Tourist Attractions & Monuments South India

Timetable

Temples are generally open from dawn to dusk. Some temples close between noon and 4pm. Museums are mostly open from 9am to 5pm, with one or sometimes two closing days a week. Some places have extended opening hours at weekends and during school vacations.

To be booked

It is not necessary to book your tickets in advance for visits to sites, museums... However, you can reserve tickets for all government-run monuments at https://asi.payumoney.com. Note that you'll need to indicate the date of your visit and enter your passport details. The advantage is that rates are slightly cheaper, the disadvantage - and it's a big one - is that you can't cancel and the procedure is tedious. However, your guide or hotel can help you with this process.

Budget & Tips

In India, when it comes to visiting paying sites, there are rates for locals (quite low) and rates for foreigners, so don't be offended. However, some sites don't justify the prohibitively high entrance fees for foreigners (as in the case of the Mysore Maharaja Palace, Fort Aguada in Goa or the Charminar in Hyderabad). If you're on a tight budget, you'll have to make your own choices, and your Petit Futé guide will come in handy!

Discounts for children. For many sites, including national parks, monuments and some museums, admission is half-price for children under 13. Admission is often free for children under 6.

Smart map: save the locations of the addresses in this guide (monuments, restaurants, cafés, stores, etc.) on your phone's online mapping service (Google Maps, Maps.me, etc.), so you can get an overview of where you are and plan your visits more effectively!

Main events

Every temple in every town and village in the South celebrates its own festivities. It's a good idea to ask the locals about the nearest festival, as these special occasions are often one of the highlights of a trip to India. The religious nature of these celebrations in no way detracts from their festive nature, as merriment is generally the order of the day rather than solemnity, and curious onlookers are more than welcome!

Guided tours

Guided tours are compulsory in National Parks, where the presence of a guide is essential. Some museums offer guided tours, usually in English. For the rest of the time, you're free to visit towns or sites as you please, but the explanations of a qualified guide will often help you to grasp the culture and subtleties of a particular place (temple, town, museum or monument).

Accredited guides are available at the entrances to national sites and monuments managed by the ASI. If you'd like a French-speaking guide, it's best to book his or her services through the local tourist office.

Here are the rates for official guides in 2025:

- Half-day: Rs. 2,050 (for 1 to 5 people) and Rs. 2,500 (for 6 to 14 people). Supplement for French-speaking guide: Rs 600.

- Full day: Rs 2,500 (for 1 to 5 people) and Rs 3,250 (for 6 to 14 people). Supplement for English-speaking guide: Rs 800.

Smokers

Smoking is strictly prohibited in all public places.

Tourist traps

If you want to take a guided tour of a monument, check that the guide is accredited. Some sites refuse access to non-accredited guides, so you'll have paid for nothing. For day tours and excursions, always use a reputable agency. If you are approached on the street, there's a good chance you won't be able to keep your appointment, or your vehicle will look like a rolling tomb.

Many agencies pass themselves off as official tourist offices and display the " Incredible India! " logo on their shop windows. Here too, beware. Generally speaking, few tourist offices provide any interesting information (unfortunately), so it's best to avoid them.

In some Hindu temples, priests invite people to entrust them with large sums of money, specifying that the money will go to the poor. Be aware that this is a scam and that many of these temple servants have built their wealth on the money of the poor.

What's very local

Make sure your shoes are easy to take off and put back on, as you'll need to remove them for any visit to a temple or mosque. Ladies, always carry a scarf to cover your head or shoulders when visiting religious sites. In general, a covering outfit is always appreciated. Gentlemen, shorts and Bermuda shorts are not permitted in mosques. You must cover your head with a headscarf to enter a gurdwara, a Sikh temple.

In almost every town and village in South India, you can witness the religious rituals performed during ceremonies, marked by incomparable fervor. A fascinating experience that engages all the senses. Most temples are open to foreign visitors, but the entrance to the sanctuary where the deity is located is often reserved for Hindus only. Some temples, particularly in Kerala and Karnataka, are completely off-limits to non-Hindus.