Srivilliputhur
The temple town of Srivilliputhur alias Thiruvilliputtur is located in Virudhunagar District around 74 kilometers from Madurai. This place is surrounded by many temples and two of the major temples are dedicated to Sri Andal (one of the devotees of Lord Vishnu) and Vadapadrasayi or Perialwar (Lord Vishnu), believed to be built by Nayak kings. The tower (gopuram) of Vadapadrasayi temple, built in the 8th century is 60 meters in height and is one of the tallest in south India. The stone and ceiling of this temple are adorned with miniature figures. 

A wild life sanctuary, located 10kms away from Srivilliputhur is the home for the giant grizzled squirrels

Sivakasi
Nick named as Mini Japan (Kutty Japan) by Jawaharlal Nehru, Sivakasi is a big industrial center situated in Virudhunagar District, at a distance of 74-km south of Madurai. The places is famous all over India for its products of fire works and matches. This industrial town is also famous for its printing work. Around 450 printing presses including offset and flex types are located in and around Sivakasi.

Kodaikanal
The beautiful hill station of Kodaikanal at an altitude of 2,133 meters, covering an area of 21.45 sq.km. is located 120 Km away from Madurai, in Dindigul district. Known as the Princess among Hill Stations, Kodaikanal is an ideal place for trekking. The Kurinji flower which blossoms once in 12 years is the pride of the place. The star shaped lake in Kodaikanal famous for boating and fishing is surrounded by mountains. About 3kms from this lake is the Kurinju Andavar Temple, dedicated to Lord Muruga. The major attractions of Kodaikanal include the Wooded hills, Pillar rocks, Coaker's Walk, Suicide point, Brynt Park, Chettiar gardens, Guna caves etc. The solar Physical Observatory built in the year 1898 is situated on top of a hill. The Shenbaganur Museum has a collection of different varieties of birds, butterflies, moths, snakes and mammals. The museum also houses a herbarium having 2500 plants and an orchidarium and a mass garden having 300 species of trees and flower gardens. (Open from 10 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 5 pm daily (except on Sundays)). Read More>>

Kakkai
Palani alias Pazhani in Dindigul district, is a charming pilgrim center located at the top of a hill about 120kms (3 hrs drive) from Madurai via Sembatti. The ancient temple here, dedicated to Shri Dhandayuthapani (Lord Muruga) is situated at an elevation of 1500 feet above sea level. It is one among the six abodes of Lord Muruga. The pilgrims have to climb 650 steps to reach the temple. During the Thaipusam festival celebrated in January for 10 days, large number of devotees throng the place. One can have a view of the Idumban Hill, Kodaikanal Hills and the whole of Palani town from the Palani hill.

Trichy
Tamil Nadu's fourth largest city, Trichy alias Tiruchi or Tiruchirappalli situated on the banks of the river Cauvery is around 142 km away from Madurai. The city, administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district, is surrounded by a rock fort built by the Nayaks of Madurai. The famous landmark here is the Mathrubhutewarar temple, which can be reached by a steep flight of 437 steps cut into the rock. Along the way to the temple there are several other shrines. Ucchi Pilliar temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh is one of them. A fantastic view of the entire town can be seen from the top. Apart from the fort and temple, there are several churches, colleges and missions dating back to the 1760s

Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli, also known as Nellai is a 2000 year old city located on the west bank of river Tamraparni. It is the administrative headquarters of Tirunelveli district located around 150kms to the south of Madurai. Pandya kingdom had this city as capital for some time. The picturesque Pothigai hills in the Western Ghats and the Courtallam water falls are the special features which make Tirunelveli unique as a tourist place. Krishnapuram, Tenkasi, Sankarankoil, Kattabomman memorial fort, Ottapidaram, Kalugumalai, Vettangudi bird sanctuary, Kumbakkarai and Courtallam waterfalls are some of the tourist spots worth visiting around Tirunelveli. Read more>>

Rameshwaram
The holy city of Rameswaram also known as the ‘Varanasi of the South’ in Ramanathapuram district is an island paradise of golden sand, situated 164 kilometers south-east of Madurai. This pilgrim center has two famous temples namely Ramanathaswamy Temple and Kothanda Ramaswamy temple. Ramanathaswamy temple which is 264 meters in length and 200 meters in breadth is on the eastern side of the island, close to the sea. The temple is known for its long corridors with pillars having beautiful sculptures. It also has a big tower measuring to a height of 38.4 meters. The Kothanda Ramaswamy temple is situated about 3 kilometers from the extreme tip of the island. Rameshwaram is one of the major marine food centres in South India. 

Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari, also known as 'Cape Comorin' is situated 242 km from Madurai on the southern most tip of the Indian Sub Continent. This place is surrounded by three oceans such as Bay of Bengal in the east, Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. Bordered by hills, sea shores, coconut trees and paddy fields, Kanyakumari is an ideal place to watch the sunrise and sunset. Bay wax museum, Theme park, Gandhi Mandapam etc. are the tourist attractions here. There is also a memorial dedicated to Swami Vivekananda built in 1970, on a rocky peninsula where he sat in deep meditation. A statue of Vivekananda has also been installed in this memorial. Read more>>