Lucknow has a number of sites to go shopping. Blended in history, these shopping places also are used as the popular means of passing time and lazy strolling. The main shopping areas in the city are Hazratganj, Janpath, Aminabad, Chowk. Hazrat Gunj (named after Begum Hazrat Mahal) is a fashionable shopping plaza overflowing with shops and restaurants. Strolling leisurely in Hazrat Gunj and stopping for a bit of window-shopping or meeting friends at your favorite corner is a popular pastime here. Aminabad is among the busiest markets in the city where one can pick up all kinds of things. But it is primarily known for jewelry and pickle shops. Shopping in the Chowk, an old locality of Lucknow , is also a delightful experience.

While doing the rounds of the shops, a visit to Nakhas, the Sunday market, is obligatory. A colorful, noisy pavement bazaar, it is a veritable storehouse of antiques and curios. The visitor can pick up old, beautifully carved paandans (boxes in which the various ingredients that make up a paan are kept), khaasdans (pretty little containers in which the paans are served), and all kinds of other such charming objets d’art. Nakhas also has a bird market. And pottery lovers should make a beeline for Chinhat, located just a few kilometers away from Lucknow . There are pottery factories here that churn out attractive planters, bowls, tea sets, mugs, vases, and dinner sets-all available at very reasonable prices.