ChurchFree entry

San Thome Basilica

#4of 10 places to visit in ChennaiChennai, Tamil Nadu

Also known as Cathedral Basilica of San Thome · St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica · Santhome Church

Quick answer

Opening hours: 06:00–20:00 and 06:00–18:00. Entry is free. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 07:00 – 09:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Joe Ravi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 06:00–18:00; 06:00 – 20:00 daily; the underground tomb chamber of St. Thomas keeps shorter hours, typically 06:00 – 18:00.
Entry fee: Free
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: 07:00 – 09:00
Best months: Dec – Mar
Address: 38 San Thome High Road, Santhome, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004

About San Thome Basilica

San Thome Basilica stands on the Santhome shoreline over what the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore identifies as the tomb of the apostle Thomas, a claim that places it among a small number of churches worldwide built directly over an apostle's burial site. The building visible today is a white-painted Neo-Gothic structure completed in 1896 under British administration, replacing an earlier Portuguese-era church first consecrated in 1523. Pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, and stained-glass windows depicting the apostle's life give the interior a European Gothic Revival character that stands apart from the Dravidian temple architecture dominating the rest of Mylapore just a few streets inland.

Best time of day: 07:00 – 09:00. Before the midday heat and before tour groups arrive from the Marina Beach circuit.

San Thome Basilica timings

Opening hours: 06:00–18:00; Mon–Sun 06:00–20:00 and 06:00–18:00; 06:00 – 20:00 daily; the underground tomb chamber of St. Thomas keeps shorter hours, typically 06:00 – 18:00.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	06:00–20:00 and 06:00–18:00

Good to know: Hours extend around the December feast season and the basilica's own festival in the week following Christmas.

Opening hours compiled from santhomechurch.org and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

San Thome Basilica ticket price

Entry fees for San Thome Basilica
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	Free
Foreign visitors	Free
Children	Free
Camera	Free

Entry to the basilica is free. The small museum in the crypt area charges a nominal fee for some exhibits, as of 2026, verify at the counter.

Prices compiled from santhomechurch.org and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit San Thome Basilica

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

06:00 – 08:00
Early MassBest time to go
Local parishioners attend the first Mass of the day; the crypt and main nave are calm and largely free of tour groups.
Quiet
08:00 – 11:00
Morning Visitors
Domestic tourists arrive, often combining the visit with Marina Beach or Kapaleeshwarar Temple; the crypt stairway sees short queues.
Moderate
11:00 – 16:00
Midday Lull
Heat keeps most visitors away; the basilica's interior stays cool and is a comfortable time for unhurried photography.
Quiet
16:00 – 19:00
Evening Peak
Evening Mass and cooler temperatures bring the largest crowds of the day, particularly on Sundays.
Busy

History of San Thome Basilica

Portuguese traders and missionaries established the first church on this site in the early 16th century, consecrating it in 1523 after excavations they conducted turned up remains they identified as those of St. Thomas, who local Christian tradition holds arrived on the Malabar and Coromandel coasts in 52 CE and was martyred nearby at Little Mount. The British colonial administration rebuilt the structure between roughly 1893 and 1896 in Neo-Gothic style, the version that stands today, replacing the smaller Portuguese-era building without disturbing the crypt beneath. Pope Pius XII elevated the church to the status of minor basilica in 1956, recognising its significance to global Catholic pilgrimage rather than any change to the physical structure. The underground tomb chamber, reachable by a stairway near the main altar, remains an active pilgrimage site and is periodically opened for exposition of relics associated with the apostle.

Rules & etiquette at San Thome Basilica

Shoulders and knees should be covered before entering, in keeping with standard church etiquette across India, and staff at the entrance will point out the shawls kept for visitors who arrive under-dressed. Photography is generally permitted in the main nave but discouraged directly in front of the altar during Mass, which runs on a fixed daily schedule posted at the entrance. Quiet is expected in the crypt area around the tomb chamber even when the main basilica upstairs is busy with tour groups. Footwear stays on throughout, unlike the Hindu temples nearby in Mylapore, since Catholic churches in India do not follow the same removal convention. Vehicles cannot park directly outside the basilica on San Thome High Road during peak traffic hours; the side streets toward the beach offer easier options.

Tips for visiting San Thome Basilica

1
San Thome Basilica sits close enough to Kapaleeshwarar Temple and Marina Beach that all three fit into a single morning circuit on foot or by short auto-rickshaw hops, provided the walk starts before 09:00 to beat the heat. The small museum attached to the crypt displays artefacts related to the apostle's traditional arrival and martyrdom, presented as church tradition rather than settled historical fact, and is worth the extra ten minutes for context before descending to the tomb chamber itself. The basilica's own feast, observed in the days after Christmas, draws large crowds from Chennai's Christian community and is the busiest single period of the year, so a visit outside that window suits travellers who prefer a quieter interior. Street vendors along San Thome High Road sell rosaries and small devotional items at the gate; prices are negotiable and not fixed by the church.

How to reach San Thome Basilica

The red star is San Thome Basilica; the numbered pins are the 8 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

38 San Thome High Road, Santhome, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600004Directions in Google Maps

From Chennai International Airport (MAA)
₹400–₹550
13 km · 35–45 min
Prepaid taxi/app cab).
From Thirumayilai (Mylapore) MRTS Station
₹40–₹60
2 km · 8–12 min
Auto-rickshaw).
From Chennai Central Railway Station (MAS)
₹160–₹230
8 km · 20–30 min
Auto-rickshaw, negotiated).

Nearest airport

From Chennai International Airport (MAA)

approximately 13 km, 35–45 minutes by road.

Nearest railway station

From Thirumayilai (Mylapore) MRTS station

approximately 2 km, 8–12 minutes.

San Thome Basilica FAQs

Is San Thome Basilica really built over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle?

Yes, according to the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, which identifies the crypt beneath the altar as the apostle's burial site. This tradition, rather than independent archaeological proof, is what places the basilica among the small number of churches worldwide associated with an apostle's tomb.

Is there an entry fee for San Thome Basilica?

No, entry to the main basilica and crypt is free as of 2026. A small attached museum charges a nominal fee for some exhibits; verify at the counter on arrival.

When was San Thome Basilica elevated to basilica status?

In 1956, when Pope Pius XII granted the church the rank of minor basilica. The current Neo-Gothic building it occupies had been completed six decades earlier, in 1896.

What should visitors wear to San Thome Basilica?

Shoulders and knees covered, following standard church etiquette in India. Shawls are available at the entrance for visitors who arrive under-dressed, and footwear stays on throughout the visit.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places