” A rocky beach like none other not very far from
a white sand beach with azure waters like none other !
French Quarters along side A Dravidian Style Temple,
Mosques and Churches standing side by side !
A place like none other that I have seen !! “
Exactly the lines that echoed in my mind as I sat enjoying a sumptuous meal. And saw an Indo – French family of 4 on the next table. Dark skinned husband, french wife, 2 girls – one taken after father and another one after mother!! Beautiful. After having visited so many places, if there’s one place where I have seen unity in diversity in the true sense, it’s Pondicherry (Or, Pudducherry as it’s renamed).
Years back was our first visit to Pondicherry. We were there for just one full day in all honesty, barring the travel part. And like every other young couple, we crammed as much as possible in our one day itinerary. The memories are still fresh. We hired an auto-rickshaw for the day. And visited Auro Beach, The global town of Auroville, Paradise Beach and finally had dinner near Promenade !! I know !! Fast forward more than a decade and after visiting almost half of India, we finally planned another 4 days Pondicherry trip itinerary. This time, determined to do justice to the place.
As a part of this trip, we planned a self paced free walking tour in White Town Pondicherry. If you are an avid reader, you know by now how we have come to love the self paced way of exploring a place through these walking tours that we did on our previous trips. So far we have done walking tour of Lucerne when in Switzerland, a Florence Walking Tour and one in Chiang Mai which are very close to heart. Like always, we present to you this walking tour in White Town Pondicherry with complete google map which you can start following right away.
Table of Contents
A brief introduction of White Town Pondicherry
Pondicherry was a French colony for a long time. The White Town in Pondicherry was like a locality reserved for the French to live. Most of their houses, government offices, schools, colleges and Churches are located in the White Town. The architecture of these buildings are French, some Indo – French. Bright yellow and white houses, with hanging balconies. And flowers like bougainvillea hanging from those balconies are some sights to behold. Like you witness when walking through a charming French town or village. Although Pondicherry became free from French rule in 1954. And became a union territory of India, the locality of White Town remained as is.
Clean streets, cute cafes, beautiful French buildings are the signature of this locality. Many of the heritage French houses were converted to boutique hotels, libraries, cafes and shops since. But the overall vibe of the place remains the same till date. So, if you want to experience a little bit of France in India, head to White Town Pondicherry.
Walking tour in White Town Pondicherry
Total time required for this Pondicherry Heritage Walk : 3 to 5 hours (But you can always do it faster if you skip some of the spots that might not interest you).
Starting point : French Institute of Puducherry
End point : Puducherry Museum
Total Walking distance covered : 7.5 km
Best Time : Morning Hours between 7:00am to 11:00am or Evening Hours between 4:00pm to 8:00pm
I had to divide this whole tour into two google maps since in one map you can add only so many stops. You can follow the first and then start from the first destination of the second map.
Also this heritage walking tour of Pondicherry is like a round trip in which the end destination is very close to the starting one.
White Town Pondicherry Map 1 : Our walking tour in white town Pondicherry
White Town Pondicherry Map 2 : Our walking tour in white town Pondicherry
PS: You might be seeing Hotel Surguru as the last point of our walking tour because that is where we stayed. Feel free to tweak it and add your accommodation name instead.Â
You can as well try this guided tour in Pondicherry. Pondicherry walking tour is definitely one of the best ways to experience the vibrant culture of Pondicherry and explore it’s rich history.
Places to visit in White Town Pondicherry
French Institute of Puducherry
A French research centre in Puducherry, India. One of it’s kind in India. But what attracts me to the place is it’s bright orange building typical to the French Architecture.
Mahatma Gandhi Statue
A white structure surrounded by granite pillars in which stands a bronze statue of the father of the nation. It lies right across the Promenade.
Le Cafe
The very first French cafe of Pondicherry where you can enjoy the beautiful ambience and tasty French cuisines till date. The cafe caters to it’s visitors 24 hours a day.
French War Memorial
A war memorial dedicated to residents of French India who died for the country during the First World War. The French War Memorial is located opposite the Mahatma Gandhi Statue.
Joan Of Arc
A marble statue of Joan of Arc, donated by the French politicians and businessmen, stands next on our walking tour in White Town Pondicherry. The Joan of Arc is a well celebrated French heroine. And this statue celebrates her.
B.R. Ambedkar Mani mandabam
A building dedicated to Dr. B R Ambedkar, the man who wrote the constitution of India. And was a big revolutionary advocating equality in society. It only makes sense that he have a dedicated space in the heart of Pondicherry, the place which stands for unity in diversity and is an example of living like equals like none other.
Puducherry Old Church
Immaculate Conception Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Puducherry, also known as Samba Kovil (Literally means Saint’s Church). Visit here next on our walking tour in White Town Pondicherry.
École française d’Extrême Orient
Also known as EFEO, it is a prestigious French Research Institute. But it is actually dedicated to the study of Indian culture, history and society in general. The institute has received accolades from UNESCO for it’s work and studies related to Indian art, architecture, literature and culture in general.
Joseph François Dupleix statue
Dupleix was a successful French merchant who first set foot in Indian in the 18th century. And thereafter earned a fortune through trades across India and America through several of his tours and voyages. Later, he was also involved in politics and war. Wherein, he opposed and resisted the increasing grasp of East India Company and later the British government in India.
New Light House Pondicherry
The first light house was constructed in Pondicherry in the 19th century by the French rulers. Later, in the 20th century, another light house was constructed by the Indian government. And that is the New Light House of Pondicherry, the next stop on our walking tour in White Town, Pondicherry. It is 29 metres high, with a base of 9 meters underground. And has a very powerful beam through 6 lamps, that can illuminate till 15 miles in the sea.
Pondicherry Light House timings: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Entry fee of Pondicherry Light House: INR 10/- per adult
Alliance Française de Pondichéry
A teaching institute, known far and wide for it’s meaningful and in depth courses and training programs. And particularly it’s work on the cultural activities.
Notre Dame des Angels Church
Also known as “the pink church”, it is the fourth oldest church in Pondicherry. The original structure was built in Greco Roman architecture by Napoleon III. It has a main chapel with tall pillars on both sides. This church offers mass in 3 languages – Tamil, English and French. Our Lady of Angels Church is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services. As the name suggests, when looked at from a distance, it does resemble the Notre Dame.Â
Notre Dame Church timings: 5:30am to 8:00pm
Lycée Français International à Pondichéry
An international French school in Pondicherry, which provides education from 3 years old to 18 years old.
Chambre De Commerce Pondicherry
Puducherry Legislative Assembly
Aayi Mandapam
A white monument in Pondicherry, India built during the time of Napoleon III. Now, it stands in the center of the Bharati Park. The monument commemorates the provision of water to the French city at the time when Napoleon III was the emperor.
Bharati Park Pondicherry timings: 6:00am to 7:00pm
Raj Nivas
Raj Niwas is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
Puducherry Museum
The Pondicherry Museum is an art and history museum. It is famous for it’s 81 Chola bronze sculptures from the times of the Chola empire in India.
Opening hours of Pondicherry Museum: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Although, you need not confine yourself to these places. To explore the beauty of White Town Pondicherry, take any random turns, explore the unexplored streets. And you will find so much beauty. You will definitely find yourself transported to a beautiful French countryside lane, just with a beautiful amalgamation of Indian culture. To be honest, roaming around here reminded me of visiting the Latin Quarters of Fontainhas in Goa, dotted with genuine Portuguese houses, which is also declared a heritage site.
Where to have food during this walking tour in White Town Pondicherry
If you are starting early in the morning, you can stop by for breakfast at one of the many cafes that you will cross on this walking tour in White Town Pondicherry. In fact, Pondicherry is so famous for it’s cafes – both French and Continental style. And what’s more. Some of these cafes are stationed in heritage French homes. We recommend stopping at one of these cafes for your breakfast.
Coromandel Cafe
Cafe Des Arts
Bread & Chocolate
Cafe Zuka
Apart from the above you will surely encounter a lot other small cute cafes while wandering through White Town on this walking tour. Do try them out. As sometimes these big names are very busy and super over crowded. Particularly on long weekends and Sundays. I literally saw a big queue in front of Cafe Des Arts even before it opened at 9:00am. And decided to rather try a smaller cafe like cafe Zuka. Which was completely empty at that time.
There are chances your walking tour will wind up before lunchtime. But in case that doesn’t happen, feel free to explore one of these places for lunch:
Villa Shanti
Les Saveurs
La Maison Rose
And, dinner at one of these places –
Rendezvous Cafe Restaurant
Celine’s Kitchen
Dilliwala 6
Well, you might be wondering why all this research on cafes of Pondicherry. Thats because the first time we visited here, we didn’t really had a chance to explore the cafes of Pondicherry. And that’s why this time around, we made it a point to explore these cafes. Although we couldn’t do a cafe hopping in Pondicherry like many people like to. But we made it a point to try a new cafe for every other meal while in Pondicherry. We are soon going to write about our experience exploring the different cafe of Pondicherry!
General guidelines and tips on visiting Pondicherry
How to reach Pondicherry
Years back was our first visit to Pondicherry. We were there for just one full day in all honesty, barring the travel part. Pondicherry is well connected by road to the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. One can drive to Pondicherry from Bangalore or Chennai.
Bangalore to Pondicherry driving duration : 7.5 hours
Chennai to Pondicherry driving duration : 3.5 hours
Both the routes are scenic. However, the route from Bangalore to Pondicherry goes through a stretch of around 160km via state highway. Where the road condition is good. But the road being a two lane undivided highway, you are often forced to slow down due to oncoming vehicles or vehicles overtaking each other or bikes and two wheelers. So, this stretch takes some 2..5 hrs to complete.
When is the best time to visit Pondicherry
The winter months from November to February are the best time to visit Pondicherry. As the temperature around this time is slightly lower than rest of the year. However, as someone rightly said, “The weather in Pondicherry is either hot or very hot”. So, you can make your pick accordingly ! Both the time we visited here, it was very hot. And it gets painful to roam around during peak noon hours. But mornings and evenings are pleasant. So, my suggestion is, start your day early. Visit where you plan to visit. And then rest during the noon back at your accommodation. And then step out again towards the evening. Just like you would do when visiting Goa or other such tropical beach locations in India.
We were a little disappointed to see the rush and influx of tourist in Pondicherry when we visited this time on a long weekend. So, I strongly suggest don’t plan your trip to Pondicherry on a long weekend, around a public holiday or in the main tourist seasons like year end. As the rush will spoil the trip. Rather visiting Pondicherry on a regular weekend or in off season will be more advisable.
Where to stay in Pondicherry
From French houses turned boutique hotels in the White Town to beachside luxury resorts Pondicherry has all kind of accommodations that suite all budget ranges. Even when you are traveling on a budget, you will find a wide range of options from mid range hotels to hostels to guest houses in Pondicherry. Click this link to book a suitable accommodation from our travel partner booking.com.
Some of the places that we personally recommend are –
(We stayed here on our current trip. It was very economical, rooms costing around 2.5k per room per night. And also has a pure veg restaurant at the premises).
(Really strong reviews, but alas it was fully occupied when we tried to book. Accommodation starts from around 3k per room per night).
Anandha Inn Hotel and Convention Center (We stayed here the first time we visited, years back).
All the above 3 hotels are located in the same locality, in close proximity to White Town and at walking distance from Promenade Beach. So, I find the locality really great. But, if you want to get the authentic feel of staying in a French Bungalow, then we recommend some of these boutique hotels right in the heart of White Town, Pondicherry.
Please see that these boutique hotels or heritage guest houses are often in high demand. So, you need to book them well in advance. Also, I am not sure if they have ample parking spaces. And that is the reason we refrained from personally booking them. But I am sure, people who drive to Pondicherry book these boutique White Town Hotels all the time. And their cars do just fine 🙂
Some of the beach resorts that we recommend staying at include –
Radisson Resort Pondicherry Bay
How many days are sufficient for a trip to Pondicherry
It really depends on what you want to see and do in Pondicherry on your trip here. We recommend the following activities when in Pondicherry :
- Taking a walking tour in White Town Pondicherry and exploring the Promenade area
- Visiting Auroville, and if possible, Matrimandir
- Exploring some of the pristine fine sand beaches of Pondicherry
- Trying your taste buds in some of the finest cafes of Pondicherry
You can do a bit of all of these in one day like we did on our first trip to Pondicherry. But like I said, you will be rushing, A LOT, through all these experiences. So, we will say, minimum 2 days trip to Pondicherry is a must, barring the travel time to reach here and travel back from here to your home. Having said that, let me suggest some trip itineraries for Pondicherry for you.
Suggested trip itineraries for Pondicherry
1 day Pondicherry trip itinerary
If I were in Pondicherry for just one day, I would visit Auroville, followed by a trip to Paradise beach or nearby Eden Beach. And finally a quick stroll through Promenade and the rocky beach to end the day.
2 days Pondicherry trip itinerary
If you happen to have a couple of days to spend in Pondicherry, I will suggest the day one itinerary above. Followed by a stroll through the White Town on the second day of your stay in Pondicherry. Include some of the cafes of Pondicherry in your itinerary for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And end of the second day, you can save some time for shopping in Pondicherry. In fact, if you happen to be here on a Sunday, you can checkout the Sunday Market in White Town, Pondicherry.
3 days Pondicherry trip itinerary ( or more days)
If you have 3 days in Pondicherry or more, I will suggest follow the above itinerary for the initial 2 days. And then shift to a beach side resort near the main town. To enjoy a peaceful beachside vacation. You can also explore more beaches if you have more days to spend here. Like Serenity Beach, Auroville Beach etc.
PS: the above itineraries are based on the assumption that those many days you are spending in the town. It doesn’t accommodate the time in and out of Pondicherry and time spent in traveling to and from here.
Can I visit Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram together
Pondicherry is located very near to Mahabalipuram. Just 1.5 hours drive. Although we have visited both Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry. But, on separate trips. However, you can as well visit them together. We recommend spending 2 days in Pondicherry and then 1 day in Mahabalipuram. If you are spending just one day in Mahabalipuram, spend it in a resort like Radisson Blu like we did couple of months back. You will definitely have a lifetime experience. However, if you want to explore places in Mahabalipuram, do add another day to your itinerary. And you will be good.
Read : Our wonderful experience at Radisson Blu Temple Bay Mahabalipuram
Although many don’t consider the main town of Pondicherry as a beach vacation destination like Goa, where you find so many fine beaches and loads to do on these beaches. But I believe if you chose the right beach and right property, you can definitely have an awesome beach vacation in Pondicherry. But, at the same time, if you are visiting here for the first time, I hope you will take out time to explore the unique culture of Pondicherry as well. Definitely, Pondicherry is not famous for it’s night life. The town sleeps by max 10:30pm or 11:00pm. But, then, we were never the night owls, so, it doesn’t bother us.
You might as well like: 15 best beaches of Goa
Hope you enjoyed this article and it will help you curate a perfect walking tour in White Town Pondicherry.
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