One Day Self Drive Trip in Chennai for Couples

If you have a day in Chennai, we suggest you rent a car, as it is convenient to move around the city and explore its lovely sights. Chennai has a lot to offer, and it is impossible to see everything in a day. Nonetheless, we will help you plan an itinerary for one day self drive trip in Chennai for couples.  

Marina Beach

The Marina beach is among the longest beaches in the world. Catch the sunrise, here, for a beautiful start of the day. Once the sun is up, it begins to warm up pretty quickly, so it is best to head to the next destination and return to the beach in the evening. The sea-breeze sets in, and it becomes wonderfully pleasant, and the place bears an almost fair-like ambience.

There are lots of kiosks and food stalls on the beach. The former selling handicraft items made from sea-shells, and the latter fried fish etc. A tall lighthouse stands on one end of the beach, also known as the Gandhi statue end. Visitors can climb it, during working hours.

Theosophical Society

Your next stop can be the Theosophical Society, a verdant piece of property spreading across 260 acres, right in the heart of the city. You are free to explore the place. Among the many things that it is famous for, is the banyan tree, said to be over 450 years old. Part of it fell during a cyclone, but what remains of the tree, is still impressive. Its canopy and roots provide an excellent backdrop for photographs. There are other trees too, like the surreal baobab tree – it looks almost alien. The girth of the baobab tree will surprise you.

Walk around and explore the place, you’ll find migratory birds, jackals, mongoose, hares and spiders, the type you’d never have seen before. 

Fort St. George

Fort St. George now houses the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly buildings and defence establishments. It also has a museum, which is open to all. A lot of historical artefacts are stored in here, including the first National Flag, to be flown after India’s Independence. St. Mary’s Church inside the fort is the oldest Anglican Church in India. It is where Robert Clive, the C-in-C of British India, was married.  

Also Read: Places to visit outside Chennai with a rental car  

Broadway or George Town

The area around Broadway is where the old city of Chennai used to be. It is a bustling place, quite like Old Delhi, with narrow lanes and old buildings. Your one day self drive trip in Chennai covering the Broadway and George Town area will introduce you to Chennai’s history. 

Right on Broadway is the High Court building, a stunning piece of Indo-Saracenic architecture, built-in 1892. On 22 September 1914, during the First World War, the Germans shelled and damaged the building. A plaque marks the exact place of the bombing. Also, on the premises is the old lighthouse of Madras. 

On Armenian Street, in George Town, stands the Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary. The present building was constructed in 1772 and is one of the oldest churches in the entire subcontinent. The church is famous for its belfry, and the six bells that toll. The bells weigh roughly 150 kgs each, and the extraordinary bit about them is that they bear different dates. One has 1754 inscribed on it, another 1778, two others in 1837, and the remaining two in memory of the son of a wealthy Armenian merchant, who owned the property.

Down the road, is a Catholic Church, dating back to 1775, dedicated to St. Anthony. It is a pilgrimage site, and nearly 10,000 people from all religions visit the Church on Tuesday, for prayers and devotion. It is known to be miraculous and many prayers are answered here.

Visit the Temples

Chennai is home to many ancient Hindu temples, and a one day trip with family would be incomplete without a visit to at least one if not all of them. Here is a little guide to a few of Chennai’s famous temples. All of them are also of great historical value.

• Kapaleeshwarar Temple: The famous 7th-century Kapaleeshwarar Temple is in Mylapore, a predominantly Brahmin locality. The temple is dedicated to Shiv. The lovely Dravidian style architecture, with an impressive gopuram, ornately embellished with colourful wooden and stone statues, is striking. A huge pond completes the picture

• Madhya Kailash Temple: Located at a crossroad, in Adyar, the temple is also known as Nadukkayilai, and is famous for the rare statute called the Adhyantha Prabhu. The unique statue represents two Hindu deities. The left side of the statute shows Anjaneya (Hanuman) while the right side shows Vinayaka (Ganesh)

• Anjaneyaswami Temple: Dedicated to Hanuman or Anjaneya, the temple, in Nanganallur, is famous for a huge 32 Feet tall statue of the deity. The statue is carved out of a single piece of granite rock

• Adeeswar Temple: The locals call it the Kesarwadi Jain Temple, it is one of the oldest Jain temples in the region. It is said that the temple dedicated to the first Tirthankara was built in the 4th century, though there are contradictory versions of the exact date

Museums

The Government Museum in Egmore displays treasures from the past. It has various sections, dedicated to different areas, and the exhibits are placed accordingly. The museum boasts of being one of the oldest in the country and spreads over 16 acres, housing six buildings, each of which is devoted to a particular group of exhibits, namely anthropology, archaeology, botany, geology, numismatics and zoology. 

Guindy National Park

The National Park is one of the few protected areas, inside a thriving city. It is among the smallest national parks in the country but is home to diverse flora and fauna. You will spot herds of free-range chital (spotted deer) and the endangered blackbucks, sambhar, tortoises, crocodiles and monkeys, jackals, bonnet macaque, hedgehogs, pangolin, mongoose, hares, civet cats and monitor lizards etc. 

There are more than 150 species of birds in the national park, some common, and some rare, like the tailorbirds, lapwings, flycatchers and shrikes etc. The winters bring migratory birds to the park.

A children’s park and the Guindy snake park are the other attractions here. The latter has enclosures with some deadly snakes on display. Book a rental car from IndusGo and make one day self drive trip in Chennai with your loved ones.