Chennai packs millennia of Tamil culture into a sprawling coastal metro of 11 million people. The city’s attractions range from 7th-century rock-cut temples to one of the world’s longest urban beaches. Here are the specific sights worth your time, with practical details for each.
Things to Do in Chennai: Attractions and Activities
Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore
The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a 7th-century Dravidian-style Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, rebuilt in the 16th century after Portuguese destruction. Its 37-meter gopuram (gateway tower) is covered in brightly painted stucco figures depicting Hindu mythology. Located at 234 Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore. Open daily 5:30am to 12:30pm and 4pm to 9:30pm. Free entry. Non-Hindus can enter the outer courtyard but not the inner sanctum. Remove shoes before entering (shoe stall available for 2 INR). Photography allowed in the outer areas. The temple tank (water reservoir) sits directly across the street. Visit at 6am to see the morning puja (prayer ritual) or during the March/April Panguni Uthiram festival when the temple chariot is pulled through Mylapore streets.
Marina Beach
Marina Beach stretches 13km from Fort St. George to Besant Nagar, making it the second-longest urban beach in the world. The beach is a social hub from 4pm to 8pm when temperatures cool and thousands gather for sunset. Located along Kamarajar Salai. Free entry, open 24 hours. Swimming is prohibited due to strong rip currents, do not enter the water beyond ankle depth. Food stalls sell sundal (spiced chickpeas), bajji (vegetable fritters), and fresh coconut water (30 to 50 INR). Horse rides cost 50 INR for a short loop. The Anna Memorial and MGR Memorial are at the northern end near the lighthouse. Parking is available at the Light House end (30 INR for cars).
Government Museum, Egmore
Housed in the 1851 Pantheon Complex on Pantheon Road, Egmore, the Government Museum is one of India’s oldest and largest. The Bronze Gallery holds the finest collection of Chola bronze sculptures in the world, including the famous Nataraja (dancing Shiva) from the 11th century. The archaeology section covers South Indian history from paleolithic tools to Vijayanagara artifacts. Open Saturday to Thursday 9:30am to 5pm, closed Fridays. Entry: 15 INR for Indians, 250 INR for foreigners. Allow 2 to 3 hours. The museum complex includes the National Art Gallery (often closed for renovation), the Connemara Public Library, and a small natural history section. The bronze gallery is in the main building to the right of the entrance.
Fort St. George and St. Mary’s Church
Built by the British East India Company in 1644, Fort St. George on Rajaji Salai is the first English fortress in India. The Fort Museum inside displays weapons, uniforms, coins, and portraits from the colonial era. St. Mary’s Church within the fort, consecrated in 1680, is the oldest Anglican church east of Suez and the oldest British building in India. The church still holds Sunday services. Open Saturday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, closed Fridays. Entry: 15 INR for Indians, 300 INR for foreigners. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly still operates within the fort complex, so parts are restricted. Allow 1.5 hours. Combine with a walk through George Town’s narrow lanes to see the 18th-century Armenian Church on Armenian Street.
Santhome Cathedral Basilica
This neo-Gothic Catholic cathedral on Santhome High Road in Mylapore stands over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to have arrived in Kerala in 52 AD and preached in Mylapore before his martyrdom in 72 AD. The current structure dates to 1896 and was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1956. The crypt contains a relic of St. Thomas (a small bone fragment). Mass is held daily at 6am, 11am, and 6pm. Open 6am to 8pm. Free entry. The attached museum (open 9am to 5pm, 10 INR) displays artifacts related to St. Thomas. The 50-meter spire is visible from Marina Beach.
DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum
DakshinaChitra at Muttukadu on East Coast Road (ECR), 25km south of the city center, is an open-air museum showcasing traditional homes from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Eighteen original houses were dismantled, transported, and reconstructed here by artisans. The Kerala section has a tharavad (joint family home) with carved wooden pillars. The Tamil Nadu section includes a Chettinad merchant’s house with Italian marble and Burmese teak. Open Wednesday to Monday 10am to 6pm, closed Tuesdays. Entry: 140 INR for adults, 70 INR for children. Allow 2 to 3 hours. The craft bazaar sells pottery, palm leaf baskets, and terracotta items. Reach via OMR/ECR Link Road, about 45 minutes from the city center by auto-rickshaw (400 to 500 INR) or Uber.
Valluvar Kottam
Built in 1976 on Village Road in Nungambakkam, Valluvar Kottam is a monument to the Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar and his 1,330-couplet work, the Tirukkural. The main structure is a 39-meter-tall stone chariot (a replica of the Thiruvarur temple chariot) housing a life-size statue of the poet. All 1,330 couplets are inscribed on granite panels in the surrounding corridor. Open daily 8:30am to 5:30pm. Entry: 15 INR. The site is popular with Tamil literature students and is often quiet compared to the temples. Auto-rickshaw from Nungambakkam railway station costs about 50 INR.
Guindy National Park and Snake Park
Guindy National Park on Sardar Patel Road is a 2.7 sq km protected area inside the city, one of the few national parks located within a metropolitan area. It protects blackbucks, spotted deer, jackals, and over 130 bird species in tropical dry evergreen forest (one of the last remnants of this ecosystem type). The adjacent Chennai Snake Park Trust (open Wednesday to Monday 9am to 5:30pm, closed Tuesdays) houses cobras, vipers, pythons, and crocodiles in naturalistic enclosures. Combined entry: 30 INR for adults, 15 INR for children. The Snake Park’s venom extraction shows happen at 4pm on weekends. The Children’s Park (10 INR extra) has play equipment and a small zoo area.
