Private Guided Tour of Lucknow with Lunch

Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh in North India. It is a historically important city and for centuries was at the heart of the North Indian culture. It is also famed throughout India for its elaborate cuisine and exquisite shadow work embroidery. On your tour, you will learn about the fascinating history and culture of this city and enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant.

Highlights
• La Martiniere
• Lucknow Residency 
• Asafi Imambara
• Clock Tower
• Lunch at a local restaurant

You will be picked up from your hotel at 10:00 AM within the Lucknow city center. You will have an exclusive private guided city tour in an air conditioned vehicle. Lucknow is known for its history, culture and cuisine. The city has British Raj era buildings and two mausoleums. This capital of Uttar Pradesh is sometimes overlooked by travelers but it offers plenty of sights to visit and is famed throughout India for its food. Central Lucknow has wide boulevards, monuments, parks and gardens.

Visit the prestigious boarding school, La Martiniere. This was built by Frenchman Claude Martin as his palatial home. It has a facade that is part Roman archways, part Gothic horror movie, Disneyland castle and has turrets and gargoyles atop a long line of Corinthian columns.

You will also visit the Lucknow Residency. The gardens and ruins offer a glimpse into the beginning of the end for the British Raj. The Residency was the site of the dramatic events of the First War of Independence (Indian Uprising) in 1857. The Siege of Lucknow lasted 147 days and claimed the lives of 2197 defenders. Broken walls with marks from bullets and cannonballs are all that is left. You can visit the museum and cemetery.

See the tombs of Nawab Sadat Ali Khan and his wife. The architecture is an example of Indo-Syrian style.

One of the well known sites of Lucknow is the Asafi Imambara. It was built in 1775 by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. At the time a famine broke out in the city. It is said that the people would not accept alms so the Nawab began the construction of this Imambara Complex to provide employment to his people. The complex has a hall. a mosque, gardens and a step well. Also you can find a labyrinth to the left of the central hall. It leads to a network of narrow passageways that wind their way inside the upper floors of the structure and lead out to rooftop balconies.

The Rumi Darwaza is said to be a copy of an entrance gate in Istanbul. You will have a photo stop at the 220 foot tall red brick Clock Tower. It is said to be the tallest in India, built in 1880 in memory of Sir George Couper.

This tour includes lunch at a local restaurant. At the conclusion of the tour, you will be driven back to your hotel in Lucknow.