Hyderabad is a place of magic. The old city, situated on the south bank of Musi River, boasts a wide choice of places to visit and experience. Colorful historical palaces as well as warm-hearted local people who are eager to share their cultural heritage with you, lie on this bank, which is considered the center of old Hyderabad.

One of the most magnificent pieces in Hyderabad is the Chaminar. Built in the 16th century by the Qutb Shahi King, Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, prepare yourself to be awed by the glorious edifice of Chaminar. While admiring the decorative pillars and walls, you can't help but imagine the powerful and majestic reverence the city's ancestors must have felt for this palace. It is no wonder that the local people of Hyderabad take enormous pride in it.

Letting the history bug move you along, you will arrive at yet another splendid architecture, the Falaknuma Palace. Extraordinary works of Florentine sculptors decorate its interior with seemingly no expense spared. Only 5 km from Chaminar, this piece of architecture was built in the 19th century and was often used by India's high officials to host very elegant dinners in the State Reception Room, boasting a 100-seater amazingly stunning dining table. Standing atop a high hillock, the palace also commands a grand view of the city of Hyderabad.

Attention shoppers! Hyderabad jewelries are popular for their quality of luster, whether it's natural, cultured or even imitation. Stroll along the Lad Bazaar to the west of Chaminar and make your own fashion statement with an eclectic collection of bangles, cosmetics and henna, to name just a few. For more upmarket taste, shop at the Golden Mile of Hyderabad which sells nearly all varieties that your heart could possibly desire.

If you may want to appreciate more culture, then proceed to Shilparamam, which literally means “sculpture village”. Here, other than buying sculpted handicrafts and artwork, you can also take in Carnatic performances at an open-air auditorium.

The best fuel for a trip to India is pure adventure in its lush tropical landscape and a chance to encounter wildlife. So for those of you nature lovers, you must not forget to journey to the Bahadurpura area, where around 1,500 animal species roam happily in the Nehru Zoological Park. Take a safari through the domain of lions, tigers, wild oxen, panthers and elephants!

There is still much more to see in this old glittering city. The longer you stay, the more you are hypnotized by the sheer magnet of enchanting Indian culture. And when you go home, you'll always be dreaming of the captivated land of India through its charming Hyderabad.

It is now known as The Louvre, is one of the most visited art museum in the world, a historic monument and a national symbol. It is also home to Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

The decorative arts department houses the Diadem of the Duchess of Angouleme which contains gold, gilt silver, 40 emeralds and 1031 diamonds. This crown matches an emerald necklace made by Paul-Nicolas Meniere in 1814.

Controversy debate surrounds the artworks and other cultural property seized by the occupying forces of the Second World War as the Louvre continues to hold 678 pieces of artwork. The Louvre administration has argued in favor of retaining these items despite requests by the source nations for their return.

Palais Bourbon

The Palais Bourbon is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Government.

Within the library surviving from the noble family of owners who left France during the revolution, are the minutes of Joan of Arc's trial amongst other literature.

The Grand Palais

The Grand Palais is a large glass exhibition hall. It was closed for 12 years for extensive restoration work after one of the glass panels fell in 1993. It reopened its doors to the public on 24 September 2005. Hiding in its basement is a major police station to help protect its exhibits.

Palace of Versailles

It is a symbol of absolute monarchy which King Louis XIV espoused.

One of the seven rooms in Le Vau's plan - the Salon d'Apollon. It was suppose to be the king's bedchamber, but later was used as a throne room and later as a music or concert room.

The other three rooms the salon de Jupiter, the salon de Saturn, and the salon de Vénus had to make way to construct the Hall of Mirrors.

The Queen's bedchamber.

There is a barely discernible hidden door in the corner near the jewel cabinet by Schwerdfeger (1787) through which Marie Antoinette escaped the night of 5/6 October 1789 when the Paris mob stormed Versailles.

Chateau de Chantilly

The Chateau de Chantilly is open to public. It is now owned by the Institut de France.

The chateau and the Great Stables (The stables could house 240 horses and up to five hundred hounds) were featured in the James Bond movie "A View to a Kill".

Palace of Fontainebleau

The Palace of Fontainebleau is one of the largest French royal chateau.

With modifications of the château's structure, including the cobblestone entrance wide enough for his carriage, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte helped make the château the place that visitors see today.

Chateau de Sceaux

This Chateau was almost sold to real estate developers, fortunately through the effort of the mayor, Jean-Baptiste Bergeret de Frouville, it was saved. Today the château contains the Musée de l'Île-de-France. This museum contains one of the largest collections of the painters of the School of Paris, among which are four paintings of Maurice Boitel.

Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Vaux-le-Vicomte is one of Europe's finest constructions of its kind. After being neglected for 30 years, it was put up for sale. In 1875, Alfred Sommier bought it at a public auction. When Sommier died in 1908, the château and the gardens had recovered their original appearance. His son, Edme Sommier, and his daughter-in-law completed the task. Today, his descendants continue to work on the preservation of Vaux-le-Vicomte. The château remains a private property - owned by the comte de Vogue.

The gardens

The site, unlike Versailles, was naturally well-watered, with two small rivers that met in the park; the canalized bed of one forms the Grand Canal.

Chateau de Vincennes

The Chateau is a massive French royal castle in the town of Vincennes.

In the Chateau, the relics of the Crown of Thorns were temporarily housed while the Sainte-Chapelle was being readied to receive them. A fragment that remained behind received its own chapel at Vincennes.

Topkapi Palace

It's construction started in 1459 by the order of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. Mehmet II is one of the important sultans of Ottoman Empire since he was the the conquerer of Istanbul. Topkapi Palace was the home and official residence of Ottoman Emperors from 1465 to 1863. The historical tissue of Topkapi Palace damaged because of big earthquakes and fires. Currently, Topkapi Palace is museum. It is under administration of Ministry of Culture and Tourism. When you visit Topkapi Palace Museum, you can see a large collection of Ottoman art and architecture, Ottoman miniatures, weapons, shields, armor and a display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry.

Dolmabahce Palace

It is located at the European side of Istanbul. After 1853, it was used as the official residence of Ottoman Emperors. It was also the administrative center of Ottoman Empire from 1853 to 1922. Dolmabahce palace is the first European style palace in Ottoman Empire history. It was built by Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid II between 1842 and 1853. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder and the first president of Turkey Republic, spent his last years in this palace. Ataturk died in November 10, 1938 in Dolmabahce Palace.

Yildiz Palace

It was built in 1880 and used by the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II. Inside Yildiz Palace, there are apartments, pavilions, theatre, opera house, museum and a porcelain factory.

Beylerbeyi Palace

Unlike Dolmabahce, Topkapi and Yildiz palaces, Beylerbeyi Palace is located at the Assian side of Istanbul. It was built between 1861 and 1865 by the order of Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. It was designed in baroque style. It was mainly used as a place to entertain visiting heads of state. Sultan Abdulhamid II spent his last years of captivity in Beylerbeyi palace. He died in Beylerbeyi Palace in 1918.

Ciragan Palace

It is located between Besiktas and Ortakoy at the European side of Istanbul. It was built between 1863 and 1867 by the order of Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. It was designed by famous Armenian architect Nigogayos Balyan and constructed by his sons Hagop and Sarkis Balyan. In 1910, it was destroyed by a great fire. However, the ruined palace was restored in 1991. It was designed in Baroque style during restoration. Currently, it is used as a five-star hotel.

GuGong, China

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - $1,497; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $1,356; from London (LHR) - $1,071
• Nearest Hotel: Shangri-la China World Hotel; Cost per night (avg.) - $314
  

Imperial Palace or GuGong (Forbidden City, Zijincheng) in China was a Royal Administrative site for royal use and public access during the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Chinese history. It was recorded that the third emperor of dynasty Ming built this palace before he successfully took over the politic and crowned himself emperor. There have been a total of 24 emperors of Ming and Qing who dwelt in this palace. The palace has 9,000 rooms to accommodate imperial families, administrators, eunuchs, maids and soldiers. It has also served as a major location for discussing internal administrative affairs. Now, this palace has been turned into a national museum for tourists to visit and preserves many classical Chinese architectural structures of imperial splendor.

Located in the heart of Beijing, it has easy access to Tiananmen Square while the city of Wangfujing is located to the east. In 1961, this ancient palace was approved by the State Council as the National Palace Museum displaying protected heritages. By 1987, the palace was listed by UNESCO as a “World Heritage”, reflecting the cultural dimension of historical value which has gained international recognition.

The White House, United States of America

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - $136; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $226; from London (LHR) - $684
• Nearest Hotel: The Captial Hilton; Cost per night (avg.) - $399

The White House is one of the more well known symbols of America and is obviously home to the president of the United States and his family. This "palace" is a two-story building and is located in Washington, DC. It was initially established in 1792 and officially became the US President’s official residence in 1800. President Roosevelt first used the phrase “White House” in 1902, referring the to white color of the Presidential residence.

Buckingham Palace, England

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - ; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $614
• Nearest Hotel: Crown Plaza London St. James; Cost per night (avg.) - $296

Buckingham Palace was a palace originally established for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. In 1761, George III used this palace as his private residence and it was then known as “The Queen’s House”. It became the royal palace of Queen Victoria in 1837 and includes 19 state rooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, 78 bathrooms and 52 principal bedrooms as reported in a 1999 book published by the Royal Collection Department. There is a well known statue of Queen Victoria created by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock in 1911 in front of the main gate.

Grand Kremlin Palace, Russia

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - $972; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $1207; from London (LHR) - $520
• Nearest Hotel: Swissotel Krasnye Holmy; Cost per night (avg.) - $438

Grand Kremlin Palace or Great Kremlin Palace was built between 1837 to 1851 on Borovitsky Hill in Moscow, Russia. The exterior building portrays medieval Russian and Byzantine architecture and includes nine churches from the 14th, 16th and 17th centuries, and more than 700 rooms. It was reported that the former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and the former Soviet General Secretary Mikhael Gorbachev signed the INF Treaty at the Grand Kremlin Palace during the Moscow Summit on June 1, 1988.

Palace of Versailles, France

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - $629; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $759; from London (LHR) - $214
• Nearest Hotel: Pullman Versailles Château; Cost per night (avg.) - $237

Palace of Versailles or Versailles was built in the 16th century under Louis XVI. It is located in the city of Versailles, 16 km west-southwest of Paris, France. It includes a 70 meter long hall of mirrors, luxurious apartments built for the king and the queen and the famous Le Norte French park. Before the 1789 revolution, it served as the center of the French monarchy which housed 20,000 nobles and was finally turned into a museum by Louis-Philippe in 1837.

The Potala Palace, Tibet

Due to the present unrest in Tibet, travel anywhere near the palace is currently highly restricted.

The Potala Palace was established at an altitude of 3,700 meters on the side of the Marpo Ri in the center of Lhasa Valley in China. The palace was built by King Songtsen Gambo to greet his bride, Princess Wen Cheng of the Tang Dynasty of China. This palace has been recently named one of the “New Seven Wonders” by the American television show “Good Morning America” and the newspaper “USA Today”. The palace occupies an area of 41 hectares, is 115 meters in height and has a 13-storey main residence. It is divided into the “red palace” for religious affairs and the "white palace" for political affairs. The palace is richly decorated with paintings, jewels and ornaments.

The Topkapi Palace, Turkey

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - $1,262; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $1,239; from London (LHR) - $375
• Nearest Hotel: 7 Hills Hotel; Cost per night (avg.) - $322

The Topkapi Palace is a glorious building located on the Seraglio Point overlooking the Sea of Marmara and Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. Its initial construction commenced in 1459 and it was built under the orders of Sultan Mehmed II who was a conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. From the 15th to the 19th centuries, this palace was the official and primary residence of Ottoman Sultans until the reign of Abdulmecid I (1839-1860). The palace portrays classic Ottoman architecture and also contains huge collections of Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, robes, porcelain, shields, armor, and a large display of Ottoman treasure and jewelry as well.

Blenheim Palace, England

• Airfare from New York (JFK) - ; from Los Angeles (LAX) - $614
• Nearest Hotel: Macdonald Bear Hotel; Lowest per night (avg.) - $183

Blenheim Palace is one of England’s largest houses and was constructed between 1705 and 1722 in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. This palace was originally a gift to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, in the military triumph against the Bavarians and French. The palace is surrounded by a magnificent lake, sweeping lawns and formal gardens. Inside the palace, the highlights of particular interest are the beautiful carvings and paintings, as well as the monumental Great Hall with its painted ceiling depicting the battle of Blenheim. The state rooms are decorated with numerous hanging tapestries and includes a room commemorating Sir Winston Churchill with elegant pieces of furniture and large collections of portraits by Van Dyck, Laguerre, Reynolds and Kneller. In 1987, this palace claimed its place on a list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Note: All prices are in US Dollars and are approximate/average prices from a general search. Airfares given are round-trip fares and do not necessarily include all taxes.

Top 10 Sights

The Duomo

Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo or Cathedral, is the very heart of Florence, dominating the city with its massive dome. The dome, designed by Brunelleschi was the largest of its time, completed in 1436 without the use of scaffolding. The Duomo is clad in Multi-coloured marble and is visible all over the city - towering over the neighbouring buildings, or glimpsed looming at the end of a narrow medieval street. If you have the energy, climb the 463 steps to the top and enjoy magnificent views.

Baptistry Doors

There are 3 sets of beautiful and artistically important baptistery doors, the most significant being the east doors commissioned by Ghiberti in 1401, and depicting scenes from the New Testament. Seven leading artists of the time entered a competition to create the doors, and some of these examples are regarded as the first products of the Renaissance. Michelangelo named these doors "The Gate of Paradise". However, the ones in place are copies; the originals can be seen in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (just behind the Duomo).

Ponte Vecchio

This famous bridge, literally the "Old Bridge", was built in 1345, and is the oldest in Florence. It has always accommodated workshops of one kind or another, though by 1600, the butchers, tanners and blacksmiths, who polluted the river with their offal and waste and caused a choking stench over the city, were evicted. The shops were renovated and rebuilt, and leased to the inoffensive jewellery trade. To this day, the bridge is lined with pretty shops selling modern, classic and antique jewellery to suit every budget. The bridge escaped the bombs of WW2, some say as a direct result of an order from Hitler, while others say the bomber pilot approached the bridge at sunset and could not bear to destroy such an ancient and beautiful structure. So he dropped his bombs elsewhere, out of harms way.

Galleria dell'Accademia

This is the Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1563, and the first European school to teach the techniques of drawing, painting and sculpture. Many of Michaelangelo's important works can be found in the Accademia, including a statue of St Matthew and the "Four Prisoners", dramatically depicting muscular figures struggling to escape from blocks

of stone. The most dominant work is the "David", Michaelangelo's magnificent, massive, nude classical statue of David, the biblical hero who killed Goliath. David, sculpted in marble in 1504, has recently been beautifully restored.

Palazzo Pitti

Started in 1457 for the banker Luca Pitti, this enormous building was intended to show the powerful Medici banking family that it had a worthy rival. Ironically, ongoing building costs bankrupted the Pitti heirs and the palace was bought by the Medicis who made it their main residence. The rooms are lavishly decorated and, today, exhibit many treasures from the Medici collections. The Renaissance style Boboli Gardens, are laid out behind the palace.

Uffizi Gallery

Originally a suite of offices for Duke Cosimo1, this is probably the oldest art gallery in the world. From about 1580, Cosimo's heirs began to use the building to exhibit art treasures belonging to the Medici family. Today, the gallery is laid out in such a way to guide the visitor through the development of Florentine art from the Gothic period to the High Renaissance, and beyond. A number of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures are also displayed.

Church of Sante Croce

Legend tells us that St Francis founded this church himself. The current building, started around 1294 to replace an older construction, is the biggest Franciscan church in the world. The beautiful, austere Gothic structure contains the tombs of several famous Florentines, including Michaelangelo and Galileo. There are also sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils.

Piazza della Signoria

This unique, spacious square is enhanced by the majestic Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's town hall (1322), and the Loggia dei Lanzi (1382), a graceful, airy loggia, housing famous statues by Cellini and Giambologna and ancient Roman statues of priestesses. Further sculptures in this unique square include an heraldic lion by Donatello, the spectacular Neptune Fountain by Ammannanti, Giambologna's statue of Cosimo 1 on horseback and a copy of Michaelangelo's David, all dating from the 1500's..

Piazza Michelangelo

The piazza is situated on a hill slightly south east of the city centre. It dates from 1860 and is home to copies of Michaelangelo's famous statues. There are far reaching views over the rooftops, spires, towers and domes of Florence, the largest being the rich, red dome of the Duomo itself. Beyond, lie the misty purple hills of Fiesole.

San Lorenzo Market

This outdoor market has an excellent selection of good quality and reasonably priced goods, such as leather gloves, jackets, belts and bags of all descriptions; scarves, pashminas and ties; painted trays; costume jewellery and Florentine souvenirs of every type.

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Bargello

Superb collection of beautiful Renaissance sculpture, including works by Michaelangelo, Donatello, Giambologna, Cellini and others.

Medici Tombs

 Adorned with some of Michaelangelo's finest works.

Casa Buonarotti

Michaelangelo's house for a short time, housing some of his personal belongings and works.

Palazzo Davanzati

Typical home of a wealthy Florentine family of the 1500's.

Church of Santo Spirito

 Augustinian church dating from 1250, with beautiful colonnaded aisles.

Church of San Lorenzo

 Parish church of the Medici family.

Church of Santa Maria Novella

 Gothic church housing important artworks.

Convent of San Marco

Beautiful, simple setting for a superb collection of devotional frescoes by Fra Angelico.

Brancacci Chapel

Frescoes depicting the life of St Peter, commissioned around 1424.

Mercato Centrale

Big, covered food market tucked away in the depths of the San Lorenzo market.