Day01- Arrival at Chennai
Arrival at Chennai follows transfer to hotel and
spending rest of the day at leisure.
Day 02- Chennai/ Trichy
In the morning you are taken for a brief orientation
drive through Chennai. After a quick tour of Chennai
city, set out for Tiruchirapalli by train.
Tiruchirapalli is also known as Trichy. Arrival
follows transfer to hotel.
Day 03- Trichy
Set out on a full day excursion tour to Tanjore.
Tanjore is an old temple city with great Hindu
sculpture and temples, belonging mainly to the Chola
period. It is 58 Km from Trichy. In the main shrine
of the Shiva temple, you will find a large Shiva
Lingam, the fertility symbol of Shiva. You will also
visit the Chola Dam and Pundi Roman Catholic Church
en-route. Return back to Trichy and spend the night
at the hotel.
Day 04- Trichy/ Madurai
A half day tour to the famous rock fort complex is
organized. This complex looms about 300' over the
banks of the Cauvery River. A Ganesh temple stands
here, and you can have superb views from the top of
the fort, looking down on the river island of
Srirangam and the temple of Ranganatha Swami. After
exploring Trichy, you will be driven to Madurai,
late in the afternoon. Upon arrival at Madurai,
check in at the hotel.
Day 05- Madurai
For centuries, Madurai has been a center of
Dravidian culture and a Tamil heartland. You will
find the old town of Madurai very interesting. It
adheres round 9 tall Gopurams of the Meenakshi
temple. At Madurai you have a lot to explore, like
the Hall of 1000 Pillars, the Palace of King
Tiramalai (a blend of Hindu and Saracenic
architectural styles), the Great Tank and the Gandhi
Museum and much more.
Day 06- Madurai/ Quilon (Kollam)
(305 Km 6 Hrs)
The sixth day of the tour begins with journey to
Quilon, from Madurai. You will be driven through the
splendid Cardamom hills and cross into Kerala state,
one of the most beautiful states of India, with a
cultural heritage going back to thousands of years.
This area is quite prosperous with crops like tea
and rubber; timber is also an important industry.
Upon arrival at Quilon, check in at the hotel.
Day 07- Quilon/ Alleppey/
Cochin
At Quilon, get ready for an experience of life time!
Quilon is the starting point of the inland waterways
in Kerala. You will love cruising along the inland
waterways. The Malabar backwaters, under the lush
green leaves of coconut palms, give a heavenly
pleasure.
The boat journey from Quilon to Alleppey is a real
adventure. Set out for Alleppey on the local
riverboat - cum - ferry. It is an exotic journey and
takes some 8 hours. On reaching Alleppey, you are
driven to Cochin, where you check in at the hotel.
Day 08- Cochin
Cochin is called "the Venice of the East'. Cochin
has been an important trade center for centuries.
So, get ready to explore history and natural beauty
together. Take the river craft tour to Fort Cochin,
the oldest European settlement in India. You will
find the land a mixture of English, Dutch and
Portuguese influence. You can also see the Chinese
fishing nets, while passing through the Bolgatty
Island and explore the St. Francis church and the
Jewish Synagogue. Return back to the hotel and spend
the night there.
Day 09- Cochin - Coimbatore
(183 Km 4 Hrs)
On day ninth of the tour, you will be driven to
Coimbatore at the foot of Nilgiri Hills. Upon
arrival at Coimbatore, check in at hotel. You can
either explore the place on your own or relax as the
day is free. Spend the night at the hotel.
Day 10- Coimbatore / Ooty
(98 Km 2 Hrs)
You will be driven to Metupalayam railway station,
early in the morning to board the Nilgiri Express
(train journey availability, subject to local
conditions). Journey through the beautiful and
scenic Nilgiri and reach Ootacamund or Ooty, as it
is known. By afternoon you reach Ooty by afternoon
and transfer to hotel. You have afternoon at leisure
and can explore the botanical garden, horse-racing,
and shopping on Charring Cross, the center of the
town. There is an artificial lake at Ooty, which
enhances Ooty's natural beauty.
Day 11 Ooty/ Mysore (159 Km
2 ½ Hrs)
After a brief leisure in the morning, you will leave
for a short drive through Madumalai National Park
(home to a variety of wildlife) to Mysore, "city of
fragrance". Upon arrival, check in at the hotel.
Remaining day is at leisure.
Day 12- Mysore
After breakfast you will be taken to explore the
Maharaja's Palace (It is a treat to watch at night
as it dazzles in lights) and the Chamundi Hills (at
the top of Chamundi Hill stands an enormous
monolithic sculpture of the sacred bull Nandi). You
are at leisure in the afternoon and can explore
sandalwood arts and crafts of Mysore. Spend the
night at hotel.
Day 13- Mysore- Chennai (Shatabdi
Exp), Chennai- Mahabalipuram (58 Km 1 ½ Hrs)
Enjoy your breakfast in the morning and relax! In
the afternoon board the Chennai bound train and
reach Mahabalipuram by late evening and drive to
Mahabalipuram. Check in at the hotel and spend the
night. This small place offers ideal opportunity to
relax after the journey. Mahabalipuram is well known
for its beautiful temples and miles of beaches,
perfect for an evening stroll.
Day 14- Mahabalipuram
After your breakfast, you will be taken for an
excursion tour of Mahabalipuram town. The main
attractions of Mahabalipuram are the cave temples,
monolithic temples, the five rathas and the shore
temples. Cave Temples were excavated by scooping out
the scarp of the hill. The Monolithic Temples are
locally known as Rathas. They were executed by
chiseling out the exterior face of the boulder.
There a total number of 8 monolithic temples in
Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram. Five rathas are at
one place- the Ganesh Ratha, Valayankuttai Ratha &
Pidari Rathas. The Shore temple is a temple complex
consisting of two Shiva temples and a carving of
Anantasayana Vishnu. After exploring the magnificent
architecture of the town, return back to hotel.
Day 15 Mahabalipuram -
Chennai (58 Km 1 ½ Hrs)
In the morning you will be driven back to Chennai to
catch the flight for your onward journey.
