Mahabalipuram Shore Temple Retreat
Route Covered
Overnight stops in day orderOverview
This Mahabalipuram 4 days 3 nights package is a private, unhurried stay in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, with all three nights in one hotel near the sea. It covers the Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance and the Five Rathas, with beach time between visits. November to February is the most comfortable season.
Travellers who would rather unpack once and spend slow days among Pallava carvings and the beach than cover a long road circuit
Highlights
Good to know
Early starts
The monuments open early in the morning, and the open rock is cooler before the sun climbsFootwear
Much of the walking is over bare rock and sand, so wear closed shoes with a good gripSea
Ask your hotel about the sea on the day before swimming; the beach is also good for walkingBusy months
December and January are the busiest weeks, so rooms are best secured earlyDay-by-Day Itinerary
- First view of the Shore Temple
- Evening beach walk
Chennai airport to Mahabalipuram, evening by the sea
- 1Your driver is waiting at Chennai International Airport
- 2The coastal road south to Mahabalipuram is about 55 km
- 3Settle into the hotel and recover from the flight
- 4Should you still have energy, stroll the beach next to the Shore Temple
- Shore Temple
- Arjuna's Penance
- Krishna's Butterball
- Varaha mandapa
- Mahishasuramardini mandapa
Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance and the rock-cut caves
- 1Get to the Shore Temple early, where two towers look out over the Bay of Bengal
- 2Next, on foot, comes Arjuna's Penance, with carved scenes of elephants, gods and sages to study
- 3A gentle climb leads to Krishna's Butterball and the Varaha and Mahishasuramardini caves
- 4Spend the afternoon as you like, at the hotel or the beach
- Pancha Rathas
- Stone-carvers' workshops
- Tiger Cave
- Beach at sunset
Five Rathas, stone carvers and Tiger Cave
- 1Morning among the Five Rathas, each cut from one boulder, with the carved elephant and lion nearby
- 2Stop at the stone-carvers' workshops in town to watch sculptors at work
- 3Visit the Tiger Cave at Saluvankuppam
- 4Sunset on the beach to close the day
- Madras Crocodile Bank (optional)
Last morning and transfer to Chennai airport
- 1Breakfast without a rush, then one last stroll beside the sea
- 2If your flight time permits, an optional halt at the Madras Crocodile Bank on the East Coast Road
- 3The drive of about 55 km to Chennai International Airport follows, for your flight
Indicative — varies with season and hotel category.
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Trip Facts
Local Activities & Events
Updated Oct 3, 2026Mahabalipuram — Days 1-4 of this trip
Indian Dance Festival, Mamallapuram
culturalUsually runs from the third week of December into mid-to-late January
Classical and folk dancers perform in the evenings on an open-air stage in front of the Shore Temple, in a festival run by Tamil Nadu's tourism department.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesTamil Nadu — across your trip
Kanda Sashti and Soorasamharam
festivalSix days of fasting and worship at Tiruchendur's Murugan temple lead to Soorasamharam, the re-enactment of Murugan's victory over the demon Surapadman.
Karthigai Deepam
festivalArunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai holds a ten-day festival that ends with a flame lit on Arunachala hill at dusk and an overnight walk around it.
Music Academy 100th Annual Concerts (Chennai December Season)
culturalThe Music Academy marks its hundredth annual concerts with daily performances and morning conference sessions during Chennai's December season.
Vaikuntha Ekadashi at Srirangam
festivalThe northern Paramapada Vasal gate of the Ranganathaswamy Temple opens on this single day, and the processional deity passes through at daybreak.
Arudra Darshan at Chidambaram
festivalThe Nataraja deity at Chidambaram is carried out in a temple-car procession and anointed in a long ceremony on the Thiruvathirai star.
Music Academy 20th Annual Dance Festival
culturalA week of classical dance recitals in Chennai, with free morning shows and ticketed evening performances across several Indian dance styles.
50th Chennai Book Fair
culturalThe golden-jubilee edition of the city's annual book fair, run by the booksellers' association BAPASI, with programmes for readers, writers and publishers.
Events are reviewed by our team before publishing and drop off after they end. Please confirm timings and availability with us before your trip — local schedules can change without notice.
What's Included & Excluded
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