Lucknow Holidays

This walking tour of Lucknow is a must if you want to understand the history of the city, its Nawab and colonial roots. Tours are led by knowledgeable local guides who can connect stories of the past with the present. As you’ll discover, the city is a blend of French, British and Nawab history as well as Shiite culture – Lucknow has the largest population of Shiite people outside of Iran.

You’ll start with a short horse-drawn carriage ride into the heart of the city and then explore some of Lucknow’s most important buildings and medieval markets. 

The monuments you will visit tell the story of the Nawabs, who ruled this region in the 18th and 19th century, followed by the British until India won independence in 1947. Sights include the ruins of a palace destroyed during the fight for freedom and the site where the last Union Jack flag was pulled down. You will spend a lot of time at The Residency, where the siege of 1957 occurred and around 3,000 British men, women and children died. It’s a powerful story of tragedy and struggle for liberation. You’ll also explore Dilkusha Park, where the British general Henry Havelock died.

Another key stop on the tour is La Martiniere, which was constructed by a soldier who switched sides from the French East India Company and rose to become a major general in the British force. Now a school, La Martiniere is known for its stunning architecture. It’s here that you’ll learn the story of Major William Hodson, another infamous figure in British colonial history, who’s buried here.

Explore Awadhi cuisine, which is unique to this region, on a popular evening food walk. Led by a food expert, you’ll hop from place to place, testing the signature dish at each eatery such as Lucknow’s famous melt-in-the-mouth kebab – these cooks are the masters of their trade. You’ll be taken to the places locals love; they might not look fancy but you just have to close your eyes and let your taste buds do the work.

The walk starts around 7pm when the food stalls and shops are in full swing. At each stop, your guide will talk you through the origins of the dishes you will sample, many are age-old recipes that have been passed down through the generations and are still cooked with traditional utensils and roasted over charcoal. You’ll learn about Awadhi food, which is a refined version of Mughlai cuisine with colonial influences from the British and French, as well as Persian flavours added by the many Shiites who’ve migrated to Lucknow.

Over the course of an hour and a half you’ll taste everything from tender water buffalo skewers to halva and goat meat with rice that’s been cooked in a sealed pot so it marinates in its juices. A highlight of the tour is trying Nihari gosht, trotters stewed overnight in mustard oil and chickpea flour, served with a flaky pastry to absorb the sauce. The mustard oil is buried under a tree through the monsoons and takes the aroma of the raindrops – it’s one of the favourite dishes of Lucknow.

Have tea with the famous Nawab Jafar Mir Abdullah, who’ll give you a unique insight into the former Nawab rulers who governed Lucknow in the 18th-19th centuries. The meeting takes place in the museum, surrounded by antiques and family heirlooms that Jafar often rents out to Bollywood films.

You’ll head to his house, a former palace, for tea at around 4.30pm, usually after a history tour of the city. While exploring the city, you will have heard all about the Nawabs so this is a special opportunity to meet one in person.

Enjoy a cup of chai accompanied by cookies, sandwiches and Indian snacks as you get to know Jafar. He’s a very charismatic, articulate man and an ambassador who appears on postcards because of his typical Nawab appearance. On his mother’s side, Jafar can trace his family’s roots back to the royal Nawabs of Lucknow and he has all sorts of stories and anecdotes to tell, including what life was like in British colonial times.