Vellore Fort & Golden Temple
A massive 16th-century Vijayanagara fort with a moat, and the ornate Sripuram Golden Temple covered in 1,500 kg of gold.
140 km from Chennai (approx. 2.5 hours via NH46)
Best time: October to March
How to Get There
Drive via NH46 (Bangalore Highway) through Kancheepuram and Ranipet. Express trains from Chennai Central reach Katpadi Junction (3 km from Vellore) in about 2.5 hours. Frequent buses from Koyambedu take 3–3.5 hours.
Things to See & Do
- 1Vellore Fort, a 16th-century fort with a wide moat and massive ramparts
- 2Jalakandeswarar Temple inside the fort (Vijayanagara architecture)
- 3Government Museum within the fort complex
- 4Sripuram Golden Temple, covered in 1,500 kg of gold leaf
- 5CMC Hospital, one of India's top medical institutions
Travel Tips
- Visit the fort in the morning, Golden Temple in the afternoon (it lights up beautifully at dusk)
- No cameras or phones allowed inside the Golden Temple (lockers available)
- The walk to the Golden Temple through the star-shaped pathway takes about 30 minutes
- Combine with Yelagiri Hills (80 km further) for a weekend trip