Chennai
Dravidian architecture at the numerous temples sprinkled all over the city
Wildlife
fried seafood snacks, go wildlife spotting at the Snake Park
Temples
Admire the timeless beauty of the temples and offer your prayers at these religious sites
Best Time to Visit
winter
Ideal Duration
Visa
Not Required
Spanning a wide range of diverse attractions, the ample places to visit in Chennai will enthrall travellers to the core. Founded by the British in 1639, Chennai went on to emerge as a topmost tourist attraction apart from being the hub of Tamil politics, economy and culture. Beautiful beaches, a motley assortment of architectural wonders in the form of temples and numerous eateries offering delectable local and international fare - there are many points of interest in Chennai that will fill you up with charming experiences. While in the city, you will get a chance to relive the days of the Chalukya and the Chola Dynasties at the Government Museum, take a walk at India's first fortress built by the British, or observe the classic Dravidian architecture at the numerous temples sprinkled all over the city. For those who love outdoorsy things, the Guindy National Park or the campus of the Theosophical Society at Adyar is the place to be. The boulevard of the Theosophical Society is a great place to visit and take a stroll that eventually heads towards the San Thome Church.
Both these shrines offer unique Dravidian architecture that leaves travellers in awe. Admire the timeless beauty of the temples and offer your prayers at these religious sites. The city's historic temples, churches, colourful markets, art-hubs always ensure that visitors have plenty of things to do in Chennai. Explore the city's government museum, visit the planetarium, watch sunset at Marina Beach as you grab some fried seafood snacks or go wildlife spotting at the Snake Park or at the Guindy National Park-Chennai will never fail to enthral you with its myriad experiences. In our Chennai travel guide we will tell you all about the several places to visit and some of the must do things in Chennai From offering prayers at the numerous temples to reliving the past at historical museums and forts to wildlife safaris at the few natural parks and strolling at the longest sea beach in Asia - we have covered it all.
Our Best Packages
Bandipur Tour With Ooty
South India Historical
South India Heritage and Wildlife Tour
SOUTH INDIA CULTURAL TOUR
CULTURAL TOUR SOUTH INDIA WITH BACKWATER
South India Temple Tour
VELANKANNI GOA TOUR
CHURCH TOUR OF SOUTH INDIA
JAIN TEMPLE TOUR TAMIL NADU
Coonoor Weekend Tour
Where To Stay in Chennai
Packages Nearby Cities
Chennai
Thiruchirapalli
Vellore
Erode
Kanyakumari
Kombakonam
Tiruppur
Madhurai
Thirunelveli
Thoothukudi
Cuddalore
Karur
Krishnagiri
Coimbatore
Tanjavur
Salem
Nagapattinam
Kodaikanal
Nilgiris
Ooty
Salem
Kanchipuram
Ramanathapuram
Thanjavur
Rameshwaram
Best Time to Visit Chennai
Chennai experiences severe summers. The summer season beginning from March extends almost till October, with some splashes of rains in between. However, the underlying warmness continues to remain year-round. Talking about hottest months, the duration from late May till mid-June records the highest temperature with mercury levels crossing 45° Celsius pretty often. Needless to say, that the scorching heat makes it nearly impossible to include Chennai as your summer vacation outing. However, the cool breeze of the sea, post sunset, offers some respite.
Just like pan-India, Chennai experiences monsoons from mid-June to September, though with an underlying warmness in the air. Humidity levels go up substantially accompanied by moderate to heavy rains. Though few travel junkies do visit Chennai during monsoons, exploring the city amidst rainfall can get somewhat difficult.
Winters are the best time to visit Chennai. With a slight warmth in the air, the weather is pretty much pleasant and makes for an ideal time to explore the city. Winters in Chennai are very short-lived spanning from November to February with January recording the lowest temperature. Temperature during winters range between 14°C and 22°C. Chennai also receives occasional splashes of rain during winters, making the weather all the more pleasant. A tour of Chennai during winters can be highly enjoyed.
Popular Attractions Chennai
Mahabalipuram Beach Tamil Nadu
Dive into the sandy shores of Mahabalipuram where the surfers elate with joy at every wave and tourists totter through the mesmerising light tower and beautiful stone carved creations of the yester years.
Covelong Beach
Tucked on the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal, Covelong beach with its shimmering white sand is a favourite amongst travellers who want to experience the tranquility of nature.
Elliot’s Beach
Leave your imprints and connect your soul to the peaceful environs of Elliot's beach snuggled in Chennai, popularly known as the safest and cleanest beach which was named after Edward Elliot.
SRI BHAKTHA ANJANEYASWAMI TEMPLE
The temple has corridors running from the main sanctum to other shrines.
SHIRDI SAI BABA TEMPLE
A peaceful-place, do remember to offer your prayers and seek blessings at this temple.
KAPALESHWARAR TEMPLE
The temple's most important feature happens to be a brightly coloured gopuram and a pillared mandapa.
TIRUMALA TIRUPATHI DEVASTHANAM
Its popularity attracts devotees in large numbers throughout the year.
ANANTHA PADMANABHA SWAMY TEMPLE
The Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple is yet another popular Hindu religious shrine in Chennai
THOUSAND LIGHTS MOSQUE
The shrine is highly regarded by the Shia community.
RAMAKRISHNA TEMPLE
It has the idols of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda.
SRI PARTHASARATHY TEMPLE
The myriad Tamil and Telugu inscriptions on the temple are worth noting.
ST. GEORGE FORT AND MUSEUM
St. George’s Fort has experienced the command of both the French (1746-1749) but the English as well.
SAN THOME CATHEDRAL AND BASILLICA
In the display, there is also a weapon that killed the apostle - St. Thomas making a visit to this fascinating place indelible.
VIVEKANANDA HOUSE AND MUSEUM
There's a museum that houses several photos and events from the great monk's life.
Government Museum Chennai Tamil Nadu
The Indo-Saracenic tree-studded infrastructure of this museum has six buildings and 46 galleries which exhibits numerous artefacts
GUINDY NATIONAL PARK AND SNAKE PARK
The park attracts more than 700,000 visitors every year.
Elliot’s Beach Tamil Nadu
These are Armenian Church, St. Mary’s Church, Marina Beach, Fort St. George, Velankanni Church, Ashtalakshmi Temple, and several more.
Pongal festival in Tamilnadu
A harvest festival dedicated to surya, the sun god, marked by prayers, processions, gifts, pongal dishes and decorating cows
