Every tour of Allahabad starts with the Sangam. And it should. Because the junction of Ganges and Yamuna with Saraswati joining them invisibly is what has made this city relevant for two millennia.

What is hardly ever mentioned is that there is another story behind this city. The treaty signed here in 1765 gave the right to the East India Company to levy revenue in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, which would be pretty much as close as it gets to the constitution of British colonial rule in India. The 1858 proclamation by which India was transferred from the East India Company to the Crown took place here. The family which spearheaded the fight for independence of the country and then ruled it as free, had their home in this city. And in 1975, the court ruling here triggered a sequence of events leading to the Emergency.

This city has played a part in turning around the direction of the whole country four times in the last two hundred years, and you can walk to all four places in one afternoon. This tour guide provides the list of places to visit in Allahabad together with their historical context, approximate entry fees

Allahabad at a Glance

Detail	What to Know
The name	Officially Prayagraj since 2018, still widely called Allahabad
Where	Southern Uttar Pradesh, at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna
The main sight	Triveni Sangam, reached by boat from the ghat
The annual event	Magh Mela, every January and February
The big one	Kumbh every six and twelve years, with Maha Kumbh in 2025
Best season	October to March
Worst season	May and June, when temperatures cross 44 degrees
Ideal trip length	2 days, or 3 with a day trip
The access catch	Allahabad Fort is an army installation with limited public entry
Railway	Prayagraj Junction, on the main Delhi to Kolkata line

Allahabad or Prayagraj? A Quick Note

The new name, Prayagraj, was announced for the city in 2018. Most railway stations, government signs, and most maps have now adopted the new name; many others, however, continue to refer to it as Allahabad.

In practice, both names are functional and will serve you well in a conversation. For train tickets and addresses, search Prayagraj. Prayagraj Junction was formerly known as Allahabad Junction, and there are multiple stations within the city, so do not confuse the two.

Four Turning Points, One City

This is the frame worth carrying around with you, because it turns a fairly ordinary looking city into something considerably more interesting.

Year	What Happened	Where You Can Stand
1765	The Treaty of Allahabad granted the East India Company revenue rights over Bengal, Bihar and Orissa	Allahabad Fort, where the negotiations centred
1858	The proclamation transferring India from the Company to the Crown was read out	Minto Park, now Madan Mohan Malaviya Park
1920s to 1940s	The Nehru family home served as a centre of the freedom movement and was donated to the nation	Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan
1975	A High Court judgment against a sitting Prime Minister triggered the Emergency	Allahabad High Court, viewed from outside

The park that no one comes to is Minto Park. This is a very basic park near the river Yamuna, having a white marble column with four stone lions on top, commemorating the 1858 proclamation. The park is very humble in its design considering it commemorates an event that was the most important in Indian administration history.

Places to Visit in Allahabad: The Shortlist

Place	What It Is	Time Needed
Triveni Sangam	The confluence, reached by boat	2 hours
Allahabad Fort	Akbar’s fort, with restricted public access	1 to 2 hours
Ashoka Pillar	One column carrying three empires’ inscriptions	Inside the fort
Patalpuri Temple and Akshayavat	An underground shrine and a sacred banyan	Inside the fort
Bade Hanuman Temple	A reclining Hanuman the river bathes each year	30 minutes
Anand Bhavan	The Nehru family home, now a museum	1.5 hours
Swaraj Bhavan	The older house, donated to the Congress	45 minutes
Khusro Bagh	Mughal garden tombs, quiet and beautiful	1 hour
All Saints Cathedral	A Gothic cathedral known as Patthar Girja	30 minutes
Chandrashekhar Azad Park	Where the revolutionary died in 1931	1 hour
Allahabad Museum	Inside the park, with Azad’s pistol	1 hour
Minto Park	The 1858 proclamation site	20 minutes
Allahabad University	The Oxford of the East, founded 1887	30 minutes
Alopi Devi Temple	A shrine with a cradle instead of an idol	30 minutes
Nagvasuki Temple	An old riverside temple above the Ganga	30 minutes

Triveni Sangam

The Ganga comes in dirty brown and thick. The Yamuna comes in green and clear. At their confluence, you can see the separation in the water, and it is said that the third river Saraswati meets in the underground stream, giving rise to the name Triveni meaning three braided streams.

The confluence point itself is reached by rowing boats from the ghats. The fee is per boat, not per head, and it is negotiable. It increases significantly during mela period. Booths are arranged at the confluence point for people wishing to take a dip there.

• Go early morning. This is the reason why one visits this place.
• Settle your boat fare, time of the ride and whether the waiting time is included before getting into the boat.
• Put on a life preserver, and do not overload the boat, however, pressurized the boatman might be.
• Women at the Sangam generally take bath in their clothes. Have a spare and a towel ready.
• Do not buy the wrapped offerings that are forced on you at the ghat.

Allahabad Fort: The Access Rules Nobody Explains

This fort was erected by Akbar in 1583 at the site of the Yamuna river bank near the confluence, and it is the biggest fort of Akbar. The fort is an ASI monument of national importance, but in addition, it is also an active Indian Army garrison, and this is the only information that is missing from all the tourist sites.

In other words, you will not be able to simply wander inside it. There is one part with the Patalpuri temple and Akshayavat tree that can be accessed through a separate gate and usually it is open for tourists. The access to other parts of the fort, including Ashoka pillar is limited and depends on the current situation, and usually they are open more during Magh Mela and Kumbh.

The Ashoka Pillar: one column, three empires

This is the most extraordinary piece in the city and also the most difficult to find.

The gleaming sandstone pillar erected by Ashoka in the third century BCE bears the edicts of the Mauryan ruler. A few centuries hence, Samudragupta inscribed the longest eulogy in Sanskrit language on the same pillar called Prayag Prashasti, which is the single most important document historians can depend on about the spread of the Gupta dynasty. A few more centuries hence, Jahangir added another inscription.

One stone pillar with the writings of the emperors of the Maurya, Gupta, and Mughal dynasties within a fort that belongs to yet another emperor. There is no other such place in all of India and located within a military cantonment, where few people even get to see it.

Patalpuri and the Akshayavat

Patalpuri is an underground temple that can be accessed via steps from the fort, with idols and low lighting. Next to this is Akshayavat, the immortal banyan, a tree that has mentions in ancient literature and has links to Ramayana.

This tree has an interesting story behind its origin. After the British seized the fort in the eighteenth century, access to the actual location was restricted, and the nineteenth century visitor notes that a fake stump was planted near the Patalpuri Temple, and this was called as the branch of the real tree despite the locals knowing this fact.

Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan

Two houses on the same compound, and in between a very large part of the twentieth-century Indian history!

Swaraj Bhavan is the older house, which was purchased by Motilal Nehru and donated by him to the Congress Party to be used as their headquarters. Anand Bhavan is the other house, which was constructed later by the family and they continued living there. The house has been donated to the nation and now stands converted into a museum. The rooms are maintained as they were, with the family’s library, furniture and personal collections. And the museum takes you through the story of the freedom struggle through the documentation available in this house and through their photographs.

• Irrespective of your political inclinations, the weight of history in these two houses is quite significant. Indira Gandhi was born in this house. Gandhi had come and stayed in this house. Several decisions that influenced the freedom struggle have been taken in these rooms.
• Visiting both the houses separately requires separate tickets.
• The place remains closed on Mondays.
• Taking photographs in the preserved rooms is restricted.
• The Jawahar Planetarium located in the same compound conducts regular shows.

Temples of Allahabad

• Bade Hanuman Temple, near the Sangam: This is the only large temple in the whole of India that has the idol of Lord Hanuman reclining and not standing. It is below ground level and during floods, water comes inside to cover the idol, which is believed to be the Ganga bathing the lord. No activity takes place until the waters subside.
• Alopi Devi Temple: Unique for the lack of an idol. There is a wooden cradle in worship inside, and the temple is considered one of the Shakti Peethas.
• Nagvasuki Temple: An ancient temple on a tall bank overlooking the Ganga at the north end of town. It is quiet and has nice views of the river.
• Mankameshwar Temple: A Shiva temple located on the banks of the Yamuna in the cantonment area. The temple is busy on Mondays in Sawan.
• Shankar Viman Mandapam: South Indian style temple tower at the Sangam area built on several levels.

The Magh Mela: A Kumbh Every Single Year

Everybody believes that the large-scale congregation at the Sangam takes place once every twelve years. This happens only with the larger festival.

Every year, during the month of Magh in January and February, there is a mela at the confluence site on the sands. There is a creation of an entire city temporarily with tents, roadways, electricity, and sanitization services for pilgrims to perform rituals at particular dates. Pilgrims perform kalpvasis who live an austere life in tents on the sands for the whole month and take bath daily.

Every six years, there is a large congregation but every twelve years there is a maha kumbh where in 2025 crowds were counted in billions.

• The best option for a first time visit would be the Magh Mela held once a year as compared to the Kumbh Mela due to the similar kind of camp set up, similar kind of ritual and similar ambiance but less number of people.
• There will be accommodation shortage for the main bathing dates in the city itself so plan early or avoid those particular days.
• The mela period provides you with access to certain areas of the fort which provide access to the Ashoka pillar.
• Crowd control is important and one must not take an uncharted route especially on the bathing dates.

Gardens, Parks and Colonial Allahabad

• Khusro Bagh: a spacious walled Mughal garden containing the tombs of Prince Khusrau, son of Emperor Jahangir, besides those of his mother and sister. The sandstone mausoleums are elegant, the garden is expansive, and it is mostly deserted. The most wonderful hour in town, gratis!
• All Saints Cathedral, also known as Patthar Girja: a nineteenth century cathedral in white and pink stones, designed by the same architect who later went on to design the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
• Chandrashekhar Azad Park: formerly called Alfred Park, and also the site where the freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad shot himself dead after a firefight with the police in 1931, and thus evaded capture. There is a monument to mark the spot.
• Allahabad Museum: within the grounds of the park, which contains exhibits including archeological relics, miniature paintings, terracotta and the pistol used by Azad.
• Allahabad University: established way back in 1887, and which once boasted of being called the Oxford of the East, with beautiful old buildings to visit.
• Allahabad High Court: one of the oldest high courts of India, and where the 1975 judgment was pronounced. It remains a working court so just admire it from outside.

Day Trips From Allahabad

Destination	Distance	Why Go	Time Needed
Shringverpur	About 40 km	The Ramayana site where Ram crossed the Ganga	Half day
Kaushambi	About 60 km	An ancient city with an Ashokan pillar and ruins	Half day
Chitrakoot	About 130 km	Ramayana hills, temples and Gupt Godavari	Full day
Varanasi	About 120 km	Ghats, temples and Sarnath	Full day or overnight
Vindhyachal	About 90 km	A major Shakti Peetha above the Ganga	Half day

Entry Fees and Costs

These are approximate figures for planning. Rates are revised periodically, so confirm at the counter before you visit.

Place or Activity	Approximate Cost (Rs)	Notes
Sangam boat, shared	100 to 300 per person	Rises sharply during mela season
Sangam boat, private	600 to 1,500 per boat	Agree duration and waiting time first
Allahabad Fort, accessible section	Free or nominal	Carry photo ID, security checks apply
Patalpuri Temple	Free	Steps down, not easy for elderly visitors
Anand Bhavan	50 to 100	Closed Mondays, planetarium ticketed separately
Jawahar Planetarium	80 to 150	Scheduled shows only
Swaraj Bhavan	Nominal	Same compound as Anand Bhavan
Allahabad Museum	50 to 100	Closed Mondays
Khusro Bagh	Free	Open through the day
All Saints Cathedral	Free	Active church, dress modestly
Chandrashekhar Azad Park	Free	Memorial at the site
Auto across the city	50 to 150 per hop	Agree the fare first
Full-day cab	2,000 to 3,000	Best for the temples and day trips

Best Time to Visit Allahabad

Months	Conditions	Verdict
October to February	Cool and dry, with winter fog from late December	Best window of the year
January and February	Magh Mela on the sands at the Sangam	The most interesting time to be here
March	Warming, still comfortable early in the month	Good, and quieter than mela season
April to June	Very hot, often past 44 degrees	Avoid
July to September	Monsoon, and the rivers run high	The Sangam point shifts and boating is limited

Two things worth planning around. Air quality across this part of the Gangetic plain is poor through November and December, and winter fog from late December regularly delays trains and flights.

A 2-Day Plan

Day	Morning	Afternoon and Evening
Day 1	Sangam boat at sunrise, then the fort section	Bade Hanuman, Anand Bhavan, Khusro Bagh at sunset
Day 2	Alopi Devi and Nagvasuki temples	Azad Park, the museum, Minto Park and the cathedral

Add a third day for Chitrakoot or Kaushambi. If you are here during the Magh Mela, give one full day to the mela grounds alone and let everything else fit around it.

Practical Tips Most Allahabad Guides Skip

• While arranging trains and searching for addresses, use Prayagraj instead of Allahabad.
• Check the name of the station mentioned in your train ticket because there are many stations.
• Have photo identification cards to get into the fort. It is an army fort and identification is required.
• Plan your visit to the Ashoka pillar but don’t make sure about it. It is not always accessible.
• Agree the fare of the boat in total including waiting before boarding into the boat. It is the most frequent source of problems for visitors.
• Anand Bhavan, Swaraj Bhavan and the museum are closed on Mondays. So have Monday for temples, parks and Sangam.
• Always have some cash in small notes for boats, offerings and auto-rickshaws.
• Try the local food specialties like kachori and sabzi from the sweet shops and lassi from the university area.

Trivia You Can Use to Sound Like a Regular

• The Ashoka Pillar at this place has three different inscriptions from three empires – the edicts of Ashoka, the Prayag Prashasti of Samudragupta and an inscription from the Mughals on the same column.
• The Prayag Prashasti is the most important historical record available today for the territorial range of the Gupta empire, and it was inscribed on a column that was already six centuries old at the time.
• The proclamation of handing over India from the East India Company to the British Crown was delivered in this very city and the monument commemorating this event is a small column in a secluded park.
• Mela is organized every year in the sands of the Sangam, not just every twelve years, and many pilgrims come and spend the whole month staying at the kalpvasi.
• The idol in the Bade Hanuman Temple is placed below the ground level and during the flood of the Ganga, it comes into the temple and drenches the deity, which is considered bathing by the river locally.
• In Alopi Devi Temple there is no idol installed in the sanctum sanctorum. It has a wooden cradle installed there.

Final Take: Two Days, and One of Them Before Sunrise

The places worth visiting in Allahabad are categorized into three main categories. There is the Sangam and the temple complex, which is why many people visit Allahabad. There is the fort, which houses a pillar of three empires, and it may be or may not be open depending on your luck. Then there is the political part of Allahabad, which consists of Anand Bhavan, Minto park, Azad Park and the High court and which is nowhere to be found in any travel itineraries.

Two days are just right. You should spend day one on the waterways before dawn, then the fort circuit, Anand Bhavan and Khusro Bagh. Spend day two at the temples and the political sites. When making reservations, search for Prayagraj, make sure you have ID for the fort, make agreements for the fare of all boats in advance and if you can, please visit during January or February. The melas take place on sands every year and you do not have to wait for a Kumbh to understand the essence of this city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: Access to Allahabad Fort and the Ashoka Pillar is controlled by the army and varies without notice. Fees, timings, closing days and mela arrangements change periodically. Confirm current details locally before your visit.

Also read more: Best Places to Visit in June Outside India: The Expensive Month, Spent Well