One day covers Kanyakumari if you start at 07:30: Suchindram temple, the Kumari Amman temple, then the ferry to the Vivekananda rock and the Thiruvalluvar statue from about 09:45. Then come the Gandhi memorial, lunch, the Kamarajar memorial and Vattakottai Fort. It is about 43 km by cab, back in town by about 15:30, with the sunrise before and the sunset after.
Suchindram temple at 07:45, before the crowds and its 11:30 closing, then the Kumari Amman temple and the ferry to the Vivekananda rock and the Thiruvalluvar statue from about 09:45. Then the Gandhi memorial and lunch, the Kamarajar memorial and Vattakottai Fort. About 43 km by cab, back in town by about 15:30. See the sunrise on foot before you set off, and take a short auto ride to the Sunset Point in the evening.
The Thanumalayan temple, a large temple to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma together, with a seven-storey gopuram. Inside are musical pillars that ring when tapped, and a Hanuman statue about 18 ft tall, carved from one block of granite.
Tip: Men take off their shirts at the door; the temple has dhotis to rent. No cameras inside. It closes for several hours in the middle of the day.
The temple of the goddess Kanya Kumari, the young girl goddess who gives the town its name, at the very tip of India where three seas meet. The idol wears a diamond nose ring that, by local story, once shone so bright that ships mistook it for a lighthouse.
Tip: Men take off their shirts and go in wearing a dhoti or mundu; no shorts or lungis. Women wear a saree, salwar or long skirt. Cameras are not allowed inside. Non-Hindus may visit the outer halls but not the inner shrine.
Two rocks about 500 m off the shore, reached by a state-run ferry from the jetty beside the temple. On one is the memorial to Swami Vivekananda, who meditated on the rock in 1892. On the other is the 133 ft stone statue of the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. Since December 2024 a glass-floored bridge joins the two rocks, so you can walk from one to the other. You can climb to the foot of the statue, not up it.
Tip: Boat tickets are Rs 100, or Rs 300 to skip the queue going out (not coming back); book on psckfs.tn.gov.in or at the counter. Boats stop when the sea is rough or very low, sometimes all day, so ask at the jetty first. In season the queues can take an hour or two.
A memorial hall where an urn of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes was kept before they were put into the sea in 1948. A hole in the roof is placed so that at noon on 2 October, his birthday, sunlight falls on the spot where the urn stood.
Tip: Free. It is a two-minute walk from the temple and the Kamarajar memorial next door.
A memorial to K. Kamaraj, the Tamil Nadu chief minister and freedom fighter, with photos and a small exhibit about his life, built where his ashes were put into the sea.
Tip: Free and small: about 20 minutes is enough.
A small 18th century fort of granite blocks, built by the Travancore kingdom on the sea about 7 km north of Kanyakumari. Its name means round fort. From the walls you see the beach on one side and the Western Ghats on the other.
Tip: Little shade: carry water and a hat. The beach below is pretty but not safe for swimming.
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The streets round the temple are crowded in the morning and at weekends, and the road through Nagercoil to Padmanabhapuram is slow, so allow extra time. The ferry can stop at short notice in rough sea, so keep the rock for whichever day the boats run. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Call or message a local Kanyakumari operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
We are still listing Kanyakumari operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple | About 04:30 to 11:30 and 17:00 to 20:00, every day | Morning, or after it reopens in the late afternoon. | 50 min |
| Kumari Amman Temple | About 04:30 to 12:15 and 16:00 to 20:00, every day; longer at festivals | Early morning, or after it reopens in the late afternoon. | 45 min |
| Vivekananda Rock and Thiruvalluvar Statue | Boats about 08:00 to 16:00, every day; the last boats leave at about 15:00 to 15:30. Stops in rough sea | From the first boat at 08:00, before the queue builds. | 2 h 30 min |
| Gandhi Mandapam | 07:00 to 19:00, every day; free | Any time it is open, next to the temple. | 30 min |
| Kamarajar Mani Mandapam | 07:00 to 19:00, every day; free | Visit with the Gandhi Mandapam next door. | 20 min |
| Vattakottai Fort | About 08:00 to 16:30 (some listings say 17:00), every day | Morning or late afternoon, when the stones are cooler. | 1 h |
Yes, the main sights: the sunrise, Suchindram, the Kumari Amman temple, the Vivekananda rock and the Thiruvalluvar statue, the memorials, Vattakottai Fort and the sunset. Padmanabhapuram Palace needs most of a second day.
It closes at about 11:30 and opens again only at 17:00. The plan reaches it at about 07:45, then the Kumari Amman temple at about 08:55, before its midday closing.
The plan allows 2.5 hours for the queue, the boat, both rocks and the glass bridge. In season the queues can make it 3 to 4 hours; the Rs 300 ticket skips only the queue going out.