Overview
Take a trip to Chennai on your India Vacation
Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the capital city of Tamil Nadu State and is the largest city in southern India. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is the gateway to South India on India tours and features India’s second-largest port.
Although the site of earlier settlements, Chennai has a history which began in colonial times. Once a fishing village, Chennai has since grown into a cosmopolitan city featuring India’s second-largest port. Known as the ‘Detroit of India’, Chennai has a huge automobile manufacturing industry and boasts of being India’s second largest exporter of information technology.
With clay underlying the city, Chennai features many sandy areas along the coast, and is home to Marina Beach, the second largest urban beach in the world, running 6 km (3.7 miles) along the shore, all to be enjoyed on trips to India.
Various temples and monuments can be visited in the nearby seaside village of Mahabalipuram, as well as various granite sculptures.
Inland, the pilgrimage city of Kanchipuram, known as a temple city, is considered one of the Hindu’s holiest cities in India and is also famous for its hand-woven silk saris.
Pondicherry, located further down the coast, was once a French colonial town. Now officially known as Puducherry, the town is considered the ‘French Riviera of the East for its many beaches, making it a popular tourist destination for Indian travel. The visionary town of Auroville is just 6 km from Pondicherry and can be visited on the way back to Chennai.
A bustling metropolis with classical and colonial-styled buildings, Chennai is steeped in Tamil tradition and features flourishing art, music, and dance culture. There is a lot to enjoy on a trip to India, including Chennai’s South Indian cuisine, in what is considered one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.
Various temples and monuments can be visited in the nearby seaside village of Mahabalipuram, as well as various granite sculptures.
Inland, the pilgrimage city of Kanchipuram, known as a temple city, is considered one of the Hindu’s holiest cities in India and is also famous for its hand-woven silk saris.
Pondicherry, located further down the coast, was once a French colonial town. Now officially known as Puducherry, the town is considered the ‘French Riviera of the East for its many beaches, making it a popular tourist destination for Indian travel. The visionary town of Auroville is just 6 km from Pondicherry and can be visited on the way back to Chennai.
A bustling metropolis with classical and colonial-styled buildings, Chennai is steeped in Tamil tradition and features flourishing art, music, and dance culture. There is a lot to enjoy on a trip to India, including Chennai’s South Indian cuisine, in what is considered one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.
At a Glance
Languages
Hindi, EnglishCurrency
Indian Rupee (INR)What do the experts say?
What I love most about visiting India is how alive everything feels. The colours, the food, the people. Every place has its own vibe and story. One moment you’re in a quiet temple, the next you’re in a bustling street market. It’s chaotic in the best way
My favourite drinks are aam panna, a traditional Indian summer drink made from raw mangoes, known for its refreshing taste and cooling properties, and mango lassi, the iconic Indian yogurt drink
Coconut oil lamps in Kapaleeswarar temple
Sunset in Chennai - a perfect destination to be...
Silhouette of fishing boats at sunset
Murugan Temple
Santhome Bascillica
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
ChennaiPartly Cloudy
38°C / 100°F
30mm / 1.2"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
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ExcellentBased on 5,219 ReviewsThe booking processs was really easy. Katie was very communicative and was very responsive. Every change we asked for, she quickly replied. The room arrangements had a small hiccupp but Katie fixed it within minutes! All the excursions were a blast and well planned.
The trip was a bucket list trip and was everything we hoped for. Alison MAllan Birkett at Goway has been an absolute godsend! Over the past year, he has helped me plan numerous vacations—especially honeymoons—and has been an incredible partner every step of the way.
He is always quick to respond, patient with my clients' frequent changes, and goes above and beyond to help whenever an issue comes up. His knowledge, professionalism, and dedication make my job as a travel advisor so much easier.
I truly appreciate everything Allan does and highly recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional service. Thank you, Allan, for always being thereBrooke EcholsOur 2-week trip to Normandy, Switzerland and Italy after we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton in mid-May was superb. Michael Keon did an amazing job of putting together highlights for us to see and visit with the short time we had. All the train reservations, private and small group tours and transportations were very well coordinated, on time, and usually exceeded our expectations. Drivers were courteous and knowledgeable. Mike did a wonderful job getting everything coordinated, in spite of our almost “last minute” booking. I booked a month-long trip through GOWAY back in 1989 for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and they were superb then. So I tried them again, and found the entire organization to be even better. Mike was quick to respond to any questions that came up regarding booksings and times, regardless of the 6-hour time difference. Just superb! Although we had a nasty experience in Milan, GOWAY was very responsive and saw to our requests and our needs. Again, Michael Keon is the person who coordinated our travel. I will ask for Mike when I travel again with GOWAY. I recommend GOWAY highly. PJ WheelerA BIG THANK YOU to Goway Travel, Brooke Theron and all of the partners onsite. Our trip to Africa was incredible, memories that will last forever.
Everything planned and more went perfectly. The guides, the excursions, the accommodations, everything, was just spectacular. Fortunately, everything ran on time, no delays, no problems.
Thank you again!!
Linda IriasI have been blessed to have an amazing rep, Farooq Qaisar!
He has helped me find the best spots for my clients to experience and when I am looking for something and just can't figure it out, he is able to put together something better than I was thinking. He my go-to and I am thankful for all his help over the years!SherriGoway helped plan our two week trip to Peru and they (Virginia in particular) did a great job. The on-site logistics with Condor Travel went very smoothly, and the trip exceeded our expectations overall. They proactively suggested changes to our initial itinerary which were welcomed. I would recommend them and would work with them again in the future.Kate O'NeillWe entrusted Goway with every detail of our trip from start to finish and they came through for us superbly! Every single detail was smooth sailing. It was a joy to plan our travels with Goway!! We had an amazing trip of a lifetime!
E&DI recently went on an African Safari with my brother-in-law and sister and another couple who I knew. The entire experience was absolutely unbelievable. The complete details were flawlessly coordinated from the transfers to the breathtaking lodges. Our guides Peter showed us Kenya and Maulid Tanzania were very knowledgeable and very sharp eyes for finding the animals.
We were able to see the animals up close, learn a lot about the people, birds , vegetation etc.
We had several sundowners in the bush really added to a magical experience with beautiful sunsets.
I would highly recommend Goway to all my friends, they will not be disappointed.
Thank you to Bijal for the excellent African Safari that you put together for us. You were wonderful.Nancy HayWe enjoyed our trip very much. I was very pleased by the hotel, tours, and itinerary selections that Alice Teramoto made for us. It was all well organized and easy to follow.
Thank you very much for helping us have a great experience in Peru.INEverything was planned perfectly. The excursions were so small and personal. Ask for Mark! I have already planned another trip back to the Oregon wine country with Mark. Claire
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