Frequently asked questions
When is the Big Temple open, and is there an entry fee?
The Archaeological Survey of India lists the Brihadeeswarar Temple as open every day from 6.30 am to 8.30 pm, with free admission, and charges no fee for still photography or video on handheld cameras. It is a working temple, so shoes stay at the entrance and shoulders and knees should be covered. The granite courtyard is walked barefoot, so early morning and late afternoon are the most comfortable times.
Should I spend one night in Thanjavur or two?
One night covers the Big Temple, which is what the 10 Days South India Tour Package allows before it drives on to Madurai. Two nights, as on the South India Temple Trail, give a full day to the Big Temple and Trichy's temples. If you also want the palace and the Saraswathi Mahal Library, open 10 am to 1 pm and 1.30 to 5.30 pm, ask for them to be planned in.
Can I see the other Great Living Chola Temples from Thanjavur?
Yes, with a tailor-made change. The Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, built by Rajaraja II in the 12th century, stands on the edge of Kumbakonam, and the temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, completed by Rajendra I in 1035, lies further north on the road towards Chennai. As both are on the Chennai side of Thanjavur, a route can take them in on the drive from the coast. The itineraries listed here do not include them, so ask when you plan.
Can I take photographs at the Big Temple?
Yes, in the grounds: the Archaeological Survey of India charges no fee for still or video photography on handheld cameras. Ask your guide before photographing inside the shrines, where worship goes on and temple rules apply. Trichy's temples, Srirangam among them, are stricter: photography inside is not allowed, and the state's rules on carrying phones have changed recently, so your guide checks them on the day.
Is there more to Thanjavur town than the Big Temple?
Yes. About 1 km from the temple stands the palace, built partly by the Nayaks and partly by the Marathas and still home to the Maratha royal family. The Saraswathi Mahal Library, built up by the same rulers, keeps more than 49,000 manuscripts on paper and palm leaf, and the town's art gallery holds Chola sculpture brought from Darasuram. Thanjavur also gives its name to a school of painting, and nearby Swamimalai is known for its bronze idols.
Which airport is nearest to Thanjavur?
Tiruchirappalli International Airport, about 60 km away, is the one Tamil Nadu Tourism and the Thanjavur district administration both name. On the packages listed here you arrive by road from Mahabalipuram instead, and Thanjavur Junction railway station, close to the Big Temple, has direct trains from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai if you are planning a different route.
About Thanjavur Tour Packages
Our private trips through Thanjavur suit travellers drawn to the Chola Big Temple. The South India Temple Trail gives the town two nights and a day for its temples and Trichy's. The 10 Days South India Tour Package stops one night on the way to Madurai and Kerala. Every trip is tailor-made around your dates, budget and group, and confirmed in a written quote before you pay anything.
Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 20 Oct 2026
Why go to Thanjavur
Thanjavur, in the Cauvery delta, was the Chola capital when King Rajaraja I built the Brihadeeswarar Temple, the Big Temple, inaugurated in about 1010. It is built of granite: the tower over the shrine rises 216 feet (about 66 metres), and its dome rests on a single granite block that the Archaeological Survey of India puts at about 80 tonnes, while a Nandi carved from one rock faces the sanctum. With the temples at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram, it forms the Great Living Chola Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is still a working temple. The town also has its Nayak and Maratha palace and the Saraswathi Mahal Library. More in our Thanjavur travel guide.
How many days to give Thanjavur
You reach Thanjavur by road from Mahabalipuram on day 3 of every package listed here. On the South India Temple Trail, the stay is two nights: day 4 is for the Big Temple and the temples of Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), about 55 km away, and you leave for Madurai on day 5. On the 10 Days South India Tour Package, the stay is one night, and the Big Temple fits into day 4 before the road to Madurai. One night is enough for the Big Temple; two leave room for Trichy's Srirangam and, if you ask, the palace.
When to go
December to February is the most comfortable season here, according to Tamil Nadu Tourism. Thanjavur lies inland, but the northeast monsoon still reaches the delta: the district normally gets more than half its yearly rain between October and December, after the monsoon sets in over the Tamil Nadu coast, usually around 20 October. In summer, temperatures of 35–40°C make midday on the temple's granite paving, walked barefoot, hard going, so plan your visits for early morning and late afternoon. Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, falls in mid-January. Our Tamil Nadu best-time guide has more on the seasons.
How to reach Thanjavur
Thanjavur is about 330 km south of Chennai, and on every package listed here you arrive by road from Mahabalipuram with your private car and driver, most of a day's drive. The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International, about 60 km away. Thanjavur Junction railway station, about 1.5 km from the Big Temple, has direct trains from Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai. From the town, Kumbakonam and Darasuram lie to the north-east, and Madurai, the next stop on every route here, to the south-west.
What our Thanjavur tour packages include
Your private car and driver stay with you through Thanjavur, as on the rest of the route, and the packages listed here include a local guide at the major temple sites and daily breakfast. Entry to the Big Temple is free, and the Archaeological Survey of India charges nothing for handheld cameras in its grounds; camera and special-entry fees at other temples are not included. The South India Temple Trail lists hotel stays, confirmed at enquiry. Lunches and dinners are extra, except aboard the Alleppey houseboat on the 10-day route into Kerala, and so are flights and travel insurance.
How to choose your Thanjavur tour package
Choose by how much of the Chola country you want. The South India Temple Trail suits travellers who care about temple architecture and do not mind going barefoot on hot stone: two nights here and a day with Trichy, then Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari. The 10 Days South India Tour Package suits those who want temples and Kerala's backwaters in one trip, with one night and the Big Temple alone. For Darasuram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Swamimalai's bronze idols or a slower pace in the delta, a tailor-made trip suits better; other routes in the state are under Tamil Nadu tour packages.
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