Discover the many faces of South India on a captivating fourteen-day journey that blends spirituality, tradition, and natural beauty. From the lively streets of Chennai to the tranquil backwaters of Kerala, this itinerary unveils the region’s timeless charm. Explore the grand temples of Tamil Nadu, wander through Pondicherry’s French-inspired lanes, and admire the Chola masterpieces of Tanjore and Swamimalai. Experience the devotion of Madurai, the lush wilderness of Periyar, and glide through Kumarakom’s serene waters aboard a traditional houseboat. Continue to Mysore and Hassan, discovering the majestic Maharajah’s Palace, the intricately carved Keshava Temple in Somnathpur, and the Hoysala treasures of Belur and Halebid. End your journey in Bangalore, where heritage meets modern energy. A voyage of colour, culture, and unforgettable discovery awaits in South India.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Mahabalipuram: A UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its rock-cut temples, intricate bas-reliefs, and the iconic Shore Temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal.
Pondicherry: A serene coastal town with French colonial charm, peaceful boulevards, and the spiritual haven of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Madurai: One of India’s oldest and most sacred cities, home to the spectacular Meenakshi Temple—an architectural and cultural masterpiece.
Kerala Backwaters (Houseboat): Sail through Kerala’s tranquil network of canals and lagoons aboard a traditional houseboat, surrounded by lush greenery and village life.
Mysore: Discover the grandeur of the Maharajah’s Palace, stroll through colourful markets, and experience the city’s royal heritage and cultural elegance.
Somnathpur: Admire the 13th-century Keshava Temple, a Hoysala masterpiece famed for its star-shaped design and exquisite stone carvings depicting epic tales.
Hassan: Explore the twin gems of Belur and Halebid—magnificent examples of Hoysala architecture adorned with intricate sculptures and carvings.
Day 1: ARRIVAL CHENNAI
Welcome to Chennai. On arrival, you’ll be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Visit Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, home to an ancient civilization and a rich heritage in arts, sculpture, and architecture. See the National Art Gallery, Kapaleshwara Temple, and the Cathedral of St. Thomas.
Overnight in Chennai.
Day 2: CHENNAI – KANCHIPURAM – MAHABALIPURAM (140km – 4hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Kanchipuram, the “City of Gold,” former capital of the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. The city is sacred, having welcomed Buddhism and Jainism even before the Christian era, and later became a center for the revival of Hinduism in South India.
Explore the art of silk weaving with a visit to a factory, and visit Ekambareshvara Temple with its mandapam (hall of a thousand pillars) and Vaikuntha Perumal Temple, built in the 8th century and dedicated to Vishnu.
Continue to Mahabalipuram, a seaside town on the Coromandel Coast famous for its white sandy beaches, clear waters, and the iconic “Seven Pagodas.” The rest of the day is free to relax by the sea.
Overnight in Mahabalipuram.
Day 3: MAHABALIPURAM – PONDICHERRY (100km – 2hrs)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Visit Mahabalipuram, a hub from the 6th to 9th centuries for Hindu and Buddhist traders, architects, sculptors, and scholars traveling to Southeast Asia. Discover the extraordinary 17m-long bas-relief, sculpted in the early 7th century, depicting ascetics, deities, Gandharvas, Apsaras, elephants, lions, and birds—believed to represent the “Descent of the Ganges” or the “Penance of Arjuna.”
See the “Ratha,” monolithic temples carved in the 7th century, and the Shore Temple, dedicated to both Shiva and Vishnu. Enjoy the bas-relief in the morning light before traveling to Pondicherry.
In Pondicherry, visit the Sri Aurobindo Museum and Ashram, including the Samadhi (cenotaph), shaded by a blooming frangipani tree. Take a rickshaw ride through the French quarters, including Alliance Française, the Post Office, and the old bookstore.
Overnight in Pondicherry.
Day 4: PONDICHERRY – CHIDAMBARAM – SWAMIMALAI (145km – 2hrs)
Early departure for Chidambaram (approx. 2 hours), halfway between Pondicherry and Tanjore. Visit the 22-hectare temple complex dedicated to Shiva Nataraja, the King of Dance, known for its sacred pool, four grand gopurams, and exemplary Chola art.
Continue to Swamimalai with a stop at Gangakondacholapuram to see the majestic Chola-era stone temple reminiscent of Tanjore.
Overnight in Swamimalai.
Day 5: SWAMIMALAI – TANJORE – TRICHY – SWAMIMALAI (100km – 3hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. In Tanjore, the former Chola capital (10th–12th century) and still a center for music and dance, visit the Brihadishwara Temple dedicated to Shiva. This granite sanctuary rises 70 meters and is topped by an 80-ton monolithic dome. Explore the art gallery in the 16th-century Nayak Palace, showcasing around 100 bronze statues of Shiva, Parvati, and Vishnu.
Drive to Trichy to visit the Sri Ranganathasvami Vishnavite sanctuary, a sacred city surrounded by seven enclosures with 21 monumental gopurams. Non-Hindus may not enter the inner sanctum, where Vishnu is venerated lying on the primordial serpent.
Overnight in Swamimalai.
Day 6: SWAMIMALAI – MADURAI (220km – 4.5hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Madurai and check in at the hotel.
Discover Madurai, a bustling city centered around the Meenakshi Sundareshwara Temple, rebuilt in the 17th century by King Tirumalai Nayak. Visit the Tirumalai Nayak Palace (founded 1636) and the Meenakshi Sundareshwara Temple.
In the evening, take a Tuk-Tuk to the temple to witness the Goddess Sunset Ceremony.
Overnight in Madurai.
Day 7: MADURAI – PERIYAR (145km – 4hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Periyar National Park, located in the Western Ghats, South India’s most famous nature reserve. Check in at the hotel.
Take a boat trip on Lake Periyar, a 26 km² artificial lake created by the British in 1895. The park is home to bison, antelope, sambars, wild boars, monkeys, semnopithecines, numerous bird species, and approximately 750 elephants.
In the evening, enjoy a Kathakali performance, a traditional costumed dance-drama based on Indian epics.
Overnight in Periyar.
Day 8: PERIYAR – KUMARAKOM (125km – 3.5hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive through tea, rubber, and spice plantations (pepper, nutmeg, cardamom) to Kottayam and then Kumerakom.
Check in at the hotel. Free time to relax or experience an Ayurvedic massage (not included), a traditional therapy aimed at restoring balance through essential oils and plant-based treatments.
Overnight in Kumarakom.
Day 9: KUMARAKOM – HOUSEBOAT (65km – 2hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to board your Houseboat late in the morning. Enjoy lunch on board and cruise the Kerala Backwaters through villages and rice fields. Navigate shallow lakes lined with palms and Chinese fishing nets, observing locals loading coir, copra, and cashew nuts onto barges. Dinner and overnight on the Houseboat.
Overnight on the Houseboat.
Day 10: HOUSEBOAT – COCHIN (65km – 2hrs)
Breakfast on board the Houseboat. Disembark at Alleppey port at 9:00 am and drive to Cochin. Explore the city, a former Portuguese and Dutch trading post, known for its bay and iconic Chinese fishing nets. Wander winding alleys lined with 500-year-old Portuguese houses.
Visit the Dutch Palace (closed Fridays) to see murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and legends of Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Kumara, and Durga. See the Church of St. Francis, India’s oldest European church, and the Synagogue (closed Fridays and Saturdays), founded in 1568, partly destroyed during the Portuguese assault of 1662 and later restored by the Dutch.
In the evening, enjoy a demonstration of Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala dating back to the 12th century.
Overnight in Cochin.
Day 11: COCHIN – CALICUT (4hrs by train) – MYSORE (220km – 5.5hrs)
Early in the morning, after breakfast, transfer to Cochin Railway Station to board the train to Calicut. Upon arrival, continue by road to Mysore, the former capital of Karnataka. Nestled at the foot of Chamundi Hill, Mysore is a graceful, green city that once gave its name to one of India’s most important princely states, ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty. Though its tenure as capital was brief, around thirty years in the early 19th century, Mysore remains the cultural heart of the region. With its pleasant climate, tree-lined boulevards, and abundance of parks and gardens, the city continues to cherish and celebrate its royal traditions.
Overnight in Mysore.
Day 12: MYSORE – SOMNATHPUR – MYSORE (70km – 2hrs)
In the morning, after breakfast, take an excursion to the village of Somnathpur to visit the magnificent 13th-century Keshava Temple. Built in the shape of a star, its walls are adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita, as well as the lives of the Hoysala kings. Each frieze is unique, showcasing the extraordinary craftsmanship of the period.
Return to Mysore and in the afternoon, visit the Maharajah's Palace. Originally the Amber Vilas Palace, it was rebuilt after a fire in 1897 in a grand Indo-Baroque style designed by the English architect Henry Irwin. The palace impresses with its majestic corridors, massive silver-inlaid portals, mahogany domes, and colorful glass ceilings – an enduring symbol of the splendor of India’s princely courts.
End the afternoon with a stroll through the vibrant local market, where colorful fruits, vegetables, spices, and handmade crafts create a lively, sensory experience.
Overnight in Mysore.
Day 13: MYSORE – SRIRANGAPATNAM – HASSAN (140km – 3.5hrs)
In the morning after breakfast, depart for Hassan, with a stop en route at Srirangapatnam, located on an island in the Kaveri River. Visit the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan, renowned for its remarkable wall paintings, and explore the fortress of Tipu Sultan, famously known as the “Tiger of Mysore.” Discover the fortress and the Sri Ranganatha Temple, a major place of worship dedicated to Vishnu reclining on the serpent Anantha, with an idol made of black stone and gilded metal. The Tipu Summer Palace (Dariyat Daulat Mahal) was built in the late 18th century in an Indo-Muslim style. Its interiors are richly decorated with murals depicting the battles fought by the “Tiger of Mysore.”
Overnight in Hassan.
Day 14: HASSAN – BELUR – HALEBID – BANGALORE DEPARTURE (270km – 6.5hrs)
In the morning after breakfast, visit Belur and Halebid, renowned for their temples – masterpieces of 12th-century Hoysala sculptors.
Belur, a gopura (tower) adorned with intricate sculptures, reminiscent of a Baroque altarpiece, guides you through the village to one of India’s architectural treasures left by the opulent Hoysala dynasty: the Chennakeshava Temple. This stone jewel, sculpted like a warmly patinated ivory casket, seems “wrapped” in frozen processions, as if by magic. The gods, goddesses, heroes of the Hindu epics, and the founding king and his court appear suspended in anticipation of a choreographed, musical liturgy, performed by graceful figures whose carved gestures capture the essence of dance. Here, you are in the presence of one of the pinnacles of Indian art.
Halebid, this modest village, whose name means “Old Capital,” occupies the site of ancient Dvarasamudra, the first capital of the Hoysala dynasty, creators of some of India’s greatest architectural marvels. The Hoysaleshvara Temple, though unfinished and weathered by time and human hands, remains a masterpiece of meticulously carved soapstone, a jewel of craftsmanship comparable to Belur.
After the visits transfer to Bangalore Airport for your return flight.
