Luxury Thanjavur Tours

The Brihadeeswarar Temple complex under a cloudy sky at Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu.

Overview

Thanjavur At A Glance

Thanjavur, once written Tanjore, sits in the rice country of the Kaveri delta, in the centre of Tamil Nadu. It was the capital of the Chola kings, who ruled much of southern India and beyond a thousand years ago. Their monument is the Brihadeeswarar Temple, finished in 1010, a granite tower sixty-six metres high with a single carved capstone said to weigh eighty tonnes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of three Great Living Chola Temples. Later the Nayaks and the Marathas ruled from here, and their sprawling palace holds a bronze gallery and the Saraswathi Mahal, one of the oldest libraries in Asia. The town is also known for Tanjore painting, with its gold leaf and inset stones, and for the bronze casters of nearby Swamimalai. It is the base for the delta's temple country, an easy stop between Pondicherry and Madurai.

Where To Stay: Svatma, Thanjavur
Continue To: Chennai, Chettinad, Madurai

What To See

What To See In Thanjavur

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

Temple / Religious Site

Brihadeeswarar Temple

The great Chola temple to Shiva at Thanjavur, completed in 1010, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built entirely of granite.

How To Travel

Journeys Through Thanjavur

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

Where To Stay

Where To Stay In Thanjavur

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

boutique · luxury

Svatma, Thanjavur

★★★★★

Svatma is a heritage and wellness hotel a few minutes from the Brihadeeswarar Temple. It joins a restored 1942 family house to a newer wing built in the same spirit, with pillared verandas, a temple tank-style pool and courtyards. The food is sattvic and vegetarian, cooked without onion or garlic, and there is a live Carnatic music recital most evenings. There is a full Ayurveda centre, a yoga hall, and a shop of Tanjore crafts. The service is warm and personal. It is comfortably the finest stay in the delta, and it turns a temple stop into a restful night or two.

years crafting private India journeys

30,000+

travellers guided end to end

4.5

from 15 reviews on Trustpilot