Day 1:

Indigenous & Local Outing

10:00 AM – 02:00 PM

Begin your vacation in Pondicherry at the unique Rock Beach aka Puducherry Beach.

The beach is the starting point of the 1.2 km popular beachfront in Pondicherry and is at a walkable distance from White Town or Heritage Town.

Time duration: 45 – 60 mins

Mode of Transport: 10-min walk to cover a distance of 800 meters. Autos will be plying on the roads if not in a mood to walk.

After the clutter of the beach next tourist spot offers a peaceful and quiet experience and is 300 meters west of Rock Beach, Shri Aurobindo Ashram.

Shri Aurobindo Ashram is named after the revolutionary-turned-spiritual yogi, Aurobindo Ghose. It now forms a large community of disciples who work to carry the legacy and teachings of their master. The Ashram is place for meditation. The environment is such that interaction among the visitors is discouraged to maintain the custom.

Time duration: 45 – 60 mins

Mode of Transport: 5-min walk from Puducherry Beach.

Next attraction is the administrative centre of Pondicherry, Raj Nivas.

The heritage building and a prominent landmark, Raj Nivas was opened to public on May, 2017. To visit one needs to make prior appointment at rajnivas.py.gov.in and need to comply with the requirements. The timings are from 12:00 PM to 01:30 PM.

Time duration: 60 – 90 mins

Mode of Transport: 5-min walk from the Ashram.

At next spot you get some knowledge about history and tradition at Puducherry Museum.

The museum showcases the collection of artefacts and statues which belong to the Chollas and Pallava eras. A tour of the museum gives a deep understanding of the tradition and culture of Puducherry before and during the Colonial period.

Time duration: 45 – 60 mins

Mode of Transport: (Adjacent to Raj Nivas.)

For lunch, we recommend to try some authentic local vegetarian cuisines at Surguru Restaurant, 450 meters from museum. Surguru have multiple outlets across Pondicherry.

Price range: Rs. 400 – 500 for two.

Alternate option for some Indian vegetarian delicacies, try Dilliwaala6, 300 meters from museum.

They have a scintillating and decorative arrangement for dining. Very popular in Heritage Town.

Price range: Rs. 800 -1000 for two.

Post lunch, head back to hotel for some rest and afternoon nap and recharge yourself for colonial excursion.

French Colony Sightseeing

05:00 PM – 09:00 PM

Start your evening with the Sacred Heart Basilica, situated 2 km from Heritage Town.

The church has a unique architecture which is known as the Gothic Architecture and has been here for more than 100 years. Visitors come in large number.

Time duration: 30 – 45 mins

Mode of Transport: Auto ride or OLA/Uber Cab.

After this, take a stroll along the Bussy Street which has a massive assortment of Café’s, Bakeries and multicultural restaurants. Baker’s Street outlet offers some insanely delicious French delicacies which should not be missed. There are plenty of options to choose from to have your evening snack.

At the end of the Bussy Street, you will reach Promenade Beach, the southern end of 1.2 km beachfront.

With a walk along the beach road you get to see the vibrant and colourful residences some of which are converted into heritage homes to accommodate tourists. The lane also offers a good exhibition of graffiti which is intrinsic to French culture.

Post sunset, the Mahatma Gandhi statue is illuminated with vibrant colours.  

Time duration: 2 – 3 hours

Mode of Transport: Walking through the French Colony.

For dinner, it is apparent to try some French Café and we recommend the popular, Café des Arts. The yellow coloured café is not only known for its food but also for its collection of clothes, souvenirs and photographs. It closes by 07:00 PM.

Price range: Rs. 800 – 1000 for two.

Madame Shante’s Café is a good alternate option to try and it remains open till 11:00 PM.

Price range: Rs. 600 – 800 for two.

After this head towards the hotel and call it a day!

Also read: Best area to book your hotel in Pondicherry

Day 2:

Today’s itinerary includes attractions that are out of city centre and local transport are reluctant to travel to these places. It will be ideal to book a cab for the entire day’s sightseeing to put all the worries about transportation to rest.

Sunrise, Utopian Society and Boating

06:00 AM – 06:00 PM

Today, aim for sunrise view at Serenity Beach, 5 km from Heritage Town or White Town.

You get the best of the beach early in morning after which crowd start to gather around. The beach is popularly known for Surfing. Interested parties can plan their visit accordingly to venture into the sea.

Time duration: 60 – 90 mins

After the enjoying the Sunrise and time in the beach, head towards a utopian society in Auroville. Almost 10 km from Serenity Beach, it takes 20 minutes to reach here.

Auroville is a township which harness harmony among humankind. It is developed with a motive to create a unique world of its own with unity and peace being its ultimate goal. People around the world not only pay a visit but plan to stay here for days to understand its significance. Its popularity has been growing ever since it came into existence. One can find lot of activities to do here.

Longer the time you send here, more enthralling will be your experience.

For more details, visit https://www.auroville.org/contents/409

There are plethora of eateries to choose from for your meals. Tanto Pizzeria is one of the favourites among the tourists.

Price range: Rs. 1400 – 1500 for two.

Time duration: 4 – 5 hours

After this, head towards south and at a distance of 11 km from Auroville, you will reach Osudu Lake or Ousteri Lake.

The unique feature of this lake is that half of it belongs to Pondicherry and other half belongs to Tamil Nadu. It is a paradise for wide species of birds. Boat services are available and chargeable based on number of person and duration.

Sunset at this place is quite mesmerizing.

Time duration: 60 – 90 mins.

That will be it for today’s sightseeing. Head towards and spend rest of the day indoors to give your body much needed rest.

Also read: Pondicherry White Town Itinerary

Day 3:

Bathing at Beach

10:00 AM – 02:00 PM

Have your breakfast in your hotel and head towards one of the cleanest and well maintained beaches on eastern coast of India, Paradise Beach.

Paradise beach is on the outskirts of Pondicherry. It takes almost 20 mins ride from White Town. The entry to the beach begins at 09:00 AM and closes at 04:00 PM and one has to take a boat ride through Chunnamber River to get there. Ticket prices depend on the type of boat you choose.

Proper arrangements have been made for tourists to take a dip in the sea and later taking shower. Lifeguards are present at multiple points to ensure safety for visitors.

The beach also has a restaurant that serves sea food.  

This is undoubtedly the most loved beach in Pondicherry.

Time duration: 3 – 4 hours

Mode of transport: If possible hire a cab for a round trip. Autos are available during daytime. In the evening public transport can be a problem.

Evening Excursion

03:00 PM – 07:00 PM

People interested in botany, can head towards Botanical Garden, 2 km from Heritage town.

Botanical Garden have been around since the French Colonization. The garden has toy train rides and dancing fountains. It remains open till 05:00 PM.

Time duration: 30 – 45 mins

Mode of transport: Auto ride or OLA/Uber ride.

After this, head towards the New Light House, 3 km from Botanical garden.

The Light House remains open till 05:00 PM. The views from here are breath-taking as one can view whole of Pondicherry.

Time duration: 20 – 30 mins

Mode of transport: Auto ride or OLA/Uber ride from Botanical Garden.

The last spot to visit would be Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple, an ancient temple dedicated to God Ganesha located at White Town at a distance of 3 km from the Light House.

The speciality of this temple is that your blessings are bestowed upon by a real elephant. The sight is magical and draws a lot of crowds to the temple.

Time duration: 20 – 30 mins

Mode of transport: OLA/Uber ride from Light House.

After this, you have a choice to explore White Town on foot to get some souvenirs for your loved ones, some more cafés and then heading to your hotel and bring this memorable vacation to an end.