Route · Chennai → Tiruvannamalai
Chennai to Tiruvannamalai by Force Urbania
195 km · 4 – 4.5 hours · 13 Seater recommended
Chennai → Tiruvannamalai · indicative rates
Fares shown are indicative starting rates. The final charge is based on real-time usage — distance, hours or days, tolls, parking and permits. Outstation trips are charged on a minimum of 300 km per day. Driver batta is ₹1,000 per day; late-night batta of ₹1,000 applies between 22:00–05:59. GST at 5% applies to the total.
Arunachala, standing alone above the plain. The hill is the reason the town exists and the object of the girivalam — a fourteen-kilometre walk around its base that draws enormous crowds on full-moon nights, which is the single biggest factor in where a vehicle can drop you.
Quick facts
| Distance | Approximately 195 km each way |
|---|---|
| Drive time | 4 – 4.5 hours, traffic permitting |
| Recommended seater | 13 Seater (12+D) |
| Passengers | Up to 12 in the recommended vehicle |
| Luggage | Comfortable for an overnight; travel light if the girivalam walk is planned |
| Terrain | Flat highway inland via Vellore or Gingee, with the hill visible for the last stretch |
| Ghat sections | |
| State crossings | None — stays within one state |
| Permits | No interstate permit — the route stays within Tamil Nadu. |
| One-way | Available |
| Round trip | Available |
| Driver batta | ₹1,000 per day; ₹1,000 late-night (22:00–05:59) |
| Recommended departure | Before 05:00. The temple is best in the early morning, and on a full-moon day the town becomes impassable by mid-morning. |
Distance and drive time are indicative planning figures, not the basis of a quote. Fares are calculated on actual usage — see the rates below.
Why an Urbania for this route
Tiruvannamalai is a four-hour drive on flat, easy roads, and the whole trip is decided by two things that have nothing to do with driving: what time of day you arrive, and whether it is a full moon. Get either wrong and a comfortable journey ends with a group walking a very long way in a crowd.
The full moon is the one to check first. Girivalam, the fourteen-kilometre circumambulation of Arunachala hill, draws enormous numbers on full-moon nights, and the streets around the temple close entirely. It is a remarkable thing to be part of and a poor thing to arrive at unprepared with twelve people and no plan for where the vehicle goes. We ask about the date when you book, for exactly this reason.
Otherwise this is one of the more forgiving long runs from Chennai. No ghats, no permits, two viable approaches of similar length, and a hill that is visible from a long way out. Groups that leave early see the temple in the cool of the morning and are back in Chennai the same evening without anyone feeling rushed.
Which Urbania should you choose?
The 13 seater is right for most groups. The roads out are flat and wide so the 17 drives easily, but the town is congested and the parking is further out than you would like, and the shorter vehicle can use approaches the longer one cannot.
If the group intends to walk the girivalam, luggage becomes almost irrelevant and comfort on a four-hour drive becomes the main consideration — which is another argument for the 13 seater over a fuller 10.
Suggested itinerary
- Sriperumbudur — First halt on the highway out of Chennai.
- Vellore — Roughly halfway. The Golden Temple at Sripuram is a short detour if the timing suits.
- Gingee — On the alternative southern route. The fort here is a genuine stop rather than a photo halt.
- Tiruvannamalai — The hill is visible long before the town. Temple and girivalam route are at its foot.
Itineraries are indicative. Actual routing, timings and stops are subject to road, weather, traffic and permit conditions, and to the chauffeur's judgement on ghat sections.
Road notes
Flat, straightforward highway with no ghat driving. There are two viable approaches — via Vellore to the north and via Gingee to the south — and they take similar time. The hill is visible from a long way out, which is part of the arrival.
Season
November to February is the most comfortable, and Karthigai Deepam in November or December is the town's biggest festival — extraordinary to witness and close to impossible to drive in. Full-moon nights draw very large crowds for girivalam year-round, which changes where a vehicle can go.
Getting around at Tiruvannamalai
Keep the vehicle. The temple, the ashram and the girivalam route are at the foot of the hill but not adjacent to one another, and Gingee Fort or the Sripuram Golden Temple on the way back are only practical with your own transport.
On an ordinary day the chauffeur can hold reasonably close to the temple. On a full-moon day, expect the drop point to be a long way out and plan the walk into the schedule rather than discovering it. Tell us if anyone in the group cannot manage that distance — it genuinely changes what we would recommend.
Worth seeing
- Arunachaleswarar temple
- Arunachala hill
- The girivalam circumambulation route
- Sri Ramana Ashram
- Gingee Fort en route
- Sripuram Golden Temple near Vellore
Parking
Streets around the Arunachaleswarar temple are congested and close entirely on full-moon days. The chauffeur uses a designated area further out, which on those days can be a long walk.
Rates
| Seater | Configuration | From, per km | Driver batta / day | Minimum / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Seater | 9+D — up to 9 passengers | ₹38 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
| 13 Seater | 12+D — up to 12 passengers | ₹42 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
| 17 Seater | 16+D — up to 16 passengers | ₹45 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
Fares shown are indicative starting rates. The final charge is based on real-time usage — distance, hours or days, tolls, parking and permits. Outstation trips are charged on a minimum of 300 km per day. Driver batta is ₹1,000 per day; late-night batta of ₹1,000 applies between 22:00–05:59. GST at 5% applies to the total.
Questions about this route
How long is the drive from Chennai to Tiruvannamalai?
About 195 km and four to four and a half hours on flat highway. There are two viable approaches, via Vellore to the north and Gingee to the south, and they take similar time. Neither involves ghat driving.
What time should we leave Chennai?
Before five in the morning for a day trip. The temple is at its best early, the heat builds quickly on open ground, and on busy days the town becomes difficult to move around by mid-morning.
What happens on a full-moon day?
Girivalam draws very large crowds and the streets around the temple close to vehicles entirely. The drop point moves a long way out and the walk is substantial. It is an extraordinary thing to witness — but tell us the date when you book so we can plan for it rather than meet it on arrival.
Can we walk the girivalam?
Yes, and many groups do. It is fourteen kilometres around the base of the hill and takes most people four to five hours at a steady pace. If your group plans it, the vehicle waits and the day is built around the walk rather than around sightseeing.
Do we need a permit?
No. The route stays entirely within Tamil Nadu, so no interstate permit applies. Tolls on the highway are charged at actuals against receipts.
Can we do it as a day trip?
Yes, with an early start. Nine hours of driving for a few hours at the temple is a long day but a manageable one on roads this easy. An overnight is better if you want the girivalam or the early-morning temple without watching the clock.
Which route is better, via Vellore or Gingee?
They take similar time. Vellore lets you add the Sripuram Golden Temple; Gingee has the fort, which is a genuine stop rather than a photo halt. Our chauffeur will pick based on the day, and we will route to suit whichever detour you want.
How close can the vehicle get to the temple?
On an ordinary day, reasonably close — the chauffeur holds in a designated area a short walk from the entrance. On full-moon and festival days that area moves a long way out, and the walk becomes substantial.
What is Karthigai Deepam like?
It is the town's largest festival, in November or December, when a beacon is lit on the summit of the hill. It is extraordinary and the town becomes close to impossible to drive in. Worth planning for deliberately, not worth stumbling into.
Can we combine it with Kanchipuram?
Yes, and as a two-day circuit from Chennai it works well. What does not work is both in a single day — you would reach Tiruvannamalai with the light going and the temple about to close for the evening.
How much walking is involved?
A short walk from the vehicle on an ordinary day, a long one on a full moon, and a great deal inside the temple complex, which is one of the largest in South India. If someone in the group has difficulty walking, say so at booking; it changes both the drop point and what we would suggest attempting.
Is Sri Ramana Ashram worth visiting?
For many groups it is the quiet counterpoint to the temple, and it is close to the foot of the hill. It has its own visiting hours, so it needs planning into the day rather than adding on impulse. Mention it when you book and we will build it in.
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Plan this trip
- About Tiruvannamalai
- All Urbania hire in Chennai
- 13 Seater — the seater we suggest
- Compare all seaters
- Full tariff
Route information last verified 2026-09-02.