Day Trip from Chennai: Explore French Heritage and Auroville in Pondicherry

Embark on a day trip from Chennai to Pondicherry and immerse yourself in the French heritage and spiritual atmosphere. Visit Aurobindo Ashram, explore the charming streets, enjoy a French lunch, and discover the unique handmade paper factory and Auroville.

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Renowned as Pondicherry’s most illustrious resident, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh’s legacy is celebrated at his ashram. Visitors will be introduced to his life story, philosophical teachings, and transformative ideologies. The ashram also features a dedicated area for Sri Aurobindo’s eminent pupil, Mirra Alfassa, and serves as an ideal spot for contemplation.
  • Pondicherry - Experience the charm of French colonial architecture on a guided walk through the city’s core. This excursion will deepen your understanding of Pondicherry’s historical French ties.
  • Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper - Explore a distinctive factory that specializes in crafting paper by hand. Established half a century ago, the Sri Aurobindo Paper Factory produces fine paper exclusively from cotton rag pulp. Visitors will witness the transformation of cotton scraps into paper and observe artisanal techniques such as silk screen printing and marbling.
  • Statue Of Gandhi - Following this, enjoy a stroll along Pondicherry’s renowned seaside promenade, which overlooks the beautiful Bay of Bengal.
  • Auroville - Afternoon plans include a trip to Auroville, an innovative international township where individuals from around the globe renounce their national identities to live as world citizens.

Auroville is founded on the ideal that there ought to be a place on earth unclaimed by any nation, where all people of goodwill with a true desire can live freely as world citizens under the governance of the ultimate truth; a place dedicated to peace, unity, and harmony.

Visitors will also observe the community’s commitment to sustainable living practices.

The Matri Mandir, a large geodesic dome designed for silent contemplation, is visible to guests from the outside during a daytime visit. Please note that permission to meditate inside must be obtained in person one day prior.

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Lunch
  • Guide
  • Full time guide
What's Not Included
  • Breakfast
Additional Information

This is a single-day excursion from Chennai, coordinated in a private vehicle. Key attractions comprise a stop at Aurobindo Ashram, a homage to the philosopher and revolutionary Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, a heritage walk through French influences capped with a French meal, a charming esplanade near the Bay of Bengal, and visits to a distinctive handmade paper factory and Auroville, the worldwide village.

This trip is all-encompassing where we handle transportation, morning and mid-day meals, planned activities, and guided touring.

  • Lunch is planned in a traditional south indian restaurant
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
4.8
(16 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Goplaces32694521040
Jul 23, 2023
Experience feedback - Thanks for everything. It was a very experience. From check in till check out, we had a great experience. Quite expensive, but worth it. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aliezzeddine1
Jul 15, 2023
The french influence - A beautiful day. I was lucky, the weather was great. Kannan with a great guide. A nice and well organised tour. You will enjoy it
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lom95
Jun 30, 2023
Amazing Day Trip to Pondicherry - The whole trip was a breeze start to finish. The journey to and from Pondicherry went by so quickly. My guide Kannan took the time to explain all the different sights and also gave me tips for other places in Tamil Nadu which was a bonus. We also went for a great lunch! I would thoroughly recommend Five Senses Tours to solo travellers, it was so nice to have someone explore the sights with you who has all the knowledge to help guide you through.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dsehgal2016
Apr 18, 2019
Trip made special with excellent services - I booked a day trip from Chennai to Pondicherry for my parents and they are talking about it even after a month. 5 Senses made a customised tour for them and even went ahead to further customise it on the day of travel. Mahabalipuram was not included in the original plan, but 5 Senses included it on the last minute, without any extra charge. Car used for the trip was exceptionally clean and the driver was very courteous. I would highly recommend the services of 5 Senses.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thanuja
Oct 14, 2018
Very satisfied trip to Pondicherry - Kannan our tour guide is very knowledgeable about the history of Pondicherry. We felt like he was genuinely interested in helping us know about the history and culture of the sites we visited in Pondicherry. He was very accommodating and he made sure our kids were safe and had fun during the trip. The itinerary Five senses provided was very thorough and covered many of must see places in Pondicherry. They were also knowledgeable of entrance fees and age restrictions for kids. Last but not least, Driver Gopu did a great job as well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandon941
Oct 14, 2018
Great trip to Pondicherry - We had a two day trip to Pondicherry. Kannan made everything run smoothly even when plans changed because we were running late, the kids were tired, or the boat operators were on strike. He was great with the kids, and they quickly warmed up to him. Kannan was also very knowledgeable about the cultural sites we were visiting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emmanuelle
Sep 24, 2018
Fantastic tour from Chennai to Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry - Wonderful experience on the road to Chennai, Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry. Thanks to the kindness and professionalism of my guide Vijay and our super driver, I spent 2 unforgettable days. Very interesting visits, as diverse as unexpected. A night in Pondicherry very exotic. A stroll in Auroville surreal. A lot of sharing with the guide. I highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mc-lovestravel
Sep 9, 2018
enjoyed the day with Kannan - I took my day off on this (third) business trip to Chennai to go down to Pondicherry with Five Senses. Kannan was a very interesting tour guide, with lots of stories... We made all the stops mentioned on the webpage, although in a different order to accommodate Sunday opening hours. As a bonus when getting back to Chennai, a little early and essentially on the way to my hotel, we also stopped at Little Mount - known for Saint Thomas’ cave and some of his miracles. I enjoyed the day very much and will definitely look to them for future sightseeing in the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ronvdzan
Aug 19, 2018
Unexpected views of India - We had a great trip to Pondicherry, our guide was very wel informed, learned about a lot of other aspects of Indian, with respect to religion , culture, history etc. Great trip we were well taken care off. Next time will go again but then a two day trip so can visit the Matrimandir in Aeroville. Thanks Five Senses Tours, and Kannan in special, lovely day Ronald
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure12308860075
Jul 17, 2023
Worst experience - Worst experience i ever had. Had to give $50 to check in Otherwise they told that it was impossible to fly. Students choose cheap flights because they can't afford huge amount of money. Will never choose this flight again.its ribbing people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today