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Madurai Walking Tour: Discover Hidden Treasures
5.0
59 Ratings
Madurai
Immerse yourself in the rich history of Madurai with a walking tour of the iconic Meenakshi Temple. Explore its stunning architecture, vibrant ceremonies, and cultural events.
Immerse yourself in the rich history of Madurai with a walking tour of the iconic Meenakshi Temple. Explore its stunning architecture, vibrant ceremonies, and cultural events.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple - Experience a private tour of the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. With so much to see and learn, having a knowledgeable local guide is invaluable. Discover its most famous spots and hidden gems known only to locals, such as the Thousand Pillars Museum and Sri Meenakshi Temple.
Embark on an enlightening journey to…
- Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple - Experience a private tour of the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Madurai. With so much to see and learn, having a knowledgeable local guide is invaluable. Discover its most famous spots and hidden gems known only to locals, such as the Thousand Pillars Museum and Sri Meenakshi Temple.
Embark on an enlightening journey to uncover everything about this must-visit attraction, including its fascinating history, insights, and fun facts. The more you explore, the more you’ll understand its significance to the locals and its cultural importance.
- Puthu Mandapam - A tranquil destination in Madurai, this ancient temple was constructed in 1628 by King Thirumalai Nayakkar in honor of Lord Sundareshwar and Goddess Meenakshi, serving as their summer residence. Visitors are immediately captivated by the temple’s architectural splendor and precision. It features 124 intricately carved pillars and columns depicting Hindu scriptures and scenes from the divine wedding and the Nayaka dynasty rulers.
- Elukadal Agraharam Street - Stroll through the historic streets of Madurai to explore the local markets.
- Banana Market - The Banana Market in Madurai, located in Rukmanipalayam, is a bustling wholesale market offering 16 varieties of bananas. The bananas arrive early in the morning from factory outlets and are prepared for sale to local vendors.
- Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal - Known as the living palace of the Nayak Kings, Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built in the 17th century. This stunning structure features numerous pillars and domes, with only a quarter of this architectural marvel remaining.
- Aayiram Kaal Mandapam - The Aayiram Kaal Mandapam is a hall of exceptional beauty and grandeur, a true treasure of Madurai. It is a must-visit for those passionate about history, architecture, and culture.
What's Included
- All fees and/or taxes
- Private tour guide
- All fees and/or taxes
- Private tour guide
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Own Expenses
- Gratuities
- Private transportation
- Own Expenses
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Discover the magic of Madurai in a whole new way with our exceptional walking tour! Dive into the lively atmosphere of the city while exploring its delightful neighborhoods, bustling local markets, historic sites, and hidden gems.
Our expert and enthusiastic guides will reveal the fascinating tales and secrets of Madurai’s landmarks, guaranteeing a truly…
Discover the magic of Madurai in a whole new way with our exceptional walking tour! Dive into the lively atmosphere of the city while exploring its delightful neighborhoods, bustling local markets, historic sites, and hidden gems.
Our expert and enthusiastic guides will reveal the fascinating tales and secrets of Madurai’s landmarks, guaranteeing a truly engaging and unforgettable experience. Prepare to be captivated by Madurai’s distinctive allure, where old-world charm meets vibrant modernity.
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship
- No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed.
- Knees (till the ankle)and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women.
- Cigarette,Lighter,Knife,Cosmetic Items and big size of bags are not allowed to carry into the temple
Location
North Tower, Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman Temple
Our host will meet you at the Near North Entrance of Meenakshi Temple.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(59 Ratings)
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1 star
Guylianv2024
Feb 19, 2025
Good experience! - Impressive experience! Especially when you come out of Belgium. Really enjoyed the passioned guide who told everything so well :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louise
Feb 17, 2025
An excellent tour of Meenakshi Amman Temple - I opted for a tour of the Meenakshi Amman Temple which started at 0500h. I would definitely recommend this time because it is relatively quiet and peaceful. I turned out to be the only person on my tour. The guide, a Tamilian gentleman who said I could call him Abu, was knowledgeable and easy to understand. Because the crowd was not dense we had considerable time to discuss the temple history, its statuary, and the daily rituals as well as the Dravidian language history.
I would definitely recommend this tour and tour guide to a friend or family member. One heads up: cobblestones are killers to a tenderfoot like me but really only cover about 200’. After that the granite flooring is much easier to walk on. For all temple visits I wore heavy socks. If I return I shall pack innersoles to tuck inside my socks. Heads up #2: no cameras are permitted inside the temple; the people at Meenakshi Amman at 0530h who are not there for educational tours, are there to pray and worship God. Do respect this. I have one photo of this temple, taken the afternoon before my tour, of the amazing bamboo scaffolding.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gaynor_kimber
Jan 29, 2025
Fantastic guided tour of temple and night closing ceremony - Last week we had a fantastic in-depth tour of the temple by Balan. He was very knowledgeable about every element of the temple and its religious significance. He explained everything in excellent English and in such a way that we could understand and appreciate the nuances of Hinduism and Tamil religion.
The night closing ceremony shouldn’t be missed as it was so spiritual and was great to share the experience as a non Hindu with all the devotees.
Balan went the ‘ extra mile’ the next day too to show us the hall of a thousand pillars and to see the temple in the day light.
We thoroughly recommend him for your temple visit. Many thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Corinnes816
Dec 2, 2024
A great tour - We really wanted to get a flavour of Maduari having only arrived late yesterday and Dhanabalan was a fantastic guide. His knowledge is wonderfully broad telling us about the maharajahs Palace and the temples to the onion and banana markets and fascinating facts about the city and history of religion. We really enjoyed his tour. He’s great company and we’ve learnt so much. It was a joy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee36504702950
Nov 29, 2024
Fantastic tour - We had a great tour with Dhanabalan and was a fantastic guide! Incredibly knowledgeable, interesting and friendly. Cannot recommend him enough if you're going to the Sri Meenakshi temple
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scott_w
Nov 23, 2024
So amazing!!! - This was a wonderful tour. So knowledgeable without being overwhelming this met all expectations perfectly. The guide is so knowledgeable and obviously a lover of history and this place in particular. I will be coming back . Honestly a wonderful experience.
Review provided by Viator
Ella_g
Oct 17, 2024
Highly recommended tour - Great tour with a very professional guide. I’ve learned a lot not only about the temple, but also about religion and the history of Tamil Nadu!
Review provided by Viator
Anindita_g
Sep 9, 2024
Meenakshi Temple - An Architectural Poetry - Thanks to Viator guide and navigator Dhana Balan, experiencing Meenakshi Temple from Avani Moola Street and savouring the Temple Darshan from inside were two vastly different experiences. Darshan of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple is an experience meant to be treasured forever. Being a Durga-devotee from Bengal, I totally enjoyed Dhana Balan’s detailed narration of Meenakshi Amman and Mahadev Shivji’s epic lores.
Review provided by Viator
Vinodp_v
Feb 20, 2025
Very Good - It was easy to book the ticket on-line. The tour was personal tour for me. Mr Johnson wrote to me that he will be at the north gate at 9:15 am. I had finished my breakfast about 10 minutes earlier. So I asked the hotel to take me at the north gate at 8:30 am. When I arrived at the gate Mr Johnson was there. I was pleased that my tour stared earlier. I did not want to book the tour of 9am because I was not sure whether I will be able to reach there by 9 am.
Mr Johnson is very knowledgeable about the temple. I wished the temple allowed me to take photos.
Review provided by Viator
Chinmoy_b
Jan 9, 2025
Wonderful Meenakshi devi temple visit - The guide was very knowledgeable about the temple and how to conduct the darshan. We arrived at 3:20 pm per guidance by the guide. He helped us get in through thronged crowds. Got us into the line to have darshans of Meenakshi devi and Shiva Linga. I must say the darshan Meenakshi was not to my satisfaction. The idol is in a dark area. Before my eyes could adjust to the idol in the dark, the priests kept us moving and so could not get a good view of devi. The Shiva linga darshan was excellent. The guide then took us to another Meenakshi devi idol situated separately in another spot in the temple. According the guide this idol was the same as the one in the inner sanctum. The guide then took us to various other parts of the temple. His knowledge of the temple was excellent. We felt blessed being able to take a tour like this.
Review provided by Viator
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