India : Safety by City
- Agra
- Ahmedabad
- Bangalore
- Chandigarh
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Gurgaon
- Hyderabad
- Jaipur
- Kochi
- Kolkata
- Kolkatta
- Mangalore
- Mumbai
- Navi Mumbai
- Noida
- Pune
- Surat
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Vadodara
Chennai is the sixth-largest city in India, when the population is concerned, with more than 7 million citizens.
It is the center of culture, art, history.
Being among major tourist destinations in India, it is one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.
Chennai is one of the biggest cultural, economic and educational centers in South India and very well visited by foreign tourists.
The UNESCO Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram, temples, extremely beautiful and inviting beaches and many other sites make it attractive to travelers from all over the world and they usually tend to start their trip to the rest of the region exactly from here.
Warnings & Dangers in Chennai
OVERALL RISK: HIGH
Generally, the city is considered to be the safest one in India. There is no violent crime, but petty crime acts cannot be avoided in such a huge city. If you remain watchful when in crowds, do not display cash in public and respect certain safety rules for big cities, all these kinds of crimes can be prevented.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
If you decide to drive in Chennai, which is not advisable at all, keep in mind that the traffic is chaotic, neither rules are respected, nor pedestrians. To cross the street, always use underground crossings, except at night when they can be dangerous. During the motorbike ride, put a helmet on your head.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
Pickpocketing and bag snatching are very common in India, as well as in Chennai. Crowds in front of monuments, in public transport and on the beaches, especially during weekends, when they are overcrowded, are the hubs of thieves, so tourists must not leave their possessions unattended.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: HIGH
Natural dangers, such as earthquakes, flooding, and storms are frequent in India since it is prone to these due to its location. In case a disaster occurs, tourists just need to follow the instruction of authorities.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
Kidnapping and mugging do not happen in Chennai, and if they occur, they are not against tourists. There is no risk of this kind of crime in Chennai.
TERRORISM RISK: HIGH
Islamist extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihadi-Islami, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Indian Mujahideen among many others are working on the territory of India. That is why there is a threat of terrorist attacks, especially against British people, due to the conflict in Iraq and Syria.
SCAMS RISK: HIGH
Distracted tourists are the easiest prey for scammers, and they tend to take advantage of the situation. Pay attention to fast meter scam when in a taxi. The best way to take a taxi is via phone or the Internet. Rickshaw drivers also tend to overcharge foreigners. The possibility of the milk and gems scams on the markets exists.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: HIGH
This is the city where female travelers cannot feel safe if they happen to be alone, neither during the day nor night. The best advice is to dress modestly, not to have deeper communication with local men and, if possible, not to come alone.
So... How Safe Is Chennai Really?
Regarding all the monuments, historical sites, and architecture, there are plenty of things to see and do in Chennai, but you need to bear in mind that it is one of the most populous cities in the world, that you can find any kind of people here, which in turns, leads to different types of criminal acts.
Taxi drivers, as well as the driving itself, is horrendous, some parts of the city are more prone to violence, and solo female traveler can feel at danger while in Chennai.
On the other hand, it can be a safe place only if you exercise precaution, take taxis from licensed agencies and do not wander around at night in the isolated areas.
All in all, theft, armed robbery and rapes are constant threats when in Chennai, but vigilant tourists enjoy their stay without any problem and have a fabulous time.
Nevertheless, it is the safest city in India.
How Does Chennai Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Chennai | 50 |
| Delhi | 45 |
| Kolkatta | 48 |
| Mumbai | 49 |
| Agra | 50 |
| Jaipur | 53 |
| Hyderabad | 65 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
| Phnom Penh (Cambodia) | 61 |
| Niagara Falls (Canada) | 87 |
| Calgary (Canada) | 82 |
Useful Information
Visas
A visa is required documentation together with a valid passport when entering India and you need to take it out before coming there. Any necessary information regarding visas can be found on the Internet.
Currency
The official currency in India is Rupee and it is available in the form of notes and coins. Once you exchange your money, leave some coins for giving tips and other minor expenses.
Weather
Chennai has a tropical wet and dry climate and the variation in temperature is constant. Summer is hot and humid and it lasts from April to June. The monsoon season is from October to December. The period from December to March is probably the best time to visit Chennai.
Airports
Various airports can be used when coming to India, but when coming to Chennai, you can travel via Chennai International Airport, which is the fourth busiest airport in India or Kempegowda International Airport.
Travel Insurance
Whichever country you are visiting, injuries, accidents, and problems cannot be predicted. That is why it is advisable to take out a travel insurance policy before starting your journey. It should cover all the possible issues that may ruin your trip.
Chennai Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 30 | 31 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 29 |
| Low °C | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| High °F | 86 | 88 | 93 | 97 | 100 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 90 | 86 | 84 |
| Low °F | 70 | 72 | 75 | 79 | 81 | 81 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 73 | 70 |
India - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Agra | 50 |
| Ahmedabad | 67 |
| Bangalore | 54 |
| Chandigarh | 77 |
| Chennai | 50 |
| Delhi | 45 |
| Gurgaon | 71 |
| Hyderabad | 65 |
| Jaipur | 53 |
| Kochi | 70 |
| Kolkata | 49 |
| Kolkatta | 48 |
| Mangalore | 75 |
| Mumbai | 49 |
| Navi Mumbai | 80 |
| Noida | 71 |
| Pune | 74 |
| Surat | 80 |
| Thiruvananthapuram | 71 |
| Vadodara | 71 |
I live in chennai…& have never known it to a high risk place for tourism…this is absolute nonsense!!
I have studied in Chennai, chennai is best safest city in India, No terrarium in Tamil Nadu state. Very nice and peaceful town , All levels can run their lives , medium class hotels are more safe.
People are very friendly and police officer and officials are more helpful, Best place for tourism, Lots of heritage and historical places.
Temple City Kanchipuram is very near 65km. And world famous merina beach, mahabalipuram sea shore stone temple , arjunan thabashu krishnan butter ball stone are famous
Lost of higher education institutions, good medical hospital and Experienced surgeon’s are available in the city international tourists, medical help needes can happily visit out city
Regards
Ezhilvannan Narayanasamy
Kanchipuram
I agreed well said
Non sense review
India is the best place for tourism. This review is absolutely a scrap. Moreover chennai is safest for tourism.
Chennai is very safe for women
Hi,
I came as a tourist along with my 22 year old wife for our honeymoon as she wanted to visit tropical places first and then frigid places. Chennai in India was our first stop. We were there for 45 days and my wife (who has no forms of markings or ornaments that tell that she is married) used to go about on the street after 11 PM until 3 AM for a walk in the byelanes of the city near Hyatt Regency which were pitch dark.
Never was she mugged nor harassed nor anything untoward ! Infact, to see what would have happened, I went along with her and found that all of the men in Chennai pay equal respect to the males and the females as well.
I would advise you to go to Chennai without any hesitation
That is so nice of you to leave a positive comment. Seeing this makes me happy. I’m from Chennai too!
Great city
nice city, nice state, nice people. long live Tamil nadu and tamil people. I am from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Very Safe, cultured and respectful place
Very Safest place for everyone, I agree with Taxi and local Autorickshaw charge more when they see Tourist. But you can avoid them by using Uber & Ola.
Chennai Police are almost compared to scotland yard (google) every thing under their control.
Its safest place to travel for all country people.
I thunk you must see many tamil movies
You may see this all theft, crime and raping only in movies but in real life, It rarely occur! Chennai is a v.safe city and also conservative city! This site as whole is fake AF don’t trust some of the page of this site pls!
Poor review
This review is a joke, Chennai is considered to be one of the safest cities in South Asia. The people living in the city and suburbs value the culture and women and children are treated respectfully.
“High risk of terrorism especially targeting British travellers”- ROFL
Traffic, pedestrian safety, weather, pollution – totally agree with the review
BS
This website called Paris safe and claims Chennai to be unsafe. What a joke
You wasted 5 mins reading a completely misguiding review
For all those who are reading this review to understand about chennai and visiting here – you have just wasted 5 minutes of your time reading nonsense and crap. Check other reliable reviews for facts. Chennai is a nice , warm friendly city for tourists and I am sure you will have nice time.
Chennai & Tamilnadu is a safest place. People are very friendly
Unfair review
Review is very biased, unfair n not capturing the right fact. Chennai is very safe compare to other places, as a tourist how we used to be careful while traveling you can follow the same norms in chennai as well.
Overall risk mentioned as HIGH…its not a right fact. Risk is low, people are friendly and ready to help you at any time
If you pay attention to your surroundings you’ll be ok
We were traveling in a group which made it easier for us to move around without having to worry about pickpocketing – even when we went to the beach, one of us stayed put to guard our stuff. The city has a lot of amazing architectural finds so I wouldn’t say no to visiting it just because of this.
No good Reviews
Chennai is one of the safest cities not just in India but in the world. Obviously, this is a website that gets people to write reviews without experiencing the place. Shame.
As a middle aged white American, I felt quite safe and respected in the city. Some people may stare a bit, beggars can be pushy, and the driving is a little crazy, but it's really not so bad.
I spent 3 weeks in Chennai, as a 35 year old white male American.
The worst I encountered was some staring in certain outskirts of the city, some pushy beggars, and being slightly over charged for rides.
The driving is very crazy and a bit reckless, but you get used to it. People usually drive fairly slow anyway, because roads are congested.
Overall, I felt safe. People were friendly, and although they sometimes seem a bit taken aback by seeing a white person, they proceeded to treat me very normally.
I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.