Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India.
It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. As per the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most-populous city in India and forms the fourth-most-populous urban agglomeration. The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India. It is administered by the Greater Chennai Corporation, which was incorporated in 1688, and is the second oldest municipal corporation in the world after the City of London Corporation. Being the capital of the state, it houses major government institutions including the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, and the Madras High Court.
Getting to Chennai
- 01Chennai International Airport
- 02Tirusulam S SW
- 03MGR Chennai Central SR
- 04Chennai Egmore SR
Things to do
Chennai has several well-known beaches. The Marina Beach in Central Chennai is the second-longest beach in the world after Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Chennai is home to Guindy National Park, the smallest national park in India. During summers it becomes too hot and humid to venture out during the day. So go out for a stroll during the night (7-9PM) on the Marina beach and Elliots Beach (Besant Nagar).
Where to eat
Chennai has numerous restaurants, offering an assortment of cuisine. The beach restaurants are well-maintained and serve great food during the evenings. The eat-outs in Chennai range from budget, midrange and to up-market.
Getting around Chennai the local way
- Get inThe two terminals are near each other, and it is better to tell your exact destination to the taxi/auto-rickshaw driver.
- Get inThe two terminals are near each other, and it is better to tell your exact destination to the taxi/auto-rickshaw driver.
- Get aroundThe fares of Chennai auto-rickshaws have been an enormous political topic for many years and have contributed to the perception that the city's auto-rickshaw drivers never use meters and continually fleece passengers.
- Get aroundHowever, despite the reputation, trips by auto rickshaw actually are quick, but rarely based on the metered price.
- Get aroundAuto rickshaw meters are being outfitted with GPS and electronic digital receipt printers.
- Get aroundShare autos have emerged as an alternative mode of transport in Chennai.
- Get aroundAnother four-wheeler, Magic (manufactured by Tata), has started running in and around the city, which operates similarly to share autos and meter taxis.
- Get aroundA Chennai-based event management company, Chennai Event Management Services, has been having auto-rickshaw rallies from Chennai to Mumbai, or Kanyakumari, etc., and has developed a great fan following for them.
From Wikivoyage: Chennai, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Eashchand (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.
