4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary

Pondicherry, renamed Puducherry and fondly called as “Pondy” by its residents – has always been the laid back contrasting beach destination to the great party scenes of Goa in India. When in the search of solitude and a relaxing vacation, heading to either Pondicherry or the beaches of Goa, particularly South Goa , is our all time favourite choice. Although recently we made several trips to Goa. Including a 2 weeks workcation from Benaulim beach at Biera Mar Beach Resort , to our stays in Palolem Beach Hut at Palolem beach and then at Agonda Beach in Goa. But, it’s over a decade since we visited Pondicherry. So, come long weekend in August, we decided to head to Pondy once again. This time on a 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary to explore this wonderful destination better. So, here’s a four days Pondicherry trip itinerary for you that we followed this time.

Day 1 of 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary : Arrival, Promenade and Rock Beach

Post arrival in Pondicherry, check in into your accommodation. Afterwards, in the evening, visit the Promenade & Rock Beach.

White there is a sandy part of the beach where you can actually go in the water. There is also a rocky part where you can sit on the rocks and see the waves crash against the beach. Either ways, it’s a great relaxing place.

Promenade is the area around the above beaches. Which is developed like a park with a cool pathway. With the beach on one side and the French style buildings of white town on the other, this area becomes abuzz with activities as evening arrives. Add to that the cute cafes and it gets a vibe of a European city that you will love to explore on foot. In fact, it reminded me of strolling on the streets of Rome on our trip to Italy.

Vehicles are not allowed on this road after 4:00pm in evening till 8:00pm. So, pedestrians can enjoy the evening strolls on the road all the more.

With hawkers selling street food, balloons and toys, cafes serving mouth watering Indo-French cuisines and many a times even cultural activities happening right here, the Promenade is definitely the heart of Pondy I would say. Have a fabulous evening here. And have your dinner in one of the restaurants nearby before heading back to your accommodation.

Where to have dinner near the Promenade

Some beautiful cafes and restaurants in White Town can be your perfect dinner spot after spending the evening at the Promenade, Pondicherry. Head to Dilliwala6 for an Indian cuisine experience. Or, Coromandel Cafe for a French twist. Or, Rendezvous Cafe for a mixed experience. Villa Shanti is another food lover’s Paradise to try. Or, simply head to Le Cafe right on the Promenade, a cafe which is open 24/7!!

Day 2 of 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary : Auro Beach, Auroville & Serenity Beach

Post breakfast, head to Auro Beach or Auroville beach. It is very near to the township of Auroville. Spend the morning watching the waves. You can even swim in the ocean if the tides are supportive. Carry a change of cloths with you if you intend to do so. But do note that there are no changing rooms here.

Next, head to Auroville. A beautiful township like none other in the world. It requires around 3-4 hours to finish a complete tour of Auroville. Check out this post for a detailed virtual walk through of Auroville. In a nutshell, your trip to Auroville should include :

• A walk to Matrimandir viewing point. You need to take a prior appointment if you intend to visit Matrimandir from inside.
• Refreshment or food at one of the many outlets at Auroville campus. Try their recipes made from in house organic produces.
• A visit to the shops, boutiques and artist gallery at the shopping complex of Auroville.
• Visit the pottery studios inside Auroville. If you have time, some of these even offer a hands-on pottery experience.
• Spend time in the information center of Auroville, understanding the whole concept of this township.

Post visiting Auroville, you can head to Serenity beach – another beautiful beach that lies on the way from Auroville to the main town.

Where to have lunch near Auroville

You can have lunch either at Auroville or at one of the several cafes that dot the way to Auroville. We had our lunch at Bread & Chocolate cafe after visiting Auroville, while on our way back to the town. They have several unique delicacies like sweet sandwiches, mouth watering croissants, and many varieties of bread and bread compliments.

Day 3 of 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary : White Town, Eden Beach & Paradise Beach

Today, skip the breakfast at your accommodation. And head for this walking tour of white town in Pondicherry. Have your breakfast in one of the many cute cafes that this place has to offer. But beware if you are doing this trip on a weekend. Chances are, you will find huge crowd and waiting queues in front of most of the famous cafes. Like we did, when we tried visiting The Indian Kaffee Express and Cafe Des Arts. Finally we had our breakfast at Cafe Zuka on the Promenade.

Nevertheless, apart from breakfast, your morning will comprise of a beautiful self paced, free walking tour of white town, Pondicherry. As a part of which, you will discover several beautiful landmarks of White Town in Pondicherry. Including the Aurobindo Aashram, Pondicherry Museum, Chamber of Commerce, Le Cafe, Bharti Park, B R Ambedkar Statue, Mahatma Gandhi Statue, French War Memorial, Schools, Colleges, Notre Dame Church and several other landmarks. Do visit the artist village as well. Apart from these, you will encounter random french style houses, beautiful parks and circles, temples and other unexpected beauties while roaming through the streets of White Town in Pondicherry.

Most likely, the walking tour will take 3-4 hours. Post which head for lunch.

Post lunch, head for Eden beach, the first blue flag beach of Pondicherry. The beach is scenic. And also has changing room facilities and toilet facilities. If it is not a high tide day, you will be able to swim in the waters here. From Eden beach, you can also take a walk along the coast and reach Paradise beach – another most famous of the beaches of Pondicherry. Spend the evening on either or both of the beaches as per your liking. These are the most beautiful beaches of Pondicherry. And then return to the town for dinner. As there are not many options near these beaches.

Alternatively, you can also checkin into one of the beach resorts near these beaches. After completing the walking tour and lunch, head to the beach resort and check-in there. Enjoy the beaches and the resort facilities for the rest of the day. It will be a nice pampering experience towards the end of your trip that will add a slice of luxury to your 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary.

Where to have breakfast in White Town Pondicherry

Cafe Zuka – really loved their paneer sandwich and iced tea

Cafe Des Arts – If you are lucky enough to get a seat on time!

The Indian Kaffee Express – once again – very famous and very crowded

Bread & Chocolate

And there are several other cafes , in every street and on every corner.

Where to have lunch in White Town Pondicherry

Dilliwala6, Villa Shanti, Coromandel Cafe, Rendezvous Cafe etc. are some of the famous lunch places in White Town Pondicherry.

Last day of 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary : back to home

Finally comes the last of the 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary. Today, depending on when you are supposed to travel back to home, pack your bags and check out from your accommodation. If you have enough time in the morning, you can visit Serenity beach to watch a beautiful sunrise. And later have breakfast once again at White Town, Pondicherry.

How to reach Pondicherry

Pondicherry is well connected with rest of the country through road as well as air transport. You can fly into the Pondicherry airport from most of the major cities of India. Or, you can also take a road trip to Pondicherry from neighbouring towns like Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Vellore or Bangalore.

Bangalore to Pondicherry driving duration : 7.5 hours

Chennai to Pondicherry driving duration : 3.5 hours

The Chennai – Pondicherry route is very scenic, via ECR (East Coast Road). We have not droven this stretch, but have been on ECR road twice while traveling to Mahabalipuram, and staying at Radisson Blu Temple Bay couple of months back.

While Bangalore to Pondicherry route follows one of these routes –

Route 1 from Bangalore to Pondicherry

Bangalore – Hoskote – Kolar – Chittoor – Vandavasi – Tindivanam – Pondicherry (Via NH75)

NH75 runs only till Kolar, post which most of the route is through state highways. Although, naturally scenic, this route might not give one so much pleasure of driving. However, people traveling from eastern side of Bangalore like Whitefield might find this route to be shortest for them.

Route 2 from Bangalore to Pondicherry

Bangalore – Krishnagiri – Ambur – Arani – Tindivanam – Pondicherry (Via NH 44, NH 48 and SH 4)

We took this route while on our way to Pondicherry. Both NH 44 & NH 48 are in excellent condition. And absolute pleasure to drive on. But once you hit state highway, you will be going at a speed of 40 km per hour. Also, you will need to cross through 2-3 different towns on this route. Where you might face traffic and congestion. However, road condition is not bad even on the state highway.

Route 3 from Bangalore to Pondicherry

Bangalore – Krishnagiri – Ambur – Vellore – Arcot – Vandavasi – Tindivanam – Pondicherry (Via NH 44, NH 48 and SH 5)

This route is little longer than the Route 2 above. But you will not need to cross as many towns on SH 5. And it is also wider on most parts, although still two lane. There is not too much time difference in covering the state highway as compared to Route 2. But, we felt it was little easier to navigate compared to route 2 because of less congestion. We took this route in the reverse direction on our way back from Pondicherry to Bangalore. And will recommend taking it for your trip to Pondicherry.

How to get around in Pondicherry

If you are driving down to the town of Pondicherry, I highly recommend park your vehicle once there. And use a local mode of transport while sightseeing. It can be a taxi or an autorickshaw. Because the traffic in the town of Pondicherry is one of the worst I have seen. When we visited Pondicherry for 2 days years back, we hired an autorickshaw to show us around. He charged INR 1000/- for the whole day back then. And showed us around all the important sights, being our guide as well. It was so hassle free.

This time around, we drove to Auroville and Eden beach in our own vehicle. And how we regretted it while coming back to our hotel! The traffic was simply insane. It took us 1 hour to navigate 5km. And it’s completely chaotic. With no traffic lights at most of the cross roads. And a tonn of two wheelers, none of who wear a helmet or drive in their lanes 😀 . Autorickshaws are readily available. And you can call a taxi also via your hotel. That will be much more convenient. Or, if you can navigate the traffic, hire a two wheeler for getting around in Pondicherry.

For exploring White Town and Promenade, better to stay in or near this area. So that you can explore them on foot. Like we did. Or, you can also hire a two wheeler or a bicycle when exploring the White Town.

Where to stay in Pondicherry

 

 

• If you want to experience life at Auroville, there are guest houses and homestay in Auroville that you can book.
• For exploring white town, Promenade and staying in the center of the town, you can book one of the many hotels available right near the White Town. These hotels are budget friendly, have good parking spaces and mostly in house restaurants also. Some of the highly rated hotels are Hotel Surguru Pondicherry, Hotel Atithi, Anandha Inn Hotel and Convention Center. We have ourselves stayed in the first and the third one. And both time had a pleasant stay. I will definitely vouch for the hospitality at Hotel Surguru.
• If you want to experience the French quarters of Pondicherry up close, staying in a boutique homestay, guesthouse or a heritage home turned hotel right inside White Town is something you should aim for. Some of the famous and beautiful hotels in White Town Pondicherry include Le Dupleix, Palais de Mahe – CGH Earth, La Villa, Grand Hotel D’ Europe. And there are many more.
• While visiting Pondy, if your main purpose is to relax by the beach then you should stay in a beachside resort. They provide easy access to the beach. And are also loaded with all kind of luxury to pamper you. Couple of the famous names include Le Pondy Beach Resort, and Radisson Resort Pondicherry Bay. 

Click this link to browse through the list of properties in Pondicherry and book a suitable accommodation from our travel partner booking.com.

On my idle vacation to Pondicherry, I will stay in a mix of the above. For example, for 3 nights, first night at Auroville, second night in White Town and third night in a luxury resort by the sea. Although it will require a little hopping between places, it will be a perfect way to experience all kind of accommodations that the town has got to offer. And also convenient to explore all the places that one wants to cover while on a trip to Pondicherry.

Where to eat in Pondicherry

Pondicherry or Puducherry has no shortage on the variety of eateries and type of cuisines that you can have. North Indian, South Indian, French, Continental, Indo- Chinese. All kind of food is ready available in the main town. However, I will strongly suggest, when in Pondicherry, do try some of the cafes of Pondy. Particularly the ones in and around the White Town Pondicherry. Cute, ambient cafes with mouth watering delicacies. Some of which remain open 24/7. Just keep in mind that some of the famous ones get really overcrowded on long weekends and weekends. Some of these are open early in the morning from 7:00am while some others remain open till late at night, like, 10:00pm. So, check the timing to see which meal you can have there.

We had breakfast at Cafe Zuka once, lunch at Bread & Chocolate once and dinner at Dilliwala6 once. The food was good at all the three places.

Some more cafes and restaurants to try in White Town will be Cafe Des Arts, Coromandel Cafe, Cafe Rendezvous, The Indian Kaffee Express, Villa Shanti and many more. As you walk around the area, you will get several other cafes – big and small and beautiful.

But if you do want to try south Indian meals in Pondicherry, hotel Surguru has several outlets all across the town. And they have very vast menu. Hotel Atithi, Hotel Ananda Inn also have restaurants that are open to general public.

While visiting Auroville on your 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary, try out some cafes and restaurants in the campus that serve recipes made from home grown 100% organic produce.

When is the right time to plan a vacation to Pondicherry

Depends on what you plan to do while in Pondicherry.

• For relaxing by the beach, in a beach side resort, anytime around the year will do fine. Stay in the resort and enjoy it’s facilities during the day. And head out to the beach in the morning and evening hours.
• When you want to explore Pondicherry on foot, particularly the Promenade, White Town and other beaches which are little distant, then best time to plan a vacation to Pondicherry will be the winter months of December through February or monsoon months of June through August when it’s cloudy and overcast.
• For volunteering and staying in Auroville, again, winter months will be best.

Night life in Pondicherry?

There are some of the best night clubs, dance clubs and pubs near the beaches in Pondicherry. But most of the places shut down by 11:00pm. And the city goes to sleep early. So, I will not say that Pondicherry is really a destination for night owls that like to party all night. It has so many other diverse experiences to have. So, go for them when heading to Pondicherry.

Other general tips on visiting Pondicherry

• Wear breathable cotton cloths and light slippers.
• Sunscreen, umbrella and hat are a must when venturing out during the day.
• Book your accommodation in advance when visiting on long weekends. In fact, avoid long weekends if possible as it gets super crowded here.
• Explore Promenade beach in the morning, as it’s very less crowded then.
• Check the weather forecast before planning a trip. As the coastal town sometimes gets heavy rain to sea storms.
• Also check the tide condition when you plan to swim in the beach. The beaches here are sloppy and you will not be allowed in water on high tide days. Check here the 5 best beaches of Pondicherry.
• Try some French Cafe
• Visit one of the oldest Churches.
• Pondicherry has a lot of handicraft, particularly pottery. If you want to shop here, go for terracotta and baked clay products.

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