Home / Things to do in Tamil Nadu / Things to do in India / Things to do in Chennai / Chennai Tours / Car Tours

Mahabalipuram & Pondicherry trip from Chennai by Wonder tours

From $199.00 Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers

Free cancellation

Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn More

12 Hours Mobile ticket Pickup offered Offered in: English, French
Overview

Mamallapuram (also called Mahaballipuram) is about an hour's drive from Chennai on the East Coast Road. It was the second capital and seaport of the Pallava Kings who ruled in the 5th century.The Shore Temple is among the oldest temples of South India and represents the final flowering of Pallava art. Arjuna's Penance, one of the world's biggest bas-reliefs depicts the story of the descent of the River Ganges from Heaven to Earth. Cave temples and massive monolithic sculptures (carved from a single large block of granite) make Mamallapuram a place to remember.
DakshinaChitra is an exciting cross cultural living museum of art, architecture, lifestyles, crafts and performing arts of South India. The main mission is to exhibit, promote and preserve aspects of the broader, more inclusive cultures of the states and to bring these arts to the public in a participative, enjoyable and engaging way.

What's Included
  1. Private transportation
  2. Headsets to hear the guide clearly
  3. Lunch
  4. Entry/Admission - Monuments
  1. Personal expenses
  2. Gratuities
  3. Beverages
Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Our tour guide will meet and pick up you from all hotels in Chennai.

What To Expect
Pancha Rathas

Make the first stop of the day at the Pancharathas, or five chariots, a series of monolithic temples built by the Pallavas.These are rock cut monolith temples structures built in the 7th century. Each of the 5 rathas or chariots are dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharat epic- Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. There is also a sculpture of an elephant next to the ratha of Nakul-Sahadeva. Once you stand towards the rear of the elephant you will notice that there is an uncanny resemblance between the rear of the chariot and the elephant.

45 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Arjuna's Penance

We next visit Arjuna’s Penace, a bas-relief monument that’s considered one of India’s most magnificent pieces of ancient art, depicting vivid scenes from the Mahabharata. The relief is 100 feet long and 45 feet tall! The main story being told is how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities in order to obtain Lord Shiva's weapon.

30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Krishna's Butter Ball

The next stop is Krishna’s Butterball, a granite boulder that’s poised on a stony slope. This curious boulder seems to defy Newton's laws of gravity and has not moved an inch despite being in this precarious position on the slope for more than a thousand years.

15 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Shore Temple

Our last port of call is the Shore Temple. The magnificent temple overlooks the Bay of Bengal and was an important centre during the reign of the Pallavas when Mahabalipuram was the main port of their Kingdom. Built by King Raja Simha during the early 8th century, the Shore Temple is a landmark in the architectural landscape of India. Marco Polo referred to this as the seven pagodas. The existing temple is the last surviving of the 7 which once stood as a beacon for sea farers.

45 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Shri Aurobindo, a great seer, poet and prophet of the twentieth century, made Pondicherry his home from 1910 till his death in 1950. His vision and ideals continue to draw people from all over the world.

30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Auroville

we travel to Auroville, the radical concept of a global village where thousands of people from across the world have given up their nationalities and are living as global citizens. Auroville was conceived with the vision that- “There should be a somewhere on earth, a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony…”. Guests will also get to see the various ways in which its citizens practice sustainable way of life. Matri Mandir is a giant dome for silent meditation.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple

The Manakula Vinayagar Temple, in Puducherry, is a grand and beautiful temple, dedicated to the Hindu lord Ganesha. Puducherry might be a place full of churches but Manakula Vinayagar Temple is highly coveted among Hindu devotees and tourists, traveling from all parts of the country. Being more than 500 years old, it has an illustrious history and is one of the oldest temples in the region.

30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

We visit a unique factory which makes hand made paper. Sri Aurobindo Paper Factory started 50 years ago and makes paper from 100% cotton rag pulp. In this visit guests will experience how the paper is produced from cotton rags and then processed with techniques like silk screen printing and marbling.

30 Minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info
  1. Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  2. Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  3. Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  1. Public transportation options are available nearby
  2. Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Operated by Wonder tours

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  1. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time
  2. Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  3. If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  4. Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
Questions?
Viator Help Center

Product code: 107256P27

Compare Similar Experiences
Eiffel Tower Skip The Line Summit with Host

0

50 Minutes

Free Cancellation

From

Eiffel Tower Skip The Line Summit with Host

0

50 Minutes

Free Cancellation

From

Eiffel Tower Skip The Line Summit with Host

0

50 Minutes

Free Cancellation

From

Why you are seeing these recommendations

Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Activity
Rome, Italy
Eiffel Tower Skip The Line Summit with Host
from ₹6,261.98
28,195
Recently viewed
Activity
Rome, Italy
Eiffel Tower Skip The Line Summit with Host
from ₹6,261.98
28,195
From ₹ 199.00 Lowest Price Guarantee
Book Now