“Explore an exotic places in the capital of Kerala….. “
Why Trivandrum?
Thiruvananthapuram aka Trivandrum is the beautiful city and the capital of the southern state of Kerala. Besides being the center for all the official state affairs, the city has much to show its visitors. The city has the perfect amalgamation of the history and the natural beauty. One may spend days exploring the mighty palaces, beautifully designed temples, magnificent museums, cozy beaches and much more. Trivandrum preserves the culture and heritage it received from its ancestors. There is something unusual about this place that doesn’t let you keep away but to visit this place.
When you plan to go on south India tour you, tourist places of Trivandrum are must in your itinerary list. As it is one of the southernmost places of India and it is very much close to Kanyakumari, you can easily explore this best tourist places. The another interesting thing about Trivandrum is, its has a very strong connection with Bollywood and that is the film fare award winner Actress Padmini who has featured in the best films of Bollywood like Mera Naam Joker, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Raj Tilak and many more.. So, Here is the list of best tourist destination of Trivandrum which will be surely in your list of south India tour.
Best Trivandrum Tourist Places
1. Neyyar Dam & Wildlife Sanctuary
Do visit Neyyar Dam and wildlife sanctuary to encounter Lion and Deer and also to see a crocodile farm and elephant rehabilitation centre. The place is sure to please the children as well adults with its beauty and contents. You can easily spend about 2 to 3 hours here. This is one of the best tourist place to visit during monsoon season.
- Neyyar Dam Timings: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM (all days)
- Entry fees: INR 250 per person (Adults), INR 125 (for Children between 5 to 12 years), INR 5 (for Children below 5 years)
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 32.1 km
2. Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The must visit place in your itinerary should be this place. The temple is a popular Lord Padmanabha temple- a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. To the disappointment of many, the temple sees only the hindu devotees inside it. The temple has innumerous mysteries hidden inside it. The historians and archaeologists are still not able to determine the exact age of the temple till date. Some believe that this temple was built on the first day of Kali Yuga i.e. over 5000 years ago. Apart from this, the temple has great historical importance amongst hindus. The temple is believed to be one of the richest temples of India.
The temple is said to be inspired by the architecture of the Adikesavaperumal Temple in Thiruvattar. But the beauty and tranquility of the temple is one in all. The in numerous pillars, high held roof, detailed carvings, broad long walkway, altogether adds to the incredibility of this temple. There is something unusual about this temple that keeps it in limelight always. The temple has strict rules to be followed by each visiting devotees. You can easily spend about 1 to 2 hours at temple roaming all around but the time for darshan is just for seconds .
Darshan Timings and Entry Tickets:
- Timings:
- 3:30 AM – 4:45 AM (Nirmalya Darshanam), 6:30 AM – 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM, 11:45 AM – 12 PM, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM, 6:45 PM – 7:20 PM.
- Entry fees: Special darshan: INR 150, Special darshan with prasad: INR 180
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 2.9 km
3. Poovar Island – Where the Sea, River and the Land Meets
If you really want to immerse yourself in the charm of moving between the huge saluting trees with the birds flocking around you and the winds entangling your hairs, then this is the place for you. Situated between the Arabian Sea and the Neyyar River, this island dhas gained popularity because of the immense beauty it contains within. Poovar Island is also famous for fishing. It has something that you wont find anywhere else, i.e. a point where the sea, river and the land meets. The island is flocked with the nature lovers all the year long.
The golden beach contained within the island is truly a romantic place to visit. Every particle of the sand glitters golden with the rays of the sun falling over it. The floating restaurants and the houseboats to have a stay are truly admiring. You can enjoy the sheer beauty of the place with your loved ones or even alone. The place is sure to uplift everyone’s mood and to make the trip a memorable one. You can easily spend about 2-3 hrs here.
- Charges for boat ride – you can opt for the package of your choice starting from INR 2000.
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 30 km
4. Kanakakunnu Palace – A heritage Monument Of Kerala
Built by the Travancore king Sree Moolam Thirunal, this palace served as the main venue for royal banquets. One can see massive crystal chandeliers hanging beautifully and an array of exquisite pieces of royal furniture inside. The palace has been listed as a heritage monument by The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The palace also helds the prestige of being the India’s First Digital Garden in a public place.
The palace houses the Nisha Gandhi open-air auditorium and Sooryakanthi auditorium and now serves as a host to many cultural events and meets. There are thousands of tourists vising here every year to witness the all India Dance Festival (October to March) which is organized by the Department of Tourism each year.
- Ideal Time: 1 to 2 hours
- Timings: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Monday closed)
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 7 km
5. Trivandrum Observatory – a Astronomical Center
As the name indicated, the place gives a magnificent view of the city with its natural surroundings. It was built in 1837 over a hill, at the highest point of the city, with an elevation of nearly 60 metres above sea level. It was built by the Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Swathi Tirunal, who had much inclination for astronomy.
It is one of the country’s important astronomical centers furnishing 11-inch telescope, CCD camera, sun workstations, image processing facility and much more. One may see computational facilities, a library and audio-video facilities here. There are events like sky-watching to develop the interest towards science in normal public also. You can spend about 1-2 hrs watching the things here.
- Timings: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Sundays and national holidays see closure)
- Entry fees: INR 10 (for adults), INR 5 (for Children)
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 6.4 km
6. Agastya Mala- Ideal Place For Trekking
The Agastya Mala Peak aka Agastyarkoodam is a paradise for the adventure enthusiasts. Holding the prestige of being the tallest peak in Thiruvananthapuram, it perches at a height of 1868 meters above the sea level. This peak is the mother to Thamirabarani river, Karamana River and the Neyyar river. The peak has a stone statue of Agastya rishi or Agathiyar, which serves as an area of common attraction for Hindus. Agastya mala is at the situated at the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
UNESCO included Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves recently and the peak is the part of it. The trekking can take you nearly 2 days to explore here.
7. Zoological Park – Fun Loving Place
Jump into the wildness of nature, screech with the monkeys, roar with the lion, chirp with the birds, do all sort of kiddo activities here. Situated right at the heart of the city, this place takes you to the literal tour of jungle. This zoological park is also known as Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. The construction of the safari dates back to 1857, and is regarded as one of the oldest one in Asia. The jungle has many varieties of colorful birds imported from the various parts of the world to dazzle the visitors with its beauty.
There are huge trees to add to the beauty and charms of this place like that of mahogany, teak and fig. not only this, the place also houses a pond with many amphibians in it. There are hell lot varieties of reptiles, birds, mammals to see here. The thought of which is surely going to dwell in your memories forever. This place is sure to uplift everyones mood and to keep you occupied all day long. Do not forget to visit this place once you are at Trivandrum. You can easily spend about 2 to 3 hours here.
- Zoo Timings: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM everyday (Monday sees closure)
- Entry fees: INR 20 (for adults), INR 5 (for children), INR 50 for camera
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 6.3 km
8. Napier Museum
Having made a place in the heart of this capital city, Napier museum is the center of attraction for all the art lovers. The finess and uniqueness of the contents of the museum is sure to make you go awe. The Indo-Saracenic style architectural of the building is itself worth seeing and appreciating and thus makes it one of the most famous and largely visited museums of the country. The museum is believed to be as old as 150 years and has one of the oldest zoological park contained within.
There are unique sculptures, paintings and musical instruments in the museum to be appreciated. The museum has fine art works of the famous artists such as Raja Ravi Varma, Nicholas Roerich etc. If you have even a slight inclination towards fine arts, you must visit this place.
- Timings: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM all days (Monday sees closure)
- Entry fees: as low as INR 10 and INR 5 for adults and children respectively.
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 6.3 km
9. Sri Chitra Art Gallery
I would say, this place is a gateway to heaven for the fine art lovers. For the ones who want to get absorbed in the artworks, skip all the places and visit here, you are going to find some of the finest artworks of the people which are sure to keep you occupied all the day and cancel all your future endeavors. There is lot to say about the history and the artworks of the gallery. Established in 1935, the gallery houses 1100 paintings of the renowned artists like Raja Ravi Varma, Nicholas Roerich, Svetoslav Roerich, Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, V. S. Valiathan, C. Raja Raja Varma, and K. C. S. Paniker.
There are traditional and contemporary paintings with the unique collections the Mughal, Rajput, Bengal, Rajastani, and Tanjore schools of art. There are antique collection of Chinese, Japanese, and Balinese paintings, Tibetan Thangka, and Indian mural paintings right from pre-historic times. Apart from these, there are miniatures from around the world and lot more. There are some rare artworks of Ravi Varma, which are been displayed here. Visiting this place would be a unique experience in itself. You can easily spend 2 to 3 hours here.
- Timings: 10:00 AM – 4:45 PM all days. (Mondays sees closure)
- Entry fees: as low as INR 10 and 5 for Adults and Children respectively.
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 6.3 km
10. Science and Technology Museum
With the aim of inculcating the drive towards science and technology, this museum was established in the year 1984, which has been since then, a dynamic medium of science communication for the general public. Apart from educating the people, the centre has been a major attraction for tourists also.
There are lots of things to see, enjoy and learn here. There are galleries on electricity, electronics, power and motion mechanics with more than 300 exhibits, galleries on Popular Science, Mathematics, Auto mobile, Bio-medical Engineering, Computer and Solar energy, Priyadarsini Planetarium, Science Park, a Mobile Science Exhibition Unit, a Play Park with Educational playing devices, Energy Park, 3D theatre, Edusat Talk Back, Terminal, Energy ball, Motion simulator with 6 degrees of freedom and Laserium & Water fountain etc. To add to this, there is a well equipped library, open to all. so the place is sure to keep you occupied all the day. The museum regularly held various science exhibitions, quiz and competition, awareness programs and conferences to serve its motto. You can easily spend 3-4 hours here.
- Timing: 10 am to 5 pm
- Entry fees: INR 15 (Adult) , INR 10 (children Below 10 years of age), special concession for students coming in group.
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 5.4 km
11. Shanghumukham Beach
It is the ideal place to spend a calm and peaceful evening away from the crowd of the city as this beach is the most beautiful beaches of Trivandrum. There is a vast stretch of sand giving an infinite area for relaxing under the smooth blue sky. The beach is of religious importance as well, as various ceremonies for the local deity is performed here. Apart, there is a sculpture of Sagarakanyaka – Mermaid by Kanayi Kunhiraman, which attracts tourists as well.
Apart from relaxing at the beach you may explore nearby areas like ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Park of Traffic signs for children’, Veli Tourist Village ,the military area of Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force etc. There are lot of activities one may throw themselves into here. You can easily spend hours enjoying here
- Timings: 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM all days
- No entry fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 7.1 km
12. Karikkakom Chamundi Devi Temple
Dedicated to the hindu goddess Chamunda, Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Devi Temple is believed to be over 600 years old. The three form of goddess chamunda is worshipped here- Maha Chamundi, Rakhta Chamundi and Bala Chamundi.
Being built in absolute green surrounding, this temple has religious as well as historical importance. The temple has always been a preacher of truth since ages and believed that the goddess protects the one who is true and punishes the guilty.
The temple observes Pongala Festival as the main and grand celebration. There are lots of tourists and devotees visiting the temple during this time. The temple is decorated heavily and the various rituals are performed to please the goddess. You can spend half to 1 hour here.
- Timings: 5:00 AM – 11:30 AM & 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- No entry fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 3.7 km
13. Priyadarshini Planetarium
Opened for public in the year 1994, the planetarium marks its individual identity in the country. The main attraction here being GM-11 star field projector, which is said can stimulate all the constituents of the visible universe and the star-studded night sky over any location on the earth, on any day you can count. Isn’t it amazing?? You can spend 1-2 hours here
- Planetarium timings: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Show timings: 10:30AM (in Malayalam), 12:00PM (in English), 3:00PM (in Malayalam), 5:00PM hrs (in Malayalam)
- 3D Show – 11:15AM
- Entry fees: INR 60 (adults) INR 30 (for children between 3- 10 years of age) Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 5.4 km
14. CSI Christ Church
Dating back to 1859, when the first stone of the church was laid, no one knew that church will be an epic historical and architectural glory of the state. Built beautifully in the gothic style of architecture, this church is one of the oldest church of the state.
One can see the elegance of the church building in its beautifully stained glass windows portraying The Good Shepherd. There is also a depiction of the twelve disciples (and their symbols) and others associated with the life of Jesus. To add to this, there is a 1000-year-old cemetery with 200 years old gravestones of several Europeans. You can spend 15- 20 mins here
- No entry fee.
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 5.7 km
15. Kuthiramalika Palace
Another yet marvelous place to amaze you is ‘Kuthiramalika Palace’. Kuthiramalika Palace Museum aka Puthenmalika Palace Museum is a mighty two-storied palace that stands near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Kuthiramalika’ meaning “palace of horses” is true in sense that there are 122 smiling wooden horses in the palace welcoming the visitors despite bearing the heavy weight of the pillars supporting the roof of the palace.
One can go back to the era of Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma, who constructed this Palace in 1840s, on entering the premises of the Palace. Built in the typical Kerala type architecture, the palace shows beautiful woodworks of teakwood and rosewood, and artworks of marble, and granite. There are beautiful idols and sculptures made from white marble, Kathakali figures, Belgian mirrors and paintings to appreciate. Inside the campus resides the Kuthira Malika Museum which houses many antiques from the past. A famous music festival named the Swathi Sangeethotsavam, is held every year in the palace premises that attracts thousands of tourists from around the world. One can spend 1-2 hours here.
- Timings: 08:30 – 1:00PM & 3:00 – 5:30 PM (Closed on Mondays)
- Entry fees: INR 10 (Adults), INR 3 (Children)
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 3.3 km
16. Magic Planet – World’s First Magic Theme Park
The answer to all your prayers is here!! The place is not only a heaven for the children but also for the adults. It takes you to the completely different world. You can throw yourself in the immense fun and amazement here. Serving the nation since 2014 with the fun of magic, the place has made its name in the world of magic. There are magicians with lots of awe- inspiring tricks to amuse the public. The place was built with the motto of bringing fun of magic to the every possible person and to make some good memories for them in this stressful life.
The place not only gives chance to the local street magicians but also helps to inculcate the power of science into the young mind. There are lots of segments to visit as ‘Street Magic Venue’, ‘The Indian Mango Mystery’ , ‘Indian Basket Trick’ , ‘Circus Castle’ , ‘Magic Gallery’, ‘Fantasia Theatre’ etc. each section will take you to another world of mystery and magic; and is sure to keep you spell bound.. You can easily spend 5-6 hours absorbed in the magic here.
- Timings: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Monday sees closure)
- Entry fees: INR 400 and 450 for weekdays and weekends respectively. Free for children below 4 years of age.
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 15.9 km
17. Attukal Temple
Dedicated to Goddess Bhagavathy aka Attukal Devi, this temple is one of the the most sacred place of the region. Famous for its large gatherings in the Pongal festival, this temple is also regarded as the ‘Sabarimala of Women’. The temple holds great belief in the hearts of the people as a result hundreds of people visit here daily to have a glimpse of the powerful goddess.
The temple holds a Guinness World Book record of the largest gathering of women for a religious activity on the eve of pongala. Apart from offering prayers to the deity and leaving all your worries to her, you can also appreciate the architecture of the temple built in a classic Tamil form. You can spend half to 1 hour here.
- Timings: 4:30 AM – 12:30 PM & 6:45 PM – 8:30 PM
- No entry fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 5 km
18. Aazhimala Siva Temple
The heaven for the Shiva devotees, Aazhimala Siva Temple stands prestigiously over an elevation on the golden shore of mighty Arabian sea. The location of the temple gave it, its mane as aazhimala, as ‘Aazhi’ means Sea and ‘Mala’ means Hill. There are thousands of devotees visiting here in the annual temple festival with the ‘Naranga Vilakku’, which is essentially an oil lamp lit on a lemon. The marvelous beauty that is created on the festival days with the sparkling of the lamps and the waves hitting the shore is breath taking. You can spend half to 1 hour here.
- Timings: 5:00 AM – 9:00 AM & 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- No entry fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 20.1 km
19. Pazhavangadi Ganapathy Temple
Famous as the lord to fulfill everyone’s deepest wishes, this Ganesha temple has a special place in the hearts of millions of devotees. The unique idol of lord Ganesha, seems to calmly listening the worries of each of his devotees, sits in the centre of the temple. People make huge offerings to please the god and seek his blessings.
The temple is jet black in colour as other temples of the southern India and has a very calm and pious atmosphere. One can forget all their fears and worries coming here. You can spend half to 1 hour here.
- Timings: Morning Darshan from: 4:30 AM – 10:45 AM, Evening Darshan from: 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM
- No entry fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 3.6 km
20. Puthenthope Beach – Ideal Place for Leisure
If you want to spend your weekend in the perfect view of sun rise and sun set, then this is the place. Decorated with huge palm trees on the sides, this beach is the ideal place for leisure. Apart from spending your time in the beach, there are many more things to do around. Visit Indian Space Research Organization nearby. You can spend about 1 – 2 hrs. enjoying here.
- Timings: 24 hrs
- No Entry Fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 15.9 km
21. Veli Beach – Ideal Place For Family Vacation
Along with lot other attractions comes the famous Veli beach. People often visit here to get all sort of fun activities and to spend their day with family and loved ones. The Veli tourist village here offers a full day outing with lots of fun filled activities to enjoy and relax. One can opt for boating, leisure walk, spending time in children’s park, dinning, shopping, bird watching, photography, swimming etc. you must include this place in your itinerary for sure. You can easily spend 1-2 hours here.
- Timings: 24 hrs
- No Entry Fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 6.8 km
22. Akkulam Lake
Famous as a picnic spot and backwater destination, the Akkulam Lake is frequently flocked by the peace and nature lovers. The place of joining of the lake with the sea gives a picturesque view and perfect spot for outing. You can easily spend 1- 2 hours here.
- Timings: not applicable
- No Entry Fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 8.4 km
23. Vellayani Lake – Freshwater Lake in Kerala
The Vellayani lake aka Vellayani Kayal aka Kochu Kovalam or tiny kovalam is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala. It is one of the cleanest freshwater lake that is visited popularly by the tourists. The main attraction being a road that passes through this lake. The lake sees a famous boat race during Onam festival. The lake of the water is used by locals for the irrigation and drinking and for harvesting lotus flowers. You can easily spend 1-2 hours here
- Timings: not applicable
- No Entry Fee
- Distance from the Trivandrum International airport- 13.1 km
Things to Do in Trivandrum:
Apart from visiting all the above mentioned places, you can also enjoy Spending a Lazy Evening at Valiyathura Pier sitting by the 200 m long pier and enjoying the sunset, also you can rejuvenate yourself visiting at some of the best spas here, adding to this you can also go shopping at Chalai Market. For the adventure enthusiasts, there is the Academy for Mountaineering and Adventure Sports that offers many adventurous activities like water sports such as SCUBA diving and river rafting and various air adventures such as skydiving and paragliding. One can also go for Boating & Fishing in Neyyar Dam. So Trivandrum has numerous things to satisfy the urge of every adventure enthusiast best food in Trivandrum.
Try Best Food in Trivandrum:
Being a coastal city, the must have cuisine here is the seafood. Despite you can rush for the traditional mouth watering dishes of Kerala served on clean, green banana leaves with loads of coconut chutney. You can have lots of coconut and bananas here.
Right from the era of kings to the modern world of science and technology, Trivandrum encloses all the aspects of lifestyle. Do plan a trip to Trivandrum soon to explore all these marvels of the city and throw yourself into some precious self pampering and rejuvenating time.
