Tamil Nadu

November: okstateCapital: Chennai

South Indian state of Dravidian temples, Chola and Pallava heritage, Nilgiri and Palani hill stations and a long Bay of Bengal coast.

Temples and heritage in the plains, cool hill stations in the Western Ghats, and beaches along the east coast.

Highlights: Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai · Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur · Mahabalipuram monuments · Ooty and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway · Kodaikanal · Rameswaram · Kanyakumari

When to go

Green best · blue good · red avoid · this month outlined

Janbest

Febbest

Margood

Aprok

Mayavoid

Junok

Julok

Augok

Sepok

Octok

Novok

Decbest

Good to know

Best timeNovember to February for the plains; March to June for the hills. October-December brings the northeast monsoon to the coast.

Ideal trip7-12 days

How to reachAir:

Chennai International Airport: Code: MAA; Notes: Main gateway
Coimbatore International Airport: Code: CJB; Notes: West Tamil Nadu and Nilgiris
Madurai Airport: Code: IXM; Notes: South
Tiruchirappalli International Airport: Code: TRZ; Notes: Central delta
Thoothukudi Airport: Code: TCR; Notes: Far south

; Rail:

Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore: Main rail hubs; Southern Railway network covers the state

; Road:

TNSTC and SETC state buses: Dense bus network; SETC runs long-distance routes

Getting aroundState buses connect almost every town; trains link the main cities; taxis are best for hill and temple circuits.

PermitsNone needed for Indian or foreign tourists for the main destinations. Forest areas and tiger reserves (Mudumalai, Anamalai) need entry tickets or safari bookings through the forest department.

LanguagesTamil (official) · English widely used in cities and tourism

SafetyDress modestly and remove footwear in temples; some temples restrict entry to inner shrines · Heavy rain and flooding are possible in October-December on the coast · Drink bottled or filtered water · Use registered taxis or app cabs in cities

Emergency

National emergency response (police/fire/ambulance): 112
Ambulance: 108
Women helpline: 181
India Tourism helpline (24x7, multilingual): 1800-11-1363

BudgetBudget to mid-range options are widely available; hill stations are pricier in April-May.

Destinations

Towns, valleys and cities worth the trip, with how they rate this month.

city

Chennai

2-3 days

State capital on the Bay of Bengal: Marina Beach, Mylapore temples, Fort St George and the main air and rail gateway to Tamil Nadu.

Food to try

Idli, dosa and sambar: Staple breakfast
Chettinad cuisine: Spicy meat dishes from the Karaikudi area
Filter coffee: Strong coffee with milk
Jigarthanda: Chilled Madurai milk drink
Pongal: Rice and lentil dish, also a harvest festival

Festivals

Pongal: Months: 1; Description: Four-day harvest festival in mid-January
Chithirai Festival, Madurai: Months: 4 · 5; Description: Celestial wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar
Karthigai Deepam, Tiruvannamalai: Months: 11 · 12; Description: Lamp festival on Arunachala hill
Chennai December Season: Months: 12 · 1; Description: Carnatic music and dance festival
Natyanjali, Chidambaram: Months: 2 · 3; Description: Dance festival around Maha Shivaratri