Southern Splendour Tour

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Bangalore - Mysore

Arrive Bangalore International Airport You will be met by our representative and transferred to
Mysore (4 Hrs).
Later drive to Mysore. Stay at Hotel for the night.
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.
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 02: Mysore - Ooty - Coonoor

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.
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 03: Coonoor - Cochin

Morning after breakfast drive to Cochin (7 Hrs).
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 04: 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. You can take pictures at the centre but they do charge a camera fee which can be paid directly at the centre.

Day 05: Cochin - Alleppey

Late morning drive to Alleppey ( 2 Hrs)
By Noon board your AC Deluxe Houseboat from the Alleppey boat jetty for a 2 nights cruise with on board lunch and snacks and dinner, covering the nearby villages and the ethnic life around these villages to Alleppey, through the famous Vembanad Lake. This afternoon you’ll enjoy a relaxing cruise through the waterways which gives you an opportunity to observe rural Kerala up close. You stop to look at paddy cultivation, watch local fishing, and see historic churches and local temples. Your Houseboat will have one
bedroom each with en-suite facilities and exterior space to sit and relax. Bedrooms are air-conditioned although this is only usually switched on during the night (9pm to 6am.) Each houseboat has a driver and a cook, who’ll prepare delicious Keralan meals, with some fresh ingredients likely to be purchased during the cruise.

Day 06: Alleppey - Periyar

Morning after breakfast drive to Periyar ( 4 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 martial arts show in a nearby theatre.

Day 07: 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 08: Periyar - Madurai

Morning drive to temple town of Madurai (3.5 Hrs). You will drive through paddy, rice and sugar care cultivations to reach the temple town of Madurai.
Madurai is famous for Meenakshi Temple, the largest temple in South India. 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.
Stay at Hotel for one night.
Afternoon a guide will report at the hotel and you leave for the sightseeing tour of Madurai. You will visit the famous Teppakulam Tank, Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Gandhi Museum etc.

Day 09: Madurai – Chettinadu

Morning drive to Chettinadu ( 2 Hrs).
Chettinadu is the homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiyar, a prosperous banking and business community, many of whose members migrated to South and Southeast Asia, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Chettinadu is well known for its Chettinadu cuisine, Mansions, and Temples.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 10: Chettinadu

Enjoy a sightseeing tour of the local town. You could visit the Chettinadu Raja’s Palace, local handmade tile making, Saree Weaving and a daily local market.

Day 11: Chettinadu - Tanjore - Pondicherry

After an early breakfast drive to Tanjore (4 Hrs) visiting the temples at Darasulam enroute. The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a well-preserved example of 12th century Chola architecture. On arrival at Tanjore visit the world famous Brihandeswara Temple with a guide. The most important tourist attraction in Tanjore is the 10th century Brihandeswara Temple - edicated 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.
Later drive to Pondicherry (2 Hrs).
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
The capital of the Union Territory of Puducherry, Pondicherry is a former French colony and is now among the chief tourist destinations of South India. This coastal town was a French colony till 1954 and still retains many colonial buildings, churches, statues and the systematic town planning by the French and is often called the Europe of India because of its town planning. Although a small town, the town contains an interesting mix of Indian and French colonial heritage and a number of tourist destinations.

Day 12: Pondicherry

Morning enjoy a guided walking tour of Pondicherry. You will visit Sri Arabindo Ashram and Handmade paper making factory, Pondicherry Museum, Church of Sacred Heart Jesus and later enjoy a stroll through the beach road and old streets of town.

Day 13: Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram - Chennai

Morning after breakfast check out from the hotel and leave for sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram with a guide. This lovely seaside capital was the capital of the Pallavas dynasty. You could visit the shore temple, the largest bas-relief in the world called Arjuna’s Penance and the famous and beautiful Five Rathas (Chariots) are what will be most eye-catching. Arjuna’s Penance, a complicated piece of work on a vertical rock is one of the best preserved.
Later drive to Chennai (2 Hrs).
Chennai formerly known as Madras is the capital of state of Tamil Nadu. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is one of the biggest cultural, economic and educational centres in South India.
Stay at Hotel for the night.

Day 14: Chennai Departure

Afternoon enjoy a sightseeing tour of Chennai with a guide. You will visit places like St. Thomas Cathedral, Fort St. George, Marina beach, markets etc.
By evening you will be transferred to Chennai Airport for departure (30 Min).
Like all good things, your tour in India comes to an end but you will always carry with you memories of this unique and unforgettable holiday experience. You will be transferred (30 Mins) to Chennai Airport to board your flight back home.

The Tour Ends!!