Places to explore in Chennai - early morning and late evening

You're in Chennai for the first time on work and you're eager to explore places. However you've to catch a flight back on Friday night and weekdays is all you've got. That too early mornings and late evenings.

You want to make the most of your Chennai visit by exploring as many places you can, in limited time you've got.

Below is a list of places in Chennai, which you can explore early morning (like start from your hotel at 5 AM, explore the place and come back by 9AM or reach office directly), or late evening (go there after office hours and reach hotel by late night.

Exact timings to reach the destination may vary based on where your hotel is located.

Places you can explore early morning in Chennai, before office hours

1. Anna Memorial, Marina Beach & Besent Nagar beach
Chennai's most famous beaches, longest in the region-best visited early morning. Explore the Anna Monument, take a walk along the beach, view sunrise, explore Besant Nagar beach as well if time permits and back to hotel/office.

2. Mylapore Kapaleeshwara temple
Chennai's most popular temple will be less crowded in the morning. You can add Santhome Church or Marina if you have time

3. Mahabs
If you stay on OMR, it is possible to visit Mahabs in a few hours. Start at 5AM, explore cave temple on the way, reach Shore temple by 6 AM (Gates open at 6AM), Spend 1 or 1.5 hours exploring Mahabs and head back. You'll be able to reach your hotel or Sholinganallur by about 9AM.

It is not viable if you stay in northern Chennai

4. Gandhi Mantapam
Nice little place to walk around, located in the heart of the city, near IIT Madras

5. ISKCON temple near Sholinganallur
Opens early in the morning, as early as 4.30AM and can be visited for its structural beauty & devotional value. Sea is very close and you may also go to small beaches on the other side of ECR. [More details on ISKCON Chennai]


6. Take a ride in MMTS local train between Velachery and Beach
The train ride gives nice view of the city as it passes through an elevated track for most of the time. You can see Chepauk stadium, beach among other things. View some pics here

7. Bird Watching in Pallikaranai
There're a few marsh lands off OMR where you might find lots of birds. The road between Jain College and Kamakshi hospital is best for this. [More details here]

8. Experience local market
Go to nearby vegetable market- like the ones in Tiruvanmiyur to experience early morning scenes of vegetable unloading and shopping. If time permits or if you're close, you can try visiting Koyambedu wholesale market.

9 Go for a walk in Adyar Theosophical society or in IIT Madras campus, if you can.

10. Jagannath temple off ECR near Mayajal
Replica of Puri Jagannath temple, located near ECR, few kms after toll gate and before Mayajaal. Opens at about 6.30 AM and is worth spending some time around. Sea is also nearby.

View Details

11. Valluvar Kottam, located between T Nagar and Nungambakkam, worth a quick visit if you're staying nearby

12. Broken Bridge
Deemed not safe to go alone. Proceed with caution. It is an isolated area off Besent Nagar beach where Adyar river meets the sea and an abandoned bridge overlooks it. [Broken Bridge Chennai-More details]


Places in Chennai that you can explore in the evening, after office hours
1. T Nagar- just go to T Nagar on the evening to experience the sheer crowd that gathers. Avoid taking valuables. Shop if you feel like. Almost all parts of Chennai connect to T Nagar via public transport. Avoid bringing your vehicle, just take a bus.

2. Chennai ISKCON temple near Sholinganallur
Can be visited in the evening as well. There is another nice time just before the toll gate, which is also worth a quick visit.

3. Ashta mahalakshmi temple, off Besant Nagar
Another popular temple, located a little inside main road

4. Watch a play or concert-
Check out schedule for Music Academy, Egmore Theatre, Alliance Francaise [link] for any events/concerts. Refer websites like Indianstage.in, Burp & Bookmyshow for events.

5. Marina & Besent Nagar beach
For a different perspective compared to the morning time. Evening at the beach is usually crowded and colourful with lots of vendors selling their wares and people accumulated in huge number

Do you have more recommendations? Do share here.

Coming soon- weekend destinations from Chennai