Let's Go Sightseeing!

A series of posts must culminate in an itinerary, right? We dug through our memories, photographs, and old posts, and compiled an itinerary of the City of Nawabs.

Day 1 – Bara Imambara, The Residency, Hazratganj

1. Start at the Bara Imambargah. It opens at 6 AM. Get here as early as you can as it tends to get crowded as the day progresses. Take a guide as it may be difficult to understand things on your own.
2. If you entered the Bara Imambargah at 6 AM, you’ll be done by 8 (if you see each part properly). We suggest breakfast now. Hail a rickshaw to Sharma Tea Stall for an aromatic Kulhad Chai & a hearty Bund Maska.
3. Walk to the Residency via the Rani Lakshmibai Marg. It’s 2.2 kilometers on foot & should take an average person 30 minutes. Alternatively, hail a rickshaw. Seeing the Residency in its entirety will be your most time taking activity today.

Note – it involves climbing gentle slopes & significant walking.

• Walking till the Residency & seeing it fully will take another three hours. We suggest lunch now. The area is full of restaurants with Awadhi cuisine. If you ask for your recommendation, we’ll go with Dastarkhwan.
• You can digest your lunch by walking to Hazratganj. The British built it on the lines of the Queen’s Street in London. It is a veritable shopping paradise, especially for Chikankari.
• End your day with dinner at one of the many restaurants in Hazratganj.

Day 2 – La Martiniere College, Janeshwar Mishra Park, Rumi Darwaza

1. Start day two at the La Martiniere College. At gate 4, take permission from the security guards to go inside to see the structure. On the walk to the main building, see The Tomb of Boulone Lise & the Stobart Hall.

Climb a few steps & stand in front of the Laat, a 40 meters high column. Turn around to see the expanse of Constantia & the other arms of La Martiniere. Grand! Explore the interiors.

You’ll typically take a couple of hours to see the College.

• Head to the Janeshwar Mishra Park (~5 KMS). As you enter after buying a ticket (INR 10), to your left will be an Indian Air Force plane & straight ahead, a huge statue of the politician Janeshwar Mishra.
• Another place to see designs is the Rumi Darwaza. There’s no ticket to see it.

Note – If the sun is too strong, you can opt to go to the Janeshwar Mishra Park towards evening, rather than morning. Walk around & catch the sunset.

Day 3 – Chowk, Chhota Imambara & Vidhan Sabha Bhavan Council House

1. Start your day at Chowk. Chikankari/ zari shopping & nihari – they’re the best way to begin the day IOHO! Roam around in the alleys of Chowk & you’ll find yourself seeing & knowing more & more about the culture & history of Lucknow.
2. Walk to Chota Imambara now. It’s 1.8 KMS & should take ~25 minutes via the Husainabad Trust Road. Today, it serves as a mausoleum for Muhammad Ali Shah & his mother.

Note – Photography inside the main Imam Bara hall is prohibited. Also, women are required to cover their heads.

• End your Lucknow visit by walking past the Vidhan Sabha Bhavan Council House. Vehicles are prohibited from stopping in front of it. Thus, keep walking!

While we like to maximise our trips with as much sightseeing as we can, we’ve provided an easy itinerary in this blog post as we don’t want you to overdo it. If you’ve a longer trip or are keen to see more attractions, please visit our earlier blog posts (given below) for recommendations & reviews.

As we always suggest, please don’t treat sightseeing as a competition or a checklist. Even if you don’t manage to see a few of the above, it’s okay. It’s more important to enjoy yourself. Happy sightseeing!