Luxury Chennai Tours

Tamil Nadu's coastal capital, an easy first stop before the temple towns inland.

Aerial view of Marina Beach and the Chennai coastline, Tamil Nadu

Overview

Chennai At A Glance

Chennai is Tamil Nadu's capital, built up around the old British Fort St. George. Marina Beach runs for miles along the city's eastern edge. It ranks among the longest urban beaches anywhere. A private guide and driver make Chennai an easy first stop before you head inland to the temple towns.

Where To Stay: ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, The Park Chennai
Continue To: Chettinad, Madurai, Mahabalipuram

What To See

What To See In Chennai

Chennai's real highlights are what a private guide builds each day around.

Temple / Religious Site

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

A working Dravidian temple to Shiva in the Mylapore quarter of Chennai, its tower crowded with painted figures.

Museum / Monument

Government Museum, Egmore

One of the oldest museums in India, founded in 1851, known above all for its gallery of Chola bronzes.

The red Indo-Saracenic entrance of a museum flanked by elephant and rhino statues, Chennai.

Culture / Heritage Experience · 3 hours

Chennai George Town Heritage Walk

A guided walk through the old trading quarter behind the harbour — the wholesale bazaars, the Armenian church and the colonial banks.

Two vendors smile beside stacks of bananas at a street market in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

How To Travel

Journeys Through Chennai

Every journey comes with a private guide and driver for each day on the road. Full details live on each journey's own page.

A towering tiered Dravidian gopuram of a South Indian temple rises against the sky at Tiruchendur.

13 Nights

Slow Tamil Nadu

Chennai · Chettinad · Madurai · Mahabalipuram · Ooty · Pondicherry · Thanjavur

Misty tea gardens roll across the hillsides around Coonoor in the Nilgiris.

11 Nights

Tamil Nadu in Depth

Chennai · Chettinad · Madurai · Mahabalipuram · Ooty · Pondicherry · Thanjavur

The pillared frontage of a traditional Chettinad mansion with its deep verandah.

9 Nights

Classic Tamil Nadu

Chennai · Chettinad · Madurai · Mahabalipuram · Pondicherry · Thanjavur

The towering granite vimana of the Brihadeeswarar temple rises over the complex at Thanjavur.

8 Nights

South India Temple Trail

Chennai · Madurai · Mahabalipuram · Pondicherry · Thanjavur

Waves roll onto a Coromandel beach with the silhouette of a Mahabalipuram temple on the horizon.

8 Nights

Tamil Nadu Honeymoon

Chennai · Chettinad · Madurai · Mahabalipuram · Pondicherry · Thanjavur

The painted gopuram towers of the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam glow at sunset.

7 Nights

First-Timer's Tamil Nadu

Chennai · Madurai · Mahabalipuram · Pondicherry · Thanjavur

The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram silhouetted against the sky at sunrise above the Coromandel coast.

4 Nights

Pondicherry & the Coromandel Coast

Chennai · Mahabalipuram · Pondicherry

Where To Stay

Where To Stay In Chennai

Stays are chosen for the setting and the service, then matched to the pace of your route.

hotel · luxury

ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

★★★★★

ITC Grand Chola is a vast hotel on Mount Road in Guindy, built in the style of a Chola temple, with carved granite pillars, courtyards and a gopuram-like tower. It is one of the largest hotels in India, and one of the greenest, certified LEED Platinum. Behind the scale it is a serious address for food: Peshawri for the north-west frontier grill, Royal Vega for a vegetarian tasting menu drawn from across India, and Avartana for a modern southern one. The rooms are large and quiet, with deep bathtubs and city views. There is a long outdoor pool, a spa, and a club floor. It is a fifteen-minute drive from the airport and a good first and last night in the south.

hotel · premium

The Park Chennai

★★★★★

The Park Chennai is a design hotel on Anna Salai, the city's main road, built on the site of the old Gemini film studios. The interiors are by Conran and Partners, and film is the running theme, from the lobby to the rooftop. It is central and lively, with a poolside bar, the Leather Bar, and the Italian restaurant Aqua, and it is popular for its nightlife. The rooms are compact and sharply styled rather than large. It suits travellers who want a contemporary, well-placed base in the middle of the city rather than a garden retreat.

years crafting private India journeys

30,000+

travellers guided end to end

4.5

from 15 reviews on Trustpilot