What to Do in Visakhapatnam in a Weekend: A Complete 48-Hour Guide
Words by
Akshita Sharma
If you have spent any time on India's eastern coastline, you already know that Visakhapatnam sits at something of a crossroads. The city faces the Bay of Bengal directly, which means the sea breeze arrives early in the morning and lingers until well past sunset, and it carries with it the smell of salt, diesel from the fishing trawlers at Pendra Road, and the frying oil from countless small eateries along Beach Road. This is what to do in Visakhapatnam in a weekend if you want to feel like you actually belong here rather than passing through on some packaged tour.
Arriving on Saturday Morning: The Beach Road Ritual
Most people land at Visakhapatnam International Airport around dawn, and if you are one of them, do yourself a favor and head straight to RK Beach before you do anything else. Beach Road runs parallel to the shore from the fishing harbor all the way south past Yarada, and the early morning hours between 5:30 and 7:30 are when the city actually wakes up. Joggers use the promenade, temple bells ring from the small shrines tucked into the rocks along the shoreline, and the fishermen are already hauling nets by hand at the northern end near the harbor entrance.
1. The Rushikonda Strip
Rushikonda Beach sits about eight kilometers north of the city center along the scenic route that locals call the Beach Road proper. The incline down to the sand is steep, which means the waves hit harder here than at RK Beach, and on Saturday mornings the crowd skews young, college students mostly, here for the cheap coconut water and the rope swings that the local vendors rig up between the casuarina trees. Come here specifically for the sunrise view if your flight lands early enough, and order a masala chai from the cart nearest the steps. The vendor, an older man named Raju, has been here for over twenty years and will tell you exactly which rock pool to check for hermit crabs if you ask nicely.
The Vibe? Outdoorsy and unpretentious, no entry fee, just sand and salt air.
The Bill? Coconut water costs 40 rupees, chai is 20 rupees.
The Standout? The rope swings and the view north toward the city skyline as the sun clears the horizon.
The Catch? There is no real shade except under the casuarina trees, so bring a cap or an umbrella if you burn easily.
Late Saturday Morning: Temples and Hilltop Views
By nine in the morning the heat starts to build, and that is the perfect time to shift inland to the hills that frame the city to the northwest. Kailasagiri sits at about 160 meters above sea level and you can reach it by road or by the ropeway that costs 200 rupees for a round trip. I have taken the ropeway in both directions, and the best approach is going up in the morning when the city looks like a sprawl of red tile roofs and narrow streets beneath you. The hilltop itself has the Shiva Parvati statue that most guides mention, but what people miss is the network of walking paths that cut through the dry scrub forest on the eastern face of the hill. Those paths are where you hear the jungle babbler birds and occasionally spot a peacock strutting across the rocks.
2. Kailasagiri Hill Park
The park has a small train ride for children, a ropeway, and several viewpoints, but the real value here is the panoramic sweep you get on a clear morning. The Bay of Bengal stretches to the east, the city spreads below, and on the far horizon you can sometimes see the hills of the Eastern Ghats turning blue. There is a small temple at the summit with a danda that devotees climb at dawn, and if you arrive before eight in the morning you will have the place almost to yourself.
The Vibe? Open air and slightly touristy, but the scale of the view makes it worthwhile.
The Bill? Ropeway tickets are 200 rupees for adults, park entry is 30 rupees per person.
The Standout? The panoramic view of the coastline and the city from the ropeway on the way up.
The Catch? The food stalls near the top are overpriced and the water quality is questionable, so bring your own bottles.
From Kailasagiri it takes roughly twenty minutes by auto rickshaw to reach Simhachalam, which sits perched on its own hill about sixteen kilometers from the city center. The Simhachalam Temple is one of the oldest in the region, dedicated to Lord Narasimha, and the architecture reflects the Kalinga style with heavy stone carvings that date back to the Chalukya period in the eleventh century. The temple complex is surprisingly cool inside because the corridors are narrow and the sanctum sits deep within the structure, and the aroma of camphor and jasmine flowers hits you the moment you pass through the main gopuram.
3. Simhachalam Temple
The temple operates from five in the morning until nine at night, and the best window to visit is between eight and ten in the morning on a Saturday when the morning prayers are still being performed but the afternoon school groups have not yet arrived. The devotees line up for the darshan and the priests perform the abhishekam with water, milk, and sandal paste at regular intervals. Do not miss the stone carvings on the outer walls that depict scenes from the Narasimha avatar, and look up at the ceiling of the main hall where faded murals show the ten avatars of Vishnu.
The Vibe? Deeply spiritual, organized, and surprisingly calm once you get past the entrance area.
The Bill? Free entry, but you can donate at the hundi or pay for a special darshan.
The Standout? The eleventh century Chalukyan stone carvings on the outer walls.
The Catch? Photography is strictly prohibited inside the sanctum, and security checks bags at the entrance.
Saturday Afternoon: Caves and Coffee Country
If you have a full afternoon and access to a car or a cab, the trip to Borra Caves should be on your itinerary. The drive takes about two and a half hours from Visakhapatnam and winds through the Araku Valley, which sits at roughly 900 meters elevation in the Eastern Ghats. The road itself is part of the experience, with hairpin bends that drop into river valleys and tea gardens that cover the hillsides in neat rows. Borra Caves are limestone formations that go down about 80 meters at the deepest point, and the stalactites inside have been growing for a reported 65 million years. Bring a torch or use your phone flashlight, because the lighting inside is minimal and there are spots where you need to duck under low-hanging rock.
4. Borra Caves
The cave entrance is at an elevation of about 1,200 meters, and the surrounding area has several tribal villages that belong to the Khond community. The local tour operators in Araku can arrange a guide who will explain the formation names inside the cave, including the Shiva lingam that sits in the deepest chamber. The temperature inside the cave is noticeably cooler than outside, which is a relief after the heat of the drive. After you exit the caves, the nearby Katiki Waterfall is worth the short hike if you have the energy, and the sound of the water hitting the rocks echoes through the valley in a way that feels completely removed from the city.
The Vibe? Adventure mixed with natural wonder, genuinely impressive on a geological level.
The Bill? Entry to the cave is 25 rupees for Indian visitors, parking is 50 rupees, guide charges are around 300 rupees for a group.
The Standout? The stalactite and stalagmite formations that look like organic shapes in the torchlight.
The Catch? The road to Araku is steep and winding, so take motion sickness tablets if you are prone to nausea.
Saturday Evening: Seafood and Sundowners at the Coast
By late afternoon you should be back in Visakhapatnam, and the evening along the beach road takes on a completely different character. The sun drops fast over the Bay of Bengal, turning the sky orange and pink within about twenty minutes, and the breeze coming off the water makes the heat bearable. RK Beach fills up with families and couples, and the vendors set up along the promenade selling roasted corn, bhelpuri, and fried fish that gets wrapped in newspaper cones.
5. Sea Food Stalls Near RK Beach
The row of small restaurants directly behind RK Beach, along the road called Beach Road itself, serves some of the best coastal Andhra seafood you will find anywhere in the city. I have eaten at several of these over multiple visits, and the ones closest to the cricket pitch area tend to have the freshest catch because they buy directly from the boats that come in at Pendra Road harbor before noon. Order the prawns fry, which is jumbo prawns marinated in turmeric and chili and shallow fried until the shells crisp up, or the fish curry that uses the本地 variety called sheela, which is a small silver fish that absorbs the tamarind and curry leaf gravy beautifully.
The Vibe? Casual, loud, and delicious, with plastic chairs set up right next to the road.
The Bill? A full meal with fish curry, rice, and two prawn dishes costs between 300 and 500 rupees per person.
The Standout? The prawns fry ordered directly from the kitchen, not from the heated display case.
The Catch? Service can be slow when the place gets busy on Saturday evenings, and the hand washing facilities are rudimentary at best.
Sunday Morning: The Submarine and the Headland
Sunday in Visakhapatnam should start early, and the first stop is INS Kurusura, the decommissioned Soviet-origin submarine that was converted into a museum and anchored off RK Beach. The submarine sits in shallow water and you walk down a gangway to board it, and once inside you realize how impossibly small the living and working spaces are. The torpedo tubes, the control room, the bunks, all of it is original and preserved, and the guides on board are retired Navy personnel who can tell you exactly what every lever and dial does. The entry fee is reasonable and the experience is genuinely unique, especially if you have never been inside a military submarine before.
6. INS Kurusura Submarine Museum
The museum is open every day from nine in the morning until five in the evening, and the best time to visit is between nine and eleven in the morning when the sun is not yet directly overhead and the queue is manageable. The guided tour takes about forty-five minutes and covers the operational history of the submarine, including its role in the 1971 war. After the tour, walk north along the beach toward Dolphin's Nose, which is the massive headland that juts into the sea about two kilometers from the submarine.
The Vibe? Historical, educational, and oddly intimate once you step inside the narrow hull.
The Bill? Entry is 40 rupees for adults, photography inside requires a special permit that costs 200 rupees.
The Standout? The guided tour by retired Navy personnel who actually served on submarines.
The Catch? The gangway to the submarine can be slippery when wet, and the interior spaces are not air conditioned.
Sunday Late Morning: Lighthouse and the Northern Beaches
From Dolphin's Nose, the road continues north past the lighthouse at Visakhapatnam, which is one of the oldest on the east coast and still operational. The lighthouse keeper can sometimes arrange a climb to the top if you ask politely at the base station, and the view from the gallery at the top sweeps the entire coastline from Yarada in the south to Bheemunipatnam about thirty kilometers to the north. After the lighthouse, take an auto rickshaw to Lawson's Bay Beach, which is quieter than RK Beach and surrounded by a small residential neighborhood that has a handful of decent vegetarian restaurants.
7. Lawson's Bay Beach
This beach is where locals from the MVP Colony area come on Sunday mornings, and the water is calmer here than at Rushikonda because the headland to the north blocks the bigger swells. The beach has a small canteen run by the fisheries department that sells fried fish and rice at subsidized rates, and there is a children's play area with swings that makes it popular with young families. The tree cover here is better than at most other beaches in the city, with casuarina and coconut palms providing real shade by mid-morning.
The Vibe? Low key and residential, the kind of place where you feel like an insider rather than a tourist.
The Bill? Beach entry is free, food from the canteen costs under 100 rupees per person.
The Standout? The calm water and the tree cover that makes it comfortable even in late morning.
The Catch? There are no public restrooms near the beach, so plan accordingly before you arrive.
Sunday Afternoon: Markets and Local Shopping
After the beach, head into the Dwaraka Nagar area for some local shopping. The Dwaraka Nagar Main Road and the lanes leading off it toward Jagadamba Junction have a mix of clothing stores, electronics shops, and small stalls selling everything from brass lamps to plastic toys. The real find here is the cluster of traditional sweet shops that line the side streets near the RTC Bus Station, where you can buy regional sweets like kaja, bobbatlu, and putarekulu that are made fresh in the mornings.
8. Local Sweet Shops Near RTC Market
The sweet shop called Kridor near the RTC Bus Station is one of the oldest in the city, and its putarekulu, which are thin rice paper rolls stuffed with crushed jaggery and coconut, are made in the back room where you can watch the women rolling the dough into translucent sheets on hot plates. The kaja from this shop is lighter and less oily than what you get in the bigger commercial sweet marts, and it travels reasonably well if you need to take some back home. Buy them fresh in the morning because they lose their crunch by afternoon.
The Vibe? Working class and local, with the sounds of bus engines and street vendors as the background track.
The Bill? Putarekulu cost about 300 rupees per kilogram, kaja is around 350 rupees per kilogram.
The Standout? The fresh putarekulu made to order in the back room.
The Catch? The RTC Market area is chaotic on weekends with heavy traffic and limited parking.
Sunday Evening: Sunset Point at Yarada
End your weekend with the drive down to Yarada Beach, which sits about fifteen kilometers from the city center on a peninsula that is flanked by the sea on three sides. The road down is narrow and winds through a small fishing village before opening up to the beach, and the sunset here is considered one of the best in the region because the sun drops behind the hills rather than directly into the sea. There is a small temple at the top of the hill overlooking the beach, and the rocks around it are popular with photographers who come for the silhouette shots as the sky turns colors.
The Vibe? Secluded and scenic, with a genuine small-village feel that the closer beaches have lost.
The Bill? Free entry, parking is 30 rupees if you drive.
The Standout? The sunset view with the hills as backdrop rather than open water.
The Catch? The beach has no restaurants or facilities, so bring water and snacks with you.
When to Go / What to Know
The best time to visit Visakhapatnam is between October and March when the weather is relatively cool and the sea is calm enough for boat trips and beach activities. April and May are very hot, with daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 38 degrees, and the monsoon arrives in June and stays through September, sometimes causing flooding in the low-lying areas near the coast.
For transport within the city, auto rickshaws are the most practical option for short distances and you should always negotiate the fare before you get in because the meters are rarely used. The bus network operated by APSRTC is extensive and cheap, but the routes can be confusing if you do not speak Telugu flu
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