8 must explore places near Hyderabad to run, rest, and romanticise life

I couldn’t help but wonder… is it possible to love a city and still want to escape it sometimes?

Hyderabad — the city of pearls, biryani, and tech hub, with the traffic that turns your 20-minute commute into a philosophical journey. Between chai breaks and Charminar selfies, there comes a moment when even the most hardcore Hyderabadi wants to pack a bag, roll down the windows, and drive off into the distance. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe it’s the hustle. Or maybe, it’s just that beautiful, reckless urge to feel something new.

Gotcha — Let’s do this. Here's your upgraded list of 8 getaways from Hyderabad, written in that Carrie Bradshaw-style storytelling tone.

1. Srisailam: Where temples whisper and forests heal

Sometimes, the best therapy isn’t in a journal or a playlist — it’s in a forested road trip that winds you into the hills. Srisailam is where spirituality meets solitude. The ancient Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple, tucked into the Nallamala Hills, has stood for centuries like a quiet guardian. You walk in not knowing what to expect, and leave feeling like something invisible just hugged your soul. Add to that a boat ride at Pathala Ganga, and a detour into the Srisailam Tiger Reserve, and you've got yourself a weekend that balances silence, beauty, and the wild kind of peace that only comes from rivers and rituals.

Drive time: 4 hr 49 min (215 km)

Take blessings at the Mallikaarjuna temple

2. Ananthagiri Hills: For foggy mornings and mental decluttering

This one’s for the days when your brain feels like a browser with 37 tabs open. Ananthagiri is where you go to switch everything off. It’s a dreamy green escape known for misty trails, ancient banyan trees, and the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple peeking through the canopy. You’ll find forest treks that smell like rain and soil, hills that feel like they’re hiding secrets, and chai that somehow tastes better under a foggy sky. It’s not dramatic. It’s not loud. And maybe that’s what makes it so magical.

Drive time: 2 hr 11 min (80 km)

3. Bidar: A forgotten fort-town with stories in its stones

Bidar feels like a history book you actually want to read. Located just across the Karnataka border, this underrated town is packed with Persian-inspired architecture, timeworn forts, and local stories that refuse to be forgotten. The Bidar Fort is massive and still standing strong — a slice of the Bahmani Sultanate wrapped in silence and wild grass. The town is also famous for Bidriware, a 500-year-old metal craft that’s as shiny as it is soulful. And somewhere between fort walls and quiet dargahs, you begin to wonder how something so old can still feel so alive.

Drive time: 2 hr 23 min (140 km)

Visit Bidar Fort

4. Warangal: Ancient ruins that feel strangely familiar

There’s something about ruins that gets me — the way they hold on, quietly proud, even when everything else has moved on. Warangal is full of them. The Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, those iconic stone arches, is both a symbol of strength and nostalgia. The Warangal Fort, with its scattered pillars and watchtowers, whispers stories of a time when dynasties rose and poets walked the courtyards. Add to that the serene Bhadrakali Lake and, ancient Ramappa Temple nearby, and you get a weekend that feels like walking through a medieval poem — a little melancholic, a lot mesmerising.

Drive time: 3 hr (145 km)

5. Medak: Gothic vibes and countryside calm, just hours away

You don’t expect to find gothic churches and English countryside vibes just two hours from Hyderabad — but that’s the thing about Medak. It surprises you. The Medak Cathedral, one of the largest in Asia, has stained-glass windows that catch the sun just right, making even the quietest Sunday morning feel cinematic. The drive is breezy, the town is laid-back, and the views from the church steps stretch into the horizon like a soft sigh. It’s the kind of place where you pause, take a deep breath, and remember what slowing down feels like.

Drive time: 2 hr 24 min (100 km)

Views of Medak Fort

6. Kurnool & Belum Caves: Above and below, time slows down

Somewhere beneath the earth, time sits still. That’s what it feels like when you descend into Belum Caves — India’s second-longest cave system. The air is cooler. The silence is thicker. And every tunnel, every chamber feels like nature’s slow, deliberate art. Close by is Kurnool, with its rugged forts and ancient temples that offer a contrasting story above ground. If you’ve ever wanted to feel small in the best possible way — to be reminded that the world existed long before deadlines — this is the trip to take.

Drive time: 3 hr 59 min (220 km)

7. Nagarjuna Sagar: Water, wonder, and quiet epiphanies

There’s water, and then there’s the kind of water that makes you feel like you're floating even when you're standing still. Nagarjuna Sagar, with its towering dam and serene reservoir, is a perfect blend of engineering and nature’s calm. The Ethipothala Waterfall nearby is a hidden gem, cascading like a quiet lullaby. And if you’re a history nerd at heart, the Nagarjunakonda island museum, accessible by boat, holds the remains of ancient Buddhist settlements that once thrived here. This is not just a picnic spot — it’s a reminder that beauty can be bold, soft, and soulful all at once.

Drive time: 3 hr 44 min (165 km)

The Ethipothala Waterfall of India

8. Koilkonda Fort: A rugged trek into history’s embrace

Every now and then, you need a place that’s raw and real — the kind where nature hasn’t been manicured and history hasn’t been polished. Koilkonda Fort is that kind of place. It’s a trekker’s dream and a storyteller’s muse. Built by the Qutb Shahi rulers, the fort sits quietly atop a hill, accessed through a trail of arched gateways, dried streams, and quiet stretches of solitude. You hike, you breathe, you look back — literally and metaphorically. And when you reach the top, it’s not just the view that takes your breath away. It’s how simple happiness can be, when there’s wind in your hair and stories under your feet.

Drive time: 2 hr 51 min (125 km)

Conclusion

Whether you call Hyderabad home or you’re just here for a while, the city stays with you — in its chaos, its chai, its charm. But every now and then, you need to step out to breathe, pause, and wander.

These getaways? They’re not just escapes. They’re reminders — that even the most beautiful cities need space, and even travellers need stillness.

And when you return? Hyderabad will be waiting, just the way it does — loud, loving, and full of life.