10 Awesome Road Trips and Weekend Getaways from Chennai

Road trips are a fun and exciting way to give your mind a detox from its usual stress of daily life. Especially from life on the roads of a city having to endure traffic jams on a daily basis. Some times you need to take a weekend off. And there are quite a few options for weekend getaways from Chennai. To get away from all that stress here is a set of road trips from Chennai that can cleanse your mind.

Road trips from Chennai

1. Road trip from Chennai to Pondicherry

Pondicherry, once the largest French colony in India makes up for a wonderful one-day road trip from Chennai. With beautiful beaches and historical monuments to admire you’ll feel the time flying away. This is one of the popular weekend getaways from Chennai.

On the way to Pondicherry you can visit the Cavelong beach and also some places in Mahabalipuram.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 155 kms            Time Taken: 3 hours

There are 36 Petrol Pumps, 32 Toilets and 119 Food Joints on this road trip.

2. Road trip from Chennai to Coorg

One of the most visited hill stations in Karnataka is a delight and a must visit for every nature lover. With beautiful landscapes and mountain ranges, you feel one with nature.

On your way to Coorg you can visit the Bannerghatta Zoo, Gomateshwara Bahubali Statue.

Image source: Flickr

Distance: 612 kms            Time Taken: 11 hours

There are 56 Petrol Pumps, 122 Toilets and 72 Food Joints on this road trip.

3. Road trip from Chennai to Vellore

Vellore has a rich history and culture going back to the era of the Vijaynagar kingdom. In this ancient city, you will find yourself immersed in all of history and culture.

On your way to Vellore, you can visit the Amman temple in Kanchipuram, Fort in Arcot, etc.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 140 kms            Time Taken: 3 hours

There are 62 Petrol Pumps, 40 Toilets, and 114 Food Joints on this road trip.

4. Road trip from Chennai to Ooty

This hill station is known for its pleasant climate tea gardens and chocolates. Ooty hill station calls for some calm and leisure time to just relax.

On the way to Ooty, you can take a small detour and visit the Gingee fort or the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 567 kms            Time Taken: 10 hours

There are 34 Petrol Pumps, 58 Toilets and 35 Food Joints on this road trip.

5. Road trip from Chennai to Tirupati

The temple town of Tirupati is one of the most sacred and holy places in India where Lord Vishnu is worshipped. The Sri Venkateswara Temple is a must visit. Another one of the popular weekend getaways from Chennai.

While in Tirupati you can also visit the Aakasa Ganga.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 133 kms            Time Taken: 3 hours

There are 32 Petrol Pumps, 28 Toilets and 36 Food Joints on this road trip.

6. Road trip from Chennai to Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is a place worth the long drive. The sea breeze, the ocean all add up to the calming atmosphere of this place. Kanyakumari is known for its Sunrise and Sunset views over the horizon of the ocean and the Vivekananda Memorial.

On your way to Kanyakumari, you can visit the Sri Ranganathar Swamy temple in Tiruchirapalli and Thirumalai Nayak Mahal in Madurai.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 708 kms            Time Taken: 10 hrs 30 mins

There are 40 Petrol Pumps, 47 Toilets and 32 Food Joints on this road trip.

7. Road trip from Chennai to Dhanushkodi

This road trip to the Ghost town of Dhanushkodi is thrilling. You cross the Pamban Bridge when you enter Rameswaram from mainland India.

On your way to Dhanushkodi you can visit the Mariamman Temple, Thanjavur Maratha Palace.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 580 kms            Time Taken: 10 hours

There are 43 Petrol Pumps, 44 Toilets and 33 Food Joints on this road trip.

8. Road trip from Chennai to Yelagiri

At about 1,000 meters above sea level, Yelagiri offers a pleasant climate almost throughout the year. Coupled with lush green landscapes and hills around it gives the visitors a calm and serene atmosphere to relax.

On the way to Yelagiri, you can visit the Varadarajan temple in Kanchipuram or the ancient Jain Caves near Arcot.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 230 kms            Time Taken: 4 hours 30 minutes

There are 66 Petrol Pumps, 38 Toilets and 89 Food Joints on this road trip.

9. Road trip from Chennai to Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram one of the oldest cities in India is known for stone carved monuments. It is close to Chennai and hence it is one of the most popular one day road trips. It is also one of the popular weekend getaways from Chennai. You can also make it a long weekend by having a stopover in Pondicherry.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 56       Time Taken: 1 hours 30 minutes

There are 16 Petrol Pumps, 32 Toilets and 187 Food Joints on this road trip

10. Roads trip from Chennai to Nellore

Nellore is a place where you can choose to make it a long weekend or a single day road trip. Nellore has existed since the Mauryan Empire. It has something for everyone like the beaches, temples, wildlife sanctuaries, etc.

On your way to Nellore, you can visit the Tada Falls or the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary.

Image source: wikimedia

Distance: 175 kms            Time Taken: 3 hours

There are 59 Petrol Pumps, 28 Toilets and 47 Food Joints on this road trip

These are a few popular road trips from Chennai some of which can be done in one day or by making it a long weekend. Other road trips from Chennai that can be done are to the temple towns of Kumbakonam and Madurai or Mysore, Kodaikanal etc.

Hope you liked our list of weekend getaways from Chennai?

You can also add some road trips from Chennai that we have missed out. Let us know in the comments.

Check out our list of road trips from Delhi, road trips from Mumbai, road trips from Hyderabad and road trips from Bangalore.

Did you know you can plan a road trip anywhere in India with ScoutMyTrip? Go ahead and check out the ultimate road trip planner! Also, check out our blog post on road trip songs and some mistakes on road trips that you can avoid.

*Featured Image Credit (KARTY JazZ)