Chennai City - Private Tour

Discover the gateway to southern India with this full day city tour of Chennai and get a feel for the country’s classical, ancient and gentle sides. Chennai is one of the largest cities in the sub-continent and spreads out over 80km. It features a large and beautiful waterfront on the Bay of Bengal. Visit the top sights and attractions of a city that seamlessly looks to the past and the future.

Chennai was formerly known as Madras and has had links to Europe for centuries. It was occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French before finally settling in the hands of the British in the 18th century. Today, Chennai is known as the Detroit of India because of its impressive automobile industry.

Your tour will begin with Fort St. George: Fort St George is the 17th-century fort built by British in the city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The building now houses Tamil Nadu state legislative assembly. It is still a good place to visit in Chennai sightseeing places.

Burma Bazaar: Burma Bazaar is actually sort of grey market run by Burmese (Myanmar) refugees living in Chennai. A good place to buy cheap imported perfumes, electronics, and software Government Museum: The second oldest museum in India, the Government Museum or Madras Museum showcases human history and culture. Interestingly this museum has the largest collection of Roman artefacts outside of Europe.

Valluvar Kottam: Valluvar Kottam is the most recognizable monument in Chennai and dedicated to the classical Tamil poet, Thiruvalluvar. The monument stands in the middle of a local Chennai lake and has become a prominent landmark of the city. Santhome Cathedral: San Thome Basilica is a 16th-century beautiful cathedral built by Portuguese and later restored by the British. Interestingly this church is only one of the three churches in the world to have been built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus.

Kapaleeswarar Temple: Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a 7th century Lord Shiva temple with a huge gopuram built in typical Dravidian architectural style in Mylapore area of Chennai. This is Chennai's most famous temple one of the top places to visit in Chennai, to experience the cultural history of Chennai and South India in general.

Madras Lighthouse: The Madras Light House situated on famous Marina Beach in Chennai stands facing the Bay of Bengal. The lighthouse is open to the public. Marina Beach: Marina Beach is the most popular beach and a top tourist attraction in Chennai city. It is a natural beach famed to be the second-longest natural beach in the world. Swimming at the Marina Beach is prohibited because of strong undercurrents but fishing and sailing activities are possible.

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English