Pondicherry Itinerary

Located on the Eastern coast of India, it has been under the Dutch, the British and the French rule before being a Union Territory of independent India. The French left an indelible mark on the city but its culture is essentially Dravidian. The region was successively ruled under great southern kingdoms like the Cholas, the Pallavas, Vijayanagara and the Sultanate of Madurai. In the 17th century, the French came to a small fishing village called Putucerri, which roughly translates to “new village” in Tamil. They transformed it into a grand port town, Pondicherry. It was renamed Puducherry in 2006, but it’s still popularly called by the anglicized name.

The prime attraction of Pondicherry is its French vibes. The pastel-colored residential buildings, cute art cafes and whitewashed monuments reflect an unmistakable essence of French aesthetics. It’s like discovering a piece of France in India. However, the French colony is just a tiny part of Pondicherry. It’s just about 10% of the entire Union Territory is what people refer to as the White town. The rest of Pondicherry is Indian at its core.

How to reach Pondicherry?

Pondicherry has its airport, so you can land directly in Pondicherry. However, it’s a small one and the chance of getting a direct ticket is scarce. Chennai is the nearest city with a large airport which is only 150 km from Pondicherry. It’s connected by the ECR highway so you can reach in 2.5 hours. People in Chennai can easily visit Pondicherry for a day trip or over a normal weekend.

Day 1 in Pondicherry

• Chunnambar Boat House by 10 am – 11 am. Then take a boat to Paradise beach. Trip to Botanical Garden before you reach your hotel.

• Have fresh local sea-food for lunch and take some rest.

• Start your evening walking tour in White Town. The hot Pondicherry roads would have started to cool down by now.

• Have dinner at a cafe in the promenade or the Heritage street.

Day 2 in Pondicherry

• Head to Auroville in the morning and enjoy brunch at Auroville’s cafes.

•Come back and watch the sunset at Serenity beach.

Day 3 in Pondicherry

You can enjoy shopping and walking in the heritage street, before your return journey. But if you’re up for an adventure, hike the enormous Ginjee fort located 67 km from Pondicherry on the way to Bangalore.