Top places to visit in Chennai

• Government Museum

  Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 3 h · entry INR 250

  Second oldest museum in India, famous for its Bronze Gallery and Indo-Saracenic style.

• Connemara Library

  Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 1 h

  One of the four National Depository Libraries of India, known for its old-world charm.

• Marina Beach

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 2 h

  The longest natural urban beach in India and second longest in the world.

• T. Nagar Market

  Market · 4.4 rating · about 3 h

  The shopping nerve center of Chennai for silks and gold.

• Phoenix Marketcity

  Market · 4.6 rating · about 3 h

  Massive luxury mall with cinema and global brand stores.

• Express Avenue

  Market · 4.5 rating · about 3 h

  Largest gaming zone in South India and high-end shopping.

• Vandalur Zoo

  Wildlife · 4.3 rating · about 5 h · entry INR 200

  One of the largest zoos in SE Asia, known for its tiger and lion safaris.

• Elliot’s Beach

  Nature · 4.6 rating · about 2 h

  Cleaner and quieter than Marina, popular with the youth.

• Kapaleeshwarar Temple

  Temple · 4.8 rating · about 1 h

  Classic Dravidian temple dedicated to Lord Shiva with a grand gopuram.

• VGP Theme Park

  Activity · 4.3 rating · about 6 h · entry INR 600

  One of Chennai’s oldest theme parks and home to VGP Marine Kingdom.

• Guindy National Park

  Nature · 4.1 rating · about 2 h · entry INR 20

  One of the few national parks located inside a city.

• ISKCON Chennai

  Temple · 4.8 rating · about 1 h

  Large spiritual center on the ECR with modern architecture.

Things to do

• Mahabalipuram Day Trip Day Trip · 8 h · from INR 2,500 per person
• Mylapore Heritage Walk Walking Tour · 2.5 h · from INR 800 per person
• Chennai Food Trail Food Tour · 3 h · from INR 1,500 per person
• Marina Beach Morning Walk Leisure · 1.5 h · from INR 400 per person
• Kanchipuram Silk & Temples Day Trip Day Trip · 9 h · from INR 2,500 per person
• DakshinaChitra Heritage Village Cultural · 3 h · from INR 800 per person
• Kapaleeshwarar Temple Tour Sightseeing Tour · 1.5 h · from INR 600 per person
• Fort St George & Museum Tour Sightseeing Tour · 3 h · from INR 1,000 per person

Day trips and tours

• Mahabalipuram & ECR Day Trip 9 h · from INR 2,500
• Chennai City Heritage Full-Day Tour 8 h · from INR 2,000
• Kanchipuram Temples & Silk Day Trip 10 h · from INR 2,500

Where to stay in Chennai

• Marina Beach about INR 4,000 per night

  Beachfront area with mid-range and luxury hotels

• T. Nagar about INR 3,000 per night

  Shopping and commercial district with mid-range accommodation

Hotels

• ITC Grand Chola 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 25,000 per night
• The Leela Palace Chennai 5-star · INR 14,000 to INR 28,000 per night
• Taj Coromandel 5-star · INR 11,000 to INR 22,000 per night
• Taj Fisherman's Cove 5-star · INR 12,000 to INR 22,000 per night
• Park Hyatt Chennai 5-star · INR 9,000 to INR 17,000 per night
• The Park Chennai 5-star · INR 7,000 to INR 13,000 per night

Where to eat

• Saravana Bhavan South Indian, North Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 350 per person
• Murugan Idli Shop South Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 200 per person
• Ratna Cafe South Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 200 per person
• Buhari Hotel Mughlai, Biryani, South Indian · about INR 450 per person
• Anjappar Chettinad Chettinad, South Indian, Biryani · about INR 600 per person
• Sandy's Chocolate Laboratory Cafe, Bakery, Continental · about INR 600 per person
• Mathsya North Indian, Gujarati, Vegetarian · about INR 450 per person
• Annalakshmi South Indian, North Indian, Vegetarian · about INR 700 per person

Getting around

• Auto Rickshaw main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Metro main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Ride Hail main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking

  Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Pre-paid taxi "broken meter"

  Airports, train stations, popular squares

  Driver insists meter is broken, quotes ~3x the fair price; or detours via "shopping" stops earning commission.

  How to avoid it: Use pre-paid taxi counter at airport, or Uber/Ola/Rapido apps. Insist on meter or agree price upfront.

More in India

• New Delhi
• Agra
• Jaipur
• Panaji
• Mumbai
• Varanasi