Kanchipuram travel guide

Distance from Chennai

About 75 km (around 2 hours)

Best time

October to February

Nearest airport

Chennai

Known for

Temples and silk sarees

Temples to visit

Kanchipuram's temples span many centuries, from Pallava stone shrines to vast later complexes with tall gopurams. A day here usually covers four or five of the major ones.

• Kamakshi Amman Temple, the town's best-known shrine to the goddess
• Ekambareswarar Temple, where Shiva is worshipped as the earth element, one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams
• Vaikunta Perumal Temple, a Pallava-era shrine to Vishnu
• Kailasanathar Temple, an early sandstone Pallava temple with fine carvings

Silk and shopping

Kanchipuram silk is known for heavy mulberry silk, rich colours and wide contrasting borders woven with zari. The weaving streets and cooperative showrooms are the best places to buy, and it is worth asking to see a loom at work. Plan some time for this, as choosing a saree here is rarely quick.

Festivals

The temples hold festivals through the year, including Brahmotsavam, Garudotsavam and chariot (ther) festivals, when the deities are taken out in procession. The Palar river flows past the town, and its lakes and temple tanks fill up during the rains.

Best time to visit

October to February is the most comfortable and most popular season for temple visits, so expect crowds. April and May are hot, with daytime highs close to 38°C. The monsoon months bring greenery but can disrupt travel, so check the forecast.

How to reach

Kanchipuram is roughly a two-hour drive from Chennai, and frequent buses run to Chennai and Bengaluru. The town has a railway station with services from Chennai, and Chennai airport is the nearest by air. Mahabalipuram is about 70 km away and Tirupati around 110 km. We can arrange a day trip from Chennai or a longer temple circuit.

Places to see in Kanchipuram

Also nearby