9 famous places to visit in Vizag & fascinating facts about them!

Known as the “jewel of the East Coast,” there are many places to visit in Vizag that are studded across its perimeter. Even more interesting are the stories behind them. If you’re on a Visakhapatnam sightseeing tour, check out some fascinating facts about its main tourist spots that’ll give you all the more reason to love it:

1. Kailasagiri

One of the first commercially-developed tourist places in Vizag, Kailasagiri is a hilltop park overlooking the sea and the city. It is popular for its many vantage points, toy train ride, ropeway, Shiva-Parvathi statue, and more.

Earlier, Kailasagiri housed a floral clock with a diameter of 10 feet, which was once considered the biggest in India. Today, it is prepping up to welcome India’s biggest glass skywalk bridge (50 metres), which is currently under construction here.

2. Simhachalam Temple

One of the most famous places in Vizag, Simhachalam Temple is home to one of India’s most revered Narasimha shrines. The temple is in the Kalinga architectural style and is among the 18 Narasimha kshetras in the country. Its sanctum depicts a rare fusion of Vishnu’s Varaha and Narasimha avatars. No other temple in India holds this distinction.

The shrine’s heritage is chronicled in over 525 inscriptions on its walls, the oldest dating back to Chola King Kulothunga in 1098 AD. These inscriptions reveal details of rulers, customs, social practices, and faiths over centuries.

Simhachalam Hill itself carries lore from the British era. It was dubbed Thomas’ Folley after Edward Croft Greenway Thomas, a district judge in 1869. While most Europeans lived in Waltair, Thomas preferred this secluded hilltop, writing about it as a potential sanitarium for the English.

3. INS Kursura Submarine Museum

Standing prominently on RK Beach in Visakhapatnam, the INS Kurusura is South Asia’s first submarine museum and is one of the most visited tourist spots. This 91.3-metre-long, Russian-built submarine served the Indian Navy for 23 years. Commissioned in 1969, it participated in patrol missions during the Indo-Pak War of 1971! Reportedly, it was given the mission of planting mines, but this task was never executed as PNS Ghazi’s sinking took place.

Decommissioned in 2001, it was hauled ashore painstakingly. This process lasted 18 months and cost Rs 55 million, before opening to the public in 2002. Among the many famous and interesting places to visit in Vizag, exploring this is a must.

4. Dolphin’s Nose Lighthouse

Dolphin’s Nose is a landmark among the many famous tourist spots in Visakhapatnam, not just for its shape but also its stories. Its present lighthouse was constructed in the 1960s, replacing one destroyed in the great cyclone of 1876. The earlier lighthouse, likely dating back to the 1860s, had guided ships long before the era of modern navigation.

Notably, the hill has seen the Battle of Vizagapatam in 1804, fought during the Napoleonic Wars. It was once known as Blackmore’s Hill after Captain Thomas Blackmore of the British artillery, who lived here. It was also a timekeeping station with a flagstaff, signalling the hour to ships and townsfolk.

5. RK Beach

Ramakrishna Beach, or RK Beach, is perhaps the most famous tourist places in Vizag. Beyond its lively promenade filled with hawkers, walkers, and eateries, the Beach Road has statues and museums showcasing Telugu culture.

One curious landmark along this stretch is Scandal Point, the site where the first Beach Road once ended. The story goes that in colonial times, this spot was the social hub for “memsahibs” and young women, who would gather here to gossip.

6. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park

Established in 1977 and spread over 625 acres, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is the third-largest zoo in India by area.

The park made headlines in 2019 when it became the second zoo in India, after Gir National Park, to house endangered Asiatic lions. The male lion is Patwad and the female is Kumari.

With natural hills acting as boundaries, a stream flowing through its centre, and the sea as its backdrop, the zoo is unique. Indeed, it is one of the must-visit places in Vizag.

7. Ross Hill

Ross Hill is famous for its white chapel dedicated to Mother Mary, but its legacy goes far deeper. This hill uniquely houses three religious shrines a Hindu temple, a mosque, and a Catholic chapel. All of these are visible in a line to ships entering Vizag’s harbour. Consequently, onlookers consider it a living symbol of India’s unity in diversity. Surprisingly, the site was once nicknamed the Hill of Mosquitoes, thanks to the malaria-ridden swamps at its base.

Significantly, the hill gives a breathtaking view of the inner harbour, making it one of the must-visit places in Vizag.

8. Visakha Museum

Did you know that the Visakha Museum is actually a 200-years-old Dutch building? Over its long existence, the building served as a Dutch office, a British residence for civil servants. After freedom, the Raja of Daspalla bought the estate. Eventually, civic activists persuaded authorities to transform it into a museum.

Today, its exhibits range from Paleolithic artefacts to wartime memorabilia, and it even displays a bomb shell dropped on the city during World War II. In this list of tourist spots in Visakhapatnam it is unskippable.

9. Thotlakonda Buddhist Monastery

Located in Vizag, Thotlakonda is one of the most famous places for Buddhist pilgrims. Discovered by the Indian Navy in 1976 during an aerial survey, Thotlakonda is a Buddhist site dating back to between the 2nd century BC and 3rd century AD. Excavations revealed a Hinayana Buddhist complex complete with stupas, viharas, and relics.

The site’s name comes from its stone-cut troughs (thotla in Telugu), and findings such as Roman coins and Satavahana dynasty artefacts suggest extensive foreign trade ties. There are inscriptions in Brahmi script and miniature stupas here. Records indicate that the hill’s historical name might be Senagiri.

These facts make the tourist places of Vizag all the more fun and fascinating to visit! Whether you’re a newcomer or local, these details keep the city interesting and add to its growing appeal. Comment below and let us know which caught your attention the most!

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