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Major city · India

Chennaiசென்னை

Give Chennai 2 nights as a Tamil Nadu staging point: Marina and Mylapore one day, Mamallapuram the next. May–Jun heat and Oct–Dec rain are the months to work around, not to skip the city.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
INR
Best months
Nov–Feb
avoid May–Jun (35–42°C), Oct–Dec (northeast monsoon rain)
Airport
MAA
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6
  • South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
  • South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
  • India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
  • India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
  • India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
  • India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and the main gateway to the south: a coastal city of temples, colonial Fort St George, long beaches and Carnatic music, with the airport 19 km south-west of the centre. Most travellers use it for two nights before heading to Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram or Pondicherry. The city is hot and humid all year, wettest from October to December.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Chennai, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeFilter coffee₹20–60 (≈ under US$1)
  • Street or quick mealDosa or idli breakfast₹60–150 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Metro or bus rideMetro ride₹10–50 (≈ under US$1)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or temple entry₹50–500 (≈ US$1–6)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person₹600 (≈ US$7)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per room₹3,500 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per room₹7,000 (≈ US$80)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₹1,500 (≈ US$18) · Mid ₹3,500 (≈ US$40) · High ₹7,000 (≈ US$80)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Marina BeachKapaleeshwarar Temple, MylaporeFort St George and the Egmore museumsFilter coffee, dosa and Chettinad foodChennai Music Festival (mid-Dec to mid-Jan)
Airports
MAA Chennai International (About 19 km south-west of the centre; metro Blue Line and suburban rail from Tirusulam, or prepaid taxi/Ola/Uber.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Chennai: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

21°C

1 rd

Feb

31°C

22°C

1 rd

Mar

33°C

24°C

1 rd

Apr

35°C

27°C

2 rd

May

37°C

28°C

3 rd

Jun

37°C

28°C

5 rd

Jul

35°C

26°C

7 rd

Aug

35°C

26°C

8 rd

Sep

34°C

26°C

8 rd

Oct

32°C

25°C

12 rd

Nov

30°C

23°C

14 rd

Dec

29°C

22°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Chennai Metro (Blue and Green lines) links the airport, Alandur and MGR Chennai Central; suburban rail is cheap but packed at peak. Autos and taxis run on Ola and Uber — agree the fare or use the app meter. Traffic is heavy from 08:00; mornings start early.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)go

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Car or bus on the East Coast Road

Shore Temple and the rock-cut panels; a UNESCO site. Start early to beat the heat.

Kanchipuram

go

Door to door: About 2.5 h

Train or car

Temple town; cover the main temples before noon.

Pondicherry

overnight

Door to door: About 3.5 h

Car or bus on the East Coast Road, about 3 h

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep one night.

Vellore

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h

Train or car

Vellore Fort and the Golden Temple; pair with a night.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Central Chennai (Mylapore, T. Nagar, Egmore)

Temples, museums and Marina Beach within reach; best first base.

South Chennai (Adyar, Guindy, airport side)

Quieter, close to the airport and Mamallapuram road; weaker on sights.

North Chennai (George Town, near Central)

Oldest quarter, Fort St George and both main rail stations; rougher streets at night.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₹1,500–2,500 (≈ US$18–30) excl. bed
Mid
₹2,500–5,000 (≈ US$30–60) excl. bed
High
₹5,000 (≈ US$60)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × ₹3,500₹7,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ₹3,500₹14,000
Airport to centre, prepaid taxi1 × ₹560₹560
Metro or suburban rail ride2 × ₹30₹60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₹700₹1,400
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₹2,300
Trip total≈ ₹6,330 per person per day, bed included₹25,320≈ US$300

2026 estimate in rupees; flights and rail excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Filter coffee₹20–60 (≈ under US$1)
Dosa or idli breakfast₹60–150 (≈ US$1–2)
Thali or Chettinad meal₹200–500 (≈ US$3–6)
Auto across the centreAgree the fare or use the app.₹150–350 (≈ US$2–4)
Metro ride₹10–50 (≈ under US$1)
Museum or temple entry₹50–500 (≈ US$1–6)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

No official safety rating exists for Chennai. The documented practical risks are heat and monsoon flooding, heavy traffic, and auto or taxi drivers who refuse the meter: use Ola/Uber or agree the fare first.
  • May–Jun heat is dangerous for walking tours; shift sightseeing to early morning.
  • October–December northeast monsoon can flood roads and delay flights: check forecasts.
  • Auto drivers near stations and Marina often refuse the meter: use the app or fix the price first.
  • Only the official e-visa portal is valid; ignore agent sites.

Emergency numbers

All services
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Chennaiசென்னை

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

இந்த முகவரிக்கு போங்கள்To this address, please

Emergency

  • All services112

Embassy

The US has a consulate-general in Chennai; most other countries: consulates in Chennai or embassies in New Delhi (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • MAA airport → centre, prepaid taxi: about ₹560 (≈ US$7), 45–60 min
  • MAA airport → centre, metro Blue Line: about ₹50 (≈ under US$1), 40 min
  • Chennai → Mamallapuram, car: about ₹1,500–2,000 (≈ US$18–25), 1.5 h

Say or show

  • வணக்கம் — Hello / Vanakkam (vanakkam)
  • நன்றி — Thank you (nandri)
  • எவ்வளவு? — How much is it? (evvalavu)
  • மீட்டர் போடுங்கள் — Please use the meter (meter podungal)
  • கழிப்பறை எங்கே? — Where is the toilet? (kazhipparai enge)
  • காரம் வேண்டாம் — No chilli, please (kaaram vendaam)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Chennai. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Feb · avoid May–Jun (35–42°C), Oct–Dec (northeast monsoon rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MAA: metro Blue Line and Tirusulam rail times, prepaid taxi and app fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Mylapore, George Town and Fort St George, Marina and Santhome, Egmore museums.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Kapaleeshwarar, Fort St George museum, Government Museum, Santhome Basilica) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Monsoon and heat fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to India

Sources