Chennai, Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram Heritage Loop
Route Covered
Overnight stops in day orderOverview
This Chennai, Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram tour is a private four-day, three-night loop through northern Tamil Nadu. You sleep one night each in Chennai, Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram, and see Pallava temples, hand-woven silk and the UNESCO-listed monuments at Mahabalipuram. It suits first-time visitors who like heritage, and the weather is most comfortable from November to February.
Travellers who want temples, carvings and a taste of the city in a short trip, and are happy with a drive of about 1.5 hours most days
Highlights
Good to know
Flight times
Day 4 includes a morning of sightseeing before the drive to the airport, so an afternoon or evening flight suits bestTemple dress
Dress modestly, and expect to take your shoes off at temple entrancesOpen-air sites
Mahabalipuram's rathas and rock reliefs stand in the open, so carry a hat and waterSilk shopping
Ask whether a Kanchipuram sari carries the Geographical Indication markDay-by-Day Itinerary
- San Thome Basilica
Arrive in Chennai and settle in near the Bay of Bengal
- 1Your driver meets you at Chennai International Airport
- 2Drive to your Chennai hotel, around 20 km
- 3Check in and rest
- 4If energy allows, an evening visit to the San Thome Basilica
- Fort St George
- Government Museum bronze gallery
- Kailasanathar Temple
- Silk weaving workshop
Fort St George and bronzes, then Kailasanathar at Kanchipuram
- 1Morning at Fort St George, with its fort museum
- 2Walk the bronze gallery at the Government Museum in Egmore
- 3Drive about 73 km to Kanchipuram
- 4Late afternoon at the Kailasanathar Temple
- 5Optional stop at a silk weaving workshop
- Ekambareswarar Temple
- Varadharaja Perumal Temple
- Shore Temple
Ekambareswarar and Varadharaja temples, then the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram
- 1Morning at the Ekambareswarar Temple
- 2Visit the Varadharaja Perumal Temple, a Vishnu shrine among the 108 Divya Desams
- 3Drive about 67 km to Mahabalipuram
- 4Late afternoon walk to the Shore Temple by the sea
- Pancha Rathas
- Arjuna's Penance
- Krishna's Butterball
Pancha Rathas, Arjuna's Penance and the drive to Chennai airport
- 1Morning at the Pancha Rathas, five temples carved from single rocks
- 2See Arjuna's Penance and Krishna's Butterball
- 3Transfer of about 55 km to Chennai airport for an afternoon or evening flight
Indicative — varies with season and hotel category.
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Trip Facts
Local Activities & Events
Updated Oct 3, 2026Chennai — Days 1-2 of this trip
Freshworks Chennai Marathon (15th edition)
sportsA Sunday road race in Chennai with 10 km, half marathon, 32 km and full marathon routes, all finishing at India Maritime University in Uthandi.
Mylapore Festival
culturalUsually early to mid January. The 2026 festival had a prelude on 3 and 4 January and the main days on 8 to 11 January. No 2027 dates found.
A neighbourhood festival in Mylapore with heritage walks, a food walk, board-game contests and a quiz, held around the temple streets in early January.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesMahabalipuram — Days 3-4 of this trip
Indian Dance Festival, Mamallapuram
culturalUsually runs from the third week of December into mid-to-late January
Classical and folk dancers perform in the evenings on an open-air stage in front of the Shore Temple, in a festival run by Tamil Nadu's tourism department.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesTamil Nadu — across your trip
Kanda Sashti and Soorasamharam
festivalSix days of fasting and worship at Tiruchendur's Murugan temple lead to Soorasamharam, the re-enactment of Murugan's victory over the demon Surapadman.
Karthigai Deepam
festivalArunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai holds a ten-day festival that ends with a flame lit on Arunachala hill at dusk and an overnight walk around it.
Music Academy 100th Annual Concerts (Chennai December Season)
culturalThe Music Academy marks its hundredth annual concerts with daily performances and morning conference sessions during Chennai's December season.
Vaikuntha Ekadashi at Srirangam
festivalThe northern Paramapada Vasal gate of the Ranganathaswamy Temple opens on this single day, and the processional deity passes through at daybreak.
Arudra Darshan at Chidambaram
festivalThe Nataraja deity at Chidambaram is carried out in a temple-car procession and anointed in a long ceremony on the Thiruvathirai star.
Events are reviewed by our team before publishing and drop off after they end. Please confirm timings and availability with us before your trip — local schedules can change without notice.
What's Included & Excluded
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