1,816 km · 33 toll plazas · about 31 h 55 min on the road. Change the vehicle, fuel or mileage below and every number updates.
“est.” = this plaza doesn't publish fees in the NHAI dataset; we use the median fee for your vehicle class.
The road distance from Chennai to Varanasi is 1,816 km via NH16, NH44 — too long for most people to drive in one go.
You cross 33 toll plazas across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. For a car the published fees add up to ₹2,190 one way, about ₹1.21 per km, which is on the expensive side for Indian highways. 13 plazas on this route do not publish fees in the NHAI dataset; budget about ₹1,040 extra to be safe.
At 31 h 55 min of realistic driving time, plan an overnight halt roughly halfway — two drivers sharing the wheel is the safer option if you must do it in one day.
Varanasi draws heavy pilgrim traffic on weekends and festival days; leave early to avoid queues at the plazas and in town.
States on the way: Tamil NaduAndhra PradeshTelanganaMaharashtraMadhya PradeshUttar Pradesh
Fees for a single journey with FASTag. Return fees apply when you come back through the same plaza within 24 hours; a monthly pass covers 50 single journeys in a month.
| # | Toll plaza | At km | State | Car single | Car return | Car monthly | LCV | Bus/Truck | Multi-axle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nallur | 22 | Tamil Nadu | ₹80 | ₹120 | ₹2,720 | ₹130 | ₹275 | ₹435 |
| 2 | Sullurpet | 87 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹75 | — | — | ₹130 | ₹265 | ₹565 |
| 3 | Budhanam | 126 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹50 | — | — | ₹90 | ₹180 | ₹385 |
| 4 | Venkatachalam (Old Nellore) | 157 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹35 | — | — | ₹65 | ₹130 | ₹280 |
| 5 | Sunambatti (Musunuru) | 224 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹65 | ₹100 | ₹2,190 | ₹105 | ₹225 | ₹350 |
| 6 | Tangatur | 287 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹105 | ₹155 | ₹3,495 | ₹170 | ₹355 | ₹555 |
| 7 | Elchurustate | 377 | Andhra Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Thummalacheru Vustate | 436 | Andhra Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | Madugulapallystate | 505 | Telangana | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Basanthnagarstate | 759 | Telangana | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Mandamarri | 809 | Telangana | ₹90 | ₹45 | ₹3,050 | ₹150 | ₹310 | ₹485 |
| 12 | Sarandi | 868 | Telangana | ₹90 | ₹140 | ₹3,060 | ₹150 | ₹310 | ₹485 |
| 13 | Visapurstate | 923 | Maharashtra | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Nanduristate | 975 | Maharashtra | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Arambhastate | 1015 | Maharashtra | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Borkhedi (Nagpur ByPass) | 1051 | Maharashtra | ₹160 | ₹240 | ₹5,385 | ₹250 | ₹505 | ₹770 |
| 17 | Mansar (Kamptee - Kanhan Bypass)/ Tekadi | 1113 | Maharashtra | ₹170 | ₹225 | ₹5,655 | ₹260 | ₹530 | ₹810 |
| 18 | Mansar | 1130 | Maharashtra | ₹170 | ₹225 | ₹5,655 | ₹260 | ₹530 | ₹810 |
| 19 | Ramtek Border Check Poststate | 1137 | Maharashtra | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Khawasa FP | 1171 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹110 | ₹165 | ₹3,660 | ₹175 | ₹370 | ₹585 |
| 21 | Allonia | 1239 | Madhya Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Madai | 1274 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹115 | ₹170 | ₹3,750 | ₹180 | ₹380 | ₹595 |
| 23 | Bahoripar (Khursi) | 1342 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹165 | ₹245 | ₹5,445 | ₹265 | ₹555 | ₹865 |
| 24 | Mohtara | 1398 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹130 | ₹195 | ₹4,280 | ₹205 | ₹435 | ₹680 |
| 25 | Ashoka DSC Katni bypass (MoRTH) | 1447 | Madhya Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 26 | Kherwasani | 1500 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹170 | ₹255 | ₹5,620 | ₹270 | ₹570 | ₹895 |
| 27 | Odhaki Paipkhar | 1564 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹120 | ₹180 | ₹3,935 | ₹190 | ₹400 | ₹630 |
| 28 | Choratha | 1584 | Madhya Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | Rathara | 1602 | Madhya Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Jhiriya | 1610 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹90 | ₹135 | ₹2,960 | ₹145 | ₹300 | ₹470 |
| 31 | Jognihai | 1616 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹85 | ₹45 | ₹2,905 | ₹140 | ₹295 | ₹460 |
| 32 | Mauhari | 1684 | Madhya Pradesh | n/a | — | — | — | — | — |
| 33 | Atraila Shiv Ghulam | 1723 | Uttar Pradesh | ₹115 | ₹170 | ₹3,800 | ₹185 | ₹385 | ₹605 |
| Total (published fees) | 1816 | ₹2,190 | ₹2,810 | ₹3,515 | ₹7,305 | ₹11,715 |
Totals for all 33 plazas, including our estimate for 13 plazas without published fees. “No FASTag” is the 1.25x UPI rate.
| Vehicle class | One way (FASTag) | Return in 24 h | No FASTag (UPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car / Jeep / Van | ₹3,230 | ₹5,210 | ₹4,042 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹5,140 | ₹8,395 | ₹6,425 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹10,685 | ₹17,400 | ₹13,360 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹13,495 | ₹22,185 | ₹16,868 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹17,110 | ₹28,045 | ₹21,393 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹20,675 | ₹33,720 | ₹25,845 |
One way, 1,816 km, at Tamil Nadu prices (petrol ₹108.78/L, diesel ₹100.59/L). Typical highway mileage; change it in the calculator for your car.
| Car type | Petrol | Diesel | CNG | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | ₹10,974 | ₹8,303 | ₹6,949 | ₹4,540 |
| Sedan | ₹13,169 | ₹9,614 | ₹8,213 | ₹5,188 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹17,957 | ₹13,047 | ₹10,628 | ₹6,603 |
Petrol is cheapest in Uttar Pradesh (₹102.35/L) and dearest in Andhra Pradesh (₹117.37/L). Filling the ~121 litres you need in Uttar Pradesh saves about ₹1,818 versus buying it all in Andhra Pradesh.
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹13,169 on petrol, ₹9,614 on diesel and about ₹5,188 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper). An EV with ~350 km real range needs about 6 charging stops on the way.
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 20 crossings one way — worth about ₹308 of pass value against ₹2,190 in regular fees. If you drive highways often, the pass pays off on this route.
Return within 24 hours and the car toll for the round trip is ₹3,130 instead of ₹4,380 — a 29% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹3,230 one way with FASTag across 33 plazas — ₹2,190 in published fees plus ~₹1,040 estimated for 13 plazas that don't publish rates. A return within 24 hours costs ₹5,210. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹4,042.
33 on the fastest route: Nallur, Sullurpet, Budhanam, Venkatachalam (Old Nellore), Sunambatti (Musunuru), Tangatur, Elchuru, Thummalacheru Vu, Madugulapally, Basanthnagar, Mandamarri, Sarandi, Visapur, Nanduri, Arambha, Borkhedi (Nagpur ByPass), Mansar (Kamptee - Kanhan Bypass)/ Tekadi, Mansar, Ramtek Border Check Post, Khawasa FP, Allonia, Madai, Bahoripar (Khursi), Mohtara, Ashoka DSC Katni bypass (MoRTH), Kherwasani, Odhaki Paipkhar, Choratha, Rathara, Jhiriya, Jognihai, Mauhari, Atraila Shiv Ghulam.
About 121 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹13,169 at Chennai prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~101 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~165 L.
Around ₹16,399 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹13,169 + toll ₹3,230), or ₹31,547 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹4,100 each, one way.
Plan on about 31 h 55 min including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 22 h 48 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹10,685, 3-axle ₹13,495, 4–6 axle ₹17,110, 7+ axle ₹20,675 (includes estimates for plazas without published fees).
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Varanasi to Chennai toll is the same ~₹3,230 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Varanasi's state price.
Fees are revised every 1 April and some plazas change mid-year, so treat results as a close estimate. Spotted a wrong fee or a missing plaza? Tell us — we fix reported errors within 72 hours and log them on our corrections page.
Built and maintained by Nikhil Shrivastava. Full method: how the calculator works.
Last updated: 24 October 2026