{"id":2730,"date":"2020-01-03T22:27:01","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T22:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expedia.blog.au.local\/weekend-in-chennai\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:30:57","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:30:57","slug":"weekend-in-chennai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/weekend-in-chennai\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekend in Chennai"},"content":{"rendered":"

Located on the Bay of Bengal in India, Chennai<\/a> is a vibrant city that\u2019s home to an array of unique attractions. Even if you only have a weekend in Chennai, take a look at this itinerary and ideas for spending 2 or 3 days in Chennai to see how you can enjoy all the city has to offer.<\/p>\n

\"Women
Mamallapuram Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Friday Evening<\/h2>\n

Friday evening starts your 72 hours in Chennai. Start with dinner at Pan Asian, a delicious Asian fusion restaurant with fine decor and rich, spicy dishes. You\u2019ll also like Southern Spice at the Taj Coromandel Hotel, a classic Indian restaurant with traditional meals in a lavish setting with temple influences.<\/p>\n

After dinner, start your weekend off right with a night out at Vivekananda House, an iconic building that\u2019s illuminated by lights in the evening. It\u2019s a great place to take photos of your trip and see some of India\u2019s famed architecture. You could also cool down with a walk along the beach at Marina Beach<\/a> to enjoy the breeze and snack on local street food.<\/p>\n

If you prefer a livelier evening, visit Gatsby 2000 for DJ tunes and disco lights. The energetic club is known for its exciting music and dancing that goes until the early hours of the night, as well as its wide selection of specialty brews and cocktails.<\/p>\n

\"People
Marina Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Saturday Morning<\/h2>\n

On Saturday morning, you\u2019ll have 48 hours to explore Chennai. Start with breakfast at Hotel Saravana Bhavan, a traditional restaurant with excellent coffee and healthy morning staples. You\u2019ll also like Madras Pavilion at ITC Grand Chola, which boasts upscale international breakfast options like muesli and berry br\u00fbl\u00e9e with amaranth and brittle.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to see and do in Chennai. Stop at Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar, a temple to Shiva built in a Dravidian style, or explore the Government Museum, a fascinating museum with bronze artwork, Indian masterpieces and a children\u2019s area with games and activities. You could also see Fort St George, a historic fort with a museum and a church on-site.<\/p>\n

For lunch, enjoy some kebabs at Barbeque Nation<\/a>, a unique restaurant with vegetarian and non-vegetarian grill options in a communal setting. You could also try Murugan Idli Shop, an idli restaurant that serves the popular savoury cake of lentils and rice with rich spices.<\/p>\n

Saturday Afternoon and Evening<\/h2>\n

After lunch, take some time to relax on Edward Elliot\u2019s Beach and enjoy the scenery before you continue sightseeing. One of Chennai\u2019s must-see landmarks is the Santhome Cathedral Basilica<\/a>, a basilica and shrine of St Thomas the Apostle. If you have time, be sure to see Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathyswam, a gorgeous Hindu temple that was constructed in the eighth century.<\/p>\n

Saturday night in Chennai is when things really heat up. Have dinner at Dakshin, a spectacular restaurant that fuses the culinary traditions of southern India with Chettinad cuisine and its fiery flavours. The immersive experience includes dishes like chutneys, rasam, dosai and Andhra-style chicken.<\/p>\n

After dinner, work off your meal with a stroll along Besant Beach, a popular beach with food carts and stalls by the water and crowds of people. The Open Air Theatre often hosts theatrical movie screenings and musical or theatrical performances, so it\u2019s a great place to unwind under the stars and enjoy some entertainment.<\/p>\n

\"The
San Thome Cathedral<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunday Morning<\/h2>\n

On Sunday morning in Chennai, you\u2019ll have 24 hours left to explore the city. If you want to sleep in a little, you can get a late breakfast at Chamiers Caf\u00e9<\/a>, a fine English tea room in colonial Madras with full English breakfasts. If you prefer South Indian food, you can visit ID for traditional cuisine like vadai, vada curry and sweet Pongal.<\/p>\n

You can work off your meal and see local wildlife at Guindy National Park<\/a>, a vast green space with a children\u2019s playground. You can find plenty of other things to do with the kids, such as VGP Universal Kingdom, a lively amusement park with rides and shows.<\/p>\n

For lunch, stop in Annalakshmi for Tamil Nadu vegetarian food topped off with payasam and ice cream. The restaurant also has a varied a la carte menu in addition to its regular menu items, so you can experience something different each time.<\/p>\n

Sunday Afternoon and Evening<\/h2>\n

After lunch, take some time to see the exotic Asian animals in the Arignar Anna Zoological Park<\/a>, or stop by DakshinaChitra to see artefacts and exhibits of the local culture. If you want to bring back a traditional memento, you can visit Nalli, a shop that\u2019s famed for its wide selection of high-quality sarees.<\/p>\n

On Sunday night in Chennai, begin with dinner at Italia at the Park Pod for a different mix of flavours. The fantastic Italian-inspired restaurant features an outdoor courtyard lounge with a glass patio for a romantic evening.<\/p>\n

Before you go, be sure to stop at the Phoenix Market City<\/a> to pick up some unique gifts and souvenirs to bring home. The mall has pubs and a cinema inside for some additional fun. You could also visit the Prarthana Beach Drive-In Theatre to see the latest movies, and if you\u2019re bringing the kids, it\u2019s a great place to let them play at the nearby park while you enjoy some relaxation time.<\/p>\n

\"Intricate
Kapalishvara Temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ready for the perfect weekend getaway?<\/h2>\n

Chennai is a vibrant city with a lot of attractions and activities, but there\u2019s still plenty you can experience with just a few days. If you\u2019re planning a break for a long weekend, visit Expedia to check out Chennai holiday rentals<\/a> and prepare for your fun-filled trip to India!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Find out how to spend a weekend in Chennai to make the most of your vacation with friends or family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2,332,499],"tags":[],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-2730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destination","category-experiences","category-india","category-weekend","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWeekend in Chennai - Expedia AU Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find out how to spend a weekend in Chennai to make the most of your vacation with friends or family.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/weekend-in-chennai\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Weekend in Chennai - 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