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Trivandrum sightseeing by cab

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

Two days is the right length for Trivandrum. Day one is the city: the Padmanabhaswamy temple, Kuthiramalika Palace, the Attukal temple, the zoo, the Napier Museum, the Sree Chitra Art Gallery and Shanghumugham Beach. Day two is the south coast: the Vizhinjam cave temple, the Azhimala Shiva statue, a Poovar boat ride, the Vizhinjam lighthouse and Kovalam. Neither day works on a Monday.

12 places92 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1

Old city, museums and Shanghumugham

The Padmanabhaswamy temple in the 08:30 darshan slot, Kuthiramalika Palace and the Attukal temple, then the zoo, lunch, the Napier Museum and the art gallery next door, and Shanghumugham Beach in the late afternoon. About 30 km, back by about 16:30. Not on a Monday.

08:30 to 16:307 places30 km by cab
  1. 1Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
  2. 2Kuthiramalika Palace Museum
  3. 3Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
  4. 4Thiruvananthapuram Zoo
  5. Lunch
  6. 5Napier Museum
  7. 6Sree Chitra Art Gallery
  8. 7Shanghumugham Beach
  9. Back
  1. Leave Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station
  2. 1

    Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

    1 h here

    The temple that gave Thiruvananthapuram its name, the city of Lord Anantha. Vishnu lies on the serpent Anantha in the inner shrine, so long that you see him through three doors: the face, the navel and the feet. A seven-storey gopuram rises over the temple tank at the east gate.

    TemplesDarshan in short slots from 03:30 to 12:00 (06:30, 08:30 to 10:00, 10:30 to 11:10) and 17:00 to 19:20; closed to visitors 12:00 to 17:00

    Tip: Only Hindus may enter, and the dress code is strict: men in a mundu or dhoti and bare-chested, women in a saree or a long skirt. Mundus can be rented at the gate. Phones and bags go in the cloakroom.

  3. 2

    Kuthiramalika Palace Museum

    45 min here
    Closed on Mondays

    A palace built in the 1840s for Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, the poet-king of Travancore, right beside the temple. The name means horse mansion, after the 122 wooden horses carved under its eaves. Inside are royal thrones, Kathakali figures, musical instruments and weapons.

    Palaces & museumsOpen 08:30 to 12:30 and 15:30 to 17:30; closed on Mondays

    Tip: Closed on Mondays. Entry is with a guide, and photography is not allowed inside. A classical music festival is held in the courtyard each January.

  4. 3

    Attukal Bhagavathy Temple

    30 min here

    A goddess temple about 2 km south of the Padmanabhaswamy temple, on the bank of the Killi river. It is known for the Attukal Pongala each February or March, when women cook offerings of rice in clay pots along the city's streets.

    TemplesAbout 05:00 to 12:30 and 17:00 to 20:30, every day

    Tip: During Pongala week the roads around the temple close; check the date before you plan a cab through the area.

  5. 4

    Thiruvananthapuram Zoo

    1 h 15 min here
    Closed on Mondays

    One of India's oldest zoos, opened in 1857, laid out over wooded slopes and lakes behind the Napier Museum. It has lions, tigers, Nilgiri langurs and lion-tailed macaques, and a reptile house.

    Zoo, planetarium & lighthouseAbout 09:30 to 17:00; closed on Mondays

    Tip: The paths are long and hilly; wear walking shoes and carry water.

  6. Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
  7. 5

    Napier Museum

    45 min here
    Closed on Mondays

    An art and history museum from 1880 in a striking building of red, black and white brick, with Gothic roofs and Kerala gables. Inside are bronzes, temple carvings, ivory work and a temple car. It stands in the museum gardens with the art gallery and the zoo.

    Palaces & museumsOpen 10:00 to 17:00; Wednesdays 13:00 to 17:00; closed on Mondays

    Tip: Closed on Mondays and Wednesday mornings. One ticket counter sells entry for the museum and the art gallery; the zoo has its own.

  8. 6

    Sree Chitra Art Gallery

    45 min here
    Closed on Mondays

    The best collection of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings, the Travancore painter who gave Indian gods and heroines their now familiar faces. There are also Nicholas Roerich's Himalayan landscapes and Mughal, Rajput and Tanjore paintings.

    Palaces & museumsAbout 10:00 to 16:45; Wednesdays from 13:00; closed on Mondays?

    Tip: Sources disagree on Monday and Wednesday hours; it follows the Napier Museum, so plan it for the afternoon and not on a Monday.

  9. 7

    Shanghumugham Beach

    45 min here

    The city beach, about 8 km west of the station by road, beside the airport, with a long promenade. At its southern end lies the Matsya Kanyaka, a 35 m reclining mermaid sculpted by Kanayi Kunhiraman.

    Beaches & backwatersOpen air, all day?

    Tip: The sea is rough here; do not swim. Planes land just over the beach, which children love.

  10. Back at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station
Day 2

Vizhinjam, Poovar and Kovalam

The Vizhinjam cave temple and the Azhimala Shiva statue in the morning, a boat ride at Poovar to the Golden Sand Beach, lunch, then the Vizhinjam lighthouse when it reopens at 14:00 and an hour on Kovalam's Lighthouse Beach below it. About 62 km, back by about 16:00. Not on a Monday, when the cave temple and the lighthouse are closed.

09:00 to 15:595 places62 km by cab
  1. 1Vizhinjam Rock-cut Cave Temple
  2. 2Azhimala Shiva Temple
  3. 3Poovar backwaters and Golden Sand Beach
  4. Lunch
  5. 4Vizhinjam Lighthouse
  6. 5Kovalam Lighthouse Beach
  7. Back
  1. Leave Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station
  2. 1

    Vizhinjam Rock-cut Cave Temple

    20 min here
    Closed on Mondays

    A small cave shrine cut into a boulder in about the 8th century, one of the oldest in Kerala. Unfinished reliefs of Shiva as Nataraja and as Tripurantaka flank the door, and a sculpture of Shiva with a veena sits inside.

    TemplesOpen 09:00 to 18:00; closed on Mondays

    Tip: It is small and in a quiet lane in Vizhinjam village; ask the driver to wait close by.

  3. 2

    Azhimala Shiva Temple

    40 min here

    A seaside temple on the rocks south of Vizhinjam, known for its 18 m statue of Shiva as Gangadhareshwara, letting the Ganga fall from his hair, the tallest Shiva statue in Kerala. Steps go down to the rocks and the sea.

    TemplesTemple hours are not published; the grounds and the statue are visited through the day?

    Tip: Waves break hard on the rocks below; stay back from the edge. Shoes come off at the temple.

  4. 3

    Poovar backwaters and Golden Sand Beach

    1 h 30 min here

    A boat ride down the Neyyar river through mangroves and coconut groves to the sandbar where the river meets the sea, called the Golden Sand Beach. The boats are run by the boat clubs along the river near Poovar town.

    Beaches & backwatersBoats about 09:00 to 17:30, run by private boat clubs?

    Tip: Prices vary by boat and length of ride; agree the price and the duration before you board. The sandbar is not safe for swimming.

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

    Vizhinjam Lighthouse

    30 min here
    Closed on Mondays

    The red and white striped lighthouse on the Kurumkal headland at the south end of Kovalam, 36 m tall. A lift and a short climb take you to the top, with a view along Kovalam's three crescent beaches.

    Zoo, planetarium & lighthouseAbout 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00; closed on Mondays

    Tip: Closed on Mondays. Phones and cameras may carry a small extra fee; tickets can also be booked online.

  7. 5

    Kovalam Lighthouse Beach

    1 h here

    The main of Kovalam's three crescent beaches, below the lighthouse, with a paved promenade of cafes and shops. Hawa Beach is just north over the rocks. It is the beach most people mean when they say Kovalam.

    Beaches & backwatersOpen air, all day?

    Tip: Swim only between the lifeguard flags, and not in the monsoon. The cab parks at the top of the lane; the beach is a few minutes down on foot.

  8. Back at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station

Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The city centre around East Fort, Thampanoor and Palayam is slow at the morning and evening rush, and the Kovalam road jams on weekend evenings, so allow extra at those times. 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 Trivandrum 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

Opening times for this plan

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

PlaceOpenBest timeVisit
Sree Padmanabhaswamy TempleDarshan in short slots from 03:30 to 12:00 (06:30, 08:30 to 10:00, 10:30 to 11:10) and 17:00 to 19:20; closed to visitors 12:00 to 17:00In the 08:30 to 10:00 darshan slot, before the noon closing.1 h
Kuthiramalika Palace Museum08:30 to 12:30 and 15:30 to 17:30; closed on MondaysStraight after the temple, in the morning session.45 min
Attukal Bhagavathy TempleAbout 05:00 to 12:30 and 17:00 to 20:30, every dayMorning, before it closes at 12:30.30 min
Thiruvananthapuram ZooAbout 09:30 to 17:00; closed on MondaysAfternoon, after the museum and gallery next door.1 h 15 min
Napier Museum10:00 to 17:00; Wednesdays 13:00 to 17:00; closed on MondaysAfter lunch, which also suits Wednesdays, when it opens only at 13:00.45 min
Sree Chitra Art GalleryAbout 10:00 to 16:45; Wednesdays from 13:00; closed on Mondays?Together with the Napier Museum, a two-minute walk away.45 min
Shanghumugham BeachOpen air, all day?Late afternoon into sunset.45 min
Vizhinjam Rock-cut Cave Temple09:00 to 18:00; closed on MondaysOn the way to Azhimala or Poovar; it takes 20 minutes.20 min
Azhimala Shiva TempleTemple hours are not published; the grounds and the statue are visited through the day?Morning, before the rocks get hot.40 min
Poovar backwaters and Golden Sand BeachBoats about 09:00 to 17:30, run by private boat clubs?Late morning, so you are back at the jetty for lunch.1 h 30 min
Vizhinjam LighthouseAbout 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:00; closed on MondaysIn the afternoon session, before the beach.30 min
Kovalam Lighthouse BeachOpen air, all day?Late afternoon, staying for the sunset.1 h

More or less time in Trivandrum?

123456© OpenStreetMap contributors

Trivandrum in 1 day

Old city, Kovalam and the museums

See the 1-day plan →

All 15 places in Trivandrum

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

See all places →

Questions people ask

Is 2 days enough for Trivandrum?

Yes, for the main sights in the city and down the coast to Poovar. Add a day for Varkala's cliff beach, about 50 km north, or Kanyakumari, about 90 km south.

Should I stay in the city or in Kovalam?

Either works. These plans start at Thiruvananthapuram Central station, about 15 km from Kovalam by road. Staying in Kovalam puts the beach and the sunset at your door on both evenings.

How long is the Poovar boat ride?

Most rides run 1 to 2 hours, down the Neyyar river through mangroves to the Golden Sand Beach where the river meets the sea. The plan allows 90 minutes. Boats are run by private clubs, so agree the price and length before you board.