Mahabalipuram tour by Tourism Ministry approved company | 7 hours

303 Reviews | Chennai
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (13-80) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Child (3-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Infant (0-2) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
All inclusive tour by Car
2 Adults x $135.00
$270.00
Approx Total
$270.00
Includes guide, car & lunch : Private tour includes guide, pick & drop from Chennai hotel by car, lunch and all entrance charges
Pickup included

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Pick and drop to Chennai hotel
  • Lunch
  • Entrance charges
  • Professional tour guide
  • Beverages

Overview

This private tour takes you to Mahabalipuram famous for its rock cut temples dating back to the 7th century along a lovely sea shore. We will spend the day exploring this World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram which used to serve as a sea port in ancient times. The highlights include masterpieces like the Five Chariots which are rock cut monolith temples, Arjuna's Penance the giant open air rock relief, the gravity defying Krishna's butterball and the Shore temple which is the last remaining of the 7 Pagodas mentioned by Marco Polo. This package includes pick and drop, private car, lunch, and a professional guide.

Itinerary

  • Pancha Rathas

    Make the first stop of the day at the Pancharathas, or five chariots, a series of monolithic temples built by the Pallavas.These are rock cut monolith temples structures built in the 7th century. Each of the 5 rathas or chariots are dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharat epic- Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. There is also a sculpture of an elephant next to the ratha of Nakul-Sahadeva. Once you stand towards the rear of the elephant you will notice that there is an uncanny resemblance between the rear of the chariot and the elephant. 

    25 minutes

  • Arjuna's Penance

    We next visit Arjuna’s Penace, a bas-relief monument that’s considered one of India’s most magnificent pieces of ancient art, depicting vivid scenes from the Mahabharata. The relief is 100 feet long and 45 feet tall! The main story being told is how Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers, performed severe austerities in order to obtain Lord Shiva's weapon.

    20 minutes

  • Pancha Pandava Cave

    Pandava cave is the largest cave-temple at Mahabalipuram The cave is supported on six pillars and two pilasters. The highlight of the architecture are the spectacular sculptures of mythical creatures called Yali on the pillars.

    15 minutes

  • Krishna's Butter Ball

    The next stop is Krishna’s Butterball, a granite boulder that’s poised on a stony slope. This curious boulder seems to defy Newton's laws of gravity and has not moved an inch despite being in this precarious position on the slope for more than a thousand years.

    15 minutes

  • Varaha Cave Temple

    The Varaha cave is carved out of huge piece of granite and dates back to the 7th century. This temple took several decades to be completed. There are squatting lions adorning the pillars which support the hall. Another highlight are the sculptures of two guardian angels who protect the sanctum.

    15 minutes

  • Trimurti Cave

    This cave is a fine example of the spectacular architecture style of the Pallavas. The rock cut temple is dedicated to the holy trinity of Hindu Gods- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are fine carvings of elephants as well.

    15 minutes

  • N/A

    This is a imposing chariot carved out of a single stone. Originally dedicated to Lord Shiva, it now has the deity of his son Lord Ganesh. It was built in the 7th century by King Mahendravarman I. The other highlight of this temple are the 18 inscriptions in ancient grantha and nagari scripts of Sanskrit.

    15 minutes

  • N/A

    Built in the year 640, it is India’s oldest light house and one of the oldest in the world. Mahabalipuram was a very busy port since the 7th century and hence this lighthouse played a significant role in keeping mariners safe.

    15 minutes

  • Mahishasuramardini Cave

    Two of the most impressive works of art of Mahabalipuram reside in this cave. It has 2 imposing bas-reliefs on the walls. The first one is Lord Vishnu sleeping on top of the coils of a serpent. The other is with Goddess Durga fighting with the demon Mahishasura on a lion.

    15 minutes

  • Shore Temple (Pass By)

    Our last port of call is the Shore Temple. The magnificent temple overlooks the Bay of Bengal and was an important centre during the reign of the Pallavas when Mahabalipuram was the main port of their Kingdom. Built by King Raja Simha during the early 8th century, the Shore Temple is a landmark in the architectural landscape of India. Marco Polo referred to this as the seven pagodas. The existing temple is the last surviving of the 7 which once stood as a beacon for sea farers.

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Free Cancellation

June 19100% refund
June 20No 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

5.0

303 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    290
  • 4 stars
    12
  • 3 stars
    1
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 290 reviews with 5 stars

Incredible place with great guide

Published on Mar, 2025

All the guides were amazing. We learned a lot about such an incredible place! The buildings and carvings were incredible to see and such a feat!! Jainath was a great guide who kindly went out of his way to personalize our trip - making extra stops and seeking out anything we mentioned wanting to see or try. Highly recommend this tour!

Excellent way to see the stone temples

Published on Mar, 2025

Excellent tour from start to end. Very good communication via WhatsApp regarding pickup. Driver Mubeen was courteous and car was clean and comfy. Bottled water provided. The guide Ramesh was knowledgeable and took some nice photos for me. Lunch was at a local restaurant and was delicious (and no stomach issues afterwards either!). Some complained about going to a stone trinket store but I just asked that we skip it. Be aware that the drive there and back took about 3 hours and my actual tour took about 2.5 hrs so may not take the 7-8 hours as listed, which to me was a good thing as we still got to see everything. As a solo traveler I felt very safe. Would recommend!

Great day trip to Mahabalipuram

Published on Mar, 2025

Natarajan was an excellent tour guide, very knowledgeable of the area and history. He was quite friendly, very punctual, and extremely professional. Everything worked very well and we were well supported in our adventure, including pictures and a local meal at the end of our time in Mahabalipuram. In addition, the local guide was friendly with a good handoff between the two.

Temple Tour

Published on Mar, 2025

Very good tour. Enjoyed the journey and destinations. Very hospitable. Our guide was Natarajan and another gentleman Gobi. Very professional and accommodating. Would recommend to others. Driver was very good as well.

Tour of Mahabalipur

Published on Mar, 2025

It was an excellent tour. I recommend using 5 senses Tour Company. Our drive was Natarajan, he was very good at explaining everything.

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