Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

There's a U. P. Tourism Reception Counter (tel. 0522/263-6173) at Charbagh Station. The U. P. Tourism Regional Office (tel. 0522/263-8105; Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, closed Sun and second Sat of the month) is at 10 Station Rd.; best to browse www.lucknowonline.com before your visit. The 24-hour emergency help line number is tel. 99355-667788.

Getting There

By car, the trip from Delhi takes roughly 10 hours, by bus 12 hours; far better to fly. Lucknow's Amausi Airport is 14km (9 miles) from the town center (Rs 150-Rs 250/$3.40-$5.70 for a prepaid taxi into town). Lucknow is served by all the main domestic airlines. Flights from Delhi take an hour. Other connected cities include Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Varanasi. The Lucknow Mail leaves Delhi at 10pm and arrives in Lucknow at 7am the following day. Alternatively, enjoy the scenery by catching the Lucknow Shatabdi at 6:15am; the train pulls in at Lucknow's Charbagh Station at 12:30pm.

Getting Around

By Taxi & Auto-Rickshaw -- You can see just about everything Lucknow has to offer in half a day. Hire an auto-rickshaw or a taxi with a driver for the duration; be sure to settle the price in advance.

Guided Tours & Travel Agents

One of the most reputable travel agents in Lucknow is Tornos House (tel. 0522/239-6965 or -9472; info@tornosindia.com; tornos@stayam.net.in), which supplies transport and keen guides (Rs 350/$8 half-day; Rs 500/$11 full day) who can take you to little-known places of interest. This is quite easily the best tour of Lucknow available, and from an extremely tourist-friendly company. Or for around Rs 125 ($2.85), you can join the U. P. Tourism bus tour of Lucknow, taking in the city's most popular sights, including the Residency, the three Imambaras, the Clock Tower, the Picture Gallery, and the Martyr's Memorial. Sita World Travel/SOTC (Rana Pratap Marg; tel. 0522/220-9611) is a consistently reliable national travel agent.

Festivals

Rooted in Shia Muslim traditions, Lucknow enjoys some unique customs, the most significant of which is Muharram, a festival that commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet's grandson. Whereas in other parts of the world, Muharram lasts between 10 and 12 days, in Lucknow it extends over 2 months and 8 days. During this time, people gather in the Shia imambaras in the presence of taziyas (replicas of the tombs of the martyrs), and it's not uncommon to see men flagellating themselves with knives and chains as symbolic acts of their need to be forgiven for being unable to help defend the martyr.