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Buses to Mamallapuram from Chennai by MTC: ECR and OMR

Five direct MTC routes reach Mamallapuram. Route 599 from T. Nagar and 588 from Adyar run most often along ECR.

25 October 2026

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You can reach Mamallapuram from Chennai on an ordinary MTC city bus, and the most frequent direct option in the route data is route 588 from Adyar bus stand, which runs down the East Coast Road and averages a bus every 1.3 hours. Route 599 from T. Nagar takes the same coastal road and averages one every 59 minutes, the best frequency of the five direct routes checked here.

The town’s Pallava-era shore temple, rathas and rock reliefs from the 7th and 8th centuries were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 (UNESCO). Three of the routes below follow ECR past Kovalam and Muttukadu, and two follow the IT corridor on OMR through Kelambakkam and Thiruporur.

5 routesdirect MTC routes checked

59 minaverage gap on route 599

64.7 kmroute 568C from CMBT

1984UNESCO inscription year

ECR or OMR: two ways down the coast

The ECR routes (588, 599 and 589) share the same stops from Thiruvanmiyur through Neelankarai, Cholamandal, Injambakkam, Uthandi, Muttukadu and Kovalam, and end near the sculpture college stop in Mamallapuram. The OMR routes (568 and 568C) run through Sholinganallur, Navalur, Kelambakkam and Thiruporur instead and approach the town from the west. They are useful if you live or work along the IT corridor.

Matrix of five MTC routes against nine stops; 588, 599 and 589 run via Thiruvanmiyur, Neelankarai, Muttukadu and Kovalam on ECR, while 568 and 568C run via Sholinganallur, Kelambakkam and Thiruporur on OMR. — Three ECR routes, two OMR routes.

The gaps quoted here are averages from MTC route data published on our route pages; they may be dated and real waits vary by time of day, so check live timings on the official MTC site or the Chennai One app before you set out.

Routes by starting area

Starting from	Route	Road	Route length	Average gap
T. Nagar, Saidapet, Anna University, Adyar	599	ECR	57 km	59 min
Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur, Palavakkam, Neelankarai	588	ECR	51 km	1.3 hrs
Velachery, Thiruvanmiyur	589	ECR	52 km	5.4 hrs
Adyar, Perungudi, Thoraipakkam, Sholinganallur	568	OMR	51 km	2.7 hrs
Koyambedu (CMBT), Guindy, OMR	568C	OMR	64.7 km	6.7 hrs

Source: MTC route data via Spirit of Chennai route pages (linked). Gaps are averages and may be dated.

From T. Nagar, Saidapet and Guindy

Route 599 starts at T. Nagar and picks up at Saidapet and the Anna University stop before joining ECR at Thiruvanmiyur. It is the most frequent link in the data for central and western Chennai.

From Adyar and the south-east

Adyar bus stand is the main starting point: both 588 (ECR) and 568 (OMR) begin there. Velachery residents have 589 from the MRTS station, though it is rare.

From Koyambedu and the OMR corridor

568C is the only direct route here from Koyambedu. It is the longest at 64.7 km and the least frequent, so most people from the west of the city are better off getting to Adyar or T. Nagar first.

1.3 hrs

Route 588 from Adyar averages a bus every 1.3 hours, against 5.4 hours on route 589 from Velachery (route data).

How long each route is

The chart shows the full length of each direct route. ECR routes are shorter than the OMR loop from Koyambedu.

Bar chart of route lengths: 568C is 64.7 km, 599 is 57 km, 589 is 52 km, and 568 and 588 are 51 km each. — The OMR route from Koyambedu is the longest.

Start from Adyar or T. Nagar for the best choice of direct buses.
If you are on OMR, routes 568 and 568C stop at Sholinganallur, Navalur and Kelambakkam.
Gaps of an hour or more are common; check the last bus back before you leave Chennai.
Check live timings on the official MTC site or the Chennai One app.

Quick answers

Is there an MTC bus from Chennai to Mamallapuram?

Yes. Routes 588, 599, 589, 568 and 568C all end at Mamallapuram in MTC route data.

Which bus goes from T. Nagar to Mahabalipuram?

Route 599 runs from T. Nagar via Saidapet, Adyar and ECR, averaging a bus every 59 minutes.

Which bus goes from Adyar to Mamallapuram?

Route 588 takes ECR and route 568 takes OMR; both start at Adyar bus stand and run 51 km.

Is there a direct bus from Koyambedu to Mamallapuram?

Route 568C runs from CMBT via Guindy and OMR, but buses are infrequent.

Information checked against official sources on 19 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.