Southern Explorer Holiday

Tour Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival at Bangalore Airport - Hassan

Arrive Bangalore Airport. You will be met and transferred to Hassan (4 Hrs). Hassan is the 4th largest city in Karnataka and situated in the southern part of the state. Hassan is a base point to visit the 15th century Channakeshava temple at Belur and Hoysaleswara temple of Halebid another landmark in Hoysala architecture with sculptures of gods, animals and danseuses.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Evening you can go for a village walk with your driver.

Day 02: Hassan

Morning enjoy a tour of Belur and Halebid temples with a guide. Belur and Halebid are two tiny but beautiful temple towns 16 km apart in the southern state of Karnataka. Once at the centre of a great empire ruled by Hoysala in the 12th century, Belur and Halebid are heritage towns and are home to several exquisite temples which reveal the artistry of Indian sculptors and the mastery of the temple builders of yore.

Day 03: Mysore

Morning after breakfast check out and drive to Mysore (3 Hrs). Visit the famous Jain pilgrim centre of Sravanbelgola enroute. Sravanbelgola is one of the most significant Jain pilgrimage places and is located in the Indian state of Karnataka. On one of the hills, Indragiri (also known as Vindhyagiri), stands an extraordinary eighteen meter high monolithic statue of a naked male figure, Gomateshwara, which is the largest freestanding sculpture in India. Later drive to Mysore.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Evening visit the famous Devaraja daily vegetable and fruits market with your driver. Devaraja market is an apt place to get a flavour of the local people’s daily life. With more than 100 years of history, this market is well knitted into the heritage of Mysore. This is a good sample of a traditional Indian market place that is colourful, noisy, vibrant and a tad chaotic. There is no concept of ‘cold storage’ here; everything is raw, straight from the farm to the market to the homes.

Day 04: Mysore

Morning leave for the sightseeing of Mysore. You will visit the magnificent Mysore Palace-a kaleidoscope of stained glass, mirrors & gaudy colours, Chamundi hill and the Nandi Bull. The tour also includes visit to Srirangapatanam to see Tipu Sultans Summer Palace & Fort. Mysore, the capital city of the Wodeyar Dynasty has always enchanted its admirers with its quaint charm, rich heritage, magnificent palaces, beautifully laid-out gardens, imposing buildings, broad shady avenues and sacred temples. There's an old world charm about the city that reaches out and leaves no one untouched.

Day 05: Mysore - Ooty - Coonoor

Morning after breakfast drive to Ooty (4 Hrs). Today you drive through Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary for few hours. If you are lucky you will sight wildlife on road. On arrival at Ooty Board Nilgiri Toy Train toy train to Conoor ( 1 Hr). You will driver will travel to Conoor with your luggage and pick you from Conoor Railway Station.
Stay at Hotel for the 2 nights.

Day 06: Coonoor

Morning sightseeing tour of Coonoor with driver Coonoor is the second largest hill station known for its tea estates located in the Nilgiri hills. It is famous for its verdant environs and for a variety of wildflowers and birds. Sims Park is major attraction with rare variety of plant species.

Day 07: Coonoor - Cochin

Morning after breakfast drive to Cochin (6-7 Hrs). Visit Athirapally waterfalls enroute Fort Cochin is the home to some of the oldest European architecture in India and has been a significant settlement ever since Cochin Harbour was discovered. Unlike the bustling Ernakulum, the twin cities of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry have preserved an extraordinary wealth of early colonial architecture spanning the Portuguese, Dutch and the British eras a crop unparalleled in India
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 08: Cochin

Enjoy a guided sight-seeing tour of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry. You will visit St. Francis Church, the oldest church built by Europeans in India where the Vasco Da Gama was buried, Chinese fishing nets, Fish markets and later you go to Mattancherry to see the Jewish Synagogue, quarters, old spice markets and spice warehouses. Evening enjoy a Kathakali Dance performance in a near-by theatre. Kathakali dance performance, the ancient pantomime dance drama of Kerala. The performance is for about 2 and half hours, with an hour of make-up, a short introduction about the dance and an hour of dance performance.

Day 09: Cochin - Periyar

Morning after breakfast drive to Periyar (5 Hrs). The Periyar wildlife Sanctuary, situated on the banks of the Periyar lake, is spread across 777 sq km, of which 360 sq km is thick evergreen forest.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Evening enjoy a martial arts how in a near-by theatre.

Day 10: Periyar

Morning enjoy a boating in lake Periyar to spot wild animals. The artificial lake in the sanctuary was formed by the construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River. The wildlife can be viewed at close quarters from the safety of a boat on the lake. The herds of wild elephant that come to water on the banks of the lake are a major attraction. The sanctuary is home to herds of elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. Later visit the spice plantation, where you can see the locally grown spices in Periyar like cinnamon, cardamom, pepper cloves etc. You will have a person to explain how they are grown, harvested and processed. Later enjoy an elephant ride through spice plantation.

Day 11: Periyar - Madurai

Morning drive to Madurai (4 Hrs)
Stay at Hotel for 1 night.
Afternoon guided sightseeing tour of Meenakshi Temple. The city of Madurai was originally built in the shape of a lotus flower, centred on the celebrated Sri Meenakshi Temple. The rich cultural heritage and striking architectural leads many Indians to refer to the city as the 'Athens of the East'. You will also visit Teppakulam tank, remains of palace, cloth bazaar etc. Enjoy evening ceremony in the temple with your driver.

Day 12: Madurai - Kovalam

Morning after breakfast drive to Kovalam (5 Hrs). Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 13: Kovalam

At leisure by the beach

Day 14: Kovalam - Trivandrum Airport Departure

Like all good things, your tour in Kerala comes to an end but you will always carry memories of this unique and unforgettable holiday experience. Today you will be assisted and transferred (1 Hrs) to Trivandrum International Airport to connect your flight home.

The Tour Ends!!