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Tourist Places in Pondicherry
Tourist Places in Pondicherry has many unique places and activities. That not only makes you explore but also makes you come once again. The Most common opinion about Pondicherry is ” A Little France” and ” A Little Goa”. But Pondicherry has more to explore, a complete package of tourism for Spiritual, Heritage, Nature, Relax, Explore, Party, and adventure activities.
Beaches
Pondicherry has more than Ten beaches, and some of them are theme-based beaches. Only some of the beaches are discussed below. Click here to know more about the 10 Best Beaches in Pondicherry
Rock beach/ Promenade beach
Rock Beach is the most famous beach in Pondy. Tourists never miss coming here. This beach is always crowded. Best place to take a walk where the surrounding buildings and statues speak history.
Gandhi Statue
The famous landmark of Pondicherry is the Gandhi statue located on the rock beach. This is a 4 m white statue surrounded by monolithic granite pillars brought from Gingee. Below the statue runs a tunnel that runs towards Gingee but is closed for safety purposes.
Nehru Statue
The straight opposite of Gandhi’s statue is the Nehru Statue. On this ground, many times programs are conducted on the beach
Marquis Dupleix Statue
In memory of the French Governor General who resided in 1742, the statue was placed in Pondicherry Beach. This statue stands at the end of the beach in the center of a small park.
French War Memorial
Located opposite the Gandhi Statue is the French War Memorial constructed in memory of the French Indian residents who lost their lives in the first world war.
Kargil War Memorial
This was constructed in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the country in the war of Kargil
Le cafe and Ambedkar Manimandapam is also here. You can enjoy many varieties of street foods including the Pondicherry famous Triple C dishes
Time – 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Location – 3.5 km from Puducherry
Famous – Heritage buildings, Statues, Street foods, walking and Jogging
Entry fee – FreeÂ
Paradise Beach, an island beach in Pondicherry
Paradise Beach is an island beach which is famous for boating. You can also book this island beach for a function evening after 6:00 PM. You will reach only through a ferry boat from Chunnambar Boathouse.
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Time – 5:30 AM :5:00 PM for Public( After 6:00 PM bookings for private functions)
Location – 8 Km from Puducherry
Famous for – Boating, ATV riding, Horse riding, Rocket ejector, Rain Dance, Parasailing, and island beach booking.
Entry fee – Approx Fee of Rs 354 for the ferry ride from Chuunnambar boat house to Paradise Beach
Eden Beach, a blue flag beach in Pondicherry
Eden Beach in Chinnaveerampattinam is the only blue flag beach in Pondicherry. India has only 12 blue flag beaches, and Eden Beach is one among them. You will enjoy the beauty of the backwaters, river, and sea on this beach. This beach is 3.8 km from Ariankuppam. This place is like Kerala with lots of coconut tree plantations. Many film shootings are taken here. There are many stone benches, bamboo sit-outs, umbrella huts, and watch towers.
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Pondy Marina Beach, a food based theme Beach
Pondy Marina Beach is food based theme beach with activities. You can come here to relax on the sandy beach with different foods which you get there at a reasonable price. There are more than 30 food stalls, and you can find the famous Turkish Ice cream here. The Pondicherry Lighthouse and Pondy Marina Boat house are near this place. And has a big open lawn to conduct parties and Conferences.
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Time – 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Location – 6 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Food stalls, Lighthouse, Paramotoring, Turkish Ice Cream, Joyland, Lighthouse, Chariot, and Pondy Marina Boat House.
Entry Fee- Free
Sandunes Beach
Sandunes Beach is the only Aquapark in Pondicherry. It is 6km from Ariyankuppam and 5 km from chunnambar boat house. A Beach with water activities makes this as best Place.
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Time – 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location – 12 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Paramotoring, AquaPark, Kayaking, Jet Ski, Speed boat, Donut Ride, Zorbball, Candle night Dinner, Yacht ride, Banana ride, Floating island Dinner, ATV Ride, Horse Ride, Camel Ride, Archery, Human Gyro, Rocket Ejector, 360 Degree Cycle, Paintball shooting, Rope Course, Net Cricket and Trampoline
Entry Fee – Rs 70 per person
Seagull Cruise is an adventure trip on the sea. In a launch boat around 60 members, two hours travel on the sea sightseeing the Pondicherry and famous places. If lucky, you will find dolphins on the ride.
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Time – 5:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Holiday on Tuesday)
Location – 5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Sightseeing Puducherry from Sea, and watching Dolphins (in seasons)
Entry fee – Rs 500+ GST
Art and Craft Village
Art and crafts village is located in Murungapakkam area which is 5kms from White town. Pondicherry Tourism Department developed the Art and Craft Village to promote the masterpiece work of Indian art and culture by the artisans. This place is in Ariankuppam, take a left from the old ariankuppam bridge and the sign boards will guide you to the village. The village has a spacious parking area, before entering there is an Indian coffee house to snack. Before the entrance of the art and craft village, the Universal eco foundation has stalls of animal sculptures and paintings made by the artisans which are sold to the wildlife departments of different states. As you enter inside there are handmade sculptures and handicraft shops on both sides. At the backside, there are big terracotta sculptures on the left which are beautifully made. And kayaking activity is available here.
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Time – 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Location – 5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Sculptures, Terracotta works, Art and Craftworks.
Entry Fee – Free
Will’s Boathouse Mangrove boating
Will’s Boathouse House is in Kakkayanthope, Ariyankuppam Commune, Puducherry. You can capture the beauty of the river, the rise and set of the sun, the mangrove forest, the river mouth, Arikemedu, and the heritage site in a boat ride.
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Time – 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location – 7 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Sightseeing Mangrove forest,
Entry fee- starts from Rs 200
Pondy Ocean Park
Pondy Ocean Park is an adventurous park for land and water activities. More than 50 plus activities not only adults but also children can enjoy. You can explore the water activities in the backwaters of Puducherry. This place is located 2.8 km from Ariyankuppam. This place is next to the chunnambar boat house on pondicherry Cuddalore Road. There is also a big lawn for functions and a restaurant with French food. From December to February, you can find Jellyfishes when you do Kayaking.
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Time – 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Location – 8 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Kayaking, Jet Ski, Zipline, Speed Boat, Donut ride, Banana ride, Dartboard, Sea Monster, Dolphin ride, Net cricket, Duck ride, Rocket ejector Rope courses, Horse ride, Camel Ride, and Zorb Soccer
Entry fee- Rs 50 per person
Arikamedu
Arikamedu is an archaeological site in Pondicherry that was a trading post for Romans. It is in Kakkayanthope, Ariyankuppam Commune, Puducherry. Ponniyin Selvan’s Movie shooting was done here. Stone beads, gems, and glassware are found in the excavation. In Will’s Boathouse trip and Pondy Marina Boathouse trip, this is covered.
Time – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location- 5 Km from Puducherry
Famous- Archaeological Place
Entry fee- Free
Sri Karneshwar Nataraja Temple
The temple is in a pyramid shape located on ECR, near Pudukuppam Beach is also called Pyramid Temple. The temple is dedicated to lord Nataraja. Visiting this place early in the morning is the most beautiful thing. It is very spiritual with the rise of the sun, the sounds of the sea, and surrounding nature.
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Time – 7:00 AM to 11:59 AM & 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location – 15 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Pyramid shape Nataraja temple
Entry fee – Free
Garuda Park
Garuda Park Pondicherry has varieties of Aquarium fishes, birds, and animals. You can even feed them. It is on vazhudhavur road, Next Ousteri Lake-Pathukkanu, Pondicherry.
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Time – 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location- 9.5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Ostrich, exotic birds, Butterfly park, Fish Aquarium, and varieties of birds and animals
Entry fee- Rs 300 for adults and Rs 200 for children
Ousteri lake
Do you love bird watching? Then this place is definitely for you. Ousteri Lake is not only a place for boating but also a bird sanctuary. It is an artificial lake. This place is also called ossudu lake. Best place to relax with nature, water, and birds with less crowd.
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Time – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location – 10 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Boating in the lake and Bird watching
Entry fee – No entry fee. But there is a fee for boating
Pondy Marina Boathouse
Pondy Marina Boathouse is next to the No 5 entrance gate of Pondy Marina Beach. You can take sunrise or sunset rides that take you to the River mouth, Arikemedu, Harbour, and the Mangrove forest.
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Time – 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location – 7 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Mangrove boating and a visit to Arikamedu
Entry fee – Rs 500 per person
Pogoland
The Pogoland is a water theme-based amusement park with a variety of water rides. Some land games are also available. Garuda Park and Ousteri Lake are nearby this pogoland.
Time – 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location – 9.5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Wave pool, Dashing car, and waterfalls
Entry fee – Rs 500 for adults and Rs 400 for children
Bharathi Park
Bharathi Park is near the Rock Beach. This is the place for nature lovers, the Green Park has a lot of history to say. The Aayi mandapam in Bharathi Park is the official emblem of Pondicherry. Many schools have this place on their school trip.
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Time – 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Location – 5.5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Aayi Mandapam, Kids’ Play area, Gym, and Sculptures
Entry fee – Free
Pondicherry Lighthouse
The Pondicherry New Lighthouse is located near Pondy Marina Beach. From this lighthouse, you can watch the beauty of the beach and Puducherry town. You have to 200 plus steps to reach the top, so have a water bottle with you
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Time – 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Location – 5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Lighthouse
Entry fee – Rs 5/- for Children, Rs 10/- for Adults, Rs 25/- for Cameras, and Rs 25/- for foreigners.
Botanical Garden
French Garden found in 1826 has all the endangered and rare plants and trees. It also has a Toy train, Musical fountain, and Aquarium. It spreads over 22 acres in the city. Once a year, a flower show happens in this Garden. You will feel relaxed and stress-free here.
Time – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location – 1.5 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Toy train, Aquarium, Musical fountain, Endangered and rare plants
Entry fee – Rs 10 for Adults and Rs 5 for Kids
Providence Mall
Providence Mall is the first shopping mall and Multiplex theatre in Pondicherry. There are five movie screens in Providence Mall. The place where you can find all great brands, food courts, Game Zone, and theatre.
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Time – 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Location – 2.0 Km from Puducherry
Famous -Food Court, Movies, shopping, and Games
Entry fee – Free
Auroville, the City of Dawn.
Auroville is an experimental township where people from across the world live together. No racism, religion, and everybody are treated equally here. And everybody gets an equal salary and a cashless society. They have their own method of Payment. Currently, nearly 2800 people from 195 countries are residents of this Auroville.
Matrimandir is known as the soul of the city. Mantrimandir is not a tourist place but the globe surrounded by lush green gardens attracts tourists. From the visitors center, you can view Mantrimandir and take photographs. To visit the Matrimandir you have to book in the visitor’s center.
Time – 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location – 11 Km from Puducherry
Famous -View of Matrimandir
Entry fee – Free
SVARAM, a sound garden
SVARAM is a sound garden in Auroviile. This is an unexplored place and you can reach here only through bikes. The Sound garden has devices that produce different sounds. Sound Balance is an instrument here that is a blend of game and music. There is a showroom opposite SVARAM, you can buy the instruments there. It is an interesting and unique place in Auroville.
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Time – 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM & 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. ( Sunday Holiday)
Location – 12 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Sound balance, bamboo grove, PVC Pipe sounds, and Xylophones
Entry fee – Rs 120 per person
Manakula Vinayagar Temple
The Temple is considered one of the oldest temples in the town dedicated to lord Ganesha and is more than 500 years old. The highlight is gold laminated Kodi Kambam. This is a place of worship and is also visited by tourists for its history. The temple elephant Lakshmi was loved by everyone which is no more.
Time – 5:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Location – 2.6 Km from Puducherry
Famous – Ancient Ganesh Temple
Entry fee – Free
Aurobindo Ashram
Aurobindo Ashram needs no introduction in Pondicherry. This ashram is located in a white town. This ashram was founded by Sri Aurobindo. This place is a spiritual place visited by followers of Aurobindo and tourists. You can attain inner peace by meditating here. No Photography is allowed. You have to switch off your mobile and keep silent inside the premises.
Time – 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location – 3 Km
Famous – Ashram
Entry Fee – Free
Sacred Heart Basilica
Located opposite the Pondicherry Railway Station. The Gothic architecture of the church stands majestic. This is a famous pilgrim and tourist spot. Parish priest Thomas renovated this church in 2005. One of the 21 Basilicas in India and the only one in Pondicherry
Time – 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location – Opposite to Puducherry Railway station
Famous- Basilica
Entry Fee- Free
PC : Pondicherry Arun
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what are the best tourist places in Pondicherry?
Rock Beach, Paradise Beach, Eden Beach, Seagull Cruise, SVARAM, Pondy Marina Beach, Ousteri Lake, Art and Craft Village, Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville and many more
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Which is the best season to visit Pondicherry?
October to March is the best seaon to visit Pondicherry
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What are unexplored tourist places in Pondicherry?
Seagull Cruise, SVARAM, Art and Craft Village, Eden Beach, Sandunes Paradise Beach, Pondy Ocean park, Arikamedu and Pyramid Temple.
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What are the adventure activities to do in Pondicherry ?
Parasailing, Paramotoring, Kayaking, Jet Ski, Zipline, ATV ride, and Banana ride are the adventure activities to do in Pondicherry.
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What are unique tourist Places in Pondicherry?
SVARAM, Sri Karneshwar Nataraja Temple, Auroville, and Seagull Cruise are some unique tourist places in Pondicherry
