Duration : (13 Nights / 14 Days)
Destinations Covered : Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram -
Swamimalai - Tanjore - Madurai - Periyar - Alappuzha - Cochin -
Ooty - Mysore - Hassan - Belur - Halebid - Bangalore - Chennai
Day 1 Arrive Chennai
Your holiday in South India begins when you arrive in Chennai. The
executive from India Holiday Packages will receive you at the
airport and help you transfer to your hotel. Afternoon city
sightseeing tour of Chennai covering the Art and Bronze Gallery,
Flower and Fruit market, High court, Fort museum, Marina Beach,
Santhome Cathedral and Snake Park. Overnight stay at Chennai.
Day 2 Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram
Morning excursion to Kanchipuram followed by an excursion to
Mahabalipuram. Kanchipuram, the temple city of Tamilnadu, is the
ancient capital of the Pallavas, famous for its 124 temples out of
1000 temples that have survived the ravages of time. Temples of
Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy
temples are worth visiting. Buy the Kanchipuram silk apparels
famous all over the world. The city of Mahabalipuram
is the World
Heritage Site famous for the seven pagodas and the ancient rock
hewn, monolithic temples depicting Dravidian temple Architecture.
Overnight stay at Mahabalipuram.
Day 3 Swamimalai
From Mahabalipuram depart for Swamimalai by car. En route visit
Pondicherry and Gangaikondacholapuram. In Pondicherry, visit the
Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville, reminder of the Bengali
philosopher who settled in Pondicherry. Overnight stay at the
hotel.
Day 4 Tanjore
Visit Darasuram Temple and the Institute of Iconography in the
morning. Later drive to Tanjore to see the numerous temples in the
city. The 9th century Chola Temple of Brihadeswara at Tanjore is
another must visit. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5 Madurai
Leave for Madurai from Tanjore by car. En route visit Trichy/Tiruchirapalli,
the education center with temples also. In the evening, visit
Meenakshi Temple to observe certain religious ceremonies in the
renowned temple dedicated to the consort of Shiva, in Madurai.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6 Periyar
In the morning, visit Meenakshi Temple and Tirumalai Nayak
Palace in Madurai. Drive to the Periyar wildlife sanctuary in the
afternoon. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 7 Alappuzha
Start your morning with a boat cruise on Lake Periyar to have
close view of wildlife. Later, drive to Kumarakom, another
backwater destination and board the House Boat or Kettuvalom. Stay
in the houseboat and cruise the backwaters in and around Alleppey
to explore the extremely beautiful backwater destinations.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 8 Cochin
Explore the native rural life style, the characteristic of the
backwaters in Kerala. Disembark at Alleppey and drive towards the
commercial port city Cochin. Spend your vacation evening in
watching Kathakali dance performance. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 9 Cochin
Morning city tour of Cochin. The main tourist attractions are
Jewish Synagogue, Portuguese Churches, Mosques, Hindu Temples and
the Chinese Fishing Nets. Afternoon is free for shopping. Walk
through the huge ramparts of Fort Cochin in the evening. Overnight
stay at Cochin.
Day 10 Ooty
Reach Ooty by car. View the natural landscapes, the wide and
green tea gardens and the spectacular views of the Blue Nilgiri
mountain ranges. Evening is free for all your holiday activities
and shopping. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 11 Mysore
Morning enjoy a ride in the Toy Train and then drive to Mysore
by car. In the evening visit the Chamundeshwari Temple atop the
hill a famous landmark of this city. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 Hassan
After having a morning city sightseeing tour of Mysore
including the Palace of the Maharaja of Mysore depart for Hassan
by car. En route visit the Tipu Sultan's 18th century Summer
Palace at Srirangapatnam. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 13 Belur - Halebid - Bangalore
In the morning initiate the full day excursion to the 11th
century temples at Belur and Halebid. Depart for Bangalore in the
late evening. Visit Sravanabelagola, the largest statue of Lord
Gomateshwar, and one of the famous Jain pilgrimage destinations.
Day 14 Chennai
Morning is free for shopping and independent activities. In the
evening, fly to Chennai where the executive from India Holiday
Packages helps you to board a flight from the airport for your
onward journey or your way back home.