Are you in Chennai or planning to go there, but confused about the further travel plan? Don’t worry, in this blog, you will read about 10 famous budget holiday destinations from Chennai to sort it out for you.
Being a coastal city, Chennai has a lot to offer you in it as well as near it. Formerly known as Madras, the place is rich in culture and heritage. It offers you so many sites to visit. But if you want a good and calming weekend escape from the city, you have a lot more to go.
So, without wasting a minute, let’s know about these destinations!
Famous Budget Holiday Destinations from Chennai
Coorg
The very first destination on the list is Coorg which is India’s one of the best hilly places. It is also one of the best monsoon destinations in India. The place has a very calm environment too with some adventurous treks across the verdant.
Coorg is well apt for a famous budget destination from Chennai. You will definitely enjoy the coffee plantations there with the greenery all around. The Madikeri city in Coorg offers panoramic views of the western ghats. You can find a lot to explore there, some of them are:
- Madikeri fort
- Abbey falls
- Bylakuppe
- Nagarhole national park
How to go there?
The approximate distance of Coorg from Chennai is 590 km. Mangalore airport is the nearest one at a distance of 160 km. Also, it is easy to access by road from coastal and southern Karnataka and northern Kerala. The great time to visit there is from October to March.
Pondicherry
Another one of the best go-to budget holiday destinations from Chennai is Pondicherry. The place is better known for the French Colony. Actually, it is divided into two parts: one is the French Colony, and the other is Tamil Quarters.
French Colony represents the remnants of French culture, and in Tamil Quarters, you can see the Nagada-style temples. Some significant things you can explore there are:
- Sri Aurobindo and Mother’s Ashram
- Promenade beach
- Matrimandir
How to go there?
It is at a distance of around 151 km from Chennai. You can easily take the train from Chennai railway station to Pondicherry. You can also easily drive via East Coast road. You will love the beautiful scenery on the route. The good time to visit there is from October to March.
Ooty
The next choice on the list is my personal favorite. If you want a fantastic escape from Chennai, you can go to Ooty. It is one of the most famous holiday destinations in India. You will definitely be mesmerized by the greenery all around. And the pleasant weather there makes it even more fantastic.
Ooty is considered the birthplace of the Snookers. And it offers different types of activities like horseriding, hang-gliding, trekking, and cricket. Apart from many sites to visit, the place is trendy for spending peaceful holidays. Famous places to visit there are:
- Avalanche lake
- Ooty lake
- Botanical gardens
- Doddabetta peak
How to go there?
Ooty is around 550 km distance from Chennai, and the road connectivity is really good. One of the nearest airports to the place is Coimbatore which is around 96 km. You can also go to Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR). This is one of the oldest mountain railways in India that operates from Coonoor.
Mysore
Mysore ‘the cultural capital of India’ is one of the next famous budget holiday destinations from Chennai. Also, it is one of the cleanest cities in the country. You can get to enjoy scenic beauty, paintings, the famous Mysore Pak, and a lot more. You will definitely fall in love with the palaces over there for which the place is famous.
If you have come to Chennai, you should definitely visit this destination. Some popular places that you can visit there are:
- Brindavan garden
- Mysore Palace
- Kabini dam
- Chamudeshwari temple
How to go there?
The nearest airport to the place is Banglore airport at a distance of around 170 km. You can directly via train from Chennai to Mysore. You can also take a direct bus to reach the destination. The approx. distance between these two places is 482 km. You can pay the best visit there from October to February.
Munnar
Munnar is another refreshing hill stay of western ghats from Chennai. The place is famous for its wildlife home to many animals like Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Langur, Sambhar Deer, etc. You can get to do so many adventure activities there like trekking, rock climbing, para climbing, hang-gliding, etc.
Munnar is cushioned between three rivers: Kundala, Mudrapuza, and Nallathani. This makes it an awesome place to have a refreshing budget holiday destination. Some significant places to visit there are:
- Attukal waterfalls
- Tata Tea museum
- Eravikulam national park
- Pothamedu viewpoint
How to go there?
You can travel to Munnar from Chennai via train. But you can come to Madurai railway station from Chennai and then you can take a taxi. Or you can directly travel by bus from Munnar to Chennai. The total distance between the two is 591 km. And you can best visit there from November to February.
Rameshwaram
Our next choice on the near to destination from Chennai is Rameshwaram. It is one of the holiest sites of the country as it is a part of the Char Dham yatra. It is the point from where Lord Ram built the Ram Setu bridge to Sri Lanka to save Sita Ji.
It is very popular for the temple Ramanathaswamy which has the largest temple corridor in India. Some other known places to visit there are:
- Ramar Patham
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam memorial
- Lakshmana Tirtha
- Pamban bridge
How to go there?
The place has good connectivity to all the major nearby cities. You can easily go by bus or car there. The nearest airport is Madurai airport at an approximate distance of 149 km. The distance between the two is 558 km. You can best travel there from October to April.
Thekkady
Tamil Nadu and Kerala border have one of nicest places to visit called Thekkady. So, this is our other choice destination from Chennai. Thekkady is very famous for coffee and spice plantations.
It is near Chellar Kovil which has the most beautiful waterfalls, and scenic natural beauty. Thekkady offers you to do many activities like trekking, jeep safari, boating, etc. The place is well famous for boating and elephant rides, so don’t forget to try it. Popular attractions there are:
- Periyar national park
- Elephant junction
- Spice gardens
- Thekkady lake
How to go there?
You can easily go there by train as the nearest railway station is Kottayam at a distance of 114 km. You can take a taxi from there to reach Thekkady. You can also take a public bus from there. The nearest airport is Madurai at a distance of around 136 km. The overall distance from Chennai is 572 km. And the good time to visit there is from September to March. 
Yercaud
Yercaud or the Lake Forest is a super weekend getaway from Chennai. If you are looking for a serene and beautiful place, this is one of the best budget holiday destination options. This hill station is located in the Eastern ghats.
The place is so beautiful as it has abundant lush greenery everywhere. And if you are a coffee lover, you will fall in love with Yercaud. You will love boating with scenic views all around Yercaud lake. So, some best places to go there are:
- Yercaud lake
- Lady’s seat
- Killiyur falls
How to go there?
It is situated in Salem district. The closest airport is Salem airport just at a distance of 38 km. And the nearest railway station is Salem. The overall distance from Chennai is 365 km. You can visit there from October to June.
Nellore
Nellore is another choice to visit from Chennai which is just at a distance of 177 km from there. The place is well famous for its religious importance. Nellore is lying alongside the banks of the Penna river.
Nellore is well popular for the agriculture of sugar cane, rice, and several other crops. It is also famous for prawns and shrimp. It is also a good destination for wildlife and bird lovers. You can visit so many natural parks and sanctuaries there. Some good places to visit are:
- Pulicat lake
- Nelapattu bird sanctuary
- Somalisa dam
- Satish Dhawan space center
How to go there?
As the distance between Nellore and Chennai is not so much, you can easily travel by road. Also, you can take a train and go there. You can best visit this place from December to February.
Tirupati
Last but not least option on the list is Tirupati which is just a distance of 133 km from Chennai. Tirupati is located in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Tirupati is well known for the temple Venkateshwara which is one of the popular religious sites in India.
It is one of the oldest cities in India that have its name in ancient Vedas and Puranas. Tripati is very famous for its geological wonder called the Silathoranam, a natural arch made out of rocks. Some important sites to visit in Tirupati are:
- Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam
- Swami Pushkarani lake
- Akash Ganga waterfalls
- Sri Venkateshwara national park
How to go there?
As the distance between Tirupati and Chennai is not so much, you can easily travel by road or train. And the great time to visit there is from September to March.
Wrapping Up
So, that’s all about our collected list of 10 popular budget holiday destinations from Chennai. If you are traveling to Chennai from any other direction in India, you can surely go to these destinations to make your South trip memorable.
The distance to all these given destinations from Chennai is mentioned in this blog. You can make your travel plan as per the time availability. And also if you are a first-time traveler, don’t miss to know the tips for solo travelers.
If you have any other holiday options in mind, you can share your ideas here!
Hope you had a good read!
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