At a distance of 4 Kms from Chennai Central Railway Station (located at Kamarajar Road, near local Chepauk Railway Station), the famous Marina beach is the second longest beach in the World and runs to a length of 13 Km. This is one of the top tourist places to visit in Chennai city.

Situated on the beach, the Anna Park, named after the founder of D.M.K Anna durai and the tomb of M.G. Ramachandran who was a film star (both were former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu) and the Statue of Labour is a splendid sculpture depicting the efforts of a team of labourers who are at hard manual labour.

The beach can be ideally visited in the early mornings or in the late evenings when the area becomes a virtual ground with food stalls and other entertainments.

At a distance of 4 Kms from Chennai Central Railway Station (on Pantheon Road), the Pantheon complex built in 1789 houses Government Museum, the National Art Gallery and the Connemara Public Library. The Government bought this building in 1830 and later several new buildings were added to it. This is one of the top tourist places to visit in Chennai city.

The Government Museum was established in 1857 and has the country's best collection of South Indian bronzes, both ancient and modern. Among which beautiful bronze icons of Nataraja, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. The Amaravathi Gallery contains the rare second century marble sculptures, depicting important events in the life of Gautama Buddha. The bronzes from the 10th and 13th centuries and handicrafts from the 11th and 12th centuries also are seen here.The National Art Gallery exhibits several beautiful paintings of 16th and 18th century from Rajasthan, Mughal period and 17th century Deccani art.

Timings: 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM

At a distance of 4.5 Kms from Chennai Central Railway Station (located in Peter's Road, Triplicane, near local Triplicane Railway Station), Sri Parthasarathy Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is one of the oldest temples in Chennai. This temple is built by Pallavas in the 8th century. This is one of the top tourist places to visit in Chennai city.

The present structure of the temple is largely based on the renovations and additions carried out in the 16th century by the Vijayanagar Kings. A number of fine carvings adorn the temple. It is one of the 108 sacred centers of Sri Vaishnavites.

Timings: 6.30 AM to 12 noon and 4 to 8 PM

At a distance of 57 km from Chennai, 65 km from Kanchipuram, 96 km from Pondicherry, 420 km from Madurai and 290 km from Trichy, Mahabalipuram (also called Mamallapuram) is situated in Kanchipuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is famous for its shore temples built in 7th century. Mahabalipuram is one of the must visit weekend getaways from Chennai for one day trip and also a major historical / heritage site in Tamilnadu.The best time to visit Mahabalipuram is from October to March while the peak season is from November to February. Usually it takes one full day to visit Mahabalipuram.

At a distance of 75 km from Chennai, 68 km from Vellore, 65 km from Mahabalipuram, 108 km from Tirupati & 127 km from Pondicherry, Kanchipuram or Kanchi is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in South India. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district. Kanchipuram is one of the most popular weekend getaways from Chennai and one of the major pilgrimage sites in Tamilnadu. Kanchipuram has rich history and it's one of the oldest cities in India. The temples of Kanchipuram are known for their grandeur and great architecture. The architecture of Kanchi monuments were trendsetting with great sculpture work and unique style and became a benchmark for South Indian architecture.

Timings: It usually takes about 2 full days to visit the major sites in Kanchi.

One of the richest pilgrimage centres of any religion and regarded as the most visited temple in the world, TirumalaTirupatiDevasthanam is where you must stop at when in Tirupati. Another place of religion is the Venkateswara temple, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The geographical marvel that is a naturally formed rock bridge called Silathoranam adds to the beauty of the city. But one cannot miss the evergreen ornate heaven beyond the hillocks of the TirumalaTirupatiDevasthanam that is the TTD Gardens.

Best time to visit: September - March

Pulicat is a small seashore township which offers an invigorating and thrilling experience of expedition. Sited on the barricade island of Sriharikota which divides the Pulicat Lake from the Bay of Bengal. Pulicat is amongst the best destinations for short trips from Chennai.

Places to Visit: Beach, the Dutch cemetery, Fort, church, the bird sanctuary, two neighbouring villages of Vedurupattu and Nelapattu .Between December and January, the Tourism Board organizes the Flamingo festival when thousands of the bird species align on the swampy regions of the Pulicat Lake.

Best Time to Visit: October to march

Vellore Fort marks as one of the most prominent landmarks in the city. It has the perfect blend of rich cultural heritage reminiscent of the ancient Dravidian civilization as well as picturesque scenery.

Places to Visit: Srilakshmi Gold Temple, sri varahaswami temple, sri venkateswara museaum, wind energy harnessing

Best Time to Visit: October- March

Built by the British East India Company in 1640, Fort St. George was the first fortress in India founded in the year 1644. It houses the famous St Mary’s Church (an ancient Anglican Church), a museum (contains antics and artefacts from British Rule) and Wellesley House (paintings of the Fort Governer.) It has recently become home to the administrative offices of Tamil Nadu Government and the Legislative Assembly. Located on the Rajaji Salai road, Fort St George is a very prominent landmark in Chennai and owing to its historical reference; the fort is looked upon by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India).

Opening Closing Time : 10 am to 5 pm (except Friday)

Entrance Fee : INR 5 for Indians; INR 100 for foreigners

Being the second largest brackish water (water which is high on salinity) lagoon in India, Pulicat Lake lies on the Coromandal Coast in South India. On a high tide, its area is spread around 450 square kilometres and on a low tide, it becomes 250 square kilometres. Approximately 60 kilometres away from North Chennai, it can be a good weekend getaway option from the city.

As you immerse in the scenic beauty of the lake, capture the wildlife as the lake also encompasses a bird sanctuary. Spot different fish and reptile species, birds like kingfishers, flamingo, storks, ducks, herons, cranes and the most popular of all, the Pelican bird. Though boating is banned here but you can request local fisherman who often take you to small islands and the place where sea water meets ocean water.

Opening Closing Time : Reach before 8 am to spot migratory birds

Valluvar Kottam was built in the year 1976 to honour the great classical Tamil poet and saint Tiruvalluvar who wrote the famous Thirukkural. Three thousand stone blocks were used to create this memorial. All the 133 chapters of his work Thirukkural have been inscribed in the front hall corridor. A life-sized statue of the poet is mounted inside the monument which has been built in the shape of a temple chariot (39 meter high). The place also boasts of a huge auditorium which can accommodate around 4000 people and is believed to be the largest auditorium in Asia.

Entrance Fee INR 10 (Adults), INR 5 (Children)

Opening Closing Time : 8 am to 6 pm The monument is closed on Fridays and Public Holidays.

Built in the year 1913, the Ripon Building is the official seat of the Chennai Corporation and is painted white as a representation of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Situated close to the Chennai Railway Station, it was constructed by Loganatha Mudaliar and was named after Lord Ripon who was the then Governor General of British India.

This royal building is rectangular in shape with a 43 meters tower that has a 2.5 meter clock. Also known as Westminster Chiming Clock, this has been the main attraction of the building ever since it was built. It has a mechanical key system that is checked every day.

Apart from that, four bells also form a part of the building. Structured as three-storey, the flooring of the ground floor was initially done by Cuddapah Slate and later replaced by marble. The building is presently under renovation and entry is restricted till that completes.

Also known as Thirumayilai, Mylapore is the capital city of Tamil Nadu. A few kilometres drive to the South of Chennai, Mylapore is the main commercial centre of Chennai and is easily accessible by road, buses and MRTS system. A day trip to Mylapore is a good idea if you wish to cover some famous tourist attractions in the area.

Mylapore is home to one of the oldest residential areas of Chennai. The town’s area spreads across approximately 4 kilometres from north to south and 2 kilometres from east to west.

Apart from renowned historical sites like San Thome Basilica and Madhava Perumal temple, many educational institutions and prominent schools have been built here too. Some of them are Vidya Mandir Secondary School, Vivekananda College, Image College of Arts, Animation and Technology, to name a few.

Located close to Raj Bhavan, Guindy National Park is an extension to the grounds of the official residence of the governors of Tamil Nadu. Spanning across an area of 270 hectares, this thorn forest is touted to be the smallest national park in India. Despite the size, the park is home to 400 blackbucks, 2,000 spotted deers, 24 jackals and other animal species like chital, pangolin, elephant, jungle cat, toddy cat and Indian civet.

Opening Closing Time :: 9 am to 6 pm

Entrance Fee :: INR 15 (Adult), INR 10 (Child), INR 25 (Camera), INR 150 (Video)

As the name suggests, it is said that almost one thousand oil lamps were lit up to illuminate the hall of this Mosque. Located in Anna Salai close to the Anna flyover, Thousands Lights Mosque is one of the largest mosques in India.

Opening Closing Time : 5:30 am to 9 pm

Located on the East Coast Road, approximately eight kilometres from the south of Chennai, Cholamandal Artists' Village represents an important arts centre in the entire state of Tamil Nadu. Spread over eight hectares of land, it lies close to the Bay of Bengal and has become a great tourist destination.

Opening Closing Time : 9:30 am to 6:30 pm

Entrance Fee : INR 20 (Adults); INR 5 (Children)

Established in 1952 by the Imperial War Graves Commission, Madras War Cemetery was built to honour the lives of all those men and women who sacrificed their lives in World War II. It is home to almost 856 Common wealth burials of the Second World War. People from many different nationalities like UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, West Africa and India are buried here. Located on the Mount Poonamalle road, the cemetery is just 5 kilometres from the airport and a kilometre away from Saint Thomas Mount. Though a restricted area, those who prefer silence or are history buffs would love to pay a visit to this place.

Opening Closing Time : 8 am to 6 pm (Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays)

Entrance Fee : Note: You need to take prior permission from the cemetery manager to visit this place.