Itinerary
- Day 1
Chennai
You'll arrive at Chennai airport where a tour representative meets you for transfer to your hotel. After checking in and getting briefed about what's coming up over the next few days, the rest of the day is yours to relax and settle into your room.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Courtyard by Marriott Chennai or similar)
- Day 2
Chennai to Mahabalipuram
Start with breakfast, then head to Santhome Church, a cathedral basilica built right over the tomb of Saint Thomas. From there you'll check out Kapaleeshwarar Temple, a 7th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The drive to Kanchipuram comes next where you'll tour four temples with intricate Dravidian architecture. Later you'll travel on to Mahabalipuram for check-in and have free time to explore on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Ideal Beach Resort, Mahabalipuram or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Santhome Church
- Visit Kapaleeshwarar Temple
- Visit Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy Temples in Kanchipuram
Landmarks Santhome Church Kapaleeshwarar Temple Ekambaswara Temple Kailasanatha Temple Sri Kamakshi Temple Varadarajaswamy Temple - Day 3
Mahabalipuram
This morning you'll see Shore Temple, an 8th-century granite complex that shows off Pallava Dynasty architecture. After that, walk through Arjuna's Penance, the world's largest bas-relief carving from the 7th century, and then explore the Five Rathas which display how Dravidian architectural style evolved over time.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Ideal Beach Resort, Mahabalipuram or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Shore Temple
- Visit Arjuna's Penance
- Visit Five Rathas
Landmarks Shore Temple Arjuna's Penance Five Rathas - Day 4
Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry
After breakfast, you're driven to Pondicherry, the former French capital in India. Once you check in at your hotel, the afternoon is for walking through the French Quarter to see colonial buildings and street-side cafes (bicycles are available if you prefer that). Then you'll visit Aurobindo Ashram and The Lord Ganesha Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple before evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Accord, Pondicherry or similar)
Included Activities
- Walk through French Quarter of Pondicherry
- Visit Aurobindo Ashram
- Visit The Lord Ganesha Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Optional Activities
- Bicycle tour through French Quarter
Landmarks French Quarter of Pondicherry Aurobindo Ashram The Lord Ganesha Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple - Day 5
Pondicherry to Tanjore
Following breakfast, a 5-hour drive gets you to Tanjore (Thanjavur) where you'll check in at your hotel. In the afternoon, you tour the UNESCO World Heritage Brihadeeswara Shiva Temple built by King Raja Raja Chola in the 11th century. You'll also see Thanjavur Maratha Palace, Saraswati Mahal Library with over 30,000 palm leaf manuscripts, and the Raja Raja Chola art gallery featuring stone and bronze idols from the 9th-12th centuries.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Sangam, Tanjore or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Brihadeeswara Shiva Temple (UNESCO World Heritage site)
- Visit Thanjavur Maratha Palace
- Visit Saraswati Mahal Library
- Visit Raja Raja Chola art gallery
Landmarks Brihadeeswara Shiva Temple Thanjavur Maratha Palace Saraswati Mahal Library Raja Raja Chola art gallery - Day 6
Tanjore to Madurai via Trichy
After breakfast, a 4-hour drive takes you toward Madurai with a stop in Trichy along the way. You'll visit the Srirangam temple complex, one of India's largest and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In Trichy, explore Lord Robert Clive's house, the Danish Church, and Rock Fort with its two Hindu temples and historic battle sites. Then continue on to Madurai and check in at your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Courtyard by Marriott Madurai or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Sri Ranganathaswami temple in Srirangam
- Visit Lord Robert Clive's house
- Visit Danish Church
- Visit Rock Fort complex
Landmarks Sri Ranganathaswami temple Lord Robert Clive's house Danish Church Rock Fort 
- Day 7
Madurai
After breakfast, you'll explore Madurai, one of the world's oldest living cities with recorded history going back to the 3rd century BC. You'll see the 2000-year-old Meenakshi Temple, one of India's largest and oldest temples. Your guide takes you through the 17th-century Tirumala Nayak Palace with its splendid domes and arches, then to Alagar Hills and the Gandhi Museum. The tour ends at a bustling local market where you can shop, grab coffee, or wander around on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Courtyard by Marriott Madurai or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Meenakshi Temple
- Visit Tirumala Nayak Palace
- Visit Alagar Hills
- Visit Gandhi Museum
Optional Activities
- Shopping and exploration at local market
Landmarks Meenakshi Temple Tirumala Nayak Palace Alagar Hills Gandhi Museum - Day 8
Madurai to Munnar
After breakfast, a 4.5-hour drive brings you to Munnar. You'll check in at your hotel and then have the rest of the day at leisure to walk around and enjoy the peaceful mountain air and nice scenery.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Devonshire Green, Munnar or similar)
Optional Activities
- Stroll and explore Munnar at leisure
- Day 9
Munnar
After breakfast, you'll visit Eravikulam National Park, known for its endangered Nilgiri Tahr and rare butterflies, animals, and birds. Next stop is the Tea Museum where you learn about tea plantation history through exhibits, old photographs, and machinery. Then you head to Echo Point to experience its natural echo and visit Top Station, the highest point in Munnar. The day ends at Mattupetty, a nice location at 1700 meters elevation perfect for nature lovers.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Devonshire Green, Munnar or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Eravikulam National Park
- Visit Tea Museum
- Visit Echo Point
- Visit Top Station
- Visit Mattupetty
Landmarks Eravikulam National Park Tea Museum Echo Point Top Station Mattupetty - Day 10
Munnar to Periyar
After breakfast, a 3-hour drive takes you to Periyar where you'll check in at your hotel. You'll stroll through a spice plantation to learn about medicinal and culinary uses of different spices. In the afternoon, a 1-hour cruise on Periyar Lake takes you through the heart of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The lake, formed by a dam in 1895, winds around wooded hills and supplies water for local wildlife, so you might spot deer, boar, and various birds.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (The Elephant Court, Periyar or similar)
Included Activities
- Stroll through spice plantation
- Take cruise on Periyar Lake in Periyar Tiger Reserve
Landmarks Periyar Lake Periyar Tiger Reserve - Day 11
Periyar
Early morning around 07:00, your guide leads you on a forest trek inside the National Park to watch birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. After returning for breakfast, you'll spend the full day spotting elephants at a park, watching the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu, and taking a shared boat through the jungle scenery.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (The Elephant Court, Periyar or similar)
Included Activities
- Forest trek in National Park
- Spot elephants at park
- Watch ancient Kalaripayattu
- Take shared boat through jungle
Landmarks Periyar National Park - Day 12
Periyar to Kumarakom
In the morning, you visit a bird sanctuary. Then it's time to drive to Kumarakom and explore Lake Vembanad, a landmark of South India's fertile landscape. After checking in at your hotel, you'll stay overnight in Kumarakom.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Backwater Ripples Kumarakom or similar)
Included Activities
- Visit Bird Sanctuary
- Visit Lake Vembanad
Landmarks Lake Vembanad - Day 13
Kumarakom to Alleppey
After an early breakfast, a 4-hour drive gets you to Alleppey (Alappuzha), known as the Venice of the East with its crisscrossing canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons. On arrival, you'll board a houseboat and cruise through Kerala's peaceful backwaters passing quiet villages and beautiful rice fields. You'll stay overnight on the houseboat.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Houseboat (Lakes & Lagoon, Alleppey (Houseboat) or similar)
Included Activities
- Cruise on Kerala's backwaters by houseboat
Landmarks Alleppey Backwaters 
- Day 14
Alleppey to Kochi
After breakfast, you check out from your houseboat and take a 1.5-hour drive to Kochi (Cochin). Once you check in at your hotel, a guided tour takes you through the quaint narrow lanes of Jew Town to see ancient buildings and different architectural styles. You'll visit Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace), the 16th-century St Francis Church (oldest European church in India), India's oldest Jewish Synagogue, and the harbor where local fishermen use traditional Chinese fishing nets.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Radisson Blu, Cochin or similar)
Included Activities
- Stroll through Jew Town
- Visit Mattancherry Palace
- Visit St Francis Church
- Visit Jewish Synagogue
- View Chinese fishing nets
Landmarks Jew Town Mattancherry Palace St Francis Church Jewish Synagogue Chinese fishing nets 
- Day 15
Kochi to Departure
After breakfast, you'll transfer to the airport for your departure flight. Safe travels!
- Meals
- Breakfast
