14 Famous Pondicherry tourist places

Pondicherry tourist places; It is famous for it’s Portuguese vibes, Auroville city, beautiful beaches, watersports etc.

Pondicherry, officially known as Puducherry since 2006, is the capital of the Union Territory of the same name.

Both the city and the region are rich in heritage derived from French colonialism which has contributed significantly to the region’s unique culture and heritage.

The Union Territory of Pondicherry is made up of four coastal regions spread over three Indian states: Yanam (in Andhra Pradesh), Pondicherry city, Karaikal (both located on the eastern seaboard of Tamil Nadu) and Mahe (located on the west coast of Kerala).

Situated on the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal, 162 km from Pondicherry City, Chennai.

The region was under French rule and was a major French colony from 1670 to 1954.

The French ruled uninterrupted for nearly three centuries in Pondicherry and left a great legacy as to the best culture and architecture in the city.

This former French colony is a perfect blend of traditional Indian sensibilities and French architecture, from which it escapes a dreamer who presents the best of both worlds.

The roads of the French Quarter of Pondicherry, also known as White Town, are decorated with Bougainvillea’s walls with attractive mustard-yellow colonial structures.

They are equipped with comfortable cafés and chic boutiques, which offer panoramic French cuisine and drinks.

Just strolling on these roads, the traveler can give an insight into Pondicherry’s tale of attraction. Pondicherry is an excellent place for a traveler who wants to experience varied travel experiences.

The city has four great beaches – Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, Serenity Beach and Auroville Beach which provide a new holiday experience to the visitors.

Another major attraction of this place, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, is the famous ashram and yoga center of India. Also known as morning city, Auroville city attracts tourists with its unique culture, heritage monuments and architecture.

Pondicherry has many monuments and statues such as Gandhiji’s statue, Matrimandir, the French War Memorial, the statue of Joseph François Dupleix and the statue of Joan of the Arch of Marble on Gubert Marg.

Other attractions of the city are Pondicherry Museum, Jawahar Toy Museum, Botanical Garden, Austeri Wetland, Bharathidasan Museum and National Park, Arikamedu, Duplex statue and Raj Niwas.

The city has an interesting mix of religious places including churches and Hindu temples.

The most popular religious places of Pondicherry are – Aglais the Notre des Angels (also known as the Church of Our Lady of Angels),

The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Sri. Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Varadaraja Perumal Temple and Kanniga Parameswari Temple.

The city of unique architecture enriched with sea and unique architecture makes Pondicherry a pleasant feeling for the visitors.

The entire city is built on a grid pattern and is known to have the most significant French influence.

Many streets in the city have French names and palatial houses and villas made of colonial architecture offer a spectacular view for travelers.

14 Famous Pondicherry tourist places

Botanical garden & Aquarium Pondicherry

Botanical Gardens and Aquarium CS in Pondicherry Was established in 1826 by the parotet. The Botanical Garden is a collection of exotic plants which is interesting for students and researchers of biology. This garden and aquarium is situated near the south entrance of the main bus stand and spread over 22 acres of land. It became the hub of horticulture in Pondicherry in 1960. Aquarium has a wide variety of marine life, making it a popular tourist destination. It provides a unique glimpse of the aquatic life to the visitors. This garden has a children’s train, a dancing fountain, some rare varieties of beautiful fishes and six fountains. The Botinary Garden is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in Dechery.

                Entrance fees There is no entry fee for entering the park. However, a certain amount has to be paid for train ride and aquarium sightseeing.

Arikamedu Pondicherry

Located within half an hour’s drive of Pondicherry’s French colonial city, Arikemedu is an ancient Roman business center that is hidden from the eyes and ears of common Tamil tourism. Its name is derived from the Tamil word – ‘Arinmamadu’ which means ‘Mounting Mount’. Little is known about any Indo-Roman relationship in the Before Christ era, but with the discovery and excavation of Arykemedu, extensive evidence is not known. This port city was occupied by Rome, Chola and French as a very famous sea center from 1st Century BC to 2nd Century AD. Arykhemadu’s glass bead manufacturing factory is called the mother of all bearded centers all over the world. The first excavation in Arikamadu was done in the 1940s and since then the excavation continues. Of these, the organization of Sir Mortimer Wheeler was most encouraging. At present, the city has more than just two pending walls, which were kept open and the French Jesuit mission house which was built in the 18th century. More and more, mango trees and coconut trees can come in this area. This site includes several emphrasas, which include Roman school marks, including VIBII, Camuri and IITA.

Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Entrance Fee: No Entrance Fee.

Chunnabar Boathouse Pondicherry tourist places

Chunambar is a strange little hamlet situated on the edge of Cuddalore Main Road, about 8 km from Pondicherry. This tranquil city is visited by tourists for its beach, which is known as Paradise Beach, which is located near the mouth of Bakewater. With ancient sand and crystalline water, it is an ideal place to play water sports and bath in the sun for one day. A small cruise is also organized for visitors, which gives them a great view of the cool beauty of the water. Anyone can see dolphins playing around here in the water, which is important for nature lovers. People from all over the world come from far and away. It offers a quiet atmosphere away from the city’s noisy and fast speed. A person can self-inspect or spend time relaxing on the beach with water. Chanmabar is surrounded by greenery all around. It presents a beautiful view. The stream of water with Chunnambar is a natural stream and is not very deep. A shelter is provided which gives the home to the bags and also provides some food and water bottles. Changing rooms are also provided. This is a place that can be enjoyed and it is worth knowing for every age group.

Entrance Fee: No Entrance Fee,

Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Admission Fee: Adult-325/-.

Children (between 4 years and 8 years old) – 210/-.

Paradise Beach Pondicherry tourist places

Paradise Beach, also known as Paradise Beach, is located in Chunnambar near Pondicherry town. Furnished with golden sands, this famous and highly sought after beach always flows into a cool ocean breeze. It’s a little isolated beach, and to reach here, you have to take a round across the backwater, which takes about 20-30 minutes. The paradise beach sand is exceptionally soft and grainy – and the jogging along the entire beach is fantastic. A large part of the fun to reach the beach is the beautiful Ghat from Bothhah – backwater on the banks of the beach is green and there are dense forests. Especially after the monsoon, backwater is fresh and green. During the ride you can see a lot of birds – and people fond of photography will get the opportunity to get some great photos here.

Streams are more in water, so it is advisable not to go deep into the water. There are some shacks with the main entrance of the beach, and you can get fresh coconut water and some simple snacks – although there is no hope for any fancy street food. Paradise is a great place to reach the dawn in the morning and watch the sunrise on the east coast. You can enjoy the waves sitting on the beach. Various types of water sports facilities are available here – enthusiastic tourists can try fishing, because fishing rods and traps are easily available for rent.

Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Admission Fee: 150/-.

New light house Pondicherry tourist places

This nineteenth century light house is one of the wonderful tourist attractions. It was built by the French rulers and is one of the main city attractions in Pondicherry. The French rulers planned to build this Light House so that people can travel by understanding that they are now in Pondicherry. The design of this light house is slightly different from the design of general light houses. Tower was built on rectangle basis.

Best time to travel: Pondicherry Light House is at the time of sunset.

Time: The light house of Pondicherry will be opened every afternoon at 3 pm and will be closed till 7 pm.

Distance of Pondicherry bus stand from Pondicherry Light House:  Pondicherry bus stand distance from Pondicherry Light House is 4 kilometers and can be done in 12 minutes.

Mission Street Pondicherry tourist places

For Shopping- This place is famous for shopping and one can rent Bike or Car also from this place.

Prominade Beach Pondicherry tourist places

The famous Pondicherry beach in the name of Promenade Beach was the main attraction of Pondicherry at some point of time. Sea erosion caused by the construction of a new harbor in Arianakuppam Sea caused the destruction of this beautiful beach. As a remnant of this beautiful Promenade Beach, the Riprapap rock carvings have survived, making it unsuitable for strolling or swimming. However, an artificial coast has been built on it, which is called ‘La-Faux Plage’, which literally means ‘fake beach’. In the evening, the movement of traffic on the coast is closed so that it becomes an ideal place to stroll along the seashore. Promenade Beach 1.5 km Spread over and all the major attractions of the city are parallel to it. Once Pondicherry comes, you should definitely come to this place.

Aurovindo Ashram Pondicherry tourist places

Aurobindo Ashram was established in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh who escaped to avoid the tyranny of the British. This Ashram was led by Mira Alfassa on her birthday, 24th November, 1926, more known as ‘Mother’. He also led the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, which he founded in 1950, after the death of Sri Aurobindo. Children under the age of three years are not allowed in the ashram and photography is possible only after the special permission of the ashram management. This ashram is open from 8 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm. The ashram also has an extensive library where the ashram officials can be reached with the permission.

Auroville international city Pondicherry tourist places

Km from Pondicherry Auroville (also called the city of morning) is a distant city, where a variety of nationalities and cultures are found. This is a city that is home to the people of almost 50 different countries and it is widely considered to be a global city. Easily accessible from the roadway, Auroville City is a symbol of cultural harmony and community life. Founded by the famous Mira Alfasa by the name ‘Mother’, the construction of the city of Auroville was started in 1968 as a project of Sri Aurobindo Society. The foundation of establishing this city was the idea of ​​creating a universal place where good men and women of all countries and cultures could live in harmony and the dream of goodwill and progress can be realized. Auroville City is comprised of various areas such as Peace Sector, Industrial Area, Residential Area, International Zone, Cultural Areas and Green Belts. The main attraction of this city is the Matru Mandir, which attracts passengers due to its magnificence. Auro Beach is also located near the city which attracts travelers and tourists due to its beauty.

Maître Mandir Pondicherry tourist places

his is a specially designed and skillfully constructed temple by all devotees from around the world, and perhaps is the “Only Temple without any religion being followed”!. A specific crystal placed at the center of the Dome concentrates the cosmic energy and radiates it all around the internal space where the devotees sit for deep meditation. The technicalities of construction and theory of focusing this spiritual power is well explained in a short introductory movie played in Visitor center daily at a regular interval. As entry to this Mandir is permitted for a very specific purpose of meditation and spiritual uplift, usual tourists visit inside is not encouraged. However, a view of the dome from a view point outside is also worth the visit. The road to the view point from the visitor center passes through forest and is very beautiful. The complementary shuttle is available from visitor center to a certain point but walking down the entire 2 km path is also highly enjoyable and refreshing.

Auroville Beach Pondicherry tourist places

Auro Beach is not in Auroville, but it is called Auro Beach due to its proximity to Auroville. It is a very small beach where you can feel the peace. Also you can see many fishermen and their boats here.

Serenity Beach Pondicherry tourist places

Serenity Beach is one of the good beaches of Pondicherry, one can see the sunset and sunrise in the morning. In this sea facing restaurant you can taste South Indian and French food. Apart from this it is a great place for surfing. Good location..It is located 10 km north of Pondicherry off Sasamudri Beach East Coast Road.

Church of Sacred heart of Jesus Pondicherry tourist places

Sacred Heart Church of Jesus is one of the most famous and important churches in Pondicherry. The church is designed in the Gothic style of architecture and attracts many tourists throughout the year. The most attractive and easily visible feature of this church is its stained glass windows that reflect the time of Jesus’ life. This church is a place that gives the visitors a feeling of peace and peace. On December 17, 1907, for the first time a large number of people were gathered in this church. The township around the church was established in 1908. This church recently celebrated its centenary in the year 2008.

Baker street Pondicherry tourist places

This bakery’s reference to Sherlock Holmes in Francophone Pondicherry is a bit misplaced but the breads, pastries and savory snacks are right up there with the best in the city. Run by a Frenchman, Baker Street has delicious croissants, quiches, éclairs, mille-Feuillet, meringues and petite ganaches in various flavors. Forget to pack some hand-made chocolates and French cheeses for home.

How To Reach Pondicherry

Pondicherry By Air:

Chennai International Airport (MAA) is about 150 km away from Pondicherry and is well linked with other major Indian cities. Busses or Private Taxi  are available from Airport. The airport at Pondicherry(PNY) has limited aircraft and has flights coming in from Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Pondicherry By Train:

Villupuram Jn Railway Station (VM) 37 km is well connected with major city like  Mumbai, New Delhi and major part of other states. Busses and public transport can be used to reach  Hotels or desire locations.

Pondicherry By Bus:

There are several buses that ply frequently from Chennai, Thanjaur, Trichy, Coimbatore, Bangalore and Madurai to Pondicherry. Both private and state-owned buses are available. One can avail either state-owned buses or private buses depending on your budget.

Pondicherry Self  Drive: 

Car/Bike is the best option as you can explore more and as their own choice. Chennai, Thanjaur, Trichy, Coimbatore, Bangalore and Madurai are the best way to reach.

Where to stay in Pondicherry

                 White Town is located centrally in Pondicherry. You can easily get good hotels and it makes for great travel pad for the traveler who is looking to explore Pondicherry  in a budget. It cost under 1000-2000/-Per Night depends on Pick and off seasons.

Best Time To Visit Pondicherry

It is among one of the best place where visitors visit through-out the year. However, The best time to plan a vacation to Pondicherry is during winter months, from November till March.

Pondicherry Travel Guide

* Book your hotel near White Town, it is located centrally and the best place to roam Pondicherry. 

* Rent Scooty or Bike in 500/600 Rs. (2 Person)

* Car under 3000/- as per distance. (More than 2 Person)

* For Booking Car/ Bike

                            Options  * Ask Hotel Owner

                                           * Search Locally Travel Agency.

Pondicherry Itinerary

Pondicherry tourist places day 1

• Promenade Beach
• Botanical Garden
• Arikamedu
• Chunnambar Boat House
• Paradise Beach
• New Light House

Pondicherry tourist places day 2

• Sri Aurobindo Ashram
• Auroville Interenational House
• Maitreye Mandir Community
• Auroville Beach
• Serenity Beach
• Mission St- For Shopping

Pondicherry tourist places day 3

• Mahatma Gandhi Statue
• Rock Beach
• Promenade Beach See walk

Pondicherry Travel Cost for 1 Couple for 2 Night & 3 Days.

• Food-3 Days                                     : 3000/-
• Travel by Car- 2 Days                      : 5000/-
• Hotel-2 Days                                    : 3000/-
• Other Activity                                  : 500/-

Total cost around 4000-7000/-Rs for One Couple for 2 Night & 3 Days. You Can Negotiate and plan your own trip as per Distance, Enjoyment, Food, Transport and stay.

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Till enjoy, be happy and Jay Hind.