Coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour in 9 days| A Complete Road Trip Guide!

Are planning a Coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour from Bangalore or Chennai or Hyderabad and did not know whom to ask for details? We are here to help you with this detailed itinerary.

The coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour is an experience to cherish. The Coromandel coast is a fascinating stretch of beaches and heritage.

From Shore temple at Mahabalipuram to the grandest of temples at Madurai, Chidambaram, and Rameshwaram, the holy cathedral at Velankanni , famous Dargah at Nagore, you get an opportunity to see a kaleidoscope of cultures that flourished in this state.

Add to that lovely beaches at Taragambadi, Rameshwaram, the French city of Pondicherry, and the Portuguese town of Manapad you have a blast of a circuit!

Weather Alert – This is summer and day times are hot and humid. Cover well and drink a lot of water and be well hydrated.

If starting from Bangalore

Circuit – Bangalore – Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Taragambadi – Velankanni – Rameshwaram – Tiruchendur – Manapad – Kanyakumari – Bangalore

Distance – 1847 KMs

Google map of the circuit – https://goo.gl/maps/tEnAcKboMPM9VRUS7

If starting from Chennai

Circuit – Chennai – Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Taragambadi – Velankanni – Rameshwaram – Tiruchendur – Manapad – Kanyakumari – Chennai

Distance – 1593 KMs

Leave after breakfast and visit Dakshina Chitra on the way to Mahabalipuram on day 1 and continue on the rest of the itinerary given below.

If starting from Hyderabad

Circuit – Hyderabad – Ongole – Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Taragambadi – Velankanni – Rameshwaram – Tiruchendur – Manapad – Kanyakumari – Bangalore – Hyderabad

Distance – 2761 KMs

Google Map – https://goo.gl/maps/d8gWeQPNTEEHhcom9

Add two additional days to the itinerary given below if you are starting from Hyderabad. On day 1, stay overnight at Nellore, or if you can stretch stay at Chennai and follow the rest of the Itinerary given here by visiting Dakshina Chitra on the way to Mahabalipuram. On the way back stay in Bangalore for the night and continue to Hyderabad the next day.

Road condition – Very good. However, road conditions may change during the year. We strongly recommend you become a member of the Facebook Group of Road Trippers led by doyen of Indian Road Trippers – H V Kumar – and check the latest updates on roads before you embark on the coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour. Please click on this to join the group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hvkumar

We also strongly recommend you download the HVK RoutO app in the Google Play store and ask for the customised map. This is curated by H V Kumar personally who will assist you with route planning, hotel accommodation, and assistance on the highway. Please click this for more details – HVK RoutO

Day-wise Itinerary

Day 1 – Bangalore – Mahabalipuram (night Stay)

Distance – 347 KMs

• Leave Bangalore around 6 AM. Have breakfast at Sai Sangeet restaurant after Vaniyambadi
• After breakfast continue to Mahabalipuram to reach by lunch.
• After check-in and lunch, you may drive to Dakshina Chitra which is close by.
• Spend an hour exploring the south Indian vernacular architectural heritage at Dakshina Chitra.
• Return to your place of stay in Mahabalipuram and enjoy the evening on the beach.

Day 2 – Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry (night Stay)

Distance – 95 KMs

• Visit Shore Temple at Sunrise. It is a lovely experience.
• After Breakfast, Check out the monuments at Mahabalipuram – Arjuna’s penance, Pancha Rathas, etc. Take a good guide so that it is easy to navigate and you don’t waste time.
• Drive to Pondicherry after lunch and in the evening walk along Marina or rocky beach as it is also called, and eat juicy pineapple! Have a nice dinner with wine in any good continental restaurant in the French town

Day 3 – Pondicherry (night Stay)

• Explore Pondicherry today. Places to be seen are
• Aurobindo Ashram, Dupleix Park, Auroville centre, Matri Mandir, Marina, the French Town, Auroville Beach, Auroville bakery, Paradise Island

Day 4 – Pondicherry – Pitchavaram – Chidambaram – Taragambadi (Night Stay)

Distance – 145 KMs

• After early breakfast drive straight to Pitchavaram and enjoy the boat ride on the last remaining mangroves. After that, visit the massive Nataraja temple at Chidambaram.
• Have lunch in Chidambaram. After lunch, drive to Taragambadi.
• Arrive in Taragambadi. Visit the Danish fort at Tharagambadi – the fort closes by 6 PM – and enjoy the lovely beach in the evening.
• In the evening walk around the place exploring the Danish houses/churches.

Day 5 – Taragambadi – Nagore – Velankanni – Rameshwaram (night Stay)

Distance – 296 KMs

• Leave around 7 AM, Drive along the east coast. Visit the famous Dargah at Nagore and  Cathedral in Velankanni on the way. Have breakfast at Velankanni.
• Have lunch in Ramanathapuram on the bye-pass. Vasantham is a good choice. Don’t miss visiting magnificent Kushi Beach or Ariyaman Beach before the Pamban Bridge.
• Reach Rameshwaram by late afternoon. Visit the temple in the evening.

Day 6 – Rameshwaram – Tuticorin – Tiruchendur – Manapad

• Check out at 7 AM and Drive to Dhanushkodi in the morning. Go to the land’s end.
• Have breakfast in Hotel Sriram in the town and visit Dr Abdul Kalam’s memorial which is on the way.
• Arrive at Tiruchendur
• Lunchtime in Tiruchendur. There are many choices around the temple. Hotel Ramesh Iyer and Hotel Kavery are good choices.
• After lunch, visit the famous Murugan temple at Tiruchendur and the beach nearby and drive to Manapd
• Arrive at Manapad. Enjoy the cool breeze from the sea. Night stay at Manapad.

Day 7 – Manapad – Kanyakumari (night Stay)

• Explore Manapad today. This is the most interesting and unexplored part of the coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour!
• In the morning, go to the beach and enjoy the blue waters and lovely sands After breakfast visit historic churches in Manapad
• After churches, visit the Theri Kadu or Red Desert. This is a magnificent geological phenomenon. Spend an hour exploring the place.
• Depart from Manapad after lunch and reach Kanyakumari by evening. head straight to sunset point at Gandhi Mandapam to enjoy the lovely sunset

Day 8 – Explore Kanyakumari

• Get up early to watch the glorious sunrise of Kanyakumari.
• After breakfast, take the ferry to the lovely Vivekananda Rock memorial and Thiruvalluvar statue. Spend two hours here enjoying the vistas of the sea.
• After visiting these two lovely places, head straight to Kanyakumari Amman temple.
• After lunch and rest, you may drive to the lovely Suchindram temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman
• Return to the hotel and in the evening head to sunset point after Gandhi Mandapam for sunset.

Day 9 – Kanyakumari – Bangalore 

Distance – 246 KMs

After breakfast drive to Bangalore. You can have lunch at Salem.

You may want to explore Madurai which falls on the way and needs another extra day. Reach Madurai by lunch and explore the massive Meenakshi temple complex of Madurai in the late afternoon on arrival. Next day after breakfast visit Nayakar Palace and return to Bangalore.

Travel Tips

• This is an easy road trip and road conditions are good.
• The best time to do this coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour is in the winter months from October to February.
• Temples in Tamil Nadu normally close at 1 PM and reopen at 4 PM.
• Even in winter, the sun will be harsh during day time. Make sure that you have a good hat to cover.
• Drink a lot of water while traveling as the coastal climate is very humid.

Thank You

We thank you for stopping by Travel twosome and we hope that you liked this detailed guide to Coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tour. May we request you to share this with your friends and inspire them to explore!