Getting Around Kanchipuram

Getting Around Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram is a compact temple town in Tamil Nadu, well-connected by road and rail and easy enough to navigate once you have a rough sense of direction. Good maps of the town can be hard to come by, but OpenStreetMap works well for orientation and for locating the major temples, which is really all you need. Once you know the general direction you're heading, the temples themselves are hard to miss thanks to their tall stone entry towers, or gopurams.

Rail

Kanchipuram has its own railway station (station code CJ), and the town is well-connected by rail. Local trains run in from Arakkonam and Chennai Beach, and MEMU express services connect the town with Pondicherry and Tirupati. There is also a special express train, the Kashi Tamil Sangamam Express, from Varanasi, and express trains running between Mumbai and Madurai stop at Kanchipuram a couple of times a week. Be warned that the scheduled travel time from Mumbai is very long, and the train can easily take longer than advertised — taking a train to Chennai and continuing by road from there will probably be faster and more convenient.

For city-to-city hops, rail is generally described as the fastest option, with express and local EMU trains serving Chennai and other hubs. Fares are inexpensive. If you want real-time bus and train information while you're in town, transit apps such as Moovit are a useful companion.

Metro and Tram

There is no metro service within Kanchipuram, and no tram services either. Chennai Metro's Phase 2 expansion is planned to bring connectivity to nearby districts in the coming years, but for now visitors should plan on rail, bus, auto-rickshaw, or taxi for local and regional travel.

Buses and Other Public Transport

The Tamil Nadu state government–operated transport corporation runs buses from Kanchipuram to most major towns in Tamil Nadu, and buses are the main local transport option, connecting the major tourist spots as well as nearby cities including Chennai, Bangalore, and Tirupati. Services typically run every half hour to an hour, with fares varying by distance. The major bus terminal in town is the Gandhi Road Bus Stand.

• From Chennai: Buses leave for Kanchipuram every fifteen minutes from the Koyambedu interstate bus terminal. There is also an air-conditioned service departing from the T-Nagar and CMBT bus terminals every hour.
• From Bangalore: Buses leave for Kanchipuram seven times a day.
• From Mamallapuram: Buses leave roughly once per hour, with one as late as 3:30PM and probably later. If you can't get a direct bus, you can go half-way and change to a 212B or a quicker, more expensive private bus to complete the journey.

Auto-Rickshaws

Three-wheeler auto-rickshaws are available throughout the city and around the tourist zones, and they're best for short trips. You'll find them all around town. Always fix the price before you start. If you plan to visit several temples, you can bargain a package deal — the cost depends on how many temples you want to see and which ones. As a rough rule of thumb, point-to-point trips run around ₹20.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

There are a large number of taxis that hang out just north of the bus station, east of the roundabout. If you're travelling in a group, it may be worth negotiating with a driver for a full day rather than dealing with auto-rickshaws for each leg. Local cabs and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Ola are available on demand, and taxis and autos are generally the preferred options for temple visits and local sightseeing.

By Car

Kanchipuram is well-connected by road, and highways link it to Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati, and Pondicherry, with access around the clock and tolls on some routes. Private cars and rental buses use these roads. State Highway 58 connects Kanchipuram to Chengalpattu, which can be reached either from Chennai or from Mamallapuram and Pondicherry. If you're coming from Madurai or Tiruchirappalli, you can take the road up to Tindivanam and then State Highway 116 through Vandavasi.

Walking

Kanchipuram's sidewalks are not ideal for walking. Many shops keep their merchandise out on the sidewalks, and cars and motorcycles park on them as well, so you'll often be pushed onto the road itself, where you'll have to negotiate with traffic. On the plus side, Kanchi isn't as humid as Chennai, so walking isn't as exhausting — though if you're not used to Indian summers, it can still wear you down.

To stay safe and comfortable, start early in the morning (around 7AM or so), come back for a rest by late morning, and head out again in the evening. Mornings and evenings are the best times for photography anyway.

Getting from the Airport

The reference material does not describe an airport in Kanchipuram itself; the practical approach is to fly into Chennai and continue overland. From Chennai, buses leave for Kanchipuram every fifteen minutes from the Koyambedu interstate bus terminal, and an air-conditioned service departs from the T-Nagar and CMBT bus terminals every hour. Rail is another option, with local trains from Chennai Beach and connections via Arakkonam, and rail is generally described as the fastest way to cover city-to-city distances. If you prefer to drive, the Chennai–Bangalore expressway puts Kanchipuram roughly an hour and a half from the outskirts of Chennai.