Things to do in Visakhapatnam
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Visakhapatnam
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, calm seas, clear Ghats views and Araku mist. Peak crowds and prices in late December.
Workable shoulder months. March warms up and late October carries cyclone and heavy rain risk.
Worst for heat, with scorching humid afternoons that collapse sightseeing into early mornings.
Monsoon months with rough seas, closed water sports and full waterfalls. Come only for green hills and falls.
What's on
- Visakha Utsav Late December to January, dates announced yearly
City flagship festival on RK Beach with culture, food and beach events, plus peak prices and crowds.
- Chandanotsavam Akshaya Tritiya, April or May
Simhachalam Temple festival when the sandalwood covering is removed for one day. Extremely crowded and hot.
- Giri Pradakshina Ashadha Pournami full moon, July
Mass overnight circumambulation of Simhachalam hill by tens of thousands of devotees.
- Dasara / Navratri September or October, lunar dates vary
Temples and Beach Road decorated, sweet shops at their best, with October cyclone risk to weigh.
- Deepavali October or November, lunar dates vary
Autumn festival of lights: temples and Beach Road decorated and sweet shops at their best, without the Visakha Utsav crush, with October cyclone risk to weigh.
- Navy Day 4 December
Naval operational demonstrations off RK Beach in many years, with road closures and full hotels.
- MILAN Periodic, in December in hosted years
Multinational naval exercise periodically hosted in Vizag, with an International Fleet Review in some editions, warships and city-wide events, road closures and full hotels.
Best things to do in Visakhapatnam
VMRDA INS Kursura Submarine Museum
Walk the full length of a real decommissioned Navy submarine beached on RK Beach, torpedo room to bunks.
TU 142 Aircraft Museum
Board a retired TU-142 maritime patrol aircraft across from the submarine museum and see its cockpit and sensor stations.
Kailasagiri
Hilltop park with ropeway, toy train and glass skywalk giving the best panoramic views over city and bay at sunset.
Ramakrishna Beach
The city promenade at sunrise, with walkers, fishermen and the sun rising straight out of the Bay of Bengal.
Rushikonda Beach
Blue Flag golden sand beach backed by green hills, and the one Vizag beach set up for a proper beach day.
Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Simhachalam
Richly carved hill temple to Varaha Narasimha with a stone chariot and centuries of inscriptions, best early on a weekday.
Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex
Ancient Buddhist monastic ruins on a quiet sea view hilltop, rewarding for archaeology lovers who read up first.
Indira Gandhi Zoological Park
Large zoo set in reserved forest with tigers, elephants and an aviary, and the best family sight in the city.
Where to stay in Visakhapatnam
Beach Road / RK Beach
first trip, all-round base
Walk to both naval museums and the promenade, sea across the road, and the best hotel restaurants on one strip.
Siripuram / Dwaraka Nagar
value, food and day trips
City centre grid with malls, tiffin rooms and hotels costing far less than the beach strip for the same comfort.
Rushikonda
beach days, families, resort stays
Quieter and greener beach base for surf, sand and pools, with a cab ride needed for every city sight.
Bheemili
quiet second visit, couples
Slow old port town with a long quiet beach, best as a final night decompression rather than a first trip base.
Think twice about
- Gajuwaka and the industrial south
Heavy industry zone of steel plant, port terminals and refineries with truck traffic and dust, far from every beach and sight.
- Port / Old Town and Poorna Market fringe
Congested, noisy commercial core with near impossible parking and nothing to walk to in the evening. Visit by day, sleep in Siripuram.
- Yarada village and Dolphin's Nose road
Minimal accommodation and food, and an unlit winding approach road that is lonely after dark. Visit for the day only.
Best restaurants in Visakhapatnam
Mekong-Pan Asian Restaurant
The city's top rated pan Asian table, known for Thai curries, prawn starters and dumplings on special occasions.
Horizon Multi Cuisine Restaurant
Novotel rooftop restaurant with a terrace over RK Beach, the best view with dinner in the city at sunset.
Dakshin
Formal benchmark for coastal Andhra cooking, with seer fish curry, country chicken and prawn fry in a polished room.
Subbayya Gari Hotel
Unlimited banana leaf Andhra thali of thirty plus items for about three hundred rupees, the best value meal in Vizag.
Dharani
Calm, family favourite vegetarian room at Hotel Daspalla for thalis, pesarattu and filter coffee with table service.
Vista
The Park all day restaurant on Beach Road, strongest for buffets and Sunday brunch when a group cannot agree.
WelcomCafe Oceanic
Reliable ITC all day cafe on Beach Road for Andhra and coastal dishes, business lunches and family dinners.
R&G - Hotel GreenPark
Popular mid range buffet and grill room for family celebrations, with generous spreads and live counters.
Outdoor things to do in Visakhapatnam
Araku Valley
Ride the Vistadome glass roof train through tunnels and bridges to coffee plantations and tribal villages in the Ghats.
Borra Caves
Among India's largest limestone caves, with lit stalactites, stalagmites and a river formed cavern system to explore.
Katiki Waterfalls
Forest waterfall reached by a short scramble, best after the rains and easily paired with Borra Caves in one day.
Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary
City forest sanctuary with marked treks, a reservoir for boating and kayaking, and deer sightings on early walks.
East Point Golf Club
Historic 18 hole course from 1884 set by a reservoir against the Simhachalam hills, arranged in advance for visitors.
Livein Adventures
Established Rushikonda operator for discovery scuba dives, certification courses, sea kayaking and jet ski sessions.
Lonely Surfers Surf School
Beginner surf lessons and board hire on the forgiving Rushikonda beach break, best in calm morning conditions.
Vanjangi Hills
Pre dawn trek to a hilltop above a sea of clouds for sunrise over layered Eastern Ghats ridges in winter.
Best hotels in Visakhapatnam
Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach
Flagship sea facing hotel on RK Beach with rooftop infinity pool, jogging track and the Horizon rooftop restaurant.
Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Devee Grand Bay, Visakhapatnam
Prime Beach Road ITC hotel with pool and strong restaurants, best booked when priced below Novotel.
Ambica Sea Green
Sea facing mid range hotel two minutes from the submarine museum, the Beach Road value pick for visiting families.
Keys Select by Lemon Tree Hotels, Visakhapatnam
Consistent branded mid range hotel in the city centre grid, a sensible default for business plus leisure trips.
Hotel Daspalla
Old school full service hotel housing Dakshin and Dharani, ideal if eating Andhra food properly is the priority.
Radisson Blu Resort Visakhapatnam
Landscaped resort above Rushikonda beach with big pool and spa, the splurge pick where the hotel is half the holiday.
Sai Priya Beach Resort
Long running garden resort in the Rushikonda beach zone with pool and cottages at half the flagship resort tariff.
The Bheemli Resort
Low rise beach resort in quiet Bheemili with pool, spa and direct beach access for a slow final night.
Is Visakhapatnam expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹5,500 a person |
| Splurge | ₹13,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Araku Valley: weeks ahead
- East Point Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Livein Adventures: a few days ahead
- Lonely Surfers Surf School: a few days ahead
- Vanjangi Hills: a few days ahead
- Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach: weeks ahead
- Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels, Devee Grand Bay, Visakhapatnam: weeks ahead
- Radisson Blu Resort Visakhapatnam: weeks ahead
- Vistadome coach to Araku sells out weeks ahead in season and on weekends.
- Book Beach Road and Rushikonda hotels early for Visakha Utsav, Navy Day and New Year.
- Reserve Mekong, Horizon terrace tables and AB's weekend buffet sessions.
Is Visakhapatnam safe?
- Obey lifeguards and flags, never enter the sea at unguarded beaches or after drinking.
- Heat and humidity are severe March to June, so plan indoor middays and carry water.
- Use app or hotel cabs late at night and keep valuables secure in festival crowds. Emergency number 112.
Visakhapatnam travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not swim at RK Beach, where rip currents are dangerous. Swim only in flagged zones at Rushikonda.
- The small Beach Road aquarium is skippable, and Kailasagiri at midday on Sunday is the crowded version of a good sight.
- Araku coffee is best bought at plantation or Coffee Museum outlets, not unlabelled station stalls.
Getting around Visakhapatnam: public transport and more
- Agree auto fares before riding or use Rapido, Ola or Uber for fixed prices.
- Hire a car and driver for Araku road returns and Bheemili or Thotlakonda loops.
- Walk the Beach Road promenade mornings and evenings and avoid midday walking in summer.
Who Visakhapatnam suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Visakhapatnam your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store