Thanjavur, India: travel guide
Ancient Chola capital crowned by the Brihadeeswara Temple — a UNESCO masterpiece of Dravidian architecture and a hub of classical Bharatanatyam.
- Country
- India
- Currency
- INR
- Time zone
- Asia/Kolkata
- Nearest airport
- TRZ
Top places to visit in Thanjavur
Brihadeeswarar Temple
Temple · 4.8 rating · about 2 h
The UNESCO "Big Temple", a 1010 CE Chola masterpiece with a 66-m vimana crowned by a single 80-tonne capstone and a colossal monolithic Nandi — the apex of Dravidian architecture.
Thanjavur Maratha Palace
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 1.5 h · entry 50
A sprawling 16th-century palace of the Nayak and Maratha rulers, with a durbar hall, bell tower and arsenal, at the heart of the old city.
Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram
Temple · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h
A UNESCO Chola temple at Darasuram (~30 km) famed for its chariot-shaped mandapa, musical stone steps and intricate miniature friezes.
Saraswathi Mahal Library
Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1 h
One of the oldest libraries in Asia, a Maratha-era treasury of rare palm-leaf manuscripts, maps and illustrated books, with a small museum.
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h
A UNESCO temple built by Rajendra Chola I as his imperial capital, a grand twin to the Big Temple set amid quiet countryside (~70 km).
Thanjavur Art Gallery
Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1 h · entry 100
A gallery in the palace housing a superb collection of Chola bronze and granite sculptures, including exquisite Nataraja and deity figures.
Thanjavur Bazaar (Art & Crafts)
Market · 4.2 rating · about 1 h
The lively town market famed for Thanjavur paintings (with gold leaf), bobblehead dolls, bronze ware and South Indian crafts.
Thiruvaiyaru (Thyagaraja Shrine)
Temple · 4.4 rating · about 1 h
The riverside town sacred to Carnatic music, home of the saint-composer Thyagaraja and the famed annual Thyagaraja Aradhana music festival.
Sivaganga Park
Nature · 4.0 rating · about 0.8 h · entry 10
A green park beside the Big Temple with the old Sivaganga tank, a small zoo and gardens — a pleasant family stop after the temple.
Schwartz Church
Church · 4.2 rating · about 0.5 h
A graceful 1779 colonial church built by Raja Serfoji II for the missionary C.F. Schwartz, set in palace grounds with fine memorial sculpture.
Things to do
- Brihadeeswarar Temple Guided Tour Cultural · 2 h · from INR 500 per person
- Great Living Chola Temples Tour Cultural · 8 h · from INR 2,000 per person
- Palace, Library & Bronze Gallery Walk Cultural · 2.5 h · from INR 600 per person
- Thanjavur Painting Workshop Activity · 2 h · from INR 800 per person
Day trips and tours
- Thanjavur City Heritage Tour 7 h · from INR 1,200
- Great Chola Temples Day Trip 9 h · from INR 2,200
- Thanjavur & Kumbakonam Temple Trail 10 h · from INR 2,500
Where to stay in Thanjavur
- Temple Area about INR 1,500 per night
Sacred town with historic temple accommodation
Hotels
- Svatma 5-star · INR 9,000 to INR 18,000 per night
- Hotel Sangam Thanjavur 4-star · INR 4,500 to INR 8,000 per night
- Hotel Gnanam 3-star · INR 3,000 to INR 5,500 per night
- Ideal River View Resort 4-star · INR 4,000 to INR 7,500 per night
- Hotel Parisutham 3-star · INR 3,000 to INR 5,500 per night
- Hotel Valli 3-star · INR 2,200 to INR 4,000 per night
Where to eat
- Sahana Restaurant South Indian, Tamil · about INR 250 per person
- Vasantha Bhavan Thanjavur South Indian · about INR 200 per person
- Thevar Mess Chettinad, Tamil, Biryani · about INR 280 per person
- Sangam Restaurant (Hotel Sangam) Chettinad, North Indian, Continental · about INR 550 per person
- Hotel Gnanam Restaurant South Indian, North Indian, Chinese · about INR 400 per person
- Ananda Bhavan South Indian, North Indian, Chaat · about INR 200 per person
- Sri Krishna Bhavan Sweets Sweets, Snacks, South Indian · about INR 120 per person
- Thanjavur Coffee House South Indian, Cafe · about INR 120 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.
- Taxi 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.