British Architecture Walk, an immersive walking tour in Chennai | 2 hours 30 minutes

50 Reviews | Chennai
From $55.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (13-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Child (5-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private tour with pick up
2 Adults x $90.00
$180.00
Approx Total
$180.00
Hotel: Hotels in Chennai city
coffee/tea
Pickup included
Group walk without pick up
2 Adults x $65.00
$130.00
Approx Total
$130.00
Tea/Coffee

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Coffee/tea
  • Local guide
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option not selected)

Overview

British Architecture walk is an immersive walking tour in Chennai which traces the city's heritage from colonial times to the modern age. Chennai, formerly known as Madras, was the capital of the Southern British India. Many great monuments were built during the British rule and several of them continue to dominate the skyline of Chennai even today. In this walking tour, we will visit some of the prominent landmarks of Chennai, which were built during the British era in an architectural style blending British as well as Indian elements. We will start at the Central Railway Station and walk to Ripon Building, Southern Railway Headquarters, Victory Memorial, Fort St George, Naper Bridge and finish at Madras University building. Our company is committed to strengthening local communities. We help train and employ local guides and support local businesses to ensure travel dollars stay where they are spent.

Itinerary

  • Chennai Egmore

    The Egmore railway station is more than a 100 years old and one of the earliest buildings built in Indo-Saracenic styke. Designed by the legendary Henry Irwin to be larger than Charring Cross station of London, the Station was built by Samynatha Pillai. The building is a fine blend of Gothic and Dravidian design styles. It is the ideal place to start our walk about British Architecture in Chennai.

    20 minutes

  • Chennai Central Railway Station

    The Central Railway Station was built in 1873 in Gothic Revival style by British architect George Harding. It was modified by Robert Chisholm who added the central clock tower and Travancore caps on the main towers. Today, this station handles more than 350000 passengers every day.

    30 minutes

  • Victoria Public Hall

    Victoria Public Hall was opened to the public in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The hall, named after the queen herself, had been a venue for various events like public meetings, and even film screenings. The hall was designed by British architect Robert Chisholm and it is an excellent example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Namberumal Chetty, who had by then constructed various public structures in the city of Madras, built the structure.

    20 minutes

  • Greater Chennai Corporation Office

    British Architecture Walk continues to Ripon Building which was commissioned in 1913. Designed by G.S.T. Harris. and built by Loganatha Mudaliar, the Ripon building is named after Lord Ripon, a Governor-General of British India who was famously known as the father of local self-government in Chennai. Today this building is the office of Mayor of Chennai.

    15 minutes

  • Southern Railway Headquarters

    We next walk to the headquarters of Southern Railways in India. Built in Indo–Saracenic style, this building was designed by N. Grayson and built by Samynada Pillai. It was completed in the year 1921. The Southern Railway headquarters was one of the earliest buildings in India to be built with reinforced concrete.

    15 minutes

  • Napier Bridge

    Napier Bridge was built in 1869 across the Coovum river and is named after the British governor of Fort St George, Francis Napier. It connects the Marina to the Fort St George. The narrow bridge was broadened and converted into a concrete structure and was opened to general public in July 1943. This bridge is often used by Media to represent the city of Chennai!

    15 minutes

  • University of Madras

    The Senate House is the administrative center of the University of Madras. It is situated along the Marina Beach. Constructed by Robert Chisholm , the Senate building is considered a great example of the Indo-Saracenic style with a harmonious blend of Byzantine architectural features. This masterpiece was constructed between April 1874 and 1879. It has a convocation hall, porticos, a parapet, meeting halls and a library.

    15 minutes

  • Victory War Memorial

    The Victory War Memorial, formerly called the Cupid’s bow, is a memorial constructed to commemorate the victory of the Allied Armies during World War I (1914–1918). It later became the victory war memorial for World War II (1939–1945), erected in the memory of those from the Madras presidency who lost their lives in the wars.

    15 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Free Cancellation

June 11100% refund
June 12No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.9

50 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    46
  • 4 stars
    4
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 46 reviews with 5 stars

British Architecture Walk

Published on Feb, 2025

If you are interested in learning, seeing and interacting with the remnants of the British colonial history through its legacy buildings (or not) this is the tour for you. My guide was Hareesh and he was just fantastic, very friendly, engaging and a wealth of knowledge about the buildings, the city and its history, as you would expect. This tour is a great counterpart to do with the Georgetown Heritage Walk with great symmetry but little overlap as it focuses more on the growth and expansion of Madras through the British Raj, rather than its foundation. A fantastic tour, do yourself the favor and make time for this one! TIP: Bring your water bottle and probably a hat.

Wonderful tour in Chennai

Published on Feb, 2025

This tour is a great way to see the British architecture in Chennai. My guide Jainath was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about the architecture and history of the buildings and the city. He was very friendly and flexible When l said that I already had plans to visit one of the buildings on the tour, he offered to take me to another very interesting sight. I particularly enjoyed the short suburban train ride and the coffee at Central Station. I did a private tour, and was picked up punctually at my hotel. Both the driver and the car were excellent. I am very pleased to highly recommend this tour.

Great afternoon in Chennai

Published on Dec, 2024

Great walking tour around Chennai’s British architecture highlights. Hareesh was a knowledgeable and interesting guide. We enjoyed the walking, local trains and tuktuk transport.

Insightful trip into Chennai's British past, brought alive through buildings

Published on Nov, 2024

It felt typically British as we meandered around the old part of Chennai in the rain, but it did not dampen the guides enthusiasm! Hareesh took me on a tour of a range of British buildings in Chennai, explaining the history of the British time in the city and the changes they made. Meeting at Egmore station, he explained the different architectural influences on the building from British to Persian. We walked onto the Main station, learning about the effect on Chennai of the railways and the new modern metro system currently being installed. We then took the train for a stop, and took in the Ripon Building, which seemed so incongruous and, well, British, in a very Indian setting. It is still a government building, albeit with the odd addition of an Aircon unit. We passed the railway HQ, complete with a steam train, and finished with a walk around the University of Madras, which is an enchanting campus close to the beach. All in all a very interesting few hours, As a British I'm glad we did a few positive things in India, despite our aggressive colonial past. Hareesh speaks excellent English and is a very engaging guide who made time for a lovely cup of coffee. Communication from 5senses was good throughout.

Incredible Chennai walk experience

Published on Oct, 2024

Great tour, lots of very interesting information. Talked love experience with train ride. Hareesh is a true sample of excellent tour guide. He demonstrated deep knowledge of history, warm personslity and highly motivated guide who truly loves history, city of Chennai, Indian culture. Highly recommended ! Thank you!

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