Puducherry is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South India. The city has many beautiful colonial buildings, churches, temples, and statues, which, combined with the systematic town planning and the well planned French style avenues, still preserve much of the colonial ambience. Puducherry is also a popular weekend destination. It is a blend of spiritual aura, French colonial heritage, Tamil culture, Virgin beaches and the cosmopolitan flair of many nationalities in a small but varied town.

The most popular tourist destinatins are the four beaches in puducherry, which are Promenade Beach, Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach and Serinity Beach. Sri Aurobindo Ashram located on rue de la Marine, is one of the most well known and wealthiest ashrams in India. Auroville (City of Dawn) is an "experimental" township located 8km North-West of puducherry. Auroville is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.

There are a number of old and large churces in puducherry some of which have been built in eighteenth and nineteenth century. A number of heritage buildings and monuments are present around the Promenade beach such as the Children’s Park & Dupleix Statue, Gandhi statue, Nehru Statue, Le Café, French War Memorial, 19th Century Light House, Bharathi Park, Governors Palace, French War Memorial, Romain Rolland Library, Legislative Assembly, Puducherry Museum, French Institute of Pondicherry at Saint-Louis Street etc.

Puducherry Botanical Gardens is located south of the New Bus Stand. Chunnambar Backwater resort is situated 8 km from puducherry, along the Cuddalore Main Road. This tropical resort is flanked by a quiet-flowing creek on one side. Boating and tree house are very popular.

Thiruk Aameeswarar Temple is one of the ancient, beautiful, and huge temples that is located in a beautiful rural town called "Villianur", which is located about 10 km away (towards Villupuram) from Puducherry town. This temple is Renowned As "Periya Koil", which Means "Big Temple" in Puducherry locality. The prime god is Lord Shiva and the prime goddess is Goddess Kokilambigai. In addition, there are also other Hindu gods such as Murugan, Vinayagar, Thakshanamoorthy, Perumal, Bhramah, Chandikeshwarar, Natarajar, Navagrahah, and 63 Naayanmaars. The pioneers in this temple say that the age of this temple is about 1000+ years. This seemed to be constructed by one of the Chola Kings. There is also a huge "temple pond". One of the famous festival of this temple is "Ther Thiruvizha".