Participant Portal

• We encourage you to book your flight as soon as possible, as the better deals are often found in advance. We recommend flying in and out of Chennai International Airport.

• Our tour will begin at the Chennai International Airport, where we will meet with all participants before driving to Auroville. Participants are asked to plan their arrival at the airport to be before 3am local time on January 28. Participants already in country who wish to meet us at Auroville instead are welcome to do so. 

• The program officially ends on Tuesday, February 11 and we encourage you to find flights that leave in the early morning of the 12th. We will arrange group transportation to the Chennai airport on the evening of the 11th (or based on your unique schedules).

If you’d like to extend your time in Auroville before or after our tour.

here are a variety of options to extend your stay in Auroville. We recommend choosing among 92 guest houses located in the community. Here’s a link to learn more a reserve your lodging: https://auroville.org/page/visit-and-stay

Spaces fill up quickly, so be sure to reserve in advance.

You can also try contacting Verite Guesthouse (where we’ll be staying) to see if you can extend your stay with them.

• Vérité, Auroville, Tamil Nadu 605111

• Email: verite.gh@gmail.com

• Telephone: +91 413 2622606, 2622045

• Whatsapp: +91 8489391876

Yes, you will need a visa for this trip.

• Passport: Ensure it’s valid until at least August 2025.

• Visa: A visa is required to visit India from abroad. Recently a new one-month tourist e-visa has been made available. It can be booked online and obtained directly at the airport. You don’t even need to send off your passport. Get your e-visa here: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html.

Note: Do not use any other websites to obtain your visa.

Consult with your health care provider regarding which vaccines will be appropriate for you.

India generally does not require proof of vaccination for most travelers, except in the case of yellow fever. If you are arriving from (or have recently visited) a region where yellow fever is present, you must provide a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate.

Beyond that, while not required, certain vaccinations are strongly recommended for your personal health and safety.

Health insurance coverage is required on all of our trips.  You can work with your current insurance provider to get extended coverage, however, it may be more affordable to work with a company that specializes in travel health insurance. For example, Ecovillage Tour staff use World Nomads. Click the “Get a Quote” button to fill out a simple form and easily purchase the insurance online. Be sure to check if your insurance covers trip interruptions, baggage loss, etc.

• Currency: Indian Rupees (INR) are available at Auroville’s Financial Services, but we generally won’t need cash while in the community as we will use “Aurocards”, which act like debit cards. The exchange rate is currently ~INR 84 per US$1, which is the highest it’s been in over 10 years (you can explore at https://www.xe.com)

• Credit Cards: Many locations accept credit and debit cards, but please notify your bank about your travel plans to India to avoid any holds on your accounts, which can be challenging to resolve from abroad.

• Personal Money: During the program, you’ll only need to spend money for extras like classes, massages, treats, or gifts. However, we recommend bringing at least USD $200 per person (ideally in $20 bills with some smaller denominations), especially if you’re arriving early or planning to stay and travel afterward. Any unused Rupees can be bought back, so we encourage you to bring more than you think you might need.

• Cell Phones/Internet: Verite Guesthouse (where we’ll be staying) and other locations offer free WiFi. Getting a local SIM card has become more challenging in India. Consider looking into temporary international plans with your current provider.

• WhatsApp: Please install WhatsApp if you haven’t already—it’s essential for international communication. Here’s an invite to join a WhatsApp group to connect before, during, and after the program. You can also find Daniel at +1 413-978-1711 and Monique at +91 90474-47280. Make sure you categorize these numbers as “Mobile” in your contacts and include the country code (+1 and +91 in these cases). For help, email daniel@ic.org.

• Emergencies: In case of an emergency in the country, call 112 as well as group leaders.

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Please login using the same email address you used to book your reservation. If you need help logging in, simple contact us. We’re happy to help.