Private Chennai Day Tour - Art History and Contemporary Chennai | 6 hours to 7 hours

19 Reviews | Chennai
New On TravelOne
From $100.07 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
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Adult (18-120) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 4
2
Child (13-17) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 4
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Infant (0-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 4
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Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Chennai Day Tour - Art History and Contemporary Chennai
2 Adults x $126.23
$252.46
Approx Total
$252.46
Pickup included

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Private transportation
  • Entrance tickets where applicable
  • Budget USD 10 - 15 per person for a good lunch in a secret restaurant you will love! Note: The guides lunch must be paid for by you.

Overview

Discover Chennai on our exclusive private day tour led by accomplished, highly educated cultural custodians with backgrounds in History, Architecture and Fine Arts. This comprehensive tour of Chennai takes you to all the highlights of Chennai - Fort St George, Egmore Museum, St Thomas Basilica, St Georges Cathedral, Kapleeshwar Temple and more. We will engage you in lively conversations and debates about Chennai's history, share interesting facts and anecdotes, and also explore the contemporary importance and pulse of the metropolis. Whether you're keen to delve into history, explore bustling markets, or savor authentic cuisine, this tour promises memories to last a lifetime. Please note: 1) The two museums usually part of the tour are closed on Fridays and other special holidays. We will visit alternate sites depending on your interests on such days 2) Lunch is not included. You must pay for your lunch as well as for the guides lunch.

Itinerary

  • Fort St. George

    The first stop is on the private tour of Chennai is Fort St George, the first fort built by the British in India, completed in 1639. This is where the story of Chennai started. The fort houses an interesting Museum and St Mary's Church, the oldest Anglican Church in India. It is this fort that enabled the British to take over the "jewel of the British empire", India.

    1 hour

  • Santhome Cathedral Basilica

    The Santhome Basilica was originally built by the Portuguese in 15 CE. The cathedral today is a magnificent building in the Neo Gothic style. Portuguese tradition has it that St. Thomas arrived and preached in Chennai between 52 A. D. and 72 A. D. It is believed that it is here that St Thomas was buried - making it one of the 3 churches in the world built on top of a grave of an Apostle.

    1 hour

  • Kapaleeshwarar Temple

    The Kapaleeshwarar temple is an ancient "living" temple - a temple which is still in daily use. The age of the temple is the source of much debate. The commonly held view is that it was built in the 7th century CE by the ruling Pallavas.

    1 hour

  • Marina Beach (Pass By)

    Slow drive past the Marina beach - one of the longest urban beaches in the world. There are many colonial era buildings on the facade and you will be engaged in lively conversations about them

  • Marina Beach Fish Market

    We will drive by a fishing market. Deep sea fishing is not done using big trawlers, but by the use of small boats. Everyday, fishermen venture into the sea and come back with catch, which is then sold on the beach

    30 minutes

  • C.S.I. St. George's Cathedral

    St Georges cathedral is a magnificent church built by the British in 1815 using a lottery fund. St. George's occupies an important place in the history of Protestant Christianity in India. The church has some amazing stained glass windows, as well as very interesting memorials, tablets and statues. We will also take a walk in the churches graveyard - one of the oldest Anglican graveyards in India. As eerie as it sounds, it is not, and is rather fascinating. Some grave stones really have stories to tell here!

    1 hour

  • Government Museum

    The Egmore Museum is one of the finest and oldest museums in India. The bronze sculpture gallery is an highlight and has on display some of the greatest ancient sculptures ever made.

    1 hour

  • Pondy Bazaar

    Pondy Bazaar is a thriving market, and we will walk through

    1 hour

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Tour is of low intensity, but does require some amount of walking on uneven surfaces.

Free Cancellation

June 12100% refund
June 13No 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

19 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    18
  • 4 stars
    1
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 18 reviews with 5 stars

A very personal tour of Chennai

Published on Jan, 2025

Chandon provided me with just the day I was hoping for, punctuated by wonderful, stimulating and thoughtful conversation. Don't hesitate to engage him!

Highlights of Chennai

Published on Jan, 2025

Chennai is a culturally rich environment with major Hindu and Christian sacred places and important British colonial relics. My visit offered an excellent introduction to them all. The guide was quite knowledgeable and a pleasure to travel with. A really delightful day!

Incredible Chennai, wonderful experience !

Published on Jan, 2025

I went on the Mahabalipuram tour with my two children ages 9 and 12. Chandan interacted wonderfully will the children and made the tour fun. The area was beautiful and Chandan was very knowledgable about the sculptures and stories. We will be returning to Chennai and look forward to booking another tour!

Kapaleeshwar temple, Santhome church, Marina beach, fort st. George, cathedral church and the Egmore museum.

Published on Jan, 2025

Fantastic and immersive day tour of Chennai My wife and I recently took a day tour of Chennai and it was an incredible experience! Our guide, SK, was knowledgeable, friendly, and ensured we made the most of our time. The tour covered all the major attractions, including the Kapaleeswarar Temple, Fort St. George, and the Marina Beach. We also got to try some delicious local cuisine at a popular restaurant. We also travelled in a comfortable SUV. What impressed me most was the guide's ability to share insightful stories and anecdotes about Chennai's history and culture. It made the tour feel more immersive and engaging. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Chennai. It's a great way to experience the city's rich heritage and vibrant culture in a day .

Chennai day tour

Published on Dec, 2024

Chandan is a very engaging and knowledgeable guide with a serious passion for his country and his areas history, and this really comes across in his detailed and informative stories about the points of interest which we visited on the tour. He also knows some great local cafes and restaurants to really enjoy the genuine local food. I had a great time on this tour and would highly recommend it to anyone who has a spare day to spend in Chennai and wants to get to see the interesting parts of town as it's not the easiest place to negotiate if you're a tourist and don't know the area. Money very well spent.

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