Full Day Guided Tour of Pondicherry with lunch and hotel pickup
Description
Explore Pondicherry's rich culture and heritage in a full day tour. The tour is organised by Five Senses Tours, a company recognised by the ministry of tourism. The highlights include a visit to Aurobindo Ashram, which is dedicated to Sri Aurobindo Ghosh the philosopher and revolutionary, French heritage walk followed by lunch, the lovely esplanade beside the Bay of Bengal, visit to a unique handmade paper factory and Auroville the global village. This tour is organized by Five Senses Tours, a private limited company recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and a member of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). The tour has been designed to support local livelihoods by way of employment of local guides, and supporting local businesses in line with the mission of the company to ensure travel dollars stay where they are spent.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Sri Aurobindo Ghosh is arguably the most famous citizen of Pondicherry. The tour begins with a visit to his memorial at the Aurobindo Ashram. Guests will get a brief experience of his life and times as well as his philosophy and revolutionary ideas. The memorial also has a section on Sri Aurobindo’s famous disciple Mirra Alfassa. It is the perfect place for meditation.
A French heritage walk is organized through the heart of the city where one can see glimpses of exquisite French style of architecture. This heritage walk will help you appreciate the French connection with Pondicherry.
We visit a unique factory which makes hand made paper. Sri Aurobindo Paper Factory started 50 years ago and makes paper from 100% cotton rag pulp. In this visit guests will experience how the paper is produced from cotton rags and then processed with techniques like silk screen printing and marbling.
A walk through the famous promenade of Pondicherry facing the lovely Bay of Bengal follows this.
Post lunch we travel to Auroville, the radical concept of a global village where thousands of people from across the world have given up their nationalities and are living as global citizens. Auroville was conceived with the vision that- “There should be a somewhere on earth, a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony…”. Guests will also get to see the various ways in which its citizens practice sustainable way of life. Matri Mandir is a giant dome for silent meditation. Guests can see it from outside on a day visit. Note permission for meditating inside has to be taken one day in advance in person.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up will be from the hotel lobby
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Lunch is planned in a traditional south indian restaurant
Reviews(11)
Charles, the storyteller in Puducherry did a wonderful job at guiding me through the various must see places in Puducherry. He Was extremely knowledgeable and told a lot of interesting stories. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram was my favorite as well as the lunch at a typical South Indian restaurant. We had a leisurely walk in Auroville while he explained the history and purpose behind the township. Despite the heat I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and I highly recommend it. Be prepared with lots of water and an umbrella or hat.
We really enjoyed this tour of the beautiful little city of Pondicherry. The local guide was informative and pleasant making it enjoyable. The driver, Kaif, was fantastic and very safe in a difficult late night drive back - also very polite and helpful. 5 senses tours are a great company in providing a service Harry & Agnes
The guide Mr. Kumara Vel was excellent. He took us to all the beautiful places and explained patiently. He was also a very good photographer. He was kind and gentle. The car was spick and span and very comfortable to travel in. He could also tweak the trip to assist our needs. The fried fish on the beach was a brilliant idea. Just loved the experience.
The views are amazing. Went to different places. Covered maximum places. Food was very tasty. Car was very comfortable. Driving was good. Guide Kumaravel was interactive.
We thought we were signing up with 5 star rated whole day Pondicherry group tour When we started tour we found out that we were the only people who had signed up for the tour , that was disappointing because we were looking forward to enjoy the day with like minded fellow tourist & make some new friends. Our pick up car & driver left lot to be desired, driver lacked common courtesy of greeting us , introducing himself etc our guide was knowledgeable & Friendly but initially I had to tell him to speak slowly because we were having difficulty in understanding. On and all it was ‘ OK’ & expensive experience as Viator ‘ s other tour which was almost half priced was not available for that day!
We had a very enjoyable day exploring Pondicherry, starting at 9 AM and finishing around 5 PM. We visited Auroville and some lovely sights in the area. The lunch was incredibly delicious too! Our guide, Vinoth Kumar, was informative, flexible, and accommodating. He shared useful insights and made the day relaxed and enjoyable. I’d happily recommend this tour and Vinoth Kumar to anyone visiting Pondicherry!
I took the full day tour from Chennai to Pondicherry on October 20 and visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville, and other sites in Pondicherry. I really enjoyed the experience, especially thanks to Vinothkumar, who was an excellent guide. He was patient, knowledgeable, and made the trip enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour and Vinothkumar as a guide.
This was an amazing experience. Vinod was an outstanding guide and went above and beyond. We look forward to coming back soon. Thanks.
Pondicherry tour was an amazing experience. The company sent a car with a lovely guide who was friendly and engaging. We enjoyed the French heritage walk immensely. Auroville was fantastic as well. This tour is highly recommended.
Vetri was an outstanding guide who brought the rich French heritage of Pondicherry to life for us. Auroville, with its unique charm, turned out to be the highlight of our trip. The car was spotless, and the driver ensured a safe and comfortable journey. Overall, this tour exceeded our expectations—highly recommended!
