Pondicherry Private Tour: Explore Aurobindo Ashram, French Heritage and Auroville from Chennai
4.9
41 Ratings
Pondicherry
Embark on a private tour from Chennai to Pondicherry and discover the Aurobindo Ashram, French heritage, Auroville, and more. Enjoy a hassle-free day trip with transportation, meals, and a knowledgeable tour guide included.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Sri Aurobindo Ghosh is arguably the most famous citizen of Pondicherry. The tour begins with a visit to his memorial at the Aurobindo Ashram. Guests will get a brief experience of his life and times as well as his philosophy and revolutionary ideas. The memorial also has a section on Sri Aurobindo’s famous disciple Mirra Alfassa. It is the perfect place for meditation.
- Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation - A French heritage walk is organized through the heart of the city where one can see glimpses of exquisite French style of architecture. This heritage walk will help you appreciate the French connection with Pondicherry.
- Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper - We visit a unique factory which makes hand made paper. Sri Aurobindo Paper Factory started 50 years ago and makes paper from 100% cotton rag pulp. In this visit guests will experience how the paper is produced from cotton rags and then processed with techniques like silk screen printing and marbling.
- Statue Of Gandhi - A walk through the famous promenade of Pondicherry facing the lovely Bay of Bengal follows this.
- Auroville - Post lunch we travel to Auroville, the radical concept of a global village where thousands of people from across the world have given up their nationalities and are living as global citizens.
Auroville was conceived with the vision that- \
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch
- Cultural evangelist as host and guide
- Private car
What's Not Included
- Breakfast
- Beverages
Additional Information
This is a one-day excursion from Chennai, arranged by private vehicle. Key points of interest include a stop at the Aurobindo Ashram, built in tribute to the philosopher and radical, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh; a stroll through the city’s French colonial heritage; a delightful French-style lunch; a picturesque waterfront promenade along the Bay of Bengal; and visits to a unique artisan paper workshop and the international community of Auroville.
This is a completely organized journey, where we cover transportation, both breakfast and lunch, activities, and the assistance of a dedicated tour guide.
Location
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Rue de la Marine,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(41 Ratings)
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Shekars41
Apr 12, 2024
Fascinating Pondycherry Tour - 5 Senses Tours did an incredible job making our Pondicherry tour Memorable. An air-conditioned car came on time. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He helped us appreciate the french heritage as well as the spritual connection of Pondicherry at Sri Aurobindo ashram. We saw a colourful temple and Auroville was the highlight. It was fascinating to see a live global village in action. Out guide explained the sustainable living practices at Auroville and it was lovely to see that. Very highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire30580055750
Apr 12, 2024
Pondicherry, a slice of France in India - Pondicherry was a lovely experience. We had an amazing tour experience with a punctual and safe driver, a clean and ac car and a lm engaging guide. Kannan was a remarkable guide and he helped us appreciate the fusion of French and Tamil heritage. We walked a bit around the French quarters and then thelibely esplanade. We visited the ashram of Sr Arobindo and a hand made paper factory. Auroville was amazing as well. The south Indian lunch organised was also delicious. There is no better way to appreciate India better than to travel with 5 Senses Tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessicapeters123
Apr 12, 2024
Amazing trip to Pondicherry - The trip to Pondicherry was an amazing experience. 5 Senses Tours arranged everything. Our driver and guide were punctual. The drive was smooth and our guide was fantastic. We enjoyed the french heritage walk immensely. The ganesh temple and paper factories were also very interesting. We were also provided an authentic local lunch. Our last destination was Auroville and it was the most engaging one We saw how an international village works. It was a new outlook to India and a trip we will remember for a long long time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
942aarthir
Jan 6, 2024
Pondy- city of peace and harmony - Our tour of Pondy was on Day 2 of a custom tour with Day 1 spent in Kanchi.
Kannan, our 5 Senses Guide, continued the excellent show n' tell of this historic city with its rich pre-colonial, European, and Tamil heritage. We got a taste of the diversity of beliefs that has thrived in this town by visiting the famous Manukula Vinayagar temple, Aurobindo Ashram, and a couple of churches.
Kannan recommended Tanto's for lunch, a great call. The delicious pizzas and the ambiance of the "shack" were unforgettable. The nourishment motivated us to explore Auroville. Having visited there over 30 years ago, it was heartening to see that the work to realize The Mother's vision has endured.
On our return drive to Chennai, Kannan had us make an unscheduled stop, which was an unexpected treat. We visited a new Jain temple that was every bit as grand and awesome as the ancient temples we had visited on our trip.
Thank you Kannan and 5 Senses for making this a memorable family trip that we will cherish for years to come.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travel16170228981
Jan 5, 2024
Excellent tour! - This tour had an amazing mix of culture, history and tradition. Our guide Kannan was extremely knowledgeable and tailored his narration to suit both people who were born and raised in India and our son who was raised in the US. It takes a lot of tact to do this and Kannan was able to execute that with ease. I stongly recommend this tour to both local Indian people and NRIs who visit India.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
343manelf
Dec 15, 2023
Pondicherry trip - Great trip to Pondicherry. Very interesting trip visiting many different places. Very well organized.
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Mobile47987367742
Oct 1, 2023
The safest and most relaxing day tour! Must try in Chennai! - Every place that I visited in Auroville and Pondicherry was amazing. I just booked one day trip over the weekend during my business trip. I was a bit worried as I have to travel solo but this private tour made me feel safe and relaxing all day long since I started my day from my hotel. I visited so many holy and ritual places which make me feel peaceful and calm. It helped a lot to relieve my stress from work. I strongly recommend anyone who is a bit worried about traveling solo.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jamieaq3405wq
May 15, 2023
Fantastic day out to pondicherry - We had booked the dat trip to Pondicherry from Chennai. It was a wonderful experience as a comfortable air-conditioned car picked us up. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He made us feel like a local and we even got to meet a few people. Auroville was amazing and very serene. The aurobindo ashram and French heritage walk were a great experience. I would highly recommend 5 senses tours if you are want a truly immersive experience.
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Adinauritescu
Feb 19, 2023
Amazing tour with excellent guide - We booked a day trip from Chennai to Pondicherry but we also wanted to see Mahabalipuram so we phoned 5 Senses from London before we reached India and they were extremely accommodating and responsive with our request. On the day of the tour Satish, our guide, did an amazing job and managed to squeeze a lot of highlights in both places, and share key insights and stories - we learnt a lot! He didn't rush us, he had a heightened customer focus sense, and ensured we had a good time (despite the tour taking a few hours longer than initially planned). He was generous with his time, knowledge sharing, recommendations and advice. We loved our tour and decided to engage him for a Chennai tour the next day - which proved a great decision! Would definitely recommend 5 Senses and Satish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adrian_nicu87
Feb 18, 2023
Excellent tour with an amazing guide - For this trip our guide was Satish M. which is a person with an amazing history knowledge both Indian and International. We learned a lot and the trip with him was amazing. We requested him to be our guide also in the Chennai tour. I definitely recommend this tour with Satish!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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