Tirupati Balaji Temple Tirumala: TTD Darshan, Tickets and Timings
Tickets, timings, rooms and travel for Tirumala Sri Venkateswara temple, written by devotees who make the trip every year.
Before you book
- Temple opens
- Around 3 am
- ₹300 tickets
- About 3 months ahead
- Free darshan
- Every day, SSD tokens
- Dress code
- Traditional only
Quick answer: To get Tirupati Balaji darshan, book a ₹300 Special Entry ticket on the official TTD website about three months ahead, or take a free SSD token in Tirupati a day before. Wear traditional dress, carry the photo ID used for booking and leave your phone at the deposit counter.
- ₹300Special Entry Darshan, 2 to 4 hour wait
- FreeSarva Darshan for everyone, every day
- 3 amSuprabhatam, the first seva of the day
- 24 hrsUsual room stay allowed at Tirumala
Choose your Tirupati darshan
Free or paid, early booking or same week. Every way to reach the Lord, with the real waiting time.
₹300
Special Entry Darshan
Fixed time slot booked online. The easiest choice for most families.
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Free
Sarva Darshan and SSD Token
Open to all. Take a time slot token in Tirupati and skip the long queue.
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₹10,500
VIP Break and Srivani
Srivani Trust donation with a break darshan ticket. The quickest way in.
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Free
Senior Citizen and Infant
Separate slot for people above 65 and parents with babies under one.
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Free
Walk Up and Divya Darshan
Climb by Alipiri or Srivari Mettu and get a token on the way.
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Daily
Darshan Timings
Seva schedule from Suprabhatam to Ekantha Seva and when lines move fastest.
Read moreHow to plan a Tirupati trip
The order matters. Book darshan first, everything else fits around your slot.
- 01
Book darshan
Pick a ₹300 slot on the TTD site the day the monthly quota opens.
TTD online booking - 02
Book a room
Rooms open around the same time. Stay on the hill the night before.
Tirumala rooms - 03
Plan travel
Train, bus or car to Tirupati, then the ghat road or the footpath up.
How to reach - 04
Pack right
Traditional dress, photo ID and ticket. Phones stay at the counter.
Dress code rules
Tirumala crowd today
Waiting time, compartments full, pilgrims who had darshan yesterday and hundi collection, taken from the latest TTD figures.
TTD tickets, sevas and rooms
Most online quotas open about three months ahead and sell out in minutes. Know the date, log in early and keep every pilgrim's ID ready.
- Quota opens
- About 3 months ahead
- Usual day
- Last week of the month
- Usual time
- 10 am or 3 pm
TTD Online Booking
Step by step booking of the ₹300 darshan on the official site and app, with the ID rules.
Booking steps 02Ticket Release Dates
When darshan, seva and room quotas open each month, and how to be ready on the day.
See dates 03Tirumala Room Booking
Online rooms, current booking at the CRO office, deposit and how long you can stay.
Room booking 04Sevas and Prices
Suprabhatam, Thomala, Kalyanotsavam and other sevas, with prices and the lucky dip.
All sevasReach Tirupati from your city
Distance, time and the easiest way up the hill from the cities most pilgrims start from.
Chennai to Tirupati
- Distance
- About 140 km
- By car
- 3 to 4 hours
- By train
- About 3 hours
Bangalore to Tirupati
- Distance
- About 250 km
- By car
- 5 to 6 hours
- By train
- 5 to 7 hours
Hyderabad to Tirupati
- Distance
- About 560 km
- By train
- 11 to 13 hours
- By flight
- About 1 hour
First time at Tirumala?
A simple two day plan with darshan, rooms, laddu, Padmavathi temple and the way back.
First Visit PlanTemples and places near Tirupati
Most pilgrims add these on the same trip. Tradition says the yatra is complete only after Padmavathi Ammavari darshan.
Temple rules, prasadam and offerings
Four things every pilgrim asks about before the first visit to Tirumala.
Dress code
Traditional dress is checked at the queue entry for every darshan and seva. Wrong clothes mean you are sent back.
- Men
- Dhoti or kurta pyjama
- Women
- Saree or churidar with dupatta
- Not allowed
- Jeans, shorts, sleeveless tops
- Checked at
- Queue entry for all darshan
Tirupati laddu
The Srivari laddu is the prasadam every pilgrim takes home. Collect it at the laddu complex after darshan.
- Free
- One laddu with each darshan ticket
- Extra
- Bought at the laddu complex counters
- Where
- Laddu complex near the temple
- Carry
- Darshan ticket and photo ID
Hair offering
Many pilgrims offer their hair to Lord Venkateswara as a vow, at Kalyanakatta on the hill.
- Where
- Kalyanakatta main hall and mini halls
- Cost
- Free, blade given at the hall
- When
- Most pilgrims do it before darshan
- After
- Bath at the halls nearby
Festivals
Festival days bring the longest lines of the year. Plan these dates early or avoid them on a first visit.
- Brahmotsavam
- September or October
- Vaikunta Ekadasi
- December or January
- Rathasapthami
- January or February
- Tickets
- Book about three months ahead
Tirupati Balaji darshan questions
How do I book Tirupati Balaji darshan online?
Book the ₹300 Special Entry Darshan on the official TTD website or app. Quotas usually open about three months ahead, in the last week of the month. Keep the photo ID of every pilgrim ready, as the same ID is checked at the temple. See TTD online booking.
Is Tirupati darshan free?
Yes. Sarva Darshan is free for everyone, every day. You can join the queue at Tirumala or take a free SSD time slot token at the counters in Tirupati, which cuts the waiting time.
How long does Tirupati darshan take?
With a ₹300 ticket the wait is usually 2 to 4 hours. Free Sarva Darshan can take 6 to 20 hours or more on weekends and festivals. VIP break darshan takes about an hour. Check crowd today before you leave.
What time does Tirumala temple open?
The temple day starts with Suprabhatam around 3 am and ends with Ekantha Seva late at night. Darshan runs through most of the day between sevas, and timings change on festival days. Full schedule on darshan timings.
What is the dress code for Tirupati darshan?
Men wear a dhoti or kurta pyjama and women wear a saree or churidar with dupatta. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and sleeveless tops are not allowed for darshan or sevas.
How do I book a room at Tirumala?
Book rooms on the official TTD website about three months ahead, or try current booking at the CRO office on the hill. A stay is usually allowed for about 24 hours with a refundable deposit.
What is the best time to visit Tirupati?
October to February has the most pleasant weather. Tuesday to Thursday outside holidays has the lowest crowd. May, June weekends, Brahmotsavam and Vaikunta Ekadasi are the busiest.
Can I visit Tirupati in one day?
Yes, from Chennai or Bangalore a same day trip works well with a booked ₹300 slot. From farther cities, reach Tirupati the night before so you are not rushed on the ghat road.
Official sources: TTD website, Tirumala.org, IRCTC, APSRTC. This is a fan website, not the official TTD site.