Located on the Bay of Bengal, this beautiful seaside capital draws you in with its vibrant, energetic South Indian culture. Chennai in Tamil Nadu is more than its iconic Marina beach and for tourists ready to discover the many shades of their travel destination, it can open up hidden secrets that will enrich your journey to this coastal region.
With long golden beaches, seaside markets filled with fish sellers calling out their wares in cheerful voices, stone temples embedded with rock art and majestic sculptures, and food that carries with its flavours, the taste of this state; sightseeing in Chennai will leave you spellbound.
Travel to the multi-domed Thousand Lights Mosque, a place of religious worship that lights up the surrounding area with different neon lights so that you feel like you’re looking at a sparkling gem. Sightseeing in Chennai isn’t complete without making your way to the one-of-a-kind Marina Beach, the longest beach in India and one of the longest in the world. Slurp on an ice-cream cone sold beachside and take in the blues of the ocean, as its waves crash gently onto the shore.
Other great spots for sightseeing in Chennai include Elliot’s Beach, Dakshinachitra, Ashtalakshmi Temple, Valluvar Kottam and for film lovers, MGR Film City! The list goes on and its going to be tough to fit all the spectacular wonders of Chennai in this page, but we’re going to try our best.
Scroll through our list of the top places to visit in Chennai and discover the tiny special elements about it that make these spots a must visit.
You’re ready with your best pair of walking shoes, camera and water-bottle to set off on an adventure on the winding roads of Chennai but where do you start? Here are some of the top sightseeing places in Chennai that will give you a taste of its culture and history.
Don’t forget to explore the small lanes and areas surrounding these iconic spots to discover your own little treasures and create memories to take back home.
A lovely stretch of golden sand, blue skies overhead and azure water that stretches into the horizon, Marina Beach is the iconic image of Chennai you see when you Google the coastal state. The longest beach in India and one of the longest in the world, the beach was once...
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If you love the lyrical composition of poetry and have a bunch of poetry books stacked up at home, Valluvar Kottam is sure to tickle your love of history and poetry. Dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar, it is the city’s biggest Tamil cultural centre. The monument consists...
Read more
A unique place of worship, Thousand Lights Mosque is sure to light up your night, literally! Situated in Anna Salai, Chennai, this multi-domed mosque is one of the largest mosques in India and is a key place of worship and azadari for Shia Muslims. As the sun goes down, the...
Read more
When you’re in a coastal city, you have to visit the beach more than once and Elliot’s Beach keeps you coming back for more. Named after Edward Elliot (the Chief Magistrate, Superintendent of Madras during the British Era) the stretch of sand is a clean, sparkling beach and invites you...
Read more
If you love the way history has shaped the present and the stories of our ancestors, Dakshinachitra takes you into Chennai’s rich and glorious past. A living-history museum dedicated to the South Indian heritage and culture, Dakshinachitra consists of a series of ancient houses and depicts the life pattern of...
Read more
A lovely stretch of golden sand, blue skies overhead and azure water that stretches into the horizon, Marina Beach is the iconic image of Chennai you see when you Google the coastal state. The longest beach in India and one of the longest in the world, the beach was once...
Read more
If you love the lyrical composition of poetry and have a bunch of poetry books stacked up at home, Valluvar Kottam is sure to tickle your love of history and poetry. Dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar, it is the city’s biggest Tamil cultural centre. The monument consists...
Read more
A unique place of worship, Thousand Lights Mosque is sure to light up your night, literally! Situated in Anna Salai, Chennai, this multi-domed mosque is one of the largest mosques in India and is a key place of worship and azadari for Shia Muslims. As the sun goes down, the...
Read more
When you’re in a coastal city, you have to visit the beach more than once and Elliot’s Beach keeps you coming back for more. Named after Edward Elliot (the Chief Magistrate, Superintendent of Madras during the British Era) the stretch of sand is a clean, sparkling beach and invites you...
Read more
If you love the way history has shaped the present and the stories of our ancestors, Dakshinachitra takes you into Chennai’s rich and glorious past. A living-history museum dedicated to the South Indian heritage and culture, Dakshinachitra consists of a series of ancient houses and depicts the life pattern of...
Read more