Puducherry · group travel guide
Explore Puducherry (union territory) by road: every place
This guide covers 9 places across Puducherry's 2 regions and the favourites across its borders, with road distances measured for 9 of them. A 17-seater tempo traveller with driver from Puducherry costs ₹8,200–10,200 round trip to Karaikal up to ₹8,300–10,300 to Tirunallar, as of Oct 2026. Post your trip once and compare verified quotes.
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- 25% advance only after you choose
Photo: Athulvis, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
- Places
- 9 in 3 regions
- Ready-made circuits
- 3
- Best season
- November to February
- 17-seater from Puducherry
- from ₹8,200–10,200 (Oct 2026)
Puducherry is a union territory, not a state: the French quarter and the promenade, the Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville's Matrimandir, Paradise Beach and the Karaikal enclave with Tirunallar, plus the Tamil Nadu favourites close by. Every place with what it is, when to go, how long to give it and what a group vehicle with a driver costs from Puducherry or Chennai.
How many are going?
Slide to your group size: the vehicle that fits, with its day fare and the fare to the main sights.
Fits your group
Tempo Traveller 17-seater or Force Urbania (luxury van)
13–17 or 10–17 seats
₹6,800–8,400 for a full day (250 km)
Puducherry → Auroville
₹6,800–8,400
Tempo Traveller 17-seater · 12 km one way · 1 day, round trip
Tap a route:
Indicative fares from the tables on this page (see the notes under them); operators quote the exact price.
What this guide is built on
9
Places in this guide
9
Places with measured road distances
3
Ready-made circuits
Road distances come from our route catalog (by road, never straight-line guesses); fares are indicative (Oct 2026) from our published rate method, and every place links its official page.
Explore by region and theme
Tap a region or a theme. Each place has its own page with season, days, what to add nearby and the group fare.
9 places
Puducherry (Pondicherry)French quarter by the sea Puducherry town & Auroville165 km from Chennai2 daysPhoto: Athulvis, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
AurovilleInternational township and the Matrimandir Puducherry town & Auroville · Tamil Nadu, beside Puducherry12 km from PuducherryHalf a dayPhoto: Kpsudeep, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Paradise Beach (Chunnambar)Sandbar beach reached by boat Puducherry town & Auroville7 km from PuducherryHalf a dayPhoto: Ehteshaam Khatri, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
KaraikalPuducherry's enclave on the Coromandel coast Karaikal139 km from Puducherry1 dayPhoto: P Jeganathan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
TirunallarSaniswaran (Saturn) temple Karaikal141 km from PuducherryHalf a dayPhoto: VasuVR, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram)Pallava monuments by the sea, UNESCO Tamil Nadu nearby · Tamil Nadu58 km from Chennai1 dayPhoto: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
ChidambaramNataraja temple Tamil Nadu nearby · Tamil Nadu71 km from PuducherryHalf a dayPhoto: Nittavinoda, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
TiruvannamalaiArunachaleswarar temple and the holy hill Tamil Nadu nearby · Tamil Nadu99 km from Puducherry1 dayPhoto: raguleo, CC BY 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
VelankanniBasilica of Our Lady of Good Health Tamil Nadu nearby · Tamil Nadu168 km from Puducherry1 dayPhoto: Santhoshkumar Sugumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Puducherry region by region
Puducherry town & Auroville
The French quarter and the seafront promenade, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville's Matrimandir and the boats to Paradise Beach.
Puducherry (Pondicherry) · Auroville · Paradise Beach (Chunnambar)
Karaikal
The territory's second enclave down the Coromandel coast: Karaikal's beach and the Saniswaran temple at Tirunallar.
Tamil Nadu nearby
Favourites a short drive away in Tamil Nadu: Mamallapuram, Chidambaram, Tiruvannamalai and Velankanni.
Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) · Chidambaram · Tiruvannamalai · Velankanni
Ashrams, temples and pilgrimage
Puducherry is a place of quiet spiritual life as much as beaches: the Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville in the town, and some of the great temples of the Tamil coast within a short drive.
- Ashrams and Auroville
- Puducherry (Pondicherry), Auroville, Tiruvannamalai
- Temples of the coast
- Tirunallar, Karaikal, Chidambaram
- Velankanni
- Velankanni
Ready-made circuits
One vehicle and driver for the whole loop. Distance from measured legs; 17-seater fare for the whole trip, indicative (Oct 2026).
- Puducherry and Auroville from ChennaiFrom Chennai: Puducherry → Paradise Beach (Chunnambar) → Auroville2–3 days351 km17-seater ₹21,100–25,800Photo: Athulvis, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
- Karaikal, Tirunallar and Velankanni from PuducherryFrom Puducherry: Chidambaram → Karaikal → Tirunallar → Velankanni2–3 days347 km17-seater ₹21,100–25,800Photo: Nittavinoda, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram and PuducherryFrom Chennai: Kanchipuram → Mahabalipuram → Puducherry3 days403 km17-seater ₹21,100–25,800Photo: Luistxo, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
A union territory in four parts
Puducherry is not one block of land: the union territory is made of four separate districts.
- Puducherry town and Karaikal are on the Tamil Nadu coast; Mahe lies on the Kerala coast and Yanam in Andhra Pradesh.
- Driving from Tamil Nadu into Puducherry or Karaikal, a vehicle registered elsewhere may pay the territory's entry tax: operators list it on the quote.
- This guide covers Puducherry town and Karaikal, where groups go, and links the Tamil Nadu favourites close by.
Festivals by month
Lunar festivals move each year: check the dates on the official page before you book.
- JanInternational Yoga Festival · PuducherryOrganised by the Government of Puducherry each January, with teachers and students from India and abroad.Incredible India: Puducherry
- JanPongal · Puducherry and KaraikalThe Tamil harvest festival in mid-January, with kolams at every door.
- FebAuroville's birthday · AurovilleAuroville marks its founding day, 28 February 1968, each year.Auroville (official)
- MarMasi Magam · PuducherryAround February–March, temple deities are carried in procession to the sea for a ceremonial bath.
- JulBastille Day · PuducherryOn 14 July the French quarter remembers its past with a parade and French cultural events.
What to eat on the road
- French bakeries and cafés: Croissants, baguettes and crêpes in the White Town.
- Creole cooking: Puducherry's own mix of French and Tamil kitchens, found in a few old family restaurants.
- Tamil meals and seafood: Banana-leaf lunches and fresh fish along the coast and in Karaikal.
Arriving from abroad?
Fly into Chennai (MAA), post your trip in English and compare quotes for a car, tempo traveller (a 12 to 26-seat van) or Urbania with a driver to Puducherry and around. Visa, payment and safety, explained simply.
Puducherry for international visitorsOperators for Puducherry
Approved operators who take groups to Puducherry. Ask for quotes here: your request reaches them through the platform and you compare itemised offers.
R M A Travels
Vehicle Owner
Puducherry
Fleet details on request
Saravanabhava Translinks
Vehicle Owner
Karur, Tamil Nadu
Serves Tirunallar
Fleet details on request
Seventree holidays
Vehicle Owner
Bengaluru, Karnataka
334 km by road from Puducherry
Fleet details on request
Nalkco Trip Mentors
VerifiedVehicle Owner
Palakkad, Kerala
Serves Tirunallar
2 vehicles · 16 seats
- Replies in ~10 min
When booking through us helps
- A family, college or office group from Chennai or Bengaluru is spending a weekend in Puducherry, Auroville and Paradise Beach and needs one tempo traveller or bus with a driver.
- A pilgrim group is going to Tirunallar's Saniswaran temple, Karaikal, Velankanni or Chidambaram from Puducherry.
- A visitor from abroad lands at Chennai (MAA) and wants a vehicle with a driver for Mamallapuram, Puducherry and Auroville, with itemised quotes from verified operators.
How booking works
- Post your trip onceDates, pickup, places and group size. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- Verified operators quoteWe invite up to 6 verified operators near you, aiming for 3 quotes, and invite more if fewer reply within 2 hours.
- Compare itemised quotesVehicle, driver allowance, night halts, tolls and taxes, line by line, side by side.
- Book and pay the operatorAccept a quote and pay the operator an advance (25%) directly. No Yippigo fee: free until 31 December 2026.
Questions groups ask
Puducherry-la irundhu Tirunallar-ku evvalavu dooram? (How far is Tirunallar from Puducherry?)
141 km by road. Other places from Puducherry: Paradise Beach (Chunnambar) 7 km, Karaikal 139 km, Tirunallar 141 km.
Which places are a day trip from Puducherry?
By measured road distance: Paradise Beach (Chunnambar) 7 km, Karaikal 139 km, Tirunallar 141 km. A group vehicle averages 40–50 km an hour with halts.
Puducherry-ku tempo traveller-ku evvalavu aagum? (What does a tempo traveller to Puducherry cost?)
A 17-seater with driver from Puducherry: ₹8,200–10,200 round trip to Karaikal, ₹8,300–10,300 to Tirunallar (indicative, Oct 2026, with driver allowance and 5% GST). Operators quote the exact price.
Which vehicle should our group take?
4 people: Sedan; 7 people: SUV / Innova; 12 people: Tempo Traveller 12-seater + Force Urbania (luxury van); 17 people: Tempo Traveller 17-seater + Force Urbania (luxury van); 26 people: Tempo Traveller 20–26 seater; 35 people: Mini Bus 28–35 seater; 49 people: AC Coach 40–49 seater.
Pondicherry ghumne ke liye kitne din chahiye? (How many days for Puducherry?)
2 days cover the French quarter, the promenade, Auroville and Paradise Beach; add a day for Mamallapuram on the way from Chennai, or for Karaikal and Tirunallar down the coast.
Pondicherry trip-ku evvalavu naal venum? (Tamil: how many days for a Pondicherry trip?)
Rendu naal podhum: White Town, beach, Auroville. Karaikal, Tirunallar-ku innum oru naal.
Is Puducherry a state?
No. Puducherry is a union territory of four districts: Puducherry and Karaikal on the Tamil Nadu coast, Mahe in Kerala and Yanam in Andhra Pradesh.
When is the best time to visit Puducherry?
November to February, after the north-east monsoon, when days are warm and evenings cool; April to June is hot and humid.
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