Visakhapatnam Araku Valley- Places to See & Things to Do

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Araku Valley is a tranquil retreat tucked in the heart of Andhra Pradesh, 3,000 feet above sea level. Blessed with tall mountain peaks, misty valleys, azure waterfalls, picturesque coffee plantations, and a rich tribal culture, Visakhapatnam Araku Valley makes for the perfect weekend getaway in South India! Here’s what to see and do there!

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Why should you visit Araku Valley?

Araku Valley is the uncommercialized Ooty of South India with fewer tourists and more serenity!

Located 115 km from Vizag, this valley in India’s Eastern Ghats is renowned primarily for its lush coffee plantations that add a delicious aroma to its cool and breezy environment!

Here are other reasons why this offbeat locale is great for your next holiday:

• The mesmerizing landscapes including sparkling streams, milky-white cascades, dense jungles, boundless foliage, coffee estates, limestone caves, and the scenic Eastern Ghats mountain ranges covered in mist!
• The first-ever tribal-grown and completely organic coffee in India!
• Year-round refreshing mountain breeze and a cool climate.
• An extensive tribal culture and heritage exhibited in their traditional dance (Dhamsa), handicrafts, art, locally sourced organic food, local artifacts, and colorful attire.
• One of the most scenic train journeys from Vizag to Araku that takes you through rolling hills, beautiful valley views, farmlands dotted with cattle, roaring waterfalls, 84 arched bridges, and over 50 tunnels!
• Abundant biodiversity with diverse fauna like Giant Indian Squirrels, leopards, sloths, barking deer, wild boars, and avifauna like Indian Paradise Flycatchers and Malabar Whistling Thrush.
• A plethora of activities await, including trekking, nature walks, camping, stargazing, wildlife sighting, birding, plantation tours, and more.

Best time to visit Araku Valley

Though it’s a year-round destination, November to February is considered the best time to visit Araku Valley near Visakhapatnam. The temperature here remains between 10°C and 25°C during this time.

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It’s the peak season and the weather during this time is cool and pleasant during the day and chilly at night. It’s the most comfortable weather conditions for sightseeing and outdoor activities.

March to June marks the summer season (shoulder season) and features cool evenings and mornings with balmy afternoons and high humidity. July to October (off-season) is the rainy season with high rainfall, refreshing natural beauty, and waterfalls flowing in full force!

You can also visit during the Itika Pongal festival in April and the Visakha Utsav in January, two of the most important and vibrant festivals celebrated in Araku Valley.

Places to see in Araku Valley

From coffee plantations to fierce waterfalls and misty valleys, there are several picture-perfect avenues to explore in Araku that will instantly recharge your senses!

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Borra Caves

Borra Caves, located 4,600 feet high in the Ananthagiri Hills, is one of the largest cave systems in India. Featuring oddly shaped stalagmites and stalactite formations, these limestone caves in Araku are said to be about a million years old!

The most interesting aspect of these caves is the bizarre shapes and illusions created by these natural structures courtesy of the play of light and shadows inside these dark caverns.

Location: Alluri Sitaram Raju, Araku, Andhra Pradesh 531149
Timings: 9:30 AM – 5 PM

Padmapuram Botanical Gardens

Established in 1942 to supply crops to World War 2 soldiers, the Padmapuram Botanical Gardens now stands as a symbol of Araku Valley’s rich biodiversity, exotic flora, and fertile plains!

With a diverse range of rare and exotic flora, a horticulture nursery, colorful flower beds, treehouses, stone sculptures, charming cottages, and the delightful Araku Express Toy Train, Padmapuram Botanical Gardens is a paradise for nature lovers, families with kids, photographers, and couples!

Location: Padmapuram village, ITDA Paderu, Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh 531151
Timings: 8:30 AM – 6 PM

Katiki Waterfalls

Katiki Waterfalls is the most beautiful waterfall in Araku Valley hidden deep inside dense woods and surrounded by a picture-perfect terrain of boulders and rocks.

This frothy cascade falls from a height of 50 feet amid lush vegetation and a rough-hewn terrain, creating the most mesmerizing blend of blue, green, and gray! It’s the perfect spot for a relaxing 20-minute forest hike, a fun picnic, and a romantic photography session!

Location: Katiki Waterfalls Rd, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Timings: 6 AM – 7 PM

Araku Tribal Museum

The centuries-old tribal populace of Araku Valley is an integral part of its ecosystem. Several key elements of their rich culture are on display at the Tribal Museum to give people a deep insight into the sustainable lifestyle, eco-friendly practices, and colorful heritage of these 19 primitive communities!

Located next to Araku Bus Stop, this exhibit shows their weapons, utensils, hunting equipment, farming tools, traditional attire, handicrafts, art, tools, and jewelry to create awareness about India’s ancient tribal cultures and how they live in harmony with nature!

There’s also a souvenir shop where you can buy handicrafts and handmade tribal art.

Location: Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh 531149
Timings: 9 AM – 7 PM
Entry fee: Adults – ₹10; Kids – ₹5

Araku Strawberry Farm

Don’t leave Visakhapatnam Araku Valley without exploring its lovely strawberry farms! Other than surplus coffee, Araku is also famous for growing abundant strawberries, especially the Strawberry Farm in Pedalabudu Village near the valley.

You can go on a thrilling strawberry-picking tour here and fill your basket with ripe, juicy strawberries among other products like jams, jellies, candies, and crushes produced and sold at the outlets here at nominal rates. December to February is the peak strawberry-plucking season here!

Location: Pedalabudu Village, Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh

Things to do in Araku Valley

With all the activities and experiences awaiting in Araku Valley, you’ll be spoilt for choice!

From hardcore adventure to refreshing activities for families, couples, and kids, Araku has something up its sleeve for everyone!

Trek to Ananthagiri Peak

Set at 3,800 feet, Ananthagiri Hills is sandwiched between Araku and Vizag and offers the most beautiful panoramic views of the whole valley from the top!

Trekking to the top of this mountain through misty grasslands, shimmering streams, and a thick forest is among the most adventurous things to do in Araku Valley.

Location: Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy, Telangana, 501102

Take a dip in Dumbriguda Waterfalls

The Dumbriguda Waterfalls is set in the most idyllic setting of lush vegetation and the dense jungles of the Eastern Ghats. It falls from a height of 40 feet into a pool of crystal-clear water suitable for swimming, provided you tread cautiously and do not slip on the rocks.

When this clear stream of water, its turquoise pool, and surrounding foliage covered in dew shimmer under the sunlight, it creates the most magical and picture-perfect scenery! It’s the perfect place for a trek, a picnic, a rejuvenating dip, and photography!

Location: Araku Road, Alluri Sitarama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh
Timings: 6 AM – 7 PM

Camp in the heart of the forest

Book a stay at Tyda Nature Camp, an ecotourism camping site offering accommodation in luxury tents tucked in the scenic hills of the Eastern Ghats inside a lush forest! It offers guided trekking tours, wildlife trekking, organic meals, rock climbing, archery, birdwatching, and nature walks as a part of your stay.

It’s perfect for adventure seekers and anyone who wishes to interact with the flora and fauna of Araku Valley from a close range!

Location: Visakhapatnam-Araku Ghat Road, Tyda Village, Visakhapatnam

Explore lush coffee plantations

The first thing that greets you when you drive into Araku Valley is the smell of fresh coffee! Needless to say, touring its scenic coffee plantations will be one of the most refreshing things you do here!

You can take a guided tour of the estates, watch local farmers pluck coffee beans, learn about their extensive cultivation system, and enjoy a coffee-tasting session before you buy the flavors you like at their plantation outlet.

Other than homegrown coffee, you must also buy Araku’s famed handmade chocolates in flavors like coffee, biscoff, peanut butter, coconut, honey, honeydew, and honey with almonds, among others.

Watch tribal dance performances

The traditional dance and dramatic folklore of Araku’s tribes are one of the most captivating things to witness. Their vivid attire, traditional music, fluid body movements, and rhythmic coordination will blow your mind!

These ritualistic dance forms represent their rich heritage, and you can witness them around religious sites during festivals and special occasions.

 

With scenic misty hills, coffee plantations, waterfalls, mountain treks, and vivid tribal culture, there’s much to explore in Andhra’s Araku Valley! Whether you ride a train through its tunnels and valleys or drive up winding roads leading past coffee estates, you’ll have the most refreshing experience of touring Visakhapatnam Araku Valley!