Guide details
Best time to visit
November to February for comfortable sightseeing; start each day by 8am to beat the heat and crowds
How to get there
Chennai International Airport connects to most major cities; autos, cabs and the metro cover the city itself
Highlights
Fort St George, Marina Beach, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, T Nagar shopping, a Mahabalipuram or Kanchipuram day trip
Good for
First time visitors, short business trips extended by a weekend, families and couples wanting a structured plan
Price range
Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000 per person per day depending on hotel category and how much shopping you do
Three days is genuinely enough to get a proper feel for Chennai, provided you do not try to cram every guide on this site into a single afternoon. This chennai itinerary is built the way a local would plan it for a visiting friend, one day for heritage and the coast, one for culture, shopping and food, and a third spent out of town. If you are short on time there is a one day version below, and if you are travelling with children there is a family friendly variation too. Use it as a starting point for your own Chennai sightseeing plan and adjust the pace to how much heat and walking your group can handle.
Day 1: heritage and the coast
Start at Fort St George, the old British stronghold that is now the seat of the Tamil Nadu government, and give yourself an hour for the museum inside before moving on to the Government Museum in Egmore, one of the oldest in the country and home to an excellent bronze gallery. By late morning head to Marina Beach, the second longest urban beach in the world, for a walk along the promenade, though it is far more pleasant at sunrise or sunset than at midday. In the afternoon, move south to Mylapore, Chennai’s oldest neighbourhood, where the towering gopuram of Kapaleeshwarar Temple is the obvious centrepiece, and finish with the more understated San Thome Basilica, built over the tomb of the apostle Thomas. Round the day off with dinner from our pick of the best restaurants in Chennai, or dip into the wider Chennai famous food guide if you would rather graze at a few different spots than sit down at one.
Day 2: culture, shopping and modern Chennai
Devote the morning to temples and quieter culture, including Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane, one of the oldest Vishnu temples in the city, and if you want a green break from stone architecture, the landscaped Semmozhi Poonga garden makes a pleasant midday pause. Then switch gears completely for the afternoon and head to T Nagar, Chennai’s famously chaotic shopping district, where the wider shopping in Chennai guide will help you work out where to go for silk, jewellery or just people watching. When you need a break from the crowds, several of the best cafes in Chennai are within easy reach of the shopping strips. As evening sets in, either head back to the coast for a quieter walk at Besant Nagar Beach, calmer and less crowded than Marina, or dive into the city’s evening scene with our guide to Chennai after dark nightlife, which covers everything from rooftop bars to live music.
Day 3: a day out of the city
Save your third day for one proper excursion rather than trying to see everything within the city limits. The Mahabalipuram complete guide is the most popular choice, with its shore temple and rock cut monuments about 90 minutes south, while Kanchipuram suits anyone more interested in temple architecture and silk weaving than beaches. If you would rather go further and stay overnight, the Pondicherry guide from Chennai turns this into a proper two night extension, and our broader weekend getaways from Chennai guide has further options if three days stretches into four.
If you only have one day
Pick the highlights and move fast. Cover the places to visit in Chennai that sit close together, Fort St George in the morning, Kapaleeshwarar Temple and Mylapore around midday, then Marina Beach or one of the quieter best beaches in Chennai for sunset. Squeeze in one proper meal from the where to eat in Chennai guide and, if there is time left, our best things to do in Chennai roundup will help you fill any remaining gaps without wasting time deciding on the spot.
With kids
A family version needs less walking and more activity. Swap the temple heavy morning for Vandalur Zoo, then use the afternoon for the hands on exhibits at DakshinaChitra, where children can watch craftspeople at work rather than just look at exhibits behind glass. On a second day, the rides at VGP Universal Kingdom or Wonderla will burn off energy far better than another temple, and both work well as a full day out in their own right. For accommodation that suits families across any of these plans, our hotels in Chennai guide breaks down which areas put you closest to the sights you actually want to see.