Top Chennai Cultural Tours

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Experience authentic Chennai on this amazing walking tour of the old town with our fun and entertaining storytellers. This walking tour will give you a great induction of the city, its history, its vibrant culture, and its people with lots of wonderful stories about the city, fun facts and must do things in the city. Our walks are blend of historical elucidation and curious anecdote laced with mildly scurrilous talk about past and present celebrities and defunct royals. We will cover some of the city highlights along with hidden places and forgotten nooks of the old city during the walk.

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.

Chennai’s tourist menus won’t give you a true perspective on the everyday foods enjoyed by locals. Step forward on this small-group walking tour of the Sowcarpet Market: where a multitude of stalls serve the staples that keep Chennaites sustained. Let a guide navigate the market so you don’t get lost, taste popular foods at tried-and-trusted stands, and get the full lowdown on local delicacies that you wouldn’t hear on your own.

Immerse yourself in Indian life and culture on this culinary tour in a local home in Chennai. Learn to prepare several South Indian vegetarian dishes, then sit down with your group and enjoy in the traditional way: on banana leaves. Dishes may include vegetable curry, sambar, rasam, or dosas. You'll learn much more about Indian cooking and culinary culture during this experience than you would by eating in local restaurants.

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.

Visit Mahabalipuram’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites on a private tour from Chennai that includes door-to-door transport, lunch, and all entrance fees. Travel by private car and 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram tour from Chennai is about the 8th century twin wonders of Pallava architecture. We will cover the magnificent temples of Ekambareswar & Kailashnath in Kanchipuram and then visit weavers of the famed Kanchipuram Silk Saree. After that we visit the ancient sea port of Mahabalipuram and visit the legendary rock cut structures lie Arjuna’s penance, Five Rathas and the iconic Shore temple which served literally as the beacon for sea farers from the 8th century onwards.

Delving into Chennai’s Mylapore neighborhood independently could mean you skim over some landmarks and cultural insights, or lose your bearings. This private walking tour ensures you cover the highlights and enjoy observations on local life you’d likely miss alone. Follow the heritage Peacock Trail to the Kapaleeshwara Temple and other sights, and hear tales of Chennai's religion and culture. A tuk tuk ride, snacks, and choice of departures are included.

Traveling and exploring new places need not stop during Covid times! The live online tour of 8th century world heritage site is an experience of Mahabalipuram, from the comfort of your home. Our guide will be at the venue and you will join the live and interactive tour via video call over phone. Over the next 1 hour we will travel back to the 8th century to marvel at the rock cut sculptures of Arjuna’s Penance, one of the largest bas-relief masterpieces in the world, the gravity defying Krishna’s Butterball and the magnificent Shore Temple. Since our guide will be at site, he will answer your questions and it will be an interactive tour.

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.

Travelers can visit all Arupadai Veedu, Navagraham and Pancha Bootham temples including other important and famous temples in Tamilnadu within 15 days.

We ride along coast on Royal Enfield Classic Motorcycle to explore World Heritage site of rock cut monuments in Mahabalipuram and French heritage at Pondicherry. An escort rider ensures ease of navigation through the traffic.

This walk will demystify Hindu Gods & Temple rituals. From far, the thousands of Hindu Gods and complex rituals in temples look bewildering! Our Cultural Evangelist will demystify the reason for so many Gods and purpose of Temple rituals. Relics of St Thomas are a highlight. Visit the Shrine in San Thome Basilica to see relics like a small bone of St Thomas, the head of the lance with which the Saint was pierced and an ancient painting of Our Blessed Mother. This walking tour is led by a cultural evangelist who will bring alive the cultural heritage of Mylapore. The walk coms with an opportunity to taste the iconic Filter Coffee of Mylapore.

On this tour, we explore the busy neighbourhood of Georgetown. This area consists of well-established specialised bazaars, with small winding streets, warehouses, covered wholesale markets, street stalls and retail shops. Originally called ‘Black Town’, the area came up in the late 1600s after the founding of Fort St. George. Local people settled here to trade and do business with the fort. A portion of Black Town was flattened in the 1700’s, to provide an open area outside Fort St George. The residents of Blacktown re-settled just beyond the open area, in what was called New Black Town. In the mid 1800’s, the open area (old Black Town) was used to construct the grand building of Madras High Court. In 1910, when King George visited India, Blacktown was renamed Georgetown. Today Georgetown continues to be a busy market area, selling everything under the sun: bangles, fabrics, fruits, vegetables, spices, stationery, jewellery, etc.