8 Places to visit in Kanyakumari in a day

On our recent trip to Kerala, we traveled from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari by road. Although, we have been planning a trip from Bangalore to Kanyakumari for quiet a long time. And our initial plan was to cover Kanyakumari along with Rameshwaram on our 5 days trip to Madurai and Rameshwaram. But we rather ended up exploring the Karaikudi region and enjoying the Chettinad Tourism and Thanjavur Brihadeeshwara Temple. As a result, we had to leave Kanyakumari from our trip itinerary.

So, this time around, when we planned our road trip across Kerala, we decided to add Kanyakumari to it. Although we could only spare one day to spend in Kanyakumari before driving to Madurai for a night halt there. On this trip, along with Kanyakumari we also drove through Coimbatore, Palakkad, Athirapally, Kochi, Munnar, Alleppey, Varkala and Kovalam.

Coming back to our trip to Kanyakumari, let me summarise here the best places to visit in Kanyakumari in one day, like we did. The good thing is that all the major places to visit in Kanyakumari are very close to each other. So, you can easily cover them in a short span of time.

Kanykumari is the southern most town of India. It is a place where the three seas from three different directions surrounding the Indian Peninsula meet – the Arabian sea from west, the Indian Ocean from South and the Bay of Bengal from east. Also, Kanyakumari is a very sacred Hindu pilgrimage destination with very old temples to visit. So, now that we have quickly established the significance of Kanyakumari in India, let’s dive right into our list of places to visit in Kanyakumari in one day.

Places to visit in Kanyakumari in one day

This is the order in which we visited the places in Kanyakumari in one day

 

 

Padmanabhapuram Palace

A beautiful Travancore era palace that is also known as Kalkulam Palace, Padmanabhapuram Palace was our first stop on our road trip from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari. Although this palace lies in Tamil Nadu, it is maintained by the Kerala government. Because earlier this palace was under the jurisdiction of Travancore kingdom in Kerala. Constructed around 1601 CE, possibly Padmanabhapuram Palace is one of the oldest palaces in India. . The  name of the palace is derived from “Padmanabha” , a form of Lord Vishnu.

Among other things, some notable facts about this palace include :

• A secret passageway that connects to another palace called Charottu Kottaram
• Huge hall with capacity of more than 1000 people
• A 300 plus years old clock on its clock tower
• An entire room filled with old Chinese jars, all gifts by Chinese merchants
• Antique furnitures
• A cot made of stone!
• Several interesting paintings depicting the history of Travancore

With so many interesting things to see, the Padmanabhapuram Palace definitely tops our list as one of the places to visit in Kanyakumari in one day.

If you are in the town of Kanyakumari, you can hire an auto to reach this Palace. As it is at around 1 hour driving distance from the town of Kanyakumari.

Timings of Padmanabhapuram Palace : 9:00am – 4:30pm

Sunset point Kanyakumari

Of all the places in India, the sunsets of Kanyakumari are considered one of the most beautiful. Alas, we couldn’t stay here till sunset. But, if you are staying overnight in Kanyakumari, you should definitely visit this site towards the evening and observe the sunset from here. Towards sunset, the sky gets coloured in so many hues with the effect of water from all different sides and the uninterrupted view of the setting sun at the juncture of the three seas !

Kanyakumari Lighthouse

Very near to sunset point lies Kanyakumari Lighthouse. Although not as famous as the lighthouse of Kovalam. But it is definitely as beautiful. So, you can walk upto the lighthouse next.

Kanyakaumari Beach

One of the most beautiful beaches of Kanyakumari is the Kanyakumari beach 🙂 With water of three different seas that you can see from here. And how the different shades of the water mix together and produce a beautiful scene. Kanyakumari Beach is the next must visit place on our list of places to visit in Kanyakumari in one day.

Arulmigu Bhagavathy Amman Aalayam

One of the most important temples of Kanyakumari is Arulmigu Bhagavathy Amman Aalayam. This temple is located right near the Kanyakumari beach, again on a walking distance. So, from the beach, you can head here and visit the temple. Or, you can visit the temple first and then head to the beach. Whatever suits you.

The temple is thousands of years old. And it is located right on the confluence of the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea. The architecture of the temple is beautiful beyond words. It is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kumari. And thus the name of the town “Kanyakumari”. Actually this temple is one of the 108 “Shakti Peethas” of India. A visit to this temple is believed to bring great luck and prosperity.

Timings of Bhagavathy Amman Temple Kanyakumari : 4:30am – 12:30pm, 4:00pm-8:30pm all days of the week.

Vivekanand Rock Memorial

One of the most popular places in Kanyakumari is Vivekanand Rock Memorial. Situated on a rock right in the middle of the ocean, the Vivekanand Rock Memorial is built in honour of Swamy Vivekanand who meditated for 3 days at a stretch here. You can buy the round trip ticket to the Vivekanand Rock Memorial from the ticket counter priced at INR 50. The ticket counter is located near Kanyakumari beach. From here, regular ferries ply to the Vivekanand Rock Memorial. The only other time we had an experience similar to the one being here was on our trip to Andaman Islands.

Once to step on the memorial, it is a magical feeling being in the center of the ocean that you get! So, I made it a priority to be able to make it here on my trip to Kanyakumari.

Thiruvalluvar Statue

Located on another rock right besides Vivekanand Rock Memorial is Thuruvalluvar Statue. The ferry can next take you here before returning back to the mainland. The statue is a massive 133 ft high one and weighs 7000 tonnes ! Thiruvalluvar statue signifies that wealth and love should be earned and enjoyed on the solid foundation of ethical virtues. The island rocks on which it lies are around 400m from the coastline of Kanyakumari.

Vattakottai Fort

If possible, you can take a little detour from the main town of Kanyakumari and visit the Vattakottai Fort. Another old fort of the region which is mostly dilapidated now. But provides beautiful views of the surrounding green meadows from atop.

More places to visit in Kanyakumari

It will be simply impossible to accommodate any further sight seeing in your itinerary until either you are planning to halt in Kanyakumari itself for the night. Or, if you have more days added to your Kanyakumari trip plan. A perfect Kanyakumari trip itinerary should include at least 2 nights stay at Kanyakumari. However, our Kanyakumari trip experience was a very unique one wherein we covered all the above places in transit from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari to Madurai. If you do have time in Kanyakumari, you can visit these places as well:

Mahatma Gandhi Mandapa, Kanyakumari

This marks the place where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were held after his death. The mandapam is built around the place. And faces the sea.

Our Lady of Ransom Shrine, Kanyakumari

It is a catholic church located in the center of Kanyakumari and one of the most beautiful churches of the area.

Kanyakumari Food Court

Although not a point to visit, you will cross it while visiting the other points. As it is located on the main Kanyakumari street connecting the memorial square , temple , Vivekananda Rock Ferry and all the other places. So, you can plan for your lunch here.

Tsunami Memorial Park

On 26th Dec 2004 a massive tsunami had hit east and south coast of India. There were lasting impacts on Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and parts of Kerala. Some of the islands in Andaman & Nicobar islands group got submersed in water forever. And many lives were lost. The Tsunami Memorial Park in Kanyakumari commemorates the people of Kanyakumari and around who lost their lives to the tsunami.

Sunrise View

Since Kanyakumari is located on the southern most tip of India at the conjuncture of two seas and one ocean, it is a perfect place where you can the sun both rise as well as set into the sea. So, adjacent to the sunset view point, there is another point where you can capture extremely beautiful sunrises. This is called the sunrise view point. And is located almost on the Kanyakumari beach only. Although I didn’t view a sunrise here, I can imagine how beautiful it must be at the confluence of 3 vast seas !!

The hidden twin beach

Located close to the Bhagavathy Amman Temple, Kanyakumari and also very near to the Kanyakumari bus station, the hidden twin beach is a very beautiful stretch of coastline in Kanyakumari. Those visiting the Vivekanand Rock memorial often stop here to enjoy the natural landscape here. It is also one of the few beaches in India where facilities are present to sit and relax and enjoy nature.

Eco Park Kanyakumari

A beautiful park developed in Kanyakumari by the department of horticulture. Reminds me of some of the most beautiful landscaped gardens of South India that I have visited like the botanical garden in Pondicherry and the Brindavan Gardens in Mysore.

Entry fee to Eco Park Kanyakumari : INR 20 per adult, free for kids

Timing of eco park Kanyakumari : 11:00 am – 7:30 pm all days of the week

How to reach Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is very well connected to rest of India via both rail as well as road network. It is in this town that the southernmost tip of Indian mainland is located. There is a train called Kanyakumari Express that connects all the way from Jammu in the northernmost part of India to Kanyakumari. From Trivandrum to Kanyakumari train frequency is also very good. And so is from the nearby regions of Tamil Nadu including Madurai, Thanjavur and Rameshwaram.

The road connectivity from Kanyakumari to Trivandrum, Madurai, Rameshwaram and other nearby places is also excellent. And public buses are abundant. A major National Highway of India NH 44 runs all the way from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. We have covered most of the parts of this highway. On our trip to Kashmir, on our road trip from Bangalore to MP wherein we drove from Bangalore to Jabalpur and Bhedaghat on this NH. And also on our trips to Madurai, Rameshwaram and other south India places. This highway is also in excellent condition.

Trivandrum airport is the nearest airport to Kanyakumari. The distance from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari is just 95 km which can be easily covered in less than 3 hours. Trivandrum to Kanyakumari train ticket price starts at as low as INR 190 for second class and INR 1000 for AC class at the time of this writing. Also, Trivandrum to Kanyakumari bus tickets are very reasonably priced. And you can always hire a taxi or self drive as well on this stretch.

Where to stay in Kanyakumari

There are many budget accommodations across the town of Kanyakumari. And then there are many luxury resorts by the beach as well. You can plan to stay in any of these based on your budget. here’s a list of hotels in Kanyakumari to browse through. We stayed in Thiruvananthapuram at the Vivanta by Taj Hotel. And from there, we traveled to Kanyakumari in the morning. And after covering the places to visit in Kanyakumari in one day as per our plan, around 2:30pm, we proceeded for Madurai. So, we really didn’t stay in Kanyakumari. In Madurai, we stayed at hotel Amika which was really close to the NH 44. So, we could avoid navigating the city crowd when we started on our trip back home from Madurai then next day.

When is the best time to visit Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is mostly a hot destination. And it can be visited year round. In the monsoon months, if you choose days when it is cloudy to explore around Kanyakumari, you will be comfortable. Even in winter months of November, December and January, temperature almost remains constant and at the higher side of mercury only. We visited here in the first week of October. And it was such a pleasant visit. Although it was hot, still when you are near the sea and you get the sea breeze from all 3 sides, then you really don’t feel hot. That reminds me, being surrounded by sea from all three sides, Kanyakumari is also one of the most windy places in India. You will find several windmills around this town, harnessing the wind energy which is quiet a sight to behold.

Nagercoil and Kanyakumari

Nagercoil is a very scenic hill town near Kanyakumari. On your drive from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari, you can drive through Nagercoil. There are several beautiful hills, meadows and breathtaking view of Arabian Sea that you get to witness from here. So, do plan to visit Nagercoil and Kanyakumari together when you plan to visit Kanyakumari.

General tips on visiting Kanyakumari

1. Wear light cotton cloths.
2. Use a cotton scarf to cover your head when in windy places. Since the wind here is strong, it might be uncomfortable to carry an umbrella.
3. Carry a bottle of water with you as you will sweat profusely when exploring Kanyakumari during day time.
4. Wear sunglasses and sunscreen for protection from the sun.
5. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
6. If you plan to stay overnight in Kanyakumari, book your accommodation in advance.
7. To reach Kanyakumari when you are not planning to self-drive, book your train or bus or air tickets in advance.

PS: Some of our links are affiliated, this means we will earn a commission when you buy a service or product by clicking those links. However, this will have no extra cost for you.