Best of South India Chennai-Kanchipuram-Mahabalipuram-Pondicherry-Madurai-Tiruchirappalli-Thanjavur-Kanyakumari-Kovalam-Periyar National Park and Sanctuary-Kumarakom-Alappuzha-Kochi-Ooty-Mysore-Bengaluru About Tour This tour offers the whole package, with every important site and area being visited in South India. This tour covers the religious sites such as the ancient temples, the nature such as natural reservoirs and tea plantations, the waters such as the beaches and backwaters and much more. Choose this tour if you want the full coverage of South India and a time to explore and enjoy these magical places.
Itinerary Day 1Arriving in South India - Chennai The tour begins by arriving at the airport in Chennai. Meet with a representative on arrival and get transferred to the hotel to check in and get a good night's rest. Meals: Day 2Exploring the city of Chennai After enjoying a tasty breakfast at the hotel, a full day city tour of Chennai awaits. The places of interest are Kalakshetra, a school of art and music that encourages exponents of Bharatnatyam, Carnatic music, traditional weaving and designing; Fort St. George built in 1653 during British reign in India, now housing the Secretariat and Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu; St. Mary`s Church, the oldest Anglican Church in India with its premises; Sri Parthasarathy Temple built by the Pallavas in the 8th century AD; Kapaliswara Temple, Mylapore and eighth century Pallava Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva; San Thomas Cathedral Basilica rebuilt in 1606 as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica; and Theosophical Society - the world headquarters of the Theosophical Society formed to encourage the study of comparative religion philosophy and science. In the evening, transfer back to the hotel and enjoy an overnight stay with a good rest. Day 3Transfer to Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram Wake up refreshed and enjoy the hotel breakfast, later drive to Kanchipuram, 70 kms west of Mahabalipuram which is a city of thousand temples. One of the seven sacred cities of Hindus, it was the capital of the early Cholas as far back as the 2nd century BC. Later on proceed to Mahablipuram, driving south of Chennai on the coast which is the ancient port of Pallavas. There will be some time to stop and enjoy the sights. On arrival, check in at the hotel and enjoy a good night's rest. Day 4Continue to Pondicherry Enjoy a tasty morning breakfast and then drive to Pondicherry. In the afternoon, enjoy a city tour of Pondicherry. Although the French influence is gradually fading, Pondicherry retains a few Gallic accents. The main sights here are the Rai Nivas, the Sacred Heart Church and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In the evening, check in to a hotel and enjoy a good night's sleep. Day 5Journey continues to Tanjore Start the morning with an energizing breakfast, then drive to Tanjore and en-route visit the temple of Lord Natraja at Chidambram. On arrival, checkin at the hotel and in the afternoon enjoy a city tour of Tanjore. The home of Carnatic music, musical instruments, dance and traditional handicrafts, Tanjore (Thanjavur) is famous for the Brahadeeswarar Temple. The temple constructed more than a thousand years ago by the Chola King Raja Rajan is an architect's marvel. The Art Gallery and the Saraswathi Mahal Library are also well known places of interest. Evening transfer to the hotel and enjoy an overnight stay. Day 6Trichy sights and continue to Madurai Get refreshed with breakfast at the hotel and then drive to Trichy. On arrival, visit Srirangam, which is an island surrounded by the Kaveri water and enclosed within the seven walls of the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswami temple. A visit will also be made to the Rock Fort situated on the banks of the Kaveri River. This is Trichy's most famed land mark, an 84 m high rock, one of the oldest in the world, believed to be older than 3,800 million years. The attraction is not for the fort itself but the temple at the summit. Later drive to Madurai and on arrival check in to a hotel and get a good night's sleep.
Itinerary Day 7Sights of Madurai Begin the day with a breakfast at the hotel and continue to a full day city tour of Madurai. Madurai, known as Athens of the East, is the second largest city on the banks of the River Vigai. The city is believed to be more than 2500 years old. Enjoy the sight of the famous Meenakshi-Sundareswara Temple. In the Ashta Shakti Mandapam inside the Meenakshi temple, the sculpted pillars tell the story of the beautiful princess of Madurai and her marriage to Lord Shiva. In the evening, transfer back to the hotel and enjoy a good night's sleep. Day 8More sights of Tamil Nadu After enjoying a filling breakfast at the hotel, drive to Kanyakumari which taking about 5 hours and in the afternoon go for sightseeing. Kanya Kumari is the southernmost end of Tamil Nadu, the land's end of India or the point where the three seas meet - the Bay of Bengal, The Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Later visit Kumariamman temple dedicated to the goddess Kanyakumari. Also visit the Gandhi Memorial, constructed at the spot where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were kept for public view in an urn before a portion was immersed into the three seas. Later visit the Vivekananda Memorial built on the Vivekananda Rock where the great Philosopher guide Swami Vivekananda went into meditation that transformed him into one of the most charismatic spiritual leader. Later drive to Kovalam and visit Padmanabhapuram en-route. The capital of Travancore until 1333, Padmanabhapuram is known for its fort which encloses, among other buildings, a palace and a temple. The palace has some important art relics while the Ramaswamy temple has exquisitely carved panels depicting scenes from the Ramayana. In the evening transfer to the hotel and enjoy an overnight stay. Day 9Free time in Kovalam Enjoy an energizing breakfast at the hotel and then have the full day free for your own activity or leisure, such as exploring the beaches, nature or other sights nearby. Have a good night's sleep back at the hotel to prepare for tomorrow's adventures. Day 10Journey continues to Periyar After a filling breakfast drive to Periyar and on arrival, check in at the hotel. Periyar, spread over an area of 777 sq km, has about 35 tigers and leopards. However, sighting a tiger in Periyar is a fortune for one out of thousand. The park encompasses a 26 sq km artificial lake and is the home of sambars, wild boars, elephants and antelopes which can be occasionally seen on the banks of the river during a boat cruise. Periyar, otherwise, blessed by nature has enormous tea, coffee, pepper and cardamom plantations. In the afternoon enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Periyar to view the wildlife. In the evening transfer to the hotel and get a good night's rest. Day 11Kumarakom Nature Begin this morning with a breakfast at the hotel and then drive to Kumarakom and embark on a deluxe houseboat for backwater cruise. Embark on the Karnataka Houseboat "Kettuvalam" at Kumarakom, then move towards Munnattumugham village, through interior backwaters. Continue to Champakulam, earlier named as Kalloorkad, the ancient trade centre of backwaters. Visit famous St. Mary's France Church that is believed to be blessed by Str. Francis in 42 AD. The mural paintings by vegetable oil are an exciting panoramic vision. Also visit the famous Champakulam snake boat construction yard. The night will be spent on board of the houseboat. Day 12Arrival in Allepey - continue to Cochin Enjoy an exciting morning breakfast on the houseboat, then transfer to take a leisurely cruise towards Alleppey finishing in Point Jetty. Disembark at 09:30 hours and drive to Cochin and check in to a hotel. Spend this evening freely and later have a good night's sleep at the hotel.
Itinerary Day 13Sights of Cochin After a filling breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Cochin. Cochin, Karnataka's commercial centre, has a fine natural harbour. The Cochin (Kochi) gateway for Karnataka is famous for Mattanchery Palace, St. Francis Church, Wellington Island, Bolghatty Island, Chinese Fishing nets and the Jewish Synagogue. Cruising on the backwaters provides glimpses of the rural life, fine view of the harbour and three islands. In the evening witness the Kathakali Dance Show in an auditorium and later enjoy a good night's sleep back at the hotel. Day 14Adventure continues to Ooty After a tasty breakfast at the hotel, drive to Ooty. On arrival transfer to a hotel to check in and enjoy the rest of the evening freely to relax and regain the energy. Enjoy an overnight stay at the hotel. Day 15Sights of Ooty After breakfast a tasty breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Ooty and Conoor. Ooty is an integral part of the great plateau occupying the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, eucalyptus, pine and the wattle dot the hillside in Ooty and its environment. The places of interest in Ooty include Botanical Gardens where the "summer festival" is held during the month of May, the artificial lake and Dodabetta Peak which is the highest point in the district at a height of 2623m. 17 km from Ooty is the first of these hills stations. Conoor is a small town with an equable climate that has made it popular as a hill resort. The Tea and Tourism Festival is held here during Dec-Jan and the main attraction is Sims Park, a small and well-maintained botanical garden that has several varieties of plants not to be found in other hill stations. In the evening transfer to the hotel and enjoy an overnight stay. Day 16Journey to Mysore Start this morning with a breakfast at the hotel and then drive to Mysore, an on arrival check in to a hotel. Later enjoy a sightseeing tour of Mysore. Mysore, 770 m above sea level, is the imperial city which was the erstwhile capital of the Wodeyars. The legend takes its name from a famous demon called Mahishasur, a great warrior who ruled as a tyrant until he was killed by the goddess Chamundeshwari. Mysore as we see today is most famous for the imposing Royal Palace with a magnificent Durbar Hall, particularly splendid during the Dussehra Festival when the Maharaja's jewelry, studded gold throne (weighing 200 kgs) is on display. The Chamundeshwari temple perched on a hilltop is 2000 years old, Nandi Bull half way to the hill is a 4.8 meter monolith. 19 km north-west of Mysore is the KRS Dam and the ornamental Brindavan Gardens. The musical fountains and colorful lights transform this place into a fairly land in the evenings. In the evening transfer back to the hotel and enjoy a good night's sleep. Day 17Somnathpur Temple Enjoy a filling morning breakfast and then get ready to visit the Somnathpur temple. 45 km from Mysore, the temple was built in 1268 AD and is known for its Hoysala architecture. The temple is seated on a star shaped base, set on a chiseled plinth and guarded at intervals by miniature elephants. The temple wall depicts scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagvata. Head back to the hotel in the afternoon and enjoy the rest of day free at own leisure. Later have a good night's sleep at the hotel. Day 18Continue to Hassan Start the morning off with a breakfast at the hotel and then drive to Hassan. On arrival, transfer to a hotel to check in. In the afternoon visit Belur and Halebid. The Belur temple took over 103 years to build and is a classic example of the Hoysala style of architecture. Halebid is 16 km east of Belur and 27 km from Hassan. The Hoysaleswara Temple dating back to 12th century is astounding for its wealth of sculptural detail. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of gods and goddesses, animals, birdsand dancing girls. In the evening, transfer back to the hotel and enjoy a good night's sleep.
Itinerary Day 19Bangalore and last day of the tour After an energizing breakfast, drive to Bangalore visiting en-route Sravanbelgola which is said to be the world's tallest monolithic statue raises 17 meter high of Bahubali (Gomateshvara). After arriving in Bangalore enjoy a sightseeing tour. Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka is one of the most important metropolises of India. It is a vital centre of science, aeronautics and electronics. Enjoy the sights of the Lalbagh, one of the finest botanical Gardens of India, Cubbon Park laid in 1864 sprawling across 300 acres, and Vidhana Soudha, built in 1956 housing The State Legislature and Secretariat. Late in the evening transfer to the airport and proceed to onward destination.
Chennai Churches Santhome High Rd. In the whole world, there are only three churches built over the tomb of an Apostle of Jesus Christ- the Basilica of Saint Peter built over the tomb of St.Peter in Rome, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela built over the tomb of St. Sri Parthasarathy Temple An abode to Lord Venkat Krishna, Sri Parthasarathy Temple was built by the Pallavas in the 8th century. Sri parthasarathy temple is situated at Tiruvallikeni or Triplicane and is the oldest temple in Chennai. Kapaleeshwar Temple Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore,Chennai is a temple of Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The form of Shiva's wife Parvati worshipped at this temple is called Karpagambal. Kerala Backwaters The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast of Kerala state in southern India. Brihadeeshwara Temple Brihadeeshwara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as RajaRajeswara Temple Rajarajeswaram and Brihadeshwara Temple.
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