Top Chennai Art & Culture

Explore Chennai's Mylapore neighborhood with a local guide and learn about the rituals of daily life, hear stories of gods and demons, and gain a deeper understanding of local customs and traditions. This popular walking tour showcases the highlights and the history of this incredible city and is not to be missed.

See the eclectic marketplaces and colorful bazaars on this memorable walking tour of Chennai. Explore George Town and uncover the stories of daily life and local people as you listen to your friendly local guide share historical legends and old folklore. You'll navigate the crowded markets and narrow lanes as you experience the life of a local on this interactive and engaging tour that's not to be missed.

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.

Travel by private, climate-controlled vehicle to Mahabalipuram, the seaside Tamil Nadu city famous for its UNESCO-listed rock-cut caves and monuments. See impressive, three-dimensional illustrations of the Mahabharata—India’s national epic—cut from colossal stones, and marvel at the ancient coastal Shore Temple. Tours include complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off in Chennai.

Get a primer on Pallava-style architecture on this full-day private tour to Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram. Benefit from personal attention and the ability to travel at your own pace while visiting the Ekambareswar and Kailasanathar temples, then a local saree weaver. Moving on to the port of Mahabalipuram, see the Five Rathas, the shore temple, and Arjuna's Penance, learning about them through guided commentary.

Gallic culture and history is alive and well in the old French colony of Pondicherry, a short day trip from Chennai. With this day tour, you'll not only get to walk through the historic old city, but you'll also get to visit Auroville, a gargantuan international community that has been bringing generations of people from around the world to live together in harmony since it was founded in the 1960s.

Chennai is full of old heritage buildings, from ancient Pallava-era temples to colonial-era churches and public buildings constructed under British rule. This tour takes you to some of the most interesting structures, from the 7th-century Kapaleeswarar Temple to the 20th-century Ripon Building, all in the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle.

Chennai is home to some of India's most beautiful examples of Dravidian temple architecture, and you'll get to see some of the city's finest with this tour of sacred and religious sites. Highlights include the Kapaleeshwarar Temple (Mylapore), which dates back some 300 years and the even older Sri Parthasarathy Temple (Triplicane), which was first established way back in the 8th century.

Visit the beaches and gardens of Chennai, and discover the natural side of this bustling Indian city on this sightseeing tour. Following a pickup at your Chennai hotel, spin to pretty Besant Nagar Beach and admire sweeping views over the coastal scenery. With a guidebook to lead the way, enjoy the peace and tranquillity of exploring the Huddleston Gardens and the local music scene at the Kalakshetra Dance School independently.

This walk is led by a cultural evangelist who will bring alive the heritage and legacy of Chennai's first settlement. Trace the evolution of George Town as the trading post for East Indian Company in the 17th century to its modern avatar as the trading hub of Chennai. Experience cultural diversity as we walk to ancient temples predating the British Era and an iconic Church of Armenian traders.

Kanchipuram, known as the “City of a Thousand Temples,” is one of India’s seven holy cities. Visit five different temples on this convenient day trip from Chennai, which includes round-trip transportation in a comfortable, private vehicle. Get a peek at local masterpieces, including a thousand-pillared sculpted hall and buildings from the Pallava and Vijayanagar dynasties, all in one whirlwind visit.

Mahabalipuram is an ancient port town known for its 6th-century rock-cut temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore exquisite stone statues on this exclusive city tour, which gives an in-depth overview of sites like the famous Five Rathas, a set of Dravidian rock temples, and the Sea Shore Temple, an 8th-century granite shrine facing the Bay of Bengal. Round out the day with visits to DakshinaChitra, a “living museum” dedicated to showcasing South Indian culture, and the Madras Crocodile Bank.

Expore the Pallavas Grand architectural masterpiece on this full day tour from Chennai. Kanchipuram is a spectacular temple city known as city of thousand temples which reflects the Glorious Traditions of South India with its noted temples. Then experience UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Mahabalipuram group of Monuments, which was carved out of rock along the Coromandel Coast in the 7th and 8th centuries rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva

The coastal town of Mahabalipuram makes an ideal day trip from bustling Chennai, but organizing admission fees and transportation to explore independently takes up valuable sightseeing time. On this tour, reach Mahabalipuram in comfort by private vehicle—with entry fees and round-trip transportation from your Chennai hotel included. Explore the Cave temples and rock sculptures with your guide to lead the way, and gain insight into Mahabalipuram’s fascinating 7th-century history.

This tour is led by a cultural evangelist who will bring alive the cultural heritage of Chennai through Marina. Marina Beach is where the pulse of Chennai can be gauged. Soak in the atmosphere and meet the city's people. While the statues tell the history of the city, the beach itself is where common people gather to voice their opinion on issues to those in power.

Explore several of Chennai’s most must-see religious landmarks during this three-for-one guided tour. Admire the Dravidian architecture of world-famous, 7th-century Kapaleeshwarar Temple, follow worshippers to bustling Parthasarathy Temple, and learn about the city’s Portuguese heritage at St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica. Tours include hotel pick-up and drop-off in a private air-conditioned vehicle for added comfort.

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.

In this 2 day tour from Chennai we visit the erstwhile Kingdom of Pudukottai and relive a bygone era. We will visit a hidden jewel called Sittanavasal which is a cave with spectacular paintings made 2000 years ago by Jain ascetics.We will climb a steep path to the top of a hillock where we can see seventeen polished bed carved out of the rock. Kudumiyanmalai is an ancient temple where we will see a thousand pillared hall with remarkable sculptures. Thirumayyam Fort with its historical significance in the independence struggle with the British and Palatial Mansions of Chettiyars, the rich traders of 19th century make up rest of the experience.

Spend your day exploring Chennai's cultural hub of Mylapore, with this day tour. Your morning will be spent visiting the iconic 7th-century Kapaleeshwar Temple and the San Thome Basilica, followed by a traditional South Indian lunch in a local restaurant and visit the shrine at Ramakrishna Math, followed by a visit to the 17th-century Fort Saint George before returning to your hotel.

Kanchipuram—the city of a thousand temples—is famous for its Hindu shrines and silk-woven saris. Enjoy a full-day journey to the ancient temple town on this guided private tour from Chennai. Learn the histories behind some of the city’s most sacred sites and thriving heirloom industry, and admire dazzling garments made from pure mulberry silk and gold thread.

Leave the city behind you and start travelling to visit world famous Arunachala Temple in Thiruvannaamalai is one of the greatest Shiva temples in India. It also widely known because of the Ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi who lived here and taught the virtues of philosophy only through silence and meditation. After his passing away in 1950, a Samadhi has been erected at this Ashram which is visited by many devotees from India and abroad. The Ashram is situated at the foot of the hills, outside the town.

South India Tours and Travels welcomes you to feel the divine by visiting religious places in Tamilnadu that starts from chennai and ends at trivandrum in 12 days.

- Mesmerising narration by an young Archaeologist, unheard stories, unseen places. - Perspectives covering History, Archaeological, Architecture & Mythological - Visiting 7th Century Built monuments & temples – Rock-cut architecture, Shore temple, Lighthouse, - Walking around 2004 incident unearthed 2000 years old Subramaniya temple excavated site (Optional) - Looking at wonders of nature – Krishna Butter Ball, Sea Shell Museum (Optional) - Shopping seashells, stone sculptures and handicrafts

Tours are led by cultural ambassadors who will bring alive the history and culture of the times when St Thomas came to India in the first century AD.