Mahabalipuram Tour: Explore Ancient Rock Monuments

Immerse yourself in the 7th century world of the Pallavas with this guided tour of Mahabalipuram. Explore rock cut monuments, temples, and open-air reliefs that transport you back in time.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Pancha Rathas - We reach the World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. Panch Rathas, or the 5 chariots is our first destination. These are rock cut monolith structures, where of the chariots are dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharata epic- Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. There is also a sculpture of an elephant next to the ratha of Nakul-Sahadeva.
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Entrance charges
Additional Information

This immersive guided tour, lasting over three hours, will transport participants back to the 7th century, exploring the era of the Pallavas through remarkable rock-cut monuments. The tour is conducted by a company endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism and is a proud member of the Indian Tour Operators Association.
Participants can choose to explore on…

Location
Shore Temple
Beach Road
Our guide will meet you at the entrance of the Shore Temple.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(60 Ratings)
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Rsanchezriancho
Jan 19, 2025
Great experience - Great tour with a really kind guide. I absolutely recommend it. It is complicated to find all the spots by yourself, this is very helpful and the Tuc Tuc ride is quite fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunshine00790716047
Jan 13, 2025
Great guided tour - Ramesh took us through the history of this place, he was a great guide. We got to see the different temples and monuments walking with a great end at the 5 Rathas. We enjoyed the knowledge shared (not too much and not too little for our taste). Recommended day trip from Chennai.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Journey22418635585
Jan 11, 2025
Wonderful Mahabalapuram 5 star guide! - Our guide Ramesh was friendly, engaging, patient, and attentive to our pace as an older couple. He is very knowledgeable about the history, culture and architecture of the temples. Occasionally, we needed him to repeat himself given our not being accustomed to his Indian English accent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G6168klannad
Jan 5, 2025
A must see for all - This is one amazing place that will make a permanent imprint to memory domain 🤩 Ramesh is extraordinarily guide, with vast knowledge of history, architecture, religion, and navigation of multiple sites in the most efficient manner. He also knows the best spots for good pictures. India, China, and Rome are in one magnificent temple
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tmd96
Jan 5, 2025
Auto rickshaw Mahabalipuram tour - Ramesh was a wonderful and knowledgable guide. We went through the historical sites of Mahabalipuram by auto rickshaw (would highly recommend—while the sites aren’t necessarily very far from each other, having a moment to get off your feet is nice, especially in the heat). We came in January and it was around 25/27 degrees Celsius with a nice breeze from the ocean. Would recommend to anyone. Mahabalipuram is rich with culture and history and should not be missed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ladylaguna2
Jan 4, 2025
Great comprehensive tour - We enjoyed our tour with tour guide Gopal very much! Our 3 hour tour with walking and Tuktuk hit all the main spots with time to savour it all. Our guide Gopal was knowledgeable, well spoken, and patient. A great way to see all the sites.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Francie_f
Dec 29, 2024
Amazing place and excellent guide - Ramesh was knowledgeable, pleasant, and fkexible. Tour is well arranged. If you are arranging your own transportation, be sure to have drop off and pickup a bit away from the very busy temple sites.
Review provided by Viator
Compass00867257668
Dec 12, 2024
A good tour for a solo traveler - I booked the group tour, but it ended up only being me. Ramesh was my guide, and took me through the whole tour in a very informative way. Unfortunately, it was raining heavily, but Ramesh helped me with an umbrella and tried his hardest to keep me dry, while also taking pictures of me and enabling me to take ‘dry’ photos. The site speaks for itself - it’s a definite must, and I believe having someone guide me through it and explain allowed me to enjoy it more deeply!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emccol197487
Nov 27, 2024
Ramesh is awesome! - Ramesh was an amazing tour guide! The company texted me the day I booked the tour and Ramesh called me ahead of time to let me know where he was going to meet me (in front of the ticket office). I learned a lot of interesting facts about the various temples. I appreciated him taking photos of me since I was solo and he had tips for the best places to take photos. I had plenty of time to explore each area without feeling rushed. .I highly recommend this tour and especially with Ramesh!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Spangledragon
Nov 26, 2024
Fantastic English tour, bringing temples and faith alive - Spending time in Tamil Nadu has been a real cultural and educational experience, particularly around the Hindu faith and spirituality. This was my last trip, having visited Chennai, Kanchipuram, Madurai and Pondicherry.... But Ramesh my guide only built on my understanding with historical, geological and legendary facts. We spent three comfortable hours walking and talking, his English was excellent as he guided me through the many (10 I think) sites. Some are complete, others part incomplete having been interrupted by the war. The sights are quite astonishing, from the quality of the stories and gods carved into the granite to the range of architecture and history. There's the option at the end to watch stone carving, a skill which Mahabalipuram is renowned for and in fact has a world leading college. Ramesh also kindly took photos for me and if me and forwarded them. I would thoroughly recommend the tour rather than visiting alone, as you see things and experience the connectivity between the people, their faith and the landscape.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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