Lucknow

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

India

$28.99

Shop Book

The third Nawab of Avadh, (Husainabad Imambada), Uttar Pradesh, India.

©Rajeev Gupta/500px

Overview

Sprinkled with Islamic and British Raj–era architecture, stuffed with fascinating bazaars and famed throughout India for its food, the capital of Uttar Pradesh is something of a sleeper: plenty worth seeing, but often overlooked by travelers. Central Lucknow features wide boulevards, epic monuments and several parks and gardens that contribute to an atmosphere of faded grandiosity.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

Bara Imambara
Lucknow
This colossal imambara (Shiite tomb complex) is worth seeing in its own right, but the highly unusual labyrinth of corridors inside its upper floors make…
Residency
Lucknow
The large collection of gardens and ruins that makes up the Residency offers a fascinating historical glimpse of the beginning of the end for the British…
Chota Imambara
Lucknow
This elaborate black-and-white tomb was constructed in 1832 by the third king of Oudh, Mohammed Ali Shah (who is buried here, alongside his mother)…
La Martinière School
Lucknow
This prestigious boarding school – where British pop legend Sir Cliff Richard studied – was designed and built by influential Frenchman Major General…
Rumi Darwaza
Lucknow
Just beyond the Bara Imambara, the striking Rumi Darwaza was built in the 1780s by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. It's unusual but imposing, and said to be a copy…
Tomb of Saadat Ali Khan
Lucknow
The former Kaiserbagh garden holds the tomb of Saadat Ali Khan, the fifth nawab of Oudh (ruled 1798–1814), whose body is buried in the crypt below. A ₹50 …
Zoo
Lucknow
The large, shady zoo is depressing, with animals pacing up and down in their small enclosures, but you must enter it if you want to visit Lucknow’s fine…
State Museum
Lucknow
This overlooked museum houses sculptural masterpieces dating back to the 3rd century AD, including intricately carved Mathura sculptures ranging from…