Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) Tours and Activities

Mahabalipuram is an ancient port town known for its 6th-century rock-cut temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore exquisite stone statues on this exclusive city tour, which gives an in-depth overview of sites like the famous Five Rathas, a set of Dravidian rock temples, and the Sea Shore Temple, an 8th-century granite shrine facing the Bay of Bengal. Round out the day with visits to DakshinaChitra, a “living museum” dedicated to showcasing South Indian culture, and the Madras Crocodile Bank.

Dear Travellers and backpackers this is Sankaran Kumar I am from India I live in Mamallapuram I work tourist guide 30 years my grandfather is tourist guide my father is tourist guide my family live in Mamallapuram more than 100 days my mother is to give rooms for all the traveller Sun backpackers and I learn different language prove that happiness and learn many different culture around the world people I love my work very much I love you help all the traveller you need my help I work as a tourist guide in Mamallapuram Pondicherry Tiruvannamalai Kodaikanal Munnar Kollimalai if you want visit very important culturally temple site seen for village culture meet local people site seen or you want to see only the matches very peaceful place you want to visit mountain or forest or Jungle I can help you out it's my pleasure to help you out find the best way to make your travel easy thank you very much sincere tour guide Sankaran Kumar learn lot of things in South India and Burn with guide

Get a primer on Pallava-style architecture on this full-day private tour to Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram. Benefit from personal attention and the ability to travel at your own pace while visiting the Ekambareswar and Kailasanathar temples, then a local saree weaver. Moving on to the port of Mahabalipuram, see the Five Rathas, the shore temple, and Arjuna's Penance, learning about them through guided commentary.

South India is noted as a “world-class temple destination” for a huge collection of temples of which many are UNESCO world heritage site. It’s profusely built stones figures carved and aesthetically designed temples are unique in their architectural brilliance and known for rich sources of religious teachings. In this tour you will visit the marvelous temples in Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Gangai Konda Cholapuram, Darasuram, Chidambaram, Thanjore & in Tricy along with Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry.

UNESCO–listed Mahabalipuram is a popular stop on India’s tourist trail, but exploring the ancient temples independently means missing the hidden secrets they hold. On this tour, begin with pickup at your Chennai hotel and reach Mahabalipuram with ease. Take in top attractions including the cave temples of Mahishamardini and Varaha, and admire fine coastal views from Mahabalipuram Beach. Along the way, your guide sheds light on Mahabalipuram’s Hindu heritage.

In this two days private tour you will visit Kanchipuram the city of thousands temples and one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centers for the Hindus. Mahabalipuram the ancient 7th century port famous for its magnificent rock temples & carvings. You will stay overnight in Pondicherry the distinct French colonial town with well-laid out streets and avenues. The city presents an unusual combination of European culture and the Indian traditions. An added attraction here is the township of Auroville, an oasis of peace and enlightenment.

Go behind the scenes in the history-filled coastal city of Mamallapuram on this guided walking tour. Learn the mythological legends behind UNESCO-listed attractions like Arjuna’s Penance and the Five Rathas, which are based on stories from India’s national epic, the Mahabharata. You’ll also get a peek at the Shore Temple, a seaside Vishnu and Shiva shrine built in a Dravidian style.

The coastal town of Mahabalipuram makes an ideal day trip from bustling Chennai, but organizing admission fees and transportation to explore independently takes up valuable sightseeing time. On this tour, reach Mahabalipuram in comfort by private vehicle—with entry fees and round-trip transportation from your Chennai hotel included. Explore the Cave temples and rock sculptures with your guide to lead the way, and gain insight into Mahabalipuram’s fascinating 7th-century history.

Expore the Pallavas Grand architectural masterpiece on this full day tour from Chennai. Kanchipuram is a spectacular temple city known as city of thousand temples which reflects the Glorious Traditions of South India with its noted temples. Then experience UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Mahabalipuram group of Monuments, which was carved out of rock along the Coromandel Coast in the 7th and 8th centuries rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous Descent of the Ganges, and the Shore Temple, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva

Have time to take in the top attractions of Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram on a 2-day tour from Chennai. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Monuments of Mahabalipuram to see ancient rock-cut temples and carvings, then continue for an overnight in Pondicherry. On day two, your guide takes you to Auroville, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry Museum, and other landmarks, before your evening return to Chennai. Includes 4-star hotel accommodation with breakfast, and round-trip transportation.

Enjoy a private cultural tour from Channai to Mahabalipuram and Dakshinachitra that showcases traditional South Indian culture, architecture and religion. Join your expert guide in comfortable air-conditioned transport as you make your way to a Dravidian (South Indian) village. See local artisans at work and gain insight into customs and traditions before wandering the halls of its small but impressive museum. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before making a stop at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Mahabalipuram. Experience the splendor of impressive rock-cut sculptures and decorated temples that offer up striking examples of Dravidian architecture. Transport to and from hotel is also included in this daylong tour with expert local guide from Chennai.

India is best explored on a Royal Enfield motorcycle with its legendary thump. The tour is fully guided and comes with an escort rider to help you navigate through Indian traffic. Our escort rider is a cultural evangelist who will ensure you have an immersive cultural experience of India

This itinerary is a great mix of the East Coast in Tamilnadu with the colonial stories .Chennai has a great history for the British Colonialisation and Tranquebar tells about the Danish connection.The presence of Germans in Tranquebar is also significant .The first printing press in India was set up by the Germans in Tranquebar and Ziegenbalg House-A Museum on Intercultural Exchange tells a great story on the strong German presence in this area.To add a bit of local life and culture,we have beautifully handcrafted some nice story telling tours through Mahabalipuram,Kanchipuram and Kumbakonam etc.Tranquebar is still known for its great Danish style and influence.

- Mesmerising narration by an young Archaeologist, unheard stories, unseen places. - Perspectives covering History, Archaeological, Architecture & Mythological - Visiting 7th Century Built monuments & temples – Rock-cut architecture, Shore temple, Lighthouse, - Walking around 2004 incident unearthed 2000 years old Subramaniya temple excavated site (Optional) - Looking at wonders of nature – Krishna Butter Ball, Sea Shell Museum (Optional) - Shopping seashells, stone sculptures and handicrafts

- Young Archaeologist curation, Mesmerising narration, unheard stories, unseen places. - 4 Dimensional perspectives covering History, Archaeological, Architecture & Mythological - Visiting 7th Century Built monuments & temples – Rock-cut architecture, Shore temple, Lighthouse, - Walking around 2004 incident unearthed 2000 years old Subramaniya temple excavated site - Looking at wonders of nature – Krishna Butter Ball, Sea Shell Museum - Shopping seashells, stone sculptures and handicrafts

We ride along coast on Royal Enfield Classic Motorcycle to explore World Heritage site of rock cut monuments in Mahabalipuram and French heritage at Pondicherry. An escort rider ensures ease of navigation through the traffic.

Travel by private, climate-controlled vehicle to Mahabalipuram, the seaside Tamil Nadu city famous for its UNESCO-listed rock-cut caves and monuments. See impressive, three-dimensional illustrations of the Mahabharata—India’s national epic—cut from colossal stones, and marvel at the ancient coastal Shore Temple. Tours include complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off in Chennai.

In this South India tour over 15 days, guests will experience the unique culture of the 3 South Indian States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. We will explore the architectural marvels built by patron Kings over the last 1000 years. We will also unravel the mysteries behind colourful rituals in magnificent temples. World heritage monuments of Mahabalipuram, Brihadeswar temple as well as Hampi will be the key highlights. The tour also includes a blissful 24 hours on a house boat in Kerala over the backwaters of the Arabian Sea!

The tour is conducted on a Royal Enfield Motorcycle which is the best way to explore these parts of India. An escort rider ensures ease of navigation through the traffic.

There is no reason or season to experiences the extraordinary sculptural creations of poetry in stone that stands testimony to the unique Dravidian architectural monuments at Mahabalipuram

A fun tour with a combination of temple run and refreshing beach. After exploring the temples and the Mahabalipuram beach, just relax at the beach and visit plenty of ancient temples which were carved out of large monoliths and an wonder of ancient Indian mastery over stone. Professional surfers can try surfing also as the waters are very rough, however it is on guests own endeavor and nothing to do with our tour.

This itinerary is a great mix of the East Coast in Tamilnadu with the colonial stories .Chennai has a great history for the British Colonialisation and Tranquebar tells about the Danish connection.And Pondicherry has a great story on its French days which is still quite eminent in the culture.The presence of Germans in Tranquebar is also significant .The first printing press in India was set up by the Germans in Tranquebar and Ziegenbalg House-A Museum on Intercultural Exchange tells a great story on the strong German presence in this area.To add a bit of local life and culture,we have beautifully handcrafted some nice story telling tours through Mahabalipuram,Pondicherry and Kumbakonam etc.Tranquebar is still known for its great Danish style and influence which are incorporated with the local life.The fishermen community in Tranquebar is and interesting case study for philanthropists.

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.

You can easily spend a full day exploring Kanchipuram and Mamallapuram's marvellous temples, caves and rock carvings. Most were carved from the rock during the 7th-century reign of Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, whose nickname Mamalla (Great Wrestler) gave the town its name. Official Archaeological Survey of India guides can be hired at sites.