Padmanabha Swamy Temple: It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple portrays both Kerala and the Dravidian styles of architecture. It is a grand seven storeyed structure adorned by innumerable stone carvings, ancient inscriptions and colourful murals. There are around 324 pillars in the temple corridor.

Palace Museum: The recently opened Puthen Maliga Palace Museum, adjacent to the temple ,is housed in several wings of the palace of the maharajahs of Travancore. It's open from 8.30 am to 12.30pm and from 3 to 5.30 pm.

Napier Museum: It has natural air conditioning system. It has rare collection of archaeological & historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments & ivory carvings. The museum was established in 1855. In 1874, the old Museum Building was demolished and foundation for the new building was laid. The new building was named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras from 1866-1872. The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government and the construction was completed in 1880. Napier Museum is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minarets. The Indo-Saracenic structure also boasts a natural air conditioning system.
The Sri  Chitra Art Gallery: It has paintings of the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools, together with works from China, Tibet, Japan and Bali. There are also many modern Indian paintings , including works by ravi Varma, Svetoslav and Nicholas Roerich.
The Zoological Gardens are among the best designed in Asia -set among woodland , lakes and well -maintained  lawns - but some of the animal enclosures  (and their inhabitants) are misreble. The zoo is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5.15pm. Entry is rs.4 and there is an additional Rs.5 charge for a camera or Rs.250 for a video camera.

Shangumugham Beach: it's a pleasant place to walk or watch the fishermen securing their catch. A large sculpture of a mermaid graces the roadside, an example of the work of the local artist Canai Kunuram. At dusk, during temple festivals, the beach is the site of the ritual bathing of the temple idols.

Akkulam: It has picturesque lake in which boating facilities are provided. The children’s park here is one of the biggest in Kerala.

Veli is a popular picnic spot in Kerala, located 8 kilometers away from Thiruvananthapuram city. Here, the Veli lake meets the Arabian Sea. The lagoon here is separated from the sea by a narrow sandbar. Facilities at the village include water sports in the lagoon and an 18-acre waterfront park with a floating bridge that connects the village to the beach. The tourist village here offers boating facilities. Pedal boats and paddleboats can be hired to explore the charms of the lagoon in a leisurely manner. For a quick ride over the waters, speedboats are available for hire.

Thiruvallam : Lord Parasuraman's temple is here by the river at Thiruvallam, Chithranjali, the State Film Development Corporation's studio is at Thiruvallam. This is on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kovalam route,10km from the city.

Ponmudi : An ideal hill resort situated just 54km from Thiruvananthapuram is an enchanting one for tourists. Best accommodation and restaurant facilities are available here.

Neyyar Dam:29km from Thiruvananthapuram is Neyyar Dam a picnic spot and dam site. There are facilities for boating at the reservoir. There is a lion safari park and crocodile farm.

Kovalam Beach: Kovalam has three crescent shaped beaches separated by rocky outcroppings. Shallow waters stretching for hundreds of metres are ideal for swimming. The beaches have steep palm covered headlands and are lined with shops that offer all kinds of goods and services.

Technopark is a technology park in Trivandrum, dedicated to electronics, software, and other Information Technology (IT) ventures. It is the first and largest technology park in India. Launched in 1990, Technopark currently has 3.2 million square feet (310,000 square meters) of built-up space. Technopark is home to over 125 companies, which employ more than 17,000 professionals. 

Padmanabhapuram Palace : This palace was once the capital of the State of Travancore and is 51km from the city on the way to Nagarcoil in Tamil Nadu.The palace contains 17th and 18th century murals.

Peppara Wild Life Sanctuary: 50km from Thiruvananthapuram, Peppara is accessible from Vithurai on Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Road. This sanctuary with its rich fauna and birds is emerging as a big attraction to wild life enthusiasts. It is spread over an area of 53 sq.km on the western ghats. This is doted with large hills and numerous hillocks with forests and eucalyptus plantations. Elephants, Sambar, Leopard and Lion tailed macaque are commonly seen.