5 Days In Lucknow – A Perfect Itinerary

In early 2018, I tried Awadhi cuisine for the first time, and it was love at first bite. My friends had ordered kebabs from a restaurant named Tunday Kebabi. I tried their famous Tunday and Galouti kebabs which instantly melted in my mouth. Its divine taste ignited a fire within me, and I decided to visit the city of its origin, Lucknow.

In December 2018, I finally planned a trip to Lucknow with my family. Lucknow is a city full of culture, literature, architecture and history. However, it was the food that attracted me the most. Here’s a complete itinerary of my trip where I unleashed my gastronome side and satisfied the history buff in me. 

How to get to Lucknow

It is easy to reach Lucknow if you are staying in Delhi, Haryana or Uttar Pradesh as there are a plethora of train and bus options, many of which are budget-friendly. For people travelling from other parts of India, you can take a direct flight or train to reach the city. 

Tip: If you are on a weekend trip, try reaching a night before or early morning to make the most of your time.

Where to stay in Lucknow?

I did not find many budget hotels in Lucknow. Either they were too expensive or at a vague location. Therefore, I would recommend pre-booking your hotels and doing a location check before booking them. I stayed at a hostel in Gomti Nagar, which was better than any other hotel nearby. You can read the complete review here. 

If you have got a slightly higher budget, here are a few more options:

• Hilton Garden Inn, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar
• Hotel Novotel Lucknow, Gomti Nagar
• Hotel La Place Sarovar Portico, Hazratganj

Day 1: Riverfront and Awadhi dinner

We kept our itinerary light for the first day. We went on an evening stroll at the Riverfront Park that was merely a few kilometres away from Gomti Nagar followed by a delectable dinner at Falak Numa restaurant.

• Riverfront Park – is a 2km long, lush garden next to the Gomti River. A beautiful place to take your evening stroll. The ambience is tranquil, and the lighting will leave you spellbound. You also get an astonishing view of the Ambedkar Memorial Park from here.
• Falak Numa Restaurant – at Hotel Clarks in Hazratganj is an atmospheric restaurant & bar serving Awadhi delicacies with a splendid view of the city’s skyline. 

Day 2: Hussainabad

On our second we headed to one of the most popular and oldest areas in the city Hussainabad. It is home to many famous monuments including the Imambaras. Hussainabad can be easily explored on foot in a day. However, you can also book a Tuk-Tuk and hop on and off at your convenience. Here’s what all we did at Hussainabad:

• Rumi Darwaza – also known as the Turkish Gate, is located next to Bada Imambara. 
• Hussainabad clock tower – it is the tallest clock tower in India. The clock tower is built in Victorian-Gothic style architecture and sits beside a tiny pond. 
• Bada Imambara – is a stunning complex comprising a mosque, labyrinth and a stepwell. It is also the most visited monument in the city. Hence, it was very crowded.
  Tip: If you are low on time, then opt for a guided tour to get a quick and better understanding of this place.
• Chota Imambara – is an imposing monument, serving as a congregation hall for Shia Muslims.
• Satkhanda – is a four-storeyed observation tower that draws its inspiration from the tower of Babylon. 
• Picture Gallery – showcases stunning artwork. We ended our day with a mesmerising sunset from the balcony of the Picture Gallery. 

Day 3: Residency and Ambedkar Memorial Park

Residency is an old residential complex located in the heart of the city that is quite popular among tourists. It was constructed during the rule of Nawab Saadat Ali Khan II and served as the residence for the British Resident General. During the First War of Independence, the freedom fighters demolished this place with cannons and bullets. What you see now are the remains of the buildings. We spent almost half a day here exploring the ruins. The Residency Museum was small but had a lot of interesting facts to share. All in all, we had a pretty fantastic time here. 

We then headed to the Ambedkar Memorial Park, one of the newly added attractions in the city. It is known for its grandeur. The park is spread across 107 acres of land and constructed in the memory of several social reformers like Bhimrao Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and many others. We were awestruck by the beauty and craftsmanship of this place, each element made with so much love and perfection. Here’s what all we explored: 

• Pratibimb Sthal – this is the main entrance of the Stupa and is guarded by 62 stone elephants on each side.
• Ambedkar Stupa – is a memorial dedicated to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, a famous Indian politician and social reformer. The Stupa consists of giant bronze statues depicting the life of Dr B.R Ambedkar. The interiors were mesmerising and reminded us of Venetian architecture. 
• Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sangrahalay – is a museum that showcases a brief history of all the social reformers of India.

There were many other attractions within the complex, including a Pyramid. We spent approximately 4 hours gawking at the beauty of this place. No doubt it is one of the most popular attractions in Lucknow.

Day 4: Planetarium, Kaiserbagh and Aminabad

By our fourth day, we covered almost all the touristy spots in Lucknow. Therefore, we decided to take the road less travelled. We explored the lesser-known but one of the oldest complexes in Lucknow Kaiserbagh or Qaiserbagh that was built by the last Nawab of Awadh. 

It was a big complex that took us more than half a day to cover. We managed to do a DIY walking tour following the trails provided by the tourism website. Here’s a list of things that we did:

• Indira Gandhi Planetarium – We struck our nerdy chods at the Planetarium. I had a keen interest in astronomy and loved visiting Planetariums as a kid. Therefore, it was fun to revisit the memory lane. The Planetarium had a museum and a theatre. The show happens throughout the day, and you can check the timings here.
• Suraj Kund Park – which resides next to the Planetarium, is a tiny park complex comprising a pond and surrounded by a garden. We didn’t find much history about this place. However, on speaking with a few locals, we discovered this place to be sacred. 
• Shaheed Samarak Park – is built in memory of India’s Freedom Movement martyrs. The inner park comprises a marble memorial that can be seen from a distance. The outer park displays statues of the martyrs.  
• General Wali Kothi – is an old villa resting on the right bank of the Gomti River. Most parts of this building are limited to tourists. However, the ground floor is open and also has a mini theatre that plays videos (on request) of India’s Freedom Movement.
• Chhattar Manzil – also known as the jewel of Lucknow is a gated enclosure consisting of a cluster of old residential buildings dating back to 1857. These buildings are known for their unique architecture, especially the umbrella-shaped dome which they call Chattar Manzil the Umbrella Palace. 
• Begum Hazrat Mahal Park – is one of the oldest parks in Lucknow, built in the memory of the Queen of Awadh, Begum Hazrat Mahal. The park comprises a beautiful memorial made of white marble and two mausoleums that displays the beauty of Awadhi architecture.

Lucknow is famous for Chikan embroidery and leather goods. Therefore, it was hard to give shopping a miss. We headed to the oldest market in the city, the Aminabad market that sells the best Chikankari suits and sarees in town. It was a wholesale market. Therefore, the price was low, and we had a fun time bargaining with the shopkeeper.

Day 5: Kukrail Reserve Forest and Zoo

On our last and final day, we headed to the Kukrail Reserve Forest, located 9 km away from the city centre. The reserve conserves endangered crocodile species like Gharial, Alligators amongst many others. It is a great place to see these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. 

Tip: The reserve is in a remote area with limited connectivity. Therefore, I recommend pre-booking your car to save time and hassle. Also, book your ride for 3 hours at max as the reserve is not too big. 

Next, we headed to the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan, also known as the Lucknow Zoo. It holds more than 200 species of animals and birds in open habitats. 

After the Zoo, we headed to Charbagh railway station to catch our train back to Delhi. If you follow this Lucknow itinerary, I promise you will have the best five days in Lucknow. Moreover, If you’re looking for food recommendations, here’s a complete food guide to Lucknow’s culinary delights.