Day Trips & Excursions in Chennai

During your time in Tamil Nadu, take a day to explore Pondicherry with your own personal guide on a private tour from Chennai. Also known as the French Capital of India, the former French colony features wide boulevards, colorful houses, colonial buildings, gothic churches, and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram - which attracts visitors from around the world. Visit the Pondicherry Museum, Auroville, and Sri Aurobindo Ashram on a full-day tour that includes private guide and vehicle, entrance fees, and hotel pickup and drop-off in Chennai.

Visit the Arignar Anna Zoological Parkon a private full-day tour from Chennai. The zoo is home to about 170 species of mammals, reptiles and birds, along with a variety of plant life, including rare species including the Bengal tiger, white tiger, European brown bear, and Muscovy duck. This private tour makes it easy to take in one of the largest zoos in South Asia, and includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Chennai.

Discover the heritage of Chennai (Madras) on a 5-hour tour that features the diverse architecture found in the city. You'll see prime examples of Indo-Saracenic style, which flourished in the 19th century as British architects combined Britain Gothic styles with India's Indo-Islamic architecture. Includes pickup and drop-off, and private transportation.

Visit Mahabalipuram's UNESCO World Heritage Sites on a full-day, private tour from Chennai that includes door-to-door transport, breakfast, lunch, and all entrance fees. Travel by private car or on a classic Royal Enfield motorcycle, then spend the day exploring temples and a seashell museum in a scenic town, with a personal guide who will tailor the day to your interests.

Explore a medieval kingdom's capital and visit its renowned sari makers on this all-day tour. After a convenient pickup from your Chennai hotel, travel by private vehicle or your own motorcycle to Kanchipuram. Stop by two architecturally significant 7th-century temples before immersing yourself in the craft of sari-making. Meet a weaver and see how traditional looms are used to transform mulberry threads into gorgeous garments.

Escape the kinetic energy of urban Chennai on this private daylong tour of Pondicherry. Gain insider's insight into the spiritual heritage of this region with a stop at Sri Arubindo Ashram and learn more about its colorful cultural heritage on a visit to Pondicherry Museum. Listen in as your personal guide shares stories and trivia about its French colonial past, and search for hints of this ancient rule in the language, food and people of the region. Finally, journey to Auroville, where you'll visit the domed Matrimandir temple where Integral yoga is practiced and learn more about the spiritual community that surrounds it.

Visit the complex of stone temples that remain from the Pallava dynasty on this 8-hour tour of Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) from Chennai, including round-trip transport. See the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shore Temple, along with Arjuna's Penance and Panch Pandava Rathas. Explore the famous rock carvings and architecture before spending some free time at a nearby beach.

Discover South India's rich architectural tradition with this 8-hour tour of Trichy and Thanjavur. Visit the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple on an island in Trichy and stop for lunch before traveling to Thanjavur. See the city's Royal Palace, Brahadeshwarar Temple, Rajarajeswara Temple, and more. This private tour includes round-trip transport from Madurai.