The Best Weekend Road Trips From Chennai

Working or living in a big city like Chennai can be stress-inducing. One of the best ways to wind down is to go on a road trip with friends or family. While Chennai has no dearth of fun options within, it is also one of the few cities with a wealth of great destinations in the vicinity that make for amazing weekend road trips.

Pondicherry

It’s often quipped that Pondicherry is where half of Chennai spends its weekends. Located just 150 km from the city centre, the beach town offers one of the best getaways. Apart from the pristine beaches, restaurants and cafes, and the French colonial heritage structures that Pondicherry boasts, the ride there from Chennai through the East Coast Road itself is an extremely scenic and mesmerising experience.

Karaikal, Nagapattinam, and Tranquebar

Tranquebar’s Fort Dansborg was the first Danish settlement in India

Tirupati

Located at a distance of just 135 km to the north of Chennai, the temple town of Tirupati is one of the holiest and most visited pilgrim sites in all of India. Apart from the spectacular mountain-top temple, which features a vimana (the topmost part of the tower) made out of gold, Tirupati is also well-known for its natural beauty and boasts a wealth of flora and fauna.

Yelagiri

The closest hill station to Chennai, the hills of Yelagiri are a popular weekend outing among Chennaiites and is often also visited as part of road trips from Chennai. Located at a distance of around 230 km from the city centre, Yelagiri is best known for its winding roads and steep climbs, making it a favourite for road trips. Apart from its pristine natural beauty and greenery, Yelagiri is also a popular destination for adventure sports such as paragliding.

Vellore

The historical fort town of Vellore is one of the most well-connected destinations from Chennai since it falls along the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway, one of the most important highways in the country. The most popular attraction in Vellore is the Vellore Fort, which is one of the largest forts in the state of Tamil Nadu and features some of the highest ramparts and widest moats. Apart from the fort, Vellore and the region around it also well-known for its cuisine, particularly the famous Ambur Biryani.

Yercaud

Considering how hot and sultry the weather of Chennai is during most of the year, it is no surprise that some of the most popular weekend getaways from Chennai are hill stations. Located nearly 360 km from Chennai, Yercaud is counted among the best hill stations in Tamil Nadu and boasts excellent and temperate weather all through the year along with a number of picturesque attractions such as the Kiliyur Waterfalls and Shevaroy Hills.

Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is undoubtedly the most popular hill station that can be considered a weekend road trip destination from Chennai. At 525 km from Chennai, this hill station is over eight hours away from the city and the route connecting Chennai and Kodaikanal is considered one of the most picturesque routes in the state. Popular destinations in Kodaikanal include the Kodaikanal and Berijam Lakes, Silver Cascade waterfalls, and the Pillar Rocks Viewpoint.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.