The Best of South India Tour (Chennai – Mahabalipuram – Kancheepuram – Pondichery – Tanjore – Trichy – Madurai – Periyar – Munnar – House boat – Marari – Cochin)

Arrival at Chennai airport and transfer to the Hotel. Check in your pre booked hotel. Afternoon visit some important places. Ypu wil visit Santhome Cathedral, Kapaleeswar Temple, Marina Beach, Govt. Museum and Art Gallery, all thevisits depends on time you will have. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and start your city sightseeing. Visit Kapaleeswara temple, St. Thomas Church, Art Gallery, Fort St. George and Marina beach. Overnight stay at hotel.

Chennai – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram (155 Kms / 4 Hrs.)
In the morning, depart for Mahabalipuram. Visit Kanchipuram, once the Golden city of India. En-route, visit the Shiv Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi temples there.Continue your drive to Mahabalipuram. Arrive & check in at hotel.

Visit the 6-8th century Pallava rock-cut caves, Pancha Ratha temples and the Black Pagoda – the 7th century shore temple where both, Vishnu & Shiva are enshrined under one roof. Also, see the soapstone workers in the market who design and make sculptures. Visit to oldest Shore Temple- Overnight stay at hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel drive to Pondichery, on arrival check in at the hotel. Visit Matrimandir, Aurobindo Ashram in the afternoon. Roman Settlement Known as ‘Poduke’ to the classical geographers of Greece and Rome, the ancient port of Pondicherry flourished from the 2nd century BC. Pondicherry was traditionally a seat of learning and Vedic culture. 8-km north of Pondicherry is Auroville. Sri Aurobindo started his Ashram to train others in his comprehensive and world-accepting system of spirituality. Overnight at Pondichery.

Breakfast at the hotel and leave Pondicherry by surface for Tanjore. En route visit Chidambaram. On arrival at Tanjore check in at the hotel. Evening visit the imposing Brihadeswara Temple, Tanjore palaxce and Veena making centre. The most important tourist attraction in Tanjore include the 10th century Brihadeshwara Temple – dedicated to Lord Shiva with a huge Shiva Lingam and a stone sculpture of the Nandi Bull. The Temple has been included in the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Monuments. The 14th century Tanjore Palace & Art Gallery is another major attraction of Tanjore. Other worth visiting tourist attractions on your Tanjore Tour include the Gangaikondacolapuram Temple, Royal Museum, Serfoji Memorial Hall, Marattah Durbar Hall, Saraswathi Mahal Library, Schwartz Church, Rajagopala Beerangi. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and later drive to Trichy. Trichy has given great Tamil scholars whose contributions to the Tamil literature have been very significant The most famous land mark of this bustling town is the Rockfort Temple, a spectacular monument perched on a massive rocky out crop which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. Trichy is a fine blend of tradition and modernity built around the Rock Fort. On arrival at Trichy check in at hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, depart for Madurai. Arrive and check in at Hotel Taj Garden Retreat or similar hotel. In the afternoon visit 1the 6th century Thirumalai Nayakar Palace. Afterwards, visit the Meenakshi temple – the biggest in India. The temple has two main shrines dedicated to the goddess Parvati as Meenakshi and the other to Sundarar (Shiva). The domes of both the shrines are covered with heavy gold plates. You can also see the Hall of Thousand Pillars built in the 16th century, where many poetic events took place.Return to hotel for overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel and roceed to Thekkady/Periyar. On arrival at Thekkady check in the Hotel. Here the high ranges of the Western Ghats are clothed in dense evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savannah grass lands. Below this thick green canopy roam herds of elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. The pride of Kerela and a testimony to nature’s splendour and human innovation, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the banks of the Periyar lake – an artificial lake, at Thekkady. In addition to elephant rides, your can enjoy cruises on the lake and can have treks to the ruined Mangala Devi temple – a beautiful old stone temple situated in the heart of the Thekkady forest, this sanctuary offers the unique opportunity to watch and photograph wild elephants at close quarters. Overnight at the hotel.Overnight at the hotel.

After Breakfast in the hotel drive to Munnar Check into the hotel / resort and enjoy rest of the day at leisure. Afternoon visit Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Dam, Old Munnar Town and the town market. Enjoy rest of the day at leisure. Stay overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast drive to Kumarakom. On arrival at Kumarakom check in the house boat. House Boat for an exciting cruise through the scenic backwaters of Kerala. Cruise through the palm fringed canals, watch the Paddy fields, village folk. Relax on board hearing lullaby of the wind and waves. Overnight on board.

After the breakfast drive to Mararikulam. On arrival at Mararikulam check in at the hotel. A typical fisherman village with white sanded, palm fringed beach. The village of Mararikulam is tucked away behind a line of dense palms that rise like a sudden rampart of green out of the sands. Like all villages, it has evolved naturally, in picturesque disorder. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel, get ready to stroll down the beaches. Stay overnight and relax.

After breakfast drive to Cochin, the palm green commercial capital of Kerala. On arrival check in at the hotel Afternoon start the sight seeing of the City. Visit the St. Francis Church, the oldest Church of India, Mattancherry Palace, Jewish Synagogue and Chinese Fishing Nets. Evening watch the spectacular Kathakali show. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and transfer to railway station / airport for your onward journey.