Kanchipuram & Mahabalipuram Day Trip: Pallava Temples Tour

Two ancient ports, one day: temples, silk weavers and stone carvings carved into cliffs

This 12-hour day trip from Chennai visits the twin Pallava architecture sites of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram, with a live English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, lunch and entrance fees included. You'll see the Ekambareswar and Kailashnath temples in Kanchipuram (including a 3,500-year-old mango tree and the Kailashnath's hallway with a thousand pillars), then move to Mahabalipuram to walk among the Five Rathas, Arjuna's Penance and the Shore Temple, a beacon for seafarers since the 8th century.

The experience

Kanchipuram comes first, built around the Ekambareswar and Kailashnath temples. The Kailashnath, constructed in 600 AD by the Pallava Kings, is a specimen of Dravidian architecture with inner walls decorated by 1,008 Shiva lingams. The Vijayanagar Kings later added the hallway with a thousand pillars. The temple grounds hold a 3,500-year-old mango tree whose branches are said to yield four different types of mangoes. After the temples, you'll visit local silk weavers to see how the famed Kanchipuram silk sarees are made. A craft that has defined the city for centuries.

Mahabalipuram, the ancient sea port, holds the rock-cut monuments that made it legendary. The Five Rathas are five monolithic temples carved from single stones; Arjuna's Penance is a massive relief carved into a granite boulder; and the Shore Temple, built in the 8th century, once served as a literal beacon for seafarers navigating the coast. The scale and precision of these carvings, all cut directly from the rock face, anchor the second half of the day.

The tour runs 12 hours total and includes hotel pickup and drop-off from your Chennai accommodation, a live English-speaking guide throughout, all entrance charges, and lunch. Public transportation options are available nearby if you prefer to make your own way to a meeting point, and the pace suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Chennai accommodation.
• live English-speaking guide throughout the day.
• entrance fees to all temples and monuments.
• lunch.
• public transportation options available nearby if you prefer to meet the guide at a central point.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (13 to 70 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Five Senses Tours

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour with a guide leading the group through both sites, so you move at a set pace and hear the history of each monument as you walk. Choose it if you want the temples and rock carvings explained by someone who knows them, and if you'd rather not navigate between Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram on your own: the 12-hour structure fits both destinations into a single day without the logistics of arranging separate transport.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the Ekambareswar and Kailashnath temples like?

Both are 8th-century Pallava temples in Kanchipuram. The Kailashnath, built in 600 AD, features a hallway with a thousand pillars added later by the Vijayanagar Kings, and its inner walls are decorated with 1,008 Shiva lingams. The Ekambareswar temple grounds include a 3,500-year-old mango tree said to produce four different types of mangoes.

What can I see at Mahabalipuram?

Mahabalipuram holds three major rock-cut monuments: the Five Rathas (five monolithic temples carved from single stones), Arjuna's Penance (a massive relief carved into granite), and the Shore Temple, built in the 8th century as a navigational beacon for seafarers. All are carved directly from the rock face.

Do I get to see how Kanchipuram silk sarees are made?

Yes, the tour includes a visit to local silk weavers in Kanchipuram where you can watch the traditional craft that has made the city famous for its sarees.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Chennai accommodation, a live English-speaking guide for the full day, all entrance charges to the temples and monuments, and lunch are all included.

How long is the tour and what's the pace like?

The tour runs 12 hours total. It's designed to suit all physical fitness levels, so the walking and standing time is manageable across both sites.