India is one of the cheapest places in the world to watch elite Test cricket, and one of the easiest to overspend on by getting the logistics wrong. Three cities, three very different hotel markets, and a four-week gap between the second and last Test in this pack mean the honest budget depends far more on the shape of your trip than on any single ticket price. We've costed Chennai in full below as a representative example of what a leg of this trip runs, plus the real local ticket prices for all three grounds, exactly as they're quoted on the ground.
Typical 7-night Chennai trip
US$414–US$630
A 3★ hotel, food, and local transport for 7 nights, plus a Reserved Stand ticket for each of the 5 playing days. Excludes flights — genuinely origin-dependent, see the Planner link below. Ticket prices are a 2023/2024 baseline adjusted for inflation, not confirmed 2027 pricing — see the ticket tiers below.
Prices verified 9 Oct 2026 — not real-time
Four ways to do the Chennai leg
7 nights, hotel + food + local transport + a 5-day ticket
Budget
US$196–US$384
- • Hotel NKC Airport or similar 2★
- • East Stand, West Stand (Nagpur) · C/D/E Lower Stands (Chennai) · North/South Stand (Ahmedabad)
Moderate
US$414–US$630
- • Ginger Chennai OMR or similar 3★
- • North Stand, South Stand (Nagpur) · KMK Terrace (Chennai) · East/West Stand (Ahmedabad)
Splurge
US$1,089–US$1,214
- • Accord Chrome or similar 4★
- • MAC Stand (Chennai) · Club Pavilion (Ahmedabad)
Luxury
US$1,786–US$4,680
- • The Leela Palace Chennai or similar 5★
- • Corporate Hospitality Boxes (Chennai) · Corporate Boxes, President's Gallery (Ahmedabad)
Nagpur and Ahmedabad — use Chennai as your cost guide
We've costed Chennai in full above as a representative example of what a leg of this trip runs. If you're planning the Nagpur or Ahmedabad leg specifically, use those same hotel-tier ranges as a rough guide — Nagpur and Ahmedabad haven't been independently researched, but they're broadly comparable mid-size Indian markets, so the gap should be modest rather than dramatic. The Where to Stay guide has the real named hotels for all three cities, and the Planner gives a real flight-cost range from your city.
Test ticket tiers — real stand names across all three grounds
East Stand, West Stand (Nagpur) · C/D/E Lower Stands (Chennai) · North/South Stand (Ahmedabad) — 1-day
US$2–US$6
North Stand, South Stand (Nagpur) · KMK Terrace (Chennai) · East/West Stand (Ahmedabad) — 1-day
US$12–US$37
MAC Stand (Chennai) · Club Pavilion (Ahmedabad) — 1-day
US$49–US$74
Corporate Hospitality Boxes (Chennai) · Corporate Boxes, President's Gallery (Ahmedabad) — 1-day
US$124–US$434
2023/2024 baseline (last comparable Tests at these grounds), adjusted +20% for inflation to 2027 — 2027 Test pricing has not been announced by the BCCI.
Getting around Chennai, cheaply
This range covers a mix of taxis/autos and Chennai's MTC buses and rail — the Chepauk MRTS station sits a 4-minute walk from the stadium gate if you want the cheaper option. Chennai has repeatedly offered free metro and bus travel for match ticket holders at Chepauk (IPL 2025, the 2025 India-Australia T20) — worth checking before the Test, since the same offer may well repeat.
A local money-saving trick
This range covers casual tiffin-house and "meals" dining, not restaurant dining — Chennai's food costs are low even by Indian standards. The real budget move is a fixed-price lunch "meals" (rice, sambar, rasam, a couple of curries, thali-style) at a tiffin chain like Murugan Idli Shop, typically around ₹270-350 for a full plate.
Visa, local attractions and day-trips
| What | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mahabalipuram day trip, combined monument ticket | ₹600 for foreign nationals (₹40 for Indians) | Single ticket covers every monument on site |
| Statue of Unity Viewing Gallery | ₹380 adults (₹150 for general entry and exhibition only) | Book the timed slot online |
| Ahmedabad official heritage walk | ₹300 for foreign visitors | Non-refundable once booked |
| Tadoba core-zone safari permit | ₹5,800–₹12,800 per vehicle, depending on weekday or weekend and how far ahead you book | Entry, guide and gypsy included; car and driver to Tadoba are extra. Core zone closed Tuesdays |
| Gir lion safari permit | ₹15,500–₹17,500 for foreign nationals, plus camera and guide fees | Permit covers up to six people; opens exactly 90 days ahead |
| India e-Tourist visa | US$10–40 depending on duration | Charged in USD regardless of nationality (government fee, not a conversion) — only for eligible nationalities; enter via one of 33 designated airports |
Mahabalipuram day trip, combined monument ticket
₹600 for foreign nationals (₹40 for Indians)
Single ticket covers every monument on site
Statue of Unity Viewing Gallery
₹380 adults (₹150 for general entry and exhibition only)
Book the timed slot online
Ahmedabad official heritage walk
₹300 for foreign visitors
Non-refundable once booked
Tadoba core-zone safari permit
₹5,800–₹12,800 per vehicle, depending on weekday or weekend and how far ahead you book
Entry, guide and gypsy included; car and driver to Tadoba are extra. Core zone closed Tuesdays
Gir lion safari permit
₹15,500–₹17,500 for foreign nationals, plus camera and guide fees
Permit covers up to six people; opens exactly 90 days ahead
India e-Tourist visa
US$10–40 depending on duration
Charged in USD regardless of nationality (government fee, not a conversion) — only for eligible nationalities; enter via one of 33 designated airports
Rupee figures are local prices as quoted, not converted.
What about flights?
Roughly US$48–US$191 round-trip, economy, if you're flying domestically from Bangalore, Mumbai, or Delhi.
Flying internationally costs meaningfully more and depends entirely on where you start. Tell the Planner where you're starting from and it will show a real range from your city.
On top of that, budget US$275–355 for the two domestic round-trip connector flights this trip actually needs: Chennai–Nagpur (no direct route — every real itinerary connects through Hyderabad, Mumbai, or Delhi, so build in a real travel day) and Chennai–Ahmedabad (direct, under two hours). Covering all three cities means paying for both legs, not just one.
Check full trip costs from your city →Get the full event guide
All 12 planning guides
Every price above is real and free. What's locked is the decision the numbers can't make for you: which single Test is actually worth the trip, why a realistic plan covers two of the three Tests rather than all six weeks of them, and the exact dates two safari permit booking windows open — miss them and the same permit can cost more than double.
US$10Rises to US$15 after 2 January