Saturday

3. ­Art and Coffee, 11 a.m.

Curious about the artistic talent emerging from this region of India? Then a visit to the Kalakriti Art Gallery at Banjara Hills Road No.10 is a requisite. Here, you’ll browse works by B. Srinivas Reddy, Kauser Qureshi, Balaji Ponna and Muktinath Mondal — but first, brunch. At the adjacent Gallery Café, choose from ice cream waffles (150 rupees), a corn-and-spinach focaccia sandwich (160 rupees) or a paneer-paratha-tortilla wrap (180 rupees). Just be sure to have your cappuccino (90 rupees) with a slice of cardamom-spiced carrot cake (80 rupees).

4. ­Fashion Finds, 1 p.m.

While Hyderabadi attire is synonymous with opulent threadwork, heavy tiers of silk and gilded beading, the contemporary fashion scene is evolving as well. Almari (“closet”) is a glossy showroom for top fashion designers from around the country, and the glittery blouses and purses suspended from the ceiling give the space a gallery-like feel. For a more traditional ambience, head to Manomay, an opulent boutique modeled after the 18th-century Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad’s Old City. The warren of rooms is the setting for designs by Astha Narang, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Ranna Gill and more, and the interior’s Old World details are thoughtfully conceived: An antique palanquin serves as a showcase; an intricately carved bookshelf doubles as a shoe rack.

5. ­Royal Reprieve, 3 p.m.

From a faux palace, make your way to a real one. The late-19th-century Falaknuma Palace stands high atop a hill overlooking Hyderabad’s Old City, but it might well be from another world altogether:The architecture and interiors are an unexpected mix of English, Venetian, Japanese, French, Chinese and Moghul influences. The opulent estate once served as a guesthouse for royal visitors of the Nizam, Hyderabad’s fabulously wealthy erstwhile ruler; in 2010 it was transformed into one of India’s finest palace hotels. Even if an overnight stay is a touch too pricey, you can always make a reservation for a meal and request a guided tour. Afternoon tea (2,250 rupees a person) begins at 3:30 at the Celeste restaurant, near the Gol Bungalow terrace with its gilded dome. Choose from an English high tea with sandwiches and biscuits or a Nizami version with samosas and pakoras; either repast is fit for a king. Visitors need a reservation for tea or for a meal at one of the restaurants to make it past the gates.

6. ­A View Worth the Climb, 5 p.m.

At the heart of Hyderabad’s Old City, Charminar, an archway and mosque constructed in 1591 by the then-ruler Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah to commemorate the end of a plague outbreak, is Hyderabad’s most widely recognized landmark — there’s even a gilded tribute erected in the city’s ultramodern IT hub, about 13 miles away. Make a circuit around the structure, admiring its intricate domes and minarets hewed from limestone and granite, but be sure to climb to the top for a panoramic late-afternoon view over the chaotic lanes of the old city below. It’s a fairly easy walk up (albeit through an ancient and very congested staircase), and admission is a mere 100 rupees per person for non-Indians.

7. ­Glittering Gifts, 6 p.m.

Despite its landlocked location, Hyderabad is lovingly referred to as the City of Pearls, thanks to its bustling jewelry trade. And while diamond mines outside the city may have unearthed some of the world’s most famous diamonds — the Kohinoor and Hope among them — there is bling for every budget on offer in Hyderabad. In one of the lively arteries off the Charminar, Laad Bazaar is famed for its glittery glass bangles in every conceivable color and pattern; don’t leave the city without at least an armful, either for yourself or as an inexpensive gift.

8. ­Throwback Dining, 8 p.m.

Many Indians lament the decline of the beloved Irani cafe; the team behind the ultrahip SodaBottleOpenerWala went ahead and reinvented one. The original Irani cafes were once a mainstay in Mumbai’s Parsi community, thanks to their lively ambience and staples like berry pulao (rice with vegetables, nuts and berries) and bun-maska (bread and butter). The playful SodaBottleOpenerWala, a chain with outposts in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore, is a whimsical tribute to retro cafe culture, from the throwback interiors (checkerboard floors, vintage photographs, an old jukebox) to the food (eggs kejriwal, mutton dhansak, kheema pav). Dinner will come to less than 2,000 rupees for two.