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Three Hours Tour of Majestic Madurai - (Include Sri Meenakshi Temple)

Duration: 3h
Languages: English
Registered on September 17, 2019

Hello! My name is Dhanabalan and I have been a tour guide in Madurai for the last 11 years. I am especially passionate about the history of Madurai and the different walks of life in this city where I was born and raised. I also enjoy meeting and learning from the people I meet while guiding. I pride myself on offering interesting and informative tours to my clients, and I really look forward to showing you around the city. Don't hesitate to contact us if you want to customize any tour. Please just ask, and together we can create the perfect trip for you with combination of places in Madurai.

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  • No minimum number of attendees
    No minimum number of attendees is required for the tour
  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free
  • Accepts electronic payment
    This tour allows payment by electronic means or credit card

Tour description

Madurai is an ancient city that is situated in the South state Tamil Nadu, India. It is the earliest recorded civilisation and there is evidence that there was human settlement here dating back to 300 BC. The town is built around the Meenakshi Temple. It is well known for various reasons one of them being the historical monuments like the Meenakshi Amman Temple and Tirumalai Nayak Palace. Madurai has also contributed a lot to Indian literature with its rich and abundant literary tradition. On your visit here admire the Dravidian style of architecture as you pay pilgrimage to Meenakshi temple. The pillars outside the temple are erected so cleverly that they one can hear different notes when touching them. Thirumalai Nayak palace is known as the living palace of the Nayak Kings, it was built in the 17th century and is a beautiful construction with several pillars and domes around. With only a fourth portion of this marvel surviving.

Note :
These tours has minimum number of guests required for it to run. While unlikely , it is possible that will not reach the minimum and the guest will be notified that it has been cancelled.

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Highlights

What will we visit on this tour?

  • Meeting point:
    S Chitrai St, Valaiyal Kadai, Madurai...
    S Chitrai St, Valaiyal Kadai, Madurai Main, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001, India
    View on map

    SPS TIFFINS, (Near South Entrance of Meenakshi Temple) S Chitrai St, Valaiyal Kadai, Madurai Main, Madurai, Tamil Nadu 625001 Map : https://maps.app.goo.gl/tBMn3dcLQUgEet47A

  • 1
    Entrance not included
    Meenakshi Amman Temple

    Meenakshi Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.Meenakshi Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.

  • 2
    Entrance not included
    Thousand Pillars

    The thousand pillar mandapam is regared as the 'wonder of the palace'. There are around 985 beautifully decorated columns. Each pillar is beautifully sculptured and presents the glory of the Dravidan sculpture. This hall also houses a Temple Art Museum, where you can see icons, photographs, drawings, etc., exhibiting the 1200 years old history.

  • 3
    Free admission
    Pudhu Mandapam

    Walking tour provides you the scope for understanding how the city awakes, the local habits, the lifestyle of the common man, vibrant and busiest places of the city.

  • 4
    Outside visit
    Swamy sannathi Street
  • 5
    Entrance not included
    Thirumalai Nayak Palace

    Thirumalai Nayak palace is known as the living palace of the Nayak Kings, it was built in the 17th century and is a beautiful construction with several pillars and domes around. With only a fourth portion of this marvel surviving.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

10 ratings
5.0
By category
Professionalism
5.0
Fun
4.7
Expression
5.0
Quality
5.0
Route
4.89
Generic
5 stars
10
4 stars
0
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
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Smitha 07 Apr 2024
Coimbatore

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Apr 2024
I highly suggest a walking tour with Mr. Dhanpal. He is a storehouse of knowledge. I got vast insights into the history of not only the temple town of Madurai but also the Tamil language and literature including Thirukkural. There are minute intricacies and stories behind the sculptures of Ayiramkal Mandapam and the temple architecture which I would’ve definitely missed if he wasn’t with me. I was taken through the snaking alleys of town where I visited the banana market and was surprised to see the smoking chambers of the fruit! A normal visit to the temple on my own would not have taken me to the Summer palace built by Thirumalai Naykkar which is in another part outside of the temple. I drank Jigarthanda from the original shop too. The walking tour takes you through puthu mandapam and wholesale and retail markets so I recommend shopping from these areas which I found way too economical than from around the temple. The palace is undergoing renovation but you can take a few pics here. I am eagerly awaiting to avail his services very shortly for my family and friends. Dhanapal gave me three viewpoints on most of the things - from the mythology, that of the Archeological Survey of India, and his own as a native of Madurai. I have been traveling far and wide, taking services of guides wherever I go to delve deep into the background but this has been the most satisfying one so far. He is ready to clear your doubts and I realized that he is well read. I highly recommend Dhanapal and Guruwalk.
Chloe 04 Apr 2024
Rouen

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Apr 2024
As you can read in the other reviews, it was truly a very interesting tour ! Dhanabalan is very caring, nice and fun. He explained us a lot of things about the places we visited but also shared a lot about Indian history and culture. He gave us a lot of recommendations (things to do after the tour, places to eat, to see…). We also made a few stops during the tour to taste some drinks and food, this was highly appreciated ! Thanks a lot!
Marilena 07 Feb 2024
Pianezza

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Feb 2024
Dhanabalan is a super guide, really very competent and prepared. He told me a lot of things, not only about the places visited, I highly recommend it!! Thank you!!
Roy Karseboom 31 Jan 2024
Binyamina-Giv'at Ada

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Jan 2024
Is amazing, very nice passionate informative and patient, gave us a lot of advice regarding madurai after the tour, thank you very much
Blair 25 Nov 2023
Montreal

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Nov 2023
We did this tour at the end of our 5 week trip in India and learned more in the 4 hours than we had in the rest of our trip. We finally grasped so many concepts that other people hadn’t been able to properly explain to us and Dhanabalan was able to deliver the information in a fun and friendly way. In all honesty, I think this was all around the best walking tour we have ever done. We would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Madurai!!
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Not suitable for pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
There is no minimum number of people required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour requires the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Electronic or credit card payment is accepted.
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