Private Tour
Mahabalipuram Private tour from Chennai by car with guide and lunch by Wonder
Overview
Available languages
7 hours
Mobile ticket
Mamallapuram (also called Mahaballipuram) is about an hour's drive from Chennai on the East Coast Road. It was the second capital and seaport of the Pallava Kings who ruled in the 5th century. Local legend has it that there was once a beautiful city here with seven temples, which the Gods submerged under the sea in anger.until in 2002, an Indo-British team of divers discovered a series of man-made structures under water, covering an area of several square miles.Today at Mamallapuram, you can see the famous Shore Temple, the only surviving temple out of the original seven (the rest have sunk under the sea). The Shore Temple is among the oldest temples of South India and represents the final flowering of Pallava art. Arjuna's Penance, one of the world's biggest bas-reliefs depicts the story of the descent of the River Ganges from Heaven to Earth. Cave temples and massive monolithic sculptures (carved from a single large block of granite) make Mamallapuram a place to remember.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
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.
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.
What‘s Included
Entry/Admission - Trimurti Cave
Pick and drop to Chennai hotel
Lunch
Entrance charges
Professional tour guide
Personal expenses
Gratuities
Beverages
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Mahabalipuram day trip from Chennai by Wonder tours
Pickup included
Reviews
135 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Stay was comfortable staffs like Bobita Christina Reshma feblyn Rohit Mamta Anjali also from f and b Komal Sunita ranjit
Discover58826372633,,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Stay was comfortable staffs like Bobita Christina Reshma feblyn Rohit Mamta Anjali also from f and b Komal Sunita ranjit were great
Excellent Tour!
yuanqi,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A wealth of information and extraordinary sights. Very comfortable pickup from Chennai and a very knowledgeable guide with extensive knowledge of the history of the sites. Highly recommend for a day trip from Chennai.
Big Group - short notice
Ian G,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00We were a gang of about 23 fifty year old parents who wanted to do something in Chennai together. The day before we went on our trip , it was booked and we were comfortably accommodated all together on a large coach. It was fun. Our guide Bash was superb and full of interesting facts and his English was good. The meal was a bit disappointing but satisfactory given the price per head ended up being about £40 each. We were back in our hotel in Chennai by 2.30pm and still had time back in our hotel to relax by the pool. A good day out. The hawkers can be a pain but just be ready.
Beautiful experience!
chrisjav2023,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A wonderful excursion, well organized. The guide was very informative, and the lunch was delicious. You travel in a comfortable bus, and the tour guide, Rajesh from Wonder Tours, was very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended!
Temple Delight
Ian G,,Dec 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We booked this tour at relatively short notice for 23 people 24 hours in advance. The tour company were superb. We had lunch included all pre booked ( with special requests accommodated ). The ride out and back was smooth and there were seatbelts on the coach. Our guide Bish was excellent and well worthy of an extra tip at the end. Superbly knowledgable. We had a great day as we left at 7.30am and were back at the hotel for 2.30pm for a few pints. 👍🏴
Great one day trip
adityay2k2,,Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Was fun and wholesome trip. Got to see what's a lot of diverse pieces of art and culture. Very kind and humble team that made the tour work well even when weather was turning rainy.
Worth a visit
Julia P,,Nov 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Fascinating and well worth the visit. The carvings are over 1400 years old, we had an excellent driver but the guide had poor English
Great trip to see Shore Temple and Five Rsthad
Graeme M,,Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great trip to Mahabalipuram. Our driver and our guide, John, were both excellent. It was a trip down memory lane for me as I last visited in 1982!
Great Day Exploring Ancient Marvels!
O6268KStomm,,Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour of Mahabalipuram was absolutely fantastic and a true highlight of our trip. The ancient temples and rock carvings are breathtaking, and seeing the Shore Temple was unforgettable. A special thank you to our guide Rajesh who made the history come alive! He was also great about finding the best photo spots.
Great Logistics, Poor Guidance in Mahabalipuram, overpriced
Vacationer794161,,Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00The tour was generally well organized in terms of punctuality and logistics, there is room for improvement in the content and guiding experience. Pros: The driver was excellent and consistently on time. The organizers were punctual and flexible. Since we were the only two participants, they adjusted the schedule to accommodate us. Communication with the organizers was smooth throughout. Cons: The main guide in Mahabalipuram Basha left a mixed impression. His English was very good, and he clearly had historical knowledge, but he did not appear very interested in sharing it. At each monument, he provided a brief 10-minute explanation and then instructed us to explore on our own while he waited in the shade. We genuinely enjoyed the sites and occasionally spoke with locals who shared additional context. Each time this happened, the guide would interrupt, appear annoyed, and insist that we move to the next stop—even though, as we later discovered, there was no real time pressure. At several monuments, the same pattern repeated: a short explanation, reluctance to answer questions, and a noticeable eagerness to take us to a “government-sponsored craftsmen store.” We made it clear from the beginning that we were not interested. He insisted, saying it was the only nearby bathroom and that the facilities were very good. Both claims turned out to be untrue. After briefly using the bathroom and leaving the store immediately, the guide visibly displeased and became even less communicative, which made the situation uncomfortable. The final stop felt rushed, and the guide ended the tour approximately 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. We were also not brought to one of the sites listed in the itinerary. He then took us to a restaurant where he ordered food for us without consulting us. We only realized this afterwards. The restaurant felt like a tourist trap, and the meal provided was a very basic dish. After that, he left. The guided tour itself lasted significantly less than 2 hours claimed (1.3h at best) . Fortunately, the driver kindly took us back to the seaside so we could spend some additional time there. Overall: Mahabalipuram is an exceptional destination with incredible monuments. A guided tour should no about three hours to see the place properly and, including travel time from Chennai, should realistically take half a day. In this case, however, the guiding service did not meet expectations and was not acceptable. The price of the tour was not justified.
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Operated by Wonder tours