- Distance
- About 175 km by road
- Drive time
- 3.5–4 hours one way
- Pickup
- Pondicherry
- Destination
- Tanjore, Tamil Nadu
- Trip type
- Same-day return possible
- Vehicles
- Sedan, SUV, tempo traveller, coach
About the trip
Tanjore, or Thanjavur, was the capital of the Chola kings, and its Brihadeeswara Temple is one of the finest pieces of stone architecture in India. The town also has the Maratha palace, the Saraswathi Mahal library and a long craft tradition of paintings, art plates and dancing dolls. The road runs through Neyveli or Kumbakonam across the Kaveri delta.
What to see in Tanjore
- Brihadeeswara Temple (Big Temple)
- Thanjavur Maratha Palace
- Saraswathi Mahal Library
- Schwartz Church
On the road
Go via Neyveli and Kumbakonam, which lets you add Darasuram on the way. It is a long day, so leave by 5:30 am and plan the return by 4 pm.
A same-day plan
- 5:30 amLeave Pondicherry via Neyveli
- 8:30 amBreakfast stop in Kumbakonam
- 10:00 amBrihadeeswara Temple
- 12:30 pmLunch in Thanjavur
- 2:00 pmMaratha Palace and Saraswathi Mahal
- 3:30 pmShopping for art plates and dolls
- 4:30 pmDrive back to Pondicherry
Timings are a guide — tell us when you want to leave and what you want to see, and the driver will work around it.
Choose your vehicle
Airport runs, couples and small families on short trips.
The usual pick for family trips, ghat roads and long days on the highway.
Extra room and comfort for special occasions and senior guests.
Extended families, pilgrimage parties and office outings.
Weddings, school trips and temple tours with a big party.
Every car is air-conditioned and comes with an experienced driver. Our quote is all-inclusive — fuel, tolls, parking, interstate permit and driver batta — and is confirmed in writing before you book.
More car trips from Pondicherry
Day trip150 km · 3–3.5 hrsTamil NaduPondicherry to ChennaiPondicherry to Chennai by cab along the East Coast Road, with stops at Mahabalipuram or airport and station drops in the city.
Tamil NaduView route →
Day trip67 km · 1.5–2 hrsTamil NaduPondicherry to ChidambaramPondicherry to Chidambaram by car for the Nataraja Temple, with an easy return the same day and a possible stop at Pichavaram.
Tamil NaduView route →
Day trip110 km · 2.5 hrsTamil NaduPondicherry to KanchipuramPondicherry to Kanchipuram by cab to see the great temples of the silk city and shop for pure Kanchi silk sarees in one day.
Tamil NaduView route →
Day trip135 km · 3 hrsPuducherryPondicherry to KaraikalPondicherry to Karaikal by car along the coast, with the Tirunallar Saneeswaran temple and an easy link to Velankanni.
PuducherryView route →
Day trip125 km · 3 hrsTamil NaduPondicherry to KumbakonamPondicherry to Kumbakonam by cab for a day among the temple town's shrines, with Darasuram and the navagraha temples nearby.
Tamil NaduView route →
Day trip95 km · 2 hrsTamil NaduPondicherry to MahabalipuramPondicherry to Mahabalipuram by car on the East Coast Road for the Shore Temple, Five Rathas and rock-cut Pallava carvings.
Tamil NaduView route →Book a car for this trip
Send us the date, pickup point, number of people and whether you need a return. We reply with the vehicle and a single all-inclusive price.
