2 daysHow long to stay
Budget to luxuryRough cost
Couples, Families, FriendsWho it suits
Uttar PradeshNorth India

Is this for you?

Lucknow is a quieter add-on to the Ganges cities and sees far fewer foreigners. Come if you're a couple, friends or a family who like architecture and history. We haven't confirmed the best day trains in and out yet, so check times when you plan. If old buildings don't interest you, skip it.

When to go

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.

What to do

Bara Imambara and the maze

A huge imambara, closed Mondays, with the Bhool Bhulaiya, a stone maze, in the ticket. Foreigners reportedly pay ₹500, and entrance guides charge about ₹150 to 300. Women should carry a scarf and dress modestly.

Rumi Darwaza and Chhota Imambara

One source reports the Rumi Darwaza, a grand gateway, open all day and free. Chhota Imambara, a smaller imambara nearby, has hours that differ by source, so go before 5:00 pm.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

The Residency

A historic compound from the British period. Sources disagree on its hours, its fees and whether it closes on Mondays, so avoid Mondays and check locally.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

What to eat

Lucknow is worth a trip for the food alone. Awadhi cooking, the slow and fragrant food of the old nawabs' court, runs from kebabs so soft they need no teeth to breakfast nihari in the lanes of Chowk.

Awadhi biryani

Rice and meat cooked separately, then layered, so it's lighter and more fragrant than other biryanis.

Galouti kebab

Minced meat kebab so fine it falls apart on your tongue, the dish Lucknow is proudest of. Eat it with a paratha in Chowk.

Khasta kachori

Crisp fried bread with chickpea and potato curries, the vegetarian breakfast in the old market lanes.

Vegetarian

Kulfi falooda

Dense Indian ice cream with thin noodles. Finish your food walk with it in Aminabad.

Vegetarian

Nihari kulcha

Slow-cooked meat stew with soft bread, eaten for breakfast in Chowk. It's a serious start to the day.

Where to go

Idris BiryaniChowk

Pukki biryani, with rice and meat cooked apart. Seating is basic, so take it away if it's full.

Cheap eats
Prakash KulfiAminabad

Kulfi falooda, cold and sweet, to end a walk through the old market.

Cheap eats, vegetarian
Raheem'sChowk

Nihari with kulcha or sheermal, a sweet bread, at breakfast.

Cheap eats
Ratti Lal'sLucknow

Khasta kachori for a vegetarian breakfast. Sources differ on its exact lane, so check a map.

Cheap eats, vegetarian
Tunday KababiChowk

Galouti kebabs and paratha at the Chowk original. The Aminabad branch has a wider menu.

Cheap eats

Getting there

Fly into the airport (LKO) or take a train to Charbagh station. The 12003 Shatabdi leaves Lucknow at 15:30 for Delhi every day, and the 22490 Vande Bharat stops here at 13:40 heading towards Varanasi. We haven't confirmed the arrival time of either, so check.

Where to stay

Gomti Nagar A newer business district with newer hotels. The catch is you're far from the old heritage sights.

Hazratganj Stay here to be central, at anything from mid-range to luxury.

Worth knowing

Rules

Women should carry a scarf and cover shoulders and legs at the Bara Imambara, closed Mondays. Its trust has barred shorts and required headscarves, and we couldn't confirm that's still enforced.

Plan a trip around this