We all know about Goa, right? The city of beaches. But can you tell which city is known as the “Goa of the East”? No? Let us introduce you to Visakhapatnam, or Vizag, one of the best cities in the state of Andhra Pradesh and India. Located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, Visakhapatnam is a famous coastal & port city which is also the base for Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. Sublime beaches, clean roads, beautiful winter weather with Araku Valley on the outskirts, you cannot miss visiting Vizag during your trip to Andhra Pradesh. Let us guide you through some of the best places to visit in Visakhapatnam.

At about 9 km from Visakhapatnam Railway Station, Kailasagiri is a fascinating hill on the seafront that spreads across 350 acres of land. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best places to visit in Vizag. With an enchanting view of the beaches, sea, and the lush green forests, this place will simply blow your mind away. A beautifully carved statue of Lord Shiva is the primary attraction where at the base of the statue lies a brook that flows all the way to the foot of the hill. When you get to the hilltop, you will find attractive spots such as Shanku-chakra Names of Lord Venkateswara, the Titanic viewpoint, Jungle Trails, a floral clock, Manicured lawns, Art gallery & Children Park. Kailasgiri boasts of housing the biggest floral clock in India that has a diameter of 10 ft. The other thing people enjoy a lot is the toy train operated on top of the hill. Be here, you’ll simply going to love this place.

One of the top attractions of Visakhapatnam is Rishikonda Beach that is situated at about 15.5 km from the city railway station. With golden sands and the immense stretch of water, this magnificently looking beach is one of the best beaches in Andhra Pradesh. The sweet sound of the cool breeze, shining sand, the unspoiled beauty of the beach can calm any tiring soul. If you love water sports, then this is the place for you. You can enjoy windsurfing, speed boating, water skiing, and swimming along with sunbathing. You can spend an amazing time with your loved ones, offering a stunning view from the shades. There’s also an ancient 14th-century temple on the beach named Sapta Rusheswara Temple. You can even get a stay at the nearby beach resorts such as Senora Beach Club, Haritha Beach Resort, and Sai Priya Beach Resort.

At about 5 km from the city center, you come to one of the best places in Vizag, the Ramakrishna beach. Also known as the RK beach, it’s a spectacular tourist spot on the Bay of Bengal and is one of the most visited places in Vizag. The beach got its name from the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram. With the joint efforts from the Municipal Corporation of Visakhapatnam (MCV) and the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA), this beach is famous for family outings, attracting numerous visitors. The beach is best known for anchoring the INS Kursura Submarine Museum. It is said this submarine played an important role during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Apart from witnessing mesmerizing sunrises, you can also enjoy many water sport activities. Wondering what can be tried here? Well, sunbathing, beach volleyball, and water surfing will keep you busy for hours.

Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is yet another famous tourist spot in Visakhapatnam. It is situated at a mere distance of 9 Km from the city center. This park stretches over an area of 635 acres and houses 80 rare species of birds and animals. It is also one of the biggest zoological parks in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Here, you can witness different enclosures for carnivores, herbivores, small mammals, primates, lesser carnivores, and birds. These wild animals and birds roam freely in large open areas as if it’s their natural habitat. Which animals can be spotted here? Wolves, common langur, Himalayan black bears, olive baboons, mandrills, jackals, hippos, crocodiles, terrapins, and water monitor lizards amongst others. Besides different species of birds can also be spotted. Children will love this place. So don’t forget visiting this exciting place in Vizag during your trip.

The Submarine Museum in Vizag is located at a distance of 6 km from the city center. It is anchored on the RK beach and is a Russian built submarine — INS Kurusura Submarine — that participated in the Indo-Pak war in 1971. It has a glorious history and as per the records, it became part of the Indian Navy on December 18, 1969, served for over 30 years before it was decommissioned on February 28, 2001. After that, it was transformed into a museum in 2001 and is the first submarine tuned to a museum in Asia and second in the World. The submarine was brought from the sea to the sands of the RK beach & positioned on a concrete foundation to set up as a museum. It was built with the intention of creating awareness amongst people about how it works and how our great India Navy soldiers spend their lives inside it with narrow passages to move around and tiny rooms. Guides are available inside to help you learn more about it.

At about 32 km from the Vizag city center, Bheemiliy beach is a picturesque beach that is located at the mouth of the river Gosthani. With its unspoiled beachfront, clear blue water, and the soft golden sand, this is a perfect place for anyone who loves nature and adventures. Statues of Buddha, Five Pandavas, and a dinosaur are constructed on a concrete pathway along the beach and they look beautiful. This beach is pretty safe for swimming and you can enjoy other water sports such as scuba diving, water skiing, snorkelling  and boating. The beach presents a gorgeous seafront to the fishing town of Bheemunipatnam which was once an important Buddhist center. On the top of a hill, you can sight the lighthouse and a small shrine dedicated to Lord Narasimha. Besides, St. Peter's Church, Maharaja's guest house, and clock tower are some of the other attractions of this beach. Several accommodation options are available here such as the Keertana Vanam Beach Resort managed by the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA).

The Visaka Museum is one of the oldest museums in Andhra Pradesh which is located at about 5 Km from the Vizag city center. It lies on the shores of the RK beach and is a remarkable center that houses historical treasures and artifacts of the region. The varied collections in the museum include stuffed animals, coins, ancient armory, silk costumes, portraits, shells of an unexploded bomb dropped by the Japanese during World War II, crockery, jewellery  diaries, letters, manuscripts, scrapbooks as well as periodicals, maps, and so on. The museum was made public in the year 1991 and is housed in 150-year old architecturally impressive Dutch Bungalow.

At a distance of about 5 Km from the Vizag city center, Sri Venkateswara Swamy Konda is a popular sanctuary committed to Lord Venkateswara. It is believed that it was constructed under the European Captain Blackmoor in 1866, as mentioned in the Telugu engravings. This historic sanctuary has a small steeply pyramidal passage gopura. This place is for the ones who want to pay a devotional visit to the Lord with a stunning view of the port-channel, the passageway of the internal harbor for boats and liners.

Simhachalam is a famous Hindu temple that is located at about 18 km from the Vizag city center. This historic 11th-century temple is a dedication to Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy who is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu. The temple is situated on top of the Simhachalam Hills and is one of the richest temples in Andhra Pradesh. It is said that the temple was constructed in 1098 by the Chola king, Kulothunga Chola. Several other kings offered their contributions in the form of golden armor gifted by the queen of Kalinga and the construction of the central shrine by Narasimha Deva, the Eastern Ganga King in 1267. The temple is managed by the Pusapati Gajapatis, for the last three centuries. The architecture of the central shrine is inspired by the typical Kalinga style. You will notice some similarities of the artwork here with that of Konark. This temple houses a beautiful stone chariot drawn by horses. Millions of devotees pay a holy visit to this temple every year, particularly, during the Chandanotsavam Festival Season.

VUDA Park also known as the Tarak Rama Park is one of the most peaceful and beautiful spots in Vizag for tourists and locals. It is located at a distance of 6 Km from the Vizag city center near the RK beach. It is also one of the most attractive leisure spots in Vizag and it is named after the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Sri NT Rama Rao. Locals and tourists can enjoy many activities at the park which include but not limited to boating and swimming along with horse and camel riding. Besides, flower gardens, gorgeous long lawns, artificial caves, flower gardens, and a children's park are some of the other attractions. For children, the playpen in the park has around 3000 plastic balls and boxing bags. You will see many children on this side of the park enjoying their time. The dancing musical fountain in Vuda Park serves as another source of amusement.

The list of places to visit in Vizag can go on and on. What we have provided above are the ones that you should not miss visiting during your trip. Besides what listed above, if you have time, and interest in exploring more of Vizag, then you can also visit

• Dolphin Nose which is a huge rocky promontory

• Rose Hills, which is central and highest among the lines of three hills

• Yarada Beach for a calm and serene time spending

• Darga Konda, which is a mausoleum of the Muslim saint, Baba Ishaq Madina

• Vizag Harbor, which is the largest natural port in India

• Gangavaram Beach, serene and beautiful

• Kondakarla Ava, the Vizag backwaters