A first-time guide to Pondicherry, India

14.06.2024 - 19:53 / lonelyplanet.com

Jun 14, 2024 • 6 min read

Scoop up an 18th-century French town and plop it down in the middle of coastal Tamil Nadu, India, and voilà: you have Puducherry.

More familiar as Pondicherry, this breezy city was under French colonial rule from the late 17th century until 1954. Although indisputably Tamil, Pondicherry still holds onto countless traces of its Gallic past, from pastel-hued heritage hotels and churches to an abundance of croissant-slinging cafes, particularly in White Town, its French Quarter.

While Pondicherry’s abundance of French food and architecture are among its biggest draws, it’s also an old favorite among spiritually inclined visitors, many of whom are more interested in visiting temples and ashrams than they are in wolfing down coq au vin and crêpes Suzette.

Whatever Pondicherry experiences you seek out, here’s all you need to know to plan a perfect trip to this singular city.

Although Pondicherry is attractive year-round, the best time to visit Pondicherry is between January and March, when temperatures are at their coolest and there’s little chance of rain. Things start to heat up in April, with temperatures rising through June before slowly dropping again in July, when the southwest monsoon begins. The rains often continue through the end of the year, with the northeast monsoon arriving in the Pondicherry area in October.

It depends on what you want to do. With three full days in Pondicherry, you’ll have enough time to see the main sights at a relaxed pace and spend a day in nearby Auroville. With four or five days, you can tack on a day trip or two. Over a week or more, you’ll have time to relax and get a feel for the rhythm of life in the city, with time left over to attend a yoga retreat at a nearby yoga center. 

Yes. Pondicherry has a relatively new airport, though since flights are limited, many visitors opt to fly into Chennai, 145km (90 miles) away, then continue onward by bus or private taxi (count a minimum of three hours’ drive). Trains depart for Puducherry from Chennai Egmore; the trip takes roughly 4 hours.

Getting around Pondicherry is equally straightforward. The city is mostly flat, with well-maintained roads and pavements that make getting around on foot a breeze, especially if you base yourself in or near White Town. Auto rickshaws are easy to hail off the street (just negotiate in advance), and there are plenty of taxi companies for destinations further afield. If you’d prefer a bit more independence, bicycles and scooters are also widely available to rent from outfits such as JP Two Wheeler. 

Pondicherry is home to numerous spiritual sites, the most famous of which is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, founded by Bengali philosopher Sri Aurobindo and his French collaborator