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Trichy sightseeing by cab

Trichy in 2 days: what to see, in what order

Day one is Trichy: the Jambukeswarar Temple, Srirangam, the Amma Mandapam ghat, the Government Museum, the Lourdes church and the Rockfort, about 23 km and back by about 16:20. Day two goes out by the Kallanai dam to Thanjavur for the Big Temple and the Maratha Palace, about 129 km and back by about 15:30 with lunch.

9 places152 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1

Srirangam, Thiruvanaikaval and the Rockfort

Thiruvanaikaval's Jambukeswarar Temple at about 08:30, then Srirangam from about 09:40, when darshan has opened again, for over two hours before the noon pooja. Down to the Kaveri at Amma Mandapam, then lunch. In the afternoon, the Government Museum, the Lourdes church and the Rockfort climb from about 14:40. About 23 km by cab, back by about 16:20. The museum is closed on Fridays: on a Friday, take longer at Srirangam instead.

08:15 to 16:226 places23 km by cab
  1. 1Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval
  2. 2Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
  3. 3Amma Mandapam ghat
  4. Lunch
  5. 4Government Museum (Rani Mangammal Mahal)
  6. 5Our Lady of Lourdes Church
  7. 6Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar Temple
  8. Back
  1. Leave central Trichy
  2. 1

    Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

    1 h here
    Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval
    Photo: Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A large Shiva temple about 2 km east of Srirangam, one of the five temples of the elements, here water. In the inner shrine the linga sits over an underground spring, and water seeps up round it. The temple has five walls, long pillared halls and a big tank, and the goddess Akilandeswari has her own shrine. It is calmer than Srirangam.

    TemplesAbout 06:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 20:30 every day (some listings say 05:30, others a longer midday break)

    Tip: The same phone rule as Srirangam applies. The inner shrine is low and small, so you bend to look in. Plan to be done before 13:00, when it closes until 15:00.

  3. 2

    Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

    2 h 15 min here
    Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
    Photo: Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A temple town of its own, to Vishnu lying on the great serpent. Seven walls, one inside the other, enclose streets, shops, houses and halls, and 21 gateway towers rise over them. The Rajagopuram at the south entrance is about 73 m tall, one of the tallest temple towers in Asia. Inside are the Hall of a Thousand Pillars and the Sesharaya hall, with horses rearing out of its pillars.

    TemplesDarshan 06:00 to 07:15, 09:00 to 12:00, 13:15 to 18:00 and 18:45 to 21:00 every day; the gaps are for poojas. Free entry, with paid quick darshan

    Tip: Shoes come off at the inner walls, and shoulders and knees should be covered. Phones are allowed only switched off, and photos are banned inside under a 2026 state rule; deposit counters are at the gates. A small ticket lets you climb to a rooftop view of the towers.

  4. 3

    Amma Mandapam ghat

    25 min here
    Amma Mandapam ghat
    Photo: TNSE Mahalingam VNR, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The main bathing ghat of Srirangam, wide stone steps down to the Kaveri on the south side of the island. Pilgrims bathe here before going to the temple, and families come for rites for their ancestors. In the dry months the river shrinks to channels in the sand.

    Churches & ghatsAn open river ghat, free, visit in daylight?

    Tip: It is on the way back from Srirangam to the city. It is packed on Aadi Perukku in early August and on Thai Amavasya in January or February.

  5. Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
  6. 4

    Government Museum (Rani Mangammal Mahal)

    45 min here
    Closed on Fridays
    Government Museum (Rani Mangammal Mahal)
    Photo: Srithern, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A small museum in the hall of the 17th century Nayak queen Rani Mangammal, at the foot of the Rockfort. It has Chola bronzes, stone sculpture, old coins and a few fossils from round Trichy. It takes under an hour.

    Forts, palaces & museumsAbout 10:00 to 17:00 (one listing says from 09:30); closed Fridays, and some listings add second Saturdays and national holidays. Small ticket

    Tip: Closed on Fridays. It is a few minutes' walk from the Rockfort steps, so do the two together.

  7. 5

    Our Lady of Lourdes Church

    20 min here
    Our Lady of Lourdes Church
    Photo: Desiree Ann. A, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A tall Gothic church from the 1890s, built on the lines of the basilica at Lourdes in France, with a pointed spire and coloured glass. It stands in the St Joseph's College grounds just west of the rock, by the Teppakulam tank.

    Churches & ghatsAbout 05:15 to 20:00 every day; quiet during services?

    Tip: Keep quiet if a service is on. The spire and the rock behind it make a good photo from the tank side.

  8. 6

    Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar Temple

    1 h 30 min here
    Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar Temple
    Photo: Rafikahamed96, CC BY-SA 4.0

    An 83 m high rock in the middle of the old town, one of the oldest rocks on Earth. About 437 steps cut into it climb past the Thayumanaswamy temple to Shiva and old cave temples to the small Ucchi Pillayar shrine to Ganesha on top. From there you see the whole city, the Kaveri and the towers of Srirangam. The bazaars round the foot of the rock are some of the busiest in town.

    Forts, palaces & museumsThe climb is open about 06:00 to 20:00 every day. The Thayumanaswamy temple halfway up closes from about 12:30 to 16:00. Small entry and camera tickets

    Tip: The rock and the steps get hot round midday, so take water and a hat. The steps are steep in places and partly covered. The Teppakulam tank and the Lourdes church are a few minutes away.

  9. Back at central Trichy
Day 2

Kallanai and the Big Temple at Thanjavur

Out along the Kaveri to the Kallanai dam for about 08:00, then about an hour on to Thanjavur. The Big Temple from about 09:40 to 11:40, before it closes at 12:30, then the Maratha Palace and its art gallery, a few minutes away, before the gallery shuts at 13:00. Lunch in Thanjavur, then the drive back. About 129 km by cab, back in Trichy by about 15:30 with lunch. Not on a Wednesday if you want the Saraswathi Mahal library.

07:30 to 14:233 places129 km by cab
  1. 1Kallanai (Grand Anicut)
  2. 2Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur
  3. 3Thanjavur Maratha Palace
  4. Back
  1. Leave central Trichy
  2. 1

    Kallanai (Grand Anicut)

    40 min here
    Kallanai (Grand Anicut)
    Photo: Beckamrajeev, CC BY-SA 3.0

    One of the oldest dams in the world still in use, built across the Kaveri by the Chola king Karikalan about 2,000 years ago, of rough stone without mortar. The British raised it in the 1800s, and a road runs along the top. A statue of Karikalan stands at the end, with a small park beside the water.

    River & parksAn open dam and park, free; visit in daylight?

    Tip: The river runs full from about June to January, when water is let out from the Mettur dam. In the dry months there is little to see. Busy with families on Aadi Perukku in early August.

  3. 2

    Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur

    2 h here
    Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur
    Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0

    The Big Temple of Thanjavur, built by the Chola king Rajaraja I and finished in 1010. Its granite tower rises about 66 m over the shrine, and a huge stone Nandi bull lies facing it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the Great Living Chola Temples. The walls of the courtyard are lined with shrines and old paintings.

    TemplesOpen 06:00 to 12:30 and 16:00 to 20:30 every day (one listing says 12:00 and 20:00). Free entry; photos allowed in the courtyard, not in the shrine

    Tip: Shoes come off at the gate, and the stone courtyard gets very hot by late morning, so walk on the mats. Guides wait at the entrance. Thanjavur is about 55 km from Trichy, an hour or more each way.

  4. 3

    Thanjavur Maratha Palace

    1 h 15 min here
    Thanjavur Maratha Palace
    Photo: Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0

    The palace of the Nayak and then the Maratha kings of Thanjavur, about 1.5 km north-east of the Big Temple. Its art gallery holds one of the best collections of Chola bronzes anywhere. The Saraswathi Mahal library keeps old palm-leaf manuscripts and maps, and a tall watch tower looks over the town.

    Forts, palaces & museumsThe art gallery is open 09:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00; the Saraswathi Mahal library 10:00 to 13:00 and 13:30 to 17:30, closed Wednesdays. Separate small tickets

    Tip: The library is closed on Wednesdays, and the gallery closes from 13:00 to 15:00, so come straight from the temple.

  5. Back at central Trichy

Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The bazaars round the Rockfort and the streets inside Srirangam's walls are slow and crowded, and the Thanjavur road is busy with lorries. Allow more time than the map shows, especially on festival days and weekends. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.

Book a cab for these 2 days

Call or message a local Trichy operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.

2 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator

We are still listing Trichy operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.

Opening times for this plan

The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.

PlaceOpenBest timeVisit
Jambukeswarar Temple, ThiruvanaikavalAbout 06:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 20:30 every day (some listings say 05:30, others a longer midday break)Early morning, before Srirangam.1 h
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, SrirangamDarshan 06:00 to 07:15, 09:00 to 12:00, 13:15 to 18:00 and 18:45 to 21:00 every day; the gaps are for poojas. Free entry, with paid quick darshanMorning, from 09:00 when darshan opens again after the early poojas.2 h 15 min
Amma Mandapam ghatAn open river ghat, free, visit in daylight?Morning, when people bathe and pray.25 min
Government Museum (Rani Mangammal Mahal)About 10:00 to 17:00 (one listing says from 09:30); closed Fridays, and some listings add second Saturdays and national holidays. Small ticketEarly afternoon, out of the heat.45 min
Our Lady of Lourdes ChurchAbout 05:15 to 20:00 every day; quiet during services?Afternoon, before the Rockfort climb.20 min
Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar TempleThe climb is open about 06:00 to 20:00 every day. The Thayumanaswamy temple halfway up closes from about 12:30 to 16:00. Small entry and camera ticketsLate afternoon, when the rock has cooled a little and the light is soft.1 h 30 min
Kallanai (Grand Anicut)An open dam and park, free; visit in daylight?Morning, on the way to Thanjavur.40 min
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur06:00 to 12:30 and 16:00 to 20:30 every day (one listing says 12:00 and 20:00). Free entry; photos allowed in the courtyard, not in the shrineMorning, before it closes at 12:30.2 h
Thanjavur Maratha PalaceThe art gallery is open 09:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00; the Saraswathi Mahal library 10:00 to 13:00 and 13:30 to 17:30, closed Wednesdays. Separate small ticketsLate morning, after the Big Temple.1 h 15 min

More or less time in Trichy?

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Trichy in 1 day

Srirangam, Thiruvanaikaval and the Rockfort

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Trichy in 3 days

Srirangam, Thiruvanaikaval and the Rockfort · Kallanai and the Big Temple at Thanjavur · Samayapuram, Thiruvellarai and Mukkombu

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All 15 places in Trichy

Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.

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Questions people ask

Is 2 days enough for Trichy?

Yes. It covers Srirangam, Thiruvanaikaval, the Rockfort and the Big Temple at Thanjavur. Add a third day for Samayapuram, Mukkombu and the quieter temples.

Which order should the two days go in?

Keep day one off a Friday, when the Government Museum closes, and day two off a Wednesday if you want the Saraswathi Mahal library at the Thanjavur palace. Swap the days if you need to.

Why leave so early on day two?

The Big Temple closes from 12:30 to 16:00 and the palace art gallery from 13:00 to 15:00. Leaving at 07:30 gives two hours at the temple and time at the palace before both close.