Tourism in Kanchipuram district offers a wide variety of options which include several temples, beaches, resorts, wild life sanctuaries, etc. The district of Kanchipuram is a place where a large number of temples are present. These temples reflect the glorious traditions of South India. There are several fairs and festivals held in this district through out the year and the temples here for the major attractions for the devotees from all parts of the state of Tamil Nadu as well as from various other parts of India. There are also a number of other options of entertainment including swimming in the beaches, viewing different species of birds in the sanctuaries, etc in this district.

Pilgrimage Tourism in Kanchipuram District
Sriperumpudur is a place which is situated at a distance of about twenty nine kilometers from Chennai on the way to Kanchipuram. This is the birth place of Saint Ramanujar, the Father of Visishtadvaida philosophy of Vaishnavism and hence it is one of the prominent places of pilgrimage for the Vaishnavites. Another one is the Anna Memorial in Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram is the birth place of Dr. C.N. Annadurai, the scholar statesman, dearly called Anna or the Elder Brother, by the general public. His ancestral house situated in this district is converted into a memorial.

The Kamakodi Peetham and the Kammakshi Amman temple are closely linked with the life of Shankaracharya. The Kamakoti Peetham is enshrined in the Sri Chakra, which is in front of Sri Devi and all pujas and sacrifices are offered to the Sri Chakra. This religious place is visited by a large number of pilgrims from all parts of the state.

A number of fairs and festivals are organized throughout the year in the Kanchipuram district. Some of the major festivals include the Brahmothsavam, Garudothsavam, and car festivals or rath yatra, which are held in the months of January, April, and May respectively. There is another festival which is celebrated in the month of October in the district of Kanchipuram called the Silk tourism festival. Today, apart from its temples, this district of Tamil Nadu is also known for its thriving handloom industry. Kanchipuram is also known as Silk City because the main profession of the people living in and around is weaving silk sarees. The silk weavers of Kanchipuram settled more than four hundred years ago and have given it an enviable reputation as the producer of the best silk sarees in the country.

Nature Tourism in Kanchipuram District
The Vedantangal bird`s sanctuary is one of the major Water bird sanctuaries in India. It is situated at a distance of about of forty eight kilometers from Kanchipuram. The birds nest on the branches of submerged trees in this sanctuary. Stork, Cormorants, Egrets, Flamingos, Darter, White ibis, Pelicans, Herons, Moor hens, Sandpipers, Kingfishers, Spoonbills, Swans and Grey wagtails are some of the birds which arrive here during season. The most suitable season time is between the months of October and March, when a large number of migratory birds visit this sanctuary. The birds can be watched from the bank or from the watch tower.

Dakshina Chitra is also known as a little Tamil Nadu where the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century houses are relocated and re-created village streets and work places by giving an authentic insights into the domestic architecture, spatial organization, life-styles and character of the essential Tamilian or Keralite or Andhrite or Kannadiga. While on a tour of the state of Tamil Nadu one can visit the Kanchi Kudil in the district of Kanchipuran. Kanchi Kudil was born out of a desire to make the ancestral property into a place of tourist interest, so that the tourists may get a feel of the life as lived in a historic place as Kanchipuram. While temples and monuments indicate the cultural life of a place, the real soul of a place is to be found in its people and their homes.

The Crocodile Bank is located at a distance of fourteen kilometers from Mamallapuram. It is a crocodile breeding center in the district of Kanchipuram. Here, about five thousand crocodiles of six different species, alligators and other reptiles are bred in captivity, kept in open and marshy enclosures. A snake farm is also there and it is known to produce anti venom and thus there is a regular venom extraction show which the visiting tourists enjoy. Mammalappuram in this district was a flourishing port town in the time of the Pallavas. This is one of the main tourist attractions in Kanchipuram. The monuments of Mamallapuram are excellent specimen of Pallava art and Dravidian temple architecture.

Leisure Tourism in Kanchipuram District
Sadras is a fine beach which is at a distance of sixteen kilometers from Mamallapuram. Previously, this was a Dutch settlement but now it is famous as a beach resort. There is another beach in this district which is known as Covelong Beach. It is a small fishing village which is situated at about forty kilometres from Chennai on the Mahabalipuram road. There are the remains of a fort which has been re-modelled to serve the purpose of a fine beach resort. Tourists can enjoy windsurfing and swimming at this beach resort. There is also a dargah and an ancient church which are located close to this resort.

Muttukkadu is a lake in this district which is formed out of the backwaters. Here the facilities like boating and wind surfing are available. It is situated eighty kilometres away from Kanchipuram. The Backwaters of Muttukkadu are developed by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation to serve as a picnic spot and a centre for water sports. Training and demonstration programmes are organized for beginners. The district of Kanchipuram is seventy five kilometers from Chennai and is suitably linked by a good network of roads. There are frequent buses from Kanchipuram to Chennai, Bengaluru and other places. The airport close to this district is the Chennai International Airport which is only a two hour drive from the district. This district can also be visited from the Chennai central railway station and the Arakkonam railway station.