How To Reach Kanchipuram

The district of Kanchipuram in located on the north eastern side of Tamil Nadu. It is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, Tiruvallur and Chennai in the north, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai in the west and Villipuram in the south. Comprising the taluks of Kanchipuram, Tambaram, Madurantakam and Chengalpattu, all regions of this district have well developed access by road through State Highways, suburban and local railway network.

Kanchipuram is a prominent tourist town and has a direct access by road and rail. The easiest way to reach Kanchipuram would be by taking a flight to Chennai and travelling by road to Kanchipuram.

The nearest airport is the Chennai International Airport. Chennai has flights to most major Indian cities and international flights to Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Frankfurt, London and Kuala Lampur. From the Chennai airport you could cross over to the Tirusoolam railway station and board an EMU or Fast Passenger from Beach Junction to Kanchipuram that goes via Tirusoolam. The other option would be to take the metro or a taxi from the airport to the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu and board a bus to Kanchipuram.

EMU Locals and fast passengers trains from Chennai, Pondicherry and Hyderabad serve Kanchipuram on the Arakkonam-Chengalpattu branch line. Otherwise you could also opt for Express trains like the Mumbai LTT – Madurai Kurla Weekly Express and Nagarkoil –Mumbai CSMT Balaji Express that halt at Kanchipuram as also the Puducherry to Tirupathi Passenger. There is a stand for auto rickshaws near the rail station and you can hire one to reach your destination.

There are government operated buses to Kanchipuram from cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Tiruchirapalli, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry etc. Well maintained, National and State Highways make driving to Kanchipuram a hassle free one. As Kanchipuram lies on the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway, buses from Chennai to places like Vellore, Bengaluru, Krishnagiri, and Salem might stop on request at the Kanchipuram By-Pass from where you could hire a share auto to reach your destination. Driving or solo bike rides to Kanchipuram from cities like Chennai (75 km) or Bengaluru (264 km) are also good options.

As Kanchipuram is a busy tourist centre, there is no dearth of options for public transport. There are private and public buses running within the town as well as auto rickshaws and cabs. If you are visiting Kanchipuram for the day, you could also hire a cab from Chennai or Mahabalipuram for a day’s sightseeing trip. You can fix up an auto rickshaw for a day's package trip to visit all the tourist places in town.