Here's How You Can Spend A Day In India's Most Loved French Town: The Perfect Pondicherry Itinerary

With chic hotels, lively bars, cheap beer and revamped colonial buildings, there's nothing in Pondicherry you won't like. It's a city made for relaxed venturings!

9am – Pondicherry's French rulers left a legacy in the city that can be seen all over town. One way to experience it is in the form of a delicious breakfast of croissant, quiche, coffee and macarons. Baker Street on Bussy Street (123, Bussy St, MG Road Area) is the best bet for breakfast. Open from 7am onwards, the must-try dishes here are chicken quiche, chocolate croissant and baguette. Price for two is approximately Rs. 500.

10am to 12pm – Stunning yellow buildings, marked with white courtyards narrate the life of the French who lived and ruled in Pondicherry. Known as Ville Blanche or White Town, roaming around the streets during your Pondicherry itinerary. The experience will transport you to the times gone by. Start from Baker Street and move towards Alliance Française. Along the streets are colonial-era villas decorated in pastel and ochre shades, with boulevards lined with stunning green trees. On one such street, named Dumas, is Cluny Embroidery Centre, again an old colonial building but with local women who work there now, producing exquisite French-colonial hand embroidered home furnishings. Pick up a souvenir or two from here. End your walk through this beautiful area at Alliance Française. Located inside a pristine white villa, it stares out at the French Quarter on one side and the sea on the other.

1pm – Auroville's Tanto Pizzeria is the most amazing place for lunch in the city. A reclaimed-wood fire oven is used to cook almost 27 varieties of pizza. The owner is Italian, and he uses ingredients grown on the Auroville farm for all pizzas served in the pizzeria. It's open from 12.30pm to 3pm and from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Located on the main road, near Iyyanar Koil Kullapalyam, Auroville, a lunch for two here will cost you approximately Rs. 1000. Even though they are known for their pizzas, they serve other Italian delicacies such as lasagnas, pastas and tiramisu as well.

2pm – 4pm – After lunch, visit Auroville, which is included in almost every Pondicherry itinerary. Founded in 1968, Auroville is an experimental township where people of all nationalities live in peace and progressive harmony. Roam around the complex, understand the culture and way of life here. Then proceed to Matrimandir, the golden dome in the centre of Auroville. Not a temple, Matrimandir is built for silent introspection and meditation. Even though the entry to Matrimandir is free, you need to obtain a pass to enter it. You need to make a booking in person at least one day in advance at the visitor's centre in Auroville. Therefore, for those visiting Auroville, and Pondicherry in just a day, it's best to see this place from just the outside. There is a dedicated Matrimandir Viewing Point which is a 10-12 minute walk away from the visitor's centre. You can either walk the way or hop on board a free bus service provided by Auroville.

Evening – Pondicherry Beach Promenade and a dinner that is the perfect fusion of Tamil and French cuisines. Pondicherry Beach Promenade is approximately 15km from Auroville and costs somewhere between Rs. 180 and 200 by cab.

5pm - Leave from Auroville and come back to the main town. Head straight to Pondicherry Beach Promenade. Popularly known as the Promenade Beach, this is the pride of Pondicherry. Stretching for approximately 1.5km, it is the best place to have a relaxing evening. You can either take a walk around the beach and see prominent structures such as the War Memorial, statue of Joan of Arc and Mahatma Gandhi, old lighthouse, Dupleix statue and remains of the old pier. Or you can just sit on the beach and enjoy sand and sun.

The Carte Blanche restaurant is hardly a 10 minute walk from the beach. Head there for the best of Tamil-French fusion food.

7pm – Head to L'Orient's Carte Blanche restaurant for a dinner that will have the perfect blend of French-Tamil cooking. Rich French flavours combined with Caribbean spices and local ingredients ensure that every dish you savour here is just delightful! For dinner, it's open from 7pm to 9.30pm only. Located inside the Hotel De L'Orient on Rue Romain Rolland in White Town, a dinner here for two will cost around Rs. 1,100. Do call up in advance for a reservation.

End the day on this delicious note and head back home!

Here's what you can do and see during your Pondicherry itinerary