By train
The cheapest and an easy option to reach Vizag is by train. You will therefore get trains from major cities and towns to reach there and the nearest railway station is the Visakhapatnam Junction. Even I chose this option to reach Vizag from Kolkata. Just keep in mind that it will be better if you can book the AC three tier tickets on the train. Because the general and the sleeper compartments are all the same, so AC 3 tier will be a better option. The ticket price I paid for AC 3 tier to reach Vizag is Rs. 1300. You should try to catch the train at night so that you can reach Vizag by the morning. From the railway station you will get autos to reach the R K Beach and the fare is about Rs. 130 to Rs. 150.
By air
However in case you wish to travel by air then you will get flights to reach Vizag as well. For that the nearest airport is the Vizag International Airport and you will get direct flights from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc to reach Visakhapatnam. The flight fare to Vizag would range around Rs. 5000 to Rs. 6000 per person. From the airport the distance of the main beach in Vizag, that is the R K Beach is around 14 km. You will get autos and cabs just outside the airport to reach R K Beach. It will charge you around Rs. 300 to Rs. 400 to reach there. And it will take you only around 30 minutes to reach the R K Beach from the airport.
Where to Stay
One of the most important parts of this Vizag Tour Guide is the places to stay. On the first day you will have to reach Vizag by 9 am in the morning and then you can take a cab or an auto rickshaw to reach the Ramakrishna Beach or R K Beach. And there you will get multiple options for hotels available. Mostly the tourists visiting Vizag prefer staying near the R K Beach or near the Rushikonda Beach. I will recommend you all to book a hotel near the R K Beach though as there are some benefits of staying there.
1. The railway station is located nearby
2. You will get cabs easily for sightseeing to other locations
3. The marine drive road is a great location to explore
4. Affordable food options available
5. Malls are located nearby
The starting price of hotels in Vizag is Rs. 500. Moreover if you are booking your hotels near the railway station or bus stand then hotels will be priced at Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000. But in case you are looking for hotels near R K Beach or the Rushikonda Beach then the price will range from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2500. I stayed at the Hotel Sea Rock. The hotel is not exactly at the R K Beach but the beach was nearby, located at a walking distance. The charge of Sea Facing AC Deluxe Double Bed Room in this hotel was Rs. 2000 per night for 3 people. However keep in mind that prices of the hotels here keep on going up and down during peak seasons. So in this Vizag Tour Guide article I would recommend you to pre book the hotel in advance before visiting here.
Vizag Tour Guide Day 1
After checking into the hotel on day 1 you should not waste a lot of time and start your day to explore the Vizag sightseeing spots. You will get cabs, autos as well as scooty that you can opt for the sightseeing here. If you are taking auto rickshaws here the charge will be around Rs. 1300 to Rs. 1500. However if you are taking a private cab then it will cost you around Rs. 2500. Additionally for scooty the price will be around Rs. 500 per day.
So basically you can choose any of these options to enjoy your sightseeing for the day. You can talk to your hotel about sightseeing and your preferred mode of transport though and they will arrange it for you. I preferred a scooty ride here so I opted for a scooty at Rs. 500 for the first day. And on day 3 I had opted for a private AC cab at Rs. 2500 for sightseeing.
Vizag Tourist Places
Simhachalam Temple
On day 1 the first sightseeing spot would be the Simhachalam Temple. From the R K Beach the temple is located at a distance of 22 km. What would be most exciting is the breathtaking view of the roads to reach the Simhachalam Temple. You will get to enjoy the wide range view of the big mountains here covered in lush greenery.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Narasimha and the location is beautiful to explore. You need at least an hour in hand to complete the visit to this temple. It took us around 45 minutes to reach the temple after standing in the queue for some time and to complete the darshan. Here you will get General Line, Special Line as well as VIP Lines. The General Line is free, for Vip Darshan the price is Rs. 100 and for Special Darshan the price is Rs. 300 per person.
You will have to deposit your gadgets like phones, cameras along with your shoes at the counter outside the temple. There are arrangements of Anna Prasad here as well so you can have that after darshan. But keep in mind that there is a separate line for Anna Prasad here.
Rose Hill Church
After a visit to the Simhachalam Temple the next sightseeing location for the day is the Rose Hill Church. This church is however located at a distance of around 16 km away from the Simhachalam Temple. From here you will be able to enjoy a beautiful view of Vizag as well.
Dolphin Nose
The next sightseeing location for the day is Dolphin Nose. However keep in mind that this location is only open from 3 pm to 5 pm. You will furthermore find a Lighthouse here as well that will offer you a breathtaking view of the Yarada Beach.
Yarada Beach
The next sightseeing spot that you can visit here is the Yarada Beach which is a beautiful beach. You can choose to spend some tranquil times at the Yarada Beach. Moreover the breathtaking beauty of the beach is nothing less than beaches of Thailand or Andaman. So you can spend time here till the evening and enjoy the view here.
Kursura Submarine Museum
The next location is this submarine museum and Kursura Submarine or the INS Kursura S20 is one of the major sightseeing locations in Vizag. The best thing about the location is that this is the only real submarine in India as well as in the whole of South East Asia. And you will be able to visit this Submarine in Vizag. Currently however this is a museum though. But before 2001, the Indian Navy actually used this submarine. Everything that you will get to see inside this submarine is real.
Entry fee for the museum is Rs. 40 for a person and Rs. 20 for children per person. For videography inside the museum the charge is Rs. 200 and for photos it is Rs. 50. This submarine was made in 1969 and the Indian Navy has used it for 31 long years. Then finally in 2001 the retirement was announced. Later in 2022, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu transformed this submarine into a museum for general public viewing near the R K Beach. This submarine has also been a part of the India Pakistan War in 1971. This Museum is open from 2 pm to 8:30 pm but on Mondays the museum remains closed. You must include this submarine in your Vizag tour itineraries because you won’t get to see such real submarines at every other tourist location.
TU142 Aircraft Museum
After visiting the Submarine the next sightseeing spot in the Vizag Tour Plan is the TU 142 Aircraft Museum that is located on the opposite side of the road. The entry fee here is Rs. 70 per person and for children it is Rs. 40 per person. This Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 2 pm to 8:30 pm. However on Sundays it is open from 10:30 am in the morning. After a visit to this museum you will gain a good insight about the Indian Navy.
Also you will get to see the real T U 142 Naval Aircraft here that dates back to 1968. Furthermore after a total time travel of about 30 thousand hours, the chief minister of Vizag, Mr. N Chandrababu Naidu paid 3 cores 50 lakhs rupees and made it available for public and converted it into a museum in 2013. This is definitely another must visit location when you are out there exploring the sightseeing spots in Vizag.
Kalimata Temple
The next location to visit for the day is this temple and here you can enjoy some peaceful time. Alongside you can also enjoy the aarti here during the evening.
Other than these locations you can also visit the Fishing Harbor in Vizag. Here you can enjoy boating as it is a popular activity here. In case you are travelling solo or by scooty you can skip this location as it might get tough to cover so many places by following the map. But if you are travelling in a group or travelling by cab then you can definitely visit this location.
After you are done visiting all these locations on Day 1 you can get back to the R K Beach. From there you will get various options for food so have your dinner. And finally you can get back to the hotel and rest because Day 2 will start very early in the morning.
Vizag Tour Guide Day 2
Now I will talk about day 2 in this Vizag Tour Guide article. The second day will be all about exploring Araku Valley which is yet another famous tourist destination in Andhra Pradesh. And for that the first thing that you need to do is reach the Vizag railway station as early as you can in the morning. From there you need to take the 08551 Visakhapatnam Kirandul Express at 6:45 am. It will be an interesting journey of 4 hours as this journey is one of the top 10 scenic rides in India. Furthermore this train goes through 58 tunnels and 84 bridges to finally reach the destination.
Personally this is one of my most favourite and memorable train rides ever. But I regret not getting seats for the Vistadome Coach. But if you are planning a trip there you must book your tickets in Vistadome Coach. The ticket fare is Rs. 750 and you must book your tickets at least 3 months in advance. Otherwise you will also get Sleeper Tickets at Rs. 145 and 2S Tickets at Rs. 75. And if you don’t get any of these tickets then you can surely opt for the general compartments in this train.
Araku Valley
Most of the sightseeing locations that you will get to visit here are located between Araku Valley and Borra Guhalu Railway Station which is just 2 stations before the Araku station. So it would be better if you get down at Borra Guhalu Station to visit the sightseeing locations here. On my trip I got down at Borra Guhalu though and then visited the multiple locations here. However if you don’t want that you can even get down at Araku Station and then visit the sightseeing spots and come towards Borra Guhalu as well.
But it would be better to get down at Borra Guhalu and then move towards Araku as the train to return is again at 3:45 pm from Araku station. But if you miss the train then you will get buses to return from Araku as well. The last bus from Araku to Vizag is at 6:45 pm. Other than that there are options for shared jeeps as well from Araku to reach Vizag and it costs about Rs. 600.
Mode of transport for Araku Sightseeing
For sightseeing you will get multiple options at Araku Valley. You will therefore find shared jeeps just outside the railway station here and if you are alone then this would be the best option. It will cost you only Rs. 500 for a shared cab here. But in case you are in a group then you can hire a cab by paying around Rs. 3000 to Rs. 4000. The cheapest option is moreover the auto rickshaws here which is also yet another option that you can opt for. The autos will cost around Rs. 2500 to Rs. 3000.
We had taken an auto for our sightseeing but I don’t think it was a good decision though. As this is a hilly area the roads here were steep. So obviously it took us way longer to cover all the locations by auto. Therefore a car would have been a better option as time management is one of the most important parts of this particular trip.
Araku Valley Sightseeing Places
Borra Caves
This is the first sightseeing spot in Araku Valley and is a popular tourist spot as well. The ticket price for Borra Caves is Rs. 80 per person. It is a huge cave and it spreads for about an area of 1 km. The best part about this cave is that it is a natural cave. The Gosthani River flows by this cave that elevates the beauty of this location even more. In total there are around 300 steps here that you need to climb down to reach the cave. The beauty of this cave has attracted a lot of filmmakers as well and a lot of movies have been shot inside this cave too.
There are bright colourful lights inside the cave that look very pretty. You can opt for a guided tour here by paying Rs. 100. That way you would get to know a lot about this cave and its history. Inside the cave there is a Shivalinga that you can visit and offer your prayer. But for that you will have to climb a lot of stairs to reach there.
After a visit to the Borra Caves make sure you are having your lunch here. You will find the traditionally made Bamboo Biriyani and Bamboo Chicken here at the small stalls. And you must not miss out on these deliciously made dishes here.
Ananthagiri Coffee Plantation
This is a coffee garden that is located about 15 km away from the Borra Caves. This will be an interesting location to visit as you will get to see the coffee plants here. Also you will find shops here that sell coffee which you can take back home along with you.
Galikonda View Point
As the name suggests this is a viewpoint and a beautiful view point indeed. You would get to enjoy a wide range panoramic view of the mountains from here. The location is located a little away from the Ananthagiri Coffee Garden.
Katiki Waterfalls
This is a beautiful waterfall and a popular sightseeing location in Araku Valley. But the beauty of this location depends on the season to a lot of extent. During monsoon season the waterfall is usually the fullest and looks the best. However during other seasons the flow of water can be less. So it is important that you talk to your cab driver or auto driver once to know about the current status of this waterfall. And only then should you plan a visit to this waterfall.
But the waterfall is indeed beautiful and is located amidst lush greenery. It is also possible to reach the waterfall by a small trek of 15 to 20 minutes as well. You can even take a bath at this waterfall. But if you are planning to take a bath then do not forget to carry an extra pair of clothes though.
There are some other sightseeing locations at Araku Valley as well and if you have time in hand then you must try to visit them as well. There is a Tribal Museum which is something that you must visit here. Other than that you can also visit the Coffee Museum and Padmapuram Garden here. And after you are done with the sightseeing you need to get back to Vizag. For that you can again opt for the train from Araku Valley Station. Or if you have exceeded the time already then you can opt for the buses from Araku Valley to reach Vizag.
Things to remember
There is another option of sightseeing in Araku Valley as well. Near Kailashgiri you will find Andhra Pradesh Tourism buses that run from Vizag to Araku Valley. This is a government bus and covers the sightseeing locations in Araku Valley. The bus however starts at 7 am in the morning and returns at around 9 pm. The ticket price is Rs. 1600 per person for adults and Rs. 1300 for children per person.
Furthermore there is another option for sightseeing at Araku Valley as well if you wish to not travel by train. In that case you can directly take a cab from Vizag to reach Araku Valley. And it will cost around Rs. 6000 to cover the sightseeing places along with a 2 way ride from Vizag to Araku and vice versa. But I would still suggest you all to opt for the train journey in this Vizag Tour Guide because of the kind of view that you will get to enjoy for this train trip.
Vizag Tour Guide Day 3
This will be the last day of your trip in Vizag. So day 3 will be all about sightseeing in Vizag and then you will have to catch the train to return at night. For solo travelers it will be a good option to take scooty for the day for sightseeing. For that you should check out from your hotel in the morning and leave your luggage at the store room of the hotel before heading out for the day. After your sightseeing you can therefore come back, drop the scooty and then take your luggage and then reach the railway station.
However if you are opting for sightseeing by a cab then you can check out from the hotel and take your luggage along. In that case you will get to enjoy the sightseeing here for the whole day and finally in the evening you would be able to reach the railway station directly.
Vizag Tourist Places
Bheemili Beach
This will be the first sightseeing location for day 3 and it will take around 40 minutes to reach the beach. The journey to this spot would be as scenic and beautiful as it can get. There is a statue of a mermaid located at this beach which is one of the major attractions of visiting this beach in Vizag. The waves here look breathtaking as it crashes on the black rocks here. It is overall a great spot to enjoy some breeze and water.
Thotlakonda Monastery
This monastery is located close to the Bheemili Beach about 6 to 7 km away. You would however get to see three things here. One is a Buddhist monastery where you should first visit. For the Buddhist monastery the entry fee is Rs. 30. This monastery was founded by the Navy. When the Navy was searching the whole location in their helicopters they found this monastery here. Later this place became a monastery and a historical place. Currently a major chunk of this monastery is getting ruined due to extreme rainfall and other weather conditions. Still it is a location that you can explore and gather insight from. You can spend around 20 minutes here and then move on to the next sightseeing location.
Thotlakonda Viewpoint
The location is also popular as Beach View Park and as the name suggests it is a beautiful viewpoint offering gorgeous views. You will get to enjoy the beach from here as well. The view is beautiful with lush greenery along with the water here. You would get to enjoy around 20 minutes to 30 minutes here. And then you can move on to the next sightseeing location here.
Thotlakonda Beach
This is the third location here where you would get to enjoy the natural arch. The natural arch looks really beautiful. However if you are travelling solo and following the maps then you need to be careful. The first arch that you will get to see here is not the one you are looking for. You will actually have to reach the opposite side of the Thotlakonda Monastery towards the beach. And then walk a little towards the Bheemili beach to reach this natural arch. It can be one of the most beautiful locations for photographers as well as for couples. So do not miss out on taking a lot of pictures here.
Rushikonda Beach
The Rushikonda Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Vizag and there are reasons behind it. This is basically the only beach in Vizag where you can take a bath. Also this breach is popular for water activities as well. Moreover since this is a commercial beach there are different facilities available here. You will get changing rooms here too that you can use after indulging in water activities. You can try various water activities here and they are major attractions here. For Scuba Diving the price is Rs. 2500, Kayaking is for Rs. 200, Speed Boating costs Rs. 250, and ATV Ride is for Rs. 150. You can choose to spend around 1 to 2 hours here at this beach and enjoy a great time.
Tenneti Park
This is actually a regular park in Vizag but recently the park became famous. Recently a ship from Sri Lanka got stuck here due to some thunderstorm activities. And now the tourists visit here to witness that ship from up close.
Kailasagiri
This is yet another famous location in Vizag and it is located on top of a hilltop. One of the most attractive things about this location is the ropeway here. For a round trip a ropeway here costs Rs. 90. There is a toy train ride here as well that you can enjoy here at Rs. 150. The Kailasagiri Park is spread across an area of 100 acres and offers scenic beauty. Another important attraction here is the statue of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati which is 40 feet tall.
Furthermore the location is a popular site for paragliding as well. But keep in mind that the park remains closed during local festivals. So in case you are visiting around any festival then you must take note of whether the park is open. And on some days it also gets closed early by 5 pm due to some festivals or occasions. So it will be better to consult your cab driver about visiting this spot. Moreover, try to visit this location early in the morning. We reached there late in the evening and by then the location was already closed.
With this your day 3 at Vizag comes to an end along with your trip here. After covering the sightseeing locations you should reach the railway station or airport to start your journey to head back home. But keep in mind that you should book your tickets for train or flight after 8 pm in the evening so that you have the whole day to yourself for sightseeing.
Where to Eat and What to Eat
I will now let you all know about the food options in this Vizag Tour Guide. For each day the cost of food would be around Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 per person. You will get a variety of items to try here but there are some authentic dishes that you should not miss at all. One such item is the South Indian dishes here which taste delicious. So do try the Idlis, Dosas, Vada, Uttapam here. Furthermore the South Indian dishes are also light on the pocket as well as they are very affordable. Idli is only for Rs. 30, Vada for Rs. 35, Masala Dosa for Rs. 80, Sambar Idli for Rs. 35, Onion Uttapam for Rs. 70.
Other than that you will get some food items at the R K Beach as well. And you can try Fried Rice from there that costs Rs.80 per plate. Also try Chicken Drumstick for Rs. 60, Chicken Seekh Kabab for Rs.30 etc.
Another thing that you need to try is the Bamboo Biriyani and Bamboo Chicken during your Araku Valley Trip. The Bamboo Biriyani Costs Rs. 600 and the quantity is sufficient for 2-3 people. The Bamboo Chicken costs Rs. 300 per half kilo. You will find some shops near the Borra Caves so try these food items here. To save time you can order the food while you are going to visit the cave. It will take around half an hour for the preparation to be made. And after returning from your cave visit you will have the food ready.
Vizag Tour Budget
In the last part of this Vizag Tour Guide I will now share the budget for this trip. So the first thing is the budget for hotels and for that it will cost you Rs. 1500 per day approximately and it would account to Rs. 3000 for 2 days. However the hotel cost can be less if solo travelers choose to stay at hotels near the station though. But if you are opting for hotels around the R K Beach or Rushikonda Beach then the cost would be higher, starting from Rs. 1500. And in case you are traveling in a group then the hotel cost can be divided.
For food, the expense would be around Rs. 400 each day which is Rs. 1200 for 3 days. For local transport it will cost around Rs. 500 per person.
The sightseeing cost for solo travelers will be around Rs. 650 for day 1 as scooty rent will be Rs. 500 and Rs. 150 for petrol. For Day 2 it will be Rs. 500 for a shared cab for Araku Valley sightseeing. And finally on day 3 it will again be Rs. 650 as Rs. 500 will be the scooty rent and Rs. 150 for petrol. So for 3 days the total cost would be Rs. 1800 for sightseeing.
For group travelers the cost will be more for sightseeing. On day 1 the cab cost will be Rs. 2500, for day 2 Araku Valley Sightseeing cab price would be Rs. 3500, and for day 3 sightseeing it will be Rs. 2500 for Vizag Sightseeing. In total it will be around Rs. 8500 for group travelers. Along with that there will be an additional cost of around Rs. 300 that will be the cost for ropeways, entry fees etc at different spots.
So basically for
Solo traveler– Rs. 3000 + Rs. 1200 + Rs. 500+ Rs. 1800+ Rs. 300 = Rs. 6800 total
And for
Group traveler the cost will be divided and amount will be around Rs. 5500 total
Wrapping Up!
So that was all about the Vizag Tour Guide and now I guess it would be easier for you to plan a trip to this beautiful location. In case you are planning a trip to this location keep this Visakhapatnam tour guide handy with you. I have mentioned all sorts of major information that you might need to plan a trip to Vizag on a budget. Also if you have less time in hand then you would be able to complete a visit to this location in just 3 days. Just follow the itinerary that I have mentioned in this Vizag Tour Guide and your trip would be successful. As a location Vizag is one of the most beautiful locations that you can visit. It offers ample scenic beauty to the visitors that will refresh your mind and rejuvenate your soul too.
So next time you are looking for a tourist destination to enjoy some time amidst the beauty of nature, consider visiting Vizag. The hills, waterfalls, natural formations, beaches, and lush greenery of the location will totally win over your heart. So when are you planning a trip to Vizag following this Vizag Tour Guide? And let me know if this article on Vizag Tour Guide is helpful for you in planning a successful trip to this location.
