Visakhapatnam (Vizag)
Port city where the Eastern Ghats meet the Bay of Bengal
Best time to visit Visakhapatnam (Vizag)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: December to February
- Shoulder: March and September to November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to August
Visakhapatnam (Vizag) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Driest, coolest, safest window on this coast - clear skies and the lowest cyclone risk.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Hot and humid off the Bay of Bengal; beaches work early morning, sticky by midday.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Heavy humid rain, sea often rough for swimming - fine for the city, not for the beach.
Autumn October to November Shoulder
Oct-Nov is peak Bay of Bengal cyclone season - Hudhud hit Vizag itself in Oct 2014.
What Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is actually like
A workaday port city - solo travelers mostly pass through en route to Araku.
Things to do in Visakhapatnam
The local places worth your time in and around Visakhapatnam, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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Kailasagiri
Park · 8 km out
Hilltop park with the big Shiva and Parvati statue and a ropeway up; go for sunset over the port, skip the toy train.
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Simhachalam Temple
Temple · 16 km out
Hill temple whose Narasimha idol stays caked in sandalwood all year except for one spring day; steep road, buses from the RTC complex.
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Ramakrishna Beach
Beach · 3 km out
The city promenade beach, better for an evening walk past the war memorials than for swimming; the water pulls hard.
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INS Kurusura Submarine Museum
Museum · 3 km out
A real Soviet built submarine beached on RK Beach and opened up inside; closed Mondays, tight ladders, bags left outside.
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Yarada Beach
Beach · 16 km out
Crescent of sand behind the hills past Dolphin's Nose, the prettiest stretch here; no lifeguards and the seabed drops fast.
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Erra Matti Dibbalu
Dunes · 20 km out
Red laterite badlands on the Bheemili coast road, a protected geo site; go early or late, there is no shade anywhere.
Getting to Visakhapatnam (Vizag)
Direct flights and trains from all major Indian cities.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 0 m
- State
- Andhra Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 17.6868, 83.2185
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Visakhapatnam (Vizag)?
December to February is peak season in Visakhapatnam (Vizag). March and September to November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to August. Driest, coolest, safest window on this coast - clear skies and the lowest cyclone risk.
How many days do you need in Visakhapatnam (Vizag)?
2 days is the usual stay. A workaday port city - solo travelers mostly pass through en route to Araku.
How do you get to Visakhapatnam (Vizag)?
Direct flights and trains from all major Indian cities. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Visakhapatnam (Vizag) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
What are the best things to do in Visakhapatnam?
Kailasagiri, Simhachalam Temple, Ramakrishna Beach, INS Kurusura Submarine Museum, Yarada Beach and Erra Matti Dibbalu. Hilltop park with the big Shiva and Parvati statue and a ropeway up; go for sunset over the port, skip the toy train.
Nearby, and where to go next
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Bheemili (Bheemunipatnam)
Andhra Pradesh
Dutch tombs and a river mouth at the end of the beach road
40 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly under an hour by road
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Vizianagaram
Andhra Pradesh
Pusapati fort town of gate towers and Telugu music schools
70 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 1 h by road
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Vanjangi (Paderu)
Andhra Pradesh
Sunrise above a sea of clouds from a grassy ridge near Paderu
110 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 3 h by road
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Lambasingi
Andhra Pradesh
The one village in Andhra where winter dawns bring frost
100 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 2 h by road
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Araku Valley
Andhra Pradesh
Eastern Ghats coffee valley on a tunnel-laced toy train
120 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 3 h by road
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Deomali
Odisha
Odisha's highest peak at 1672 m above a sea of cloud
170 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 4 h by road
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Duduma Falls (Machkund)
Odisha
Machkund river hurls itself 175 m off the Eastern Ghats plateau
160 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 3 h by road
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Koraput
Odisha
Eastern Ghats coffee town of tribal markets and mist
180 km from Visakhapatnam (Vizag), roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Andhra Pradesh
- Ahobilam Andhra Pradesh
- Araku Valley Andhra Pradesh
- Atapaka (Kolleru Lake) Andhra Pradesh
- Baruva (Sompeta) Andhra Pradesh
- Belum Caves Andhra Pradesh
- Bhairavakona Andhra Pradesh
- Bheemili (Bheemunipatnam) Andhra Pradesh
- Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Dindi (Konaseema Backwaters) Andhra Pradesh
- Gandikota Andhra Pradesh
- Horsley Hills Andhra Pradesh
- Kondaveedu Fort Andhra Pradesh
- Lambasingi Andhra Pradesh
- Lepakshi Andhra Pradesh
- Mahanandi (Nava Nandi) Andhra Pradesh
- Manginapudi Beach (Machilipatnam) Andhra Pradesh
- Maredumilli Andhra Pradesh
- Nagarjuna Sagar (Nagarjunakonda) Andhra Pradesh
- Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh
- Orvakal Rock Garden Andhra Pradesh
- Papikondalu (Godavari Gorge) Andhra Pradesh
- Penukonda Andhra Pradesh
- Srisailam Andhra Pradesh
- Suryalanka Beach (Bapatla) Andhra Pradesh
- Talakona Falls Andhra Pradesh
- Tirupati Andhra Pradesh
- Ubbalamadugu Falls (Tada) Andhra Pradesh
- Vanjangi (Paderu) Andhra Pradesh
- Vizianagaram Andhra Pradesh
- Yaganti Andhra Pradesh