Pondicherry is one of the favorite tourist destinations among youth. Every college group plans a trip to Pondicherry once in their college life. This place is filled with entertainment and excitement. Everyone who loves to party visit this place to hangout, enjoy nightlife, view mesmerizing beaches with their friends and family. There are many tourist attractions to see in Pondicherry. Once you decide to visit Pondicherry, ensure that you do not miss visiting any of these places as mentioned in this article because these places are the best. You will have a pleasant experience in Pondicherry due to its friendly climate. In this article, you will find best places to do street shopping, eating, clubbing, roaming around in Pondicherry. Pondicherry is a wonderful mixture of past and present.
Travel Guide To Pondicherry : Top 10 Places to Visit
Paradise Beach
Paradise Beach You can relax here and can enjoy cool breeze and cold water. This is one of the most popular beaches of Pondicherry. You can do a lot of activities here like fishing. Many water sports are also available here. Do not go deep in the water as the currents in the water are high.
Timings : 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Time Required : 1-2 hrs
Entry Fee : INR 150,
Chairs: INR 75 per hour
Weather : 27° C
Aurobindo Ashram
Aurobindo Ashram was created in 1926 and named after Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. There is Samadhi also where the bodies of Mother and Sri Aurobindo are buried. You can bring flowers to pay respect to them. If you’re looking for peace and serenity in Pondicherry, this place should definitely be on your list.
Timings : General timings- 4:30 AM – 11:00 PM, Visitor’s timings- 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Time Required : 1-2 hrs
Entry Fee : Free
Weather : 27° C
Promenade Beach
Promenade Beach has some of the most famous restaurants located here which serves authentic traditional food. If you love seafood, then you must not miss this popular Le Café. If you want to go to a peaceful place and want to get away from busy city life, then this beach is a must-go place for you. You can relax here and can enjoy the cool breeze and cold water. This is one of the most popular beaches in Pondicherry.
Time Required: 2-3 hrs
Entry Fee: Free
Weather: 27° C
Scuba Diving
Scuba Diving is most popular among tourists. Though Scuba Diving of Pondicherry is not the best one due to limited underwater visibility, still people love to do this activity. You can witness colourful corals, vibrant fishes, spectacular shells and other tropical aquatic beings here. You will be given training before you go for Scuba diving. It gives a very peaceful experience and great relaxation to mind.
Time Required : 2-4 days
Entry Fee : Approximately INR 5000 per dive
Weather : 27° C
Water Sports in Pondicherry
Water Sports in Pondicherry are loved by all the tourists visiting here. Water sports fill up their hearts with enthusiasm and excitement. You can enjoy these water sports fully. There are number of water sports activities such as kneeboarding, kite surfing, snorkelling, parasailing & paragliding, diving, kayaking and many more. You can choose any of the sports that you like as per your requirement and budget. Water sports are made according to traveller’s need in Pondicherry, so you need not worry about training or experience.
Weather : 27° C
Time Required : 2-3 days
Pondicherry Lighthouse
Pondicherry Lighthouse is a favorite tourist attraction. There are two lighthouses in Pondicherry- the new and an old one. These lighthouse provide beautiful bird view to its visitors. The new lighthouse is not yet opened for public appearance. You can capture amazing pictures here. It’s a delightful place for history geeks, architecture fanatics.
Weather : 27° C
Time Required : 1 Hour
Pondicherry Museum
You will find a fantastic collection of sculptures at the Pondicherry Museum. There are Bronze sculptures of god and goddess. Some specimens of Chola and Pallava art from Pondicherry and Karaikal are displayed in the sculpture gallery.
Timings : Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Weather : 27° C
ISKCON Temple
You will find ISKON temple which is one of the several of chain temples spread all over the country and across the world. This peaceful temple is devoted to lord Krishna and Radha and people from abroad to visit here to have blessings of Lord Krishna.
Time Required : 1 – 2 hours
Entry Fee : No entry fee
Weather : 27° C
Matrimandir – Auroville
Auroville means ‘the city of Dawn’. Auroville was officially inaugurated on 28th February, 1968. It has around twelve gardens, lakes and an amphitheater.It is a very soothing place for meditation. The place is very beautiful and filled with peace. You will fall in love with the beauty of this place. You can capture amazing pictures here.
Timing for issue of passes: Weekdays: 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM and 1.45 PM to 4 PM. Sundays: 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM.
Time Required : 1 – 2 hours
Weather : 27° C
Gingee Fort
Gingee Fort is a favourite tourist attraction in Pondicherry. It is one of the best places in Pondicherry. In 1921, this place has been declared as a National Monument. It is one of the few forts in the State apart from being a unique architectural feat. If you are a history geek and you love architecture, then you must not miss out this place during their holiday in Pondicherry.
Weather : 27° C
Location: NH 66, Gingee, Tamil Nadu 604202
Timings: All days of the week (9:00 AM – 7:00 PM)
Good for: History Buffs, Wanderers, Loners, Photo Fanatics, Experience Seeker
So these were all the best places that you must visit when you plan your visit to Pondicherry with your friends and family. These are favourite tourist destinations. You will have a wonderful experience if you visit all these places as mentioned in this article.
Hope the article was helpful!