Immersive Mahabalipuram tour by tourism ministry approved company | 3 hours

65 Reviews | Chennai
From $25.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Adult (13-99) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Child (3-12) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Infant (0-2) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private tour by tuk tuk
2 Adults x $75.00
$150.00
Approx Total
$150.00
Tuk tuk (Auto Rickshaw): We will arrange a tuk tuk (auto rickshaw) and our guide will accompany you
Private walk without pick up
2 Adults x $70.00
$140.00
Approx Total
$140.00
Meet at meeting point
Group walk without pick up
2 Adults x $60.00
$120.00
Approx Total
$120.00

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Professional guide
  • Entrance charges

Overview

Over 3 hours, this guided tour will teleport you to the 7th century into the times of the Pallavas with incredible rock cut monuments. It is hosted by a company approved by the ministry of tourism and is a member of Indian Tour Operators Association. This tour can be done by walk or in your vehicle. We can also arrange a tuk tuk or autorickshaw. You will experience masterpieces from this world heritage site like the Pancha Rathas which are rock cut monolith temples, Arjuna's Penance the giant open air rock relief, the gravity defying Krishna's butterball and the Shore temple which is the last remaining of the 7 Pagodas mentioned by Marco Polo. Mahabalipuram is the proud recipient of world's first stone carving city declaration. However, the next generation of sculptors are moving to the cities for jobs threatening a slow death for this fine art. Our company is helping this community by training & employing local guides and by procuring their wares to strengthen their livelihood. .

Itinerary

  • Pancha Rathas

    We reach the World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. Panch Rathas, or the 5 chariots is our first destination. These are rock cut monolith structures, where of the chariots are dedicated to the lead cast of the Mahabharata epic- Draupadi, Arjuna, Nakul-Sahadeva, Bhima and Yudhister. There is also a sculpture of an elephant next to the ratha of Nakul-Sahadeva.

    20 minutes

  • Pancha Pandava Cave

    Pandava cave is the largest cave-temple at Mahabalipuram The cave is supported on six pillars and two pilasters. There are 3 spectacular sculptures of mythical creatures called Yali on the pillars.

    15 minutes

  • 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.

    20 minutes

  • Krishna's Butter Ball

    The next stop is Krishna’s Butterball, a granite boulder that’s poised on a stony slope. This curious boulder seems to defy Newton's laws of gravity and has not moved an inch despite being in this precarious position on the slope for more than a thousand years.

    15 minutes

  • Varaha Cave Temple

    The Varaha cave is carved out of huge piece of granite and dates back to the 7th century. This temple took several decades to be completed. There are squatting lions adorning the pillars which support the hall. Another highlight are the sculptures of two guardian angels who protect the sanctum.

    20 minutes

  • Trimurti Cave

    This cave is a fine example of the spectacular architecture style of the Pallavas. The rock cut temple is dedicated to the holy trinity of Hindu Gods- Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are fine carvings of elephants as well.

    20 minutes

  • Ganesh Ratha Temple

    This is a imposing chariot carved out of a single stone. Originally dedicated to Lord Shiva, it now has the deity of his son Lord Ganesh. It was built in the 7th century by King Mahendravarman I. The other highlight of this temple are the 18 inscriptions in ancient grantha and nagari scripts of Sanskrit.

    15 minutes

  • N/A

    Built in the year 640, it is India's oldest light house and one of the oldest in the world. Mahabalipuram was a very busy port since the 7th century and hence this lighthouse played a significant role in keeping mariners safe.

    20 minutes

  • N/A

    This cave has 2 imposing bas-reliefs on the walls. The first one is Lord Vishnu sleeping on top of the coils of a serpent. The other is with Goddess Durga fighting with the demon Mahishasura on a lion.

    15 minutes

  • Shore Temple

    Our last port of call is the Shore Temple. The magnificent temple overlooks the Bay of Bengal and was an important centre during the reign of the Pallavas when Mahabalipuram was the main port of their Kingdom. Built by King Raja Simha during the early 8th century, the Shore Temple is a landmark in the architectural landscape of India. Marco Polo referred to this as the seven pagodas. The existing temple is the last surviving of the 7 which once stood as a beacon for sea farers.

    20 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Free Cancellation

June 16100% refund
June 17No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

5.0

65 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    64
  • 4 stars
    1
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 64 reviews with 5 stars

Perfectly organized tour with very knowledgeable guide for leadership team

Published on Mar, 2025

Tour was very well designed, adjusted „on the go” to meet our needs, with easy contact and great responsiveness. The guide was superb and extremely knowledgeable. As a leadership team we were extremely pleased with the trip and recommend 5 Senses to others, travelling on business or individually.

Highly recommended guided trip

Published on Mar, 2025

The trip was realy nice. The guide was super engaged and helped us to plan the visit. Even if we were late, he was able to accomodate that. Highly recommend!

Fantastic trip

Published on Mar, 2025

Amazing trip, very knowledgeable guides and well organized event. Guides were very well prepared and flexible to adapt to our needs.

Excellent experience

Published on Mar, 2025

Excellent navigation. Ensure that we stick to time. Explained and handheld very well. Parking to visiting each spot was excellent. Mr Gopal narrated in simple and crispy language. Will certainly highly recommend the team.

Memorable private tour of Mahabalipuram - highly recommend

Published on Mar, 2025

Outstanding tour experience from Five Senses. Guide Ramesh was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain the sights and make sure that the tour was a memorable one. Everything about the tour was very well designed and executed, and exactly as advertised on the website. Pickup and dropoff at our Chennai hotel were exactly on time. The included traditional lunch was very tasty. I would definitely do this tour again and recommend it to anyone as a first time experience of Mahabalipuram. One thing to be aware of. At the end of the tour you will have the opportunity to visit some shops and meet some of the artists who make the granite sculptures so characteristic of the region. You will not feel pressured to buy, but once you are in that situation it is difficult not to. However these are not mass produced imitations; the sculptures are hand made and of high quality - you will not easily get them elsewhere. Be prepared to bargain, but also to pay more than you might have budgeted for. Take it all in stride as part of the experience, and a way to support the artists for whom this is a livelihood.

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