Day 1 Chennai
Fly from your country to Chennai, You will be received by our representative arrive & check in at Hotel for overnight stay.
Day 2 Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahaballipuram (130 Km, 05 hours)
Breakfast & leave for sightseeing of Chennai, the first British major settlement in India . Visit St. Thomas Church, Art Gallery, Marina beach (2nd longest beach of the world after California).
Than leave for Mahabalipuram. Enroute visit famous Temples of Kanchipuram, once the Golden city of India to visit Shiva Kanchi and Vishnu Kanchi temples.
Continue your drive to Mahaballipuram, arrive & check in at Hotel for overnight stay.
Day 3 Mahaballipuram
Morning visit 6-8th century Pallava rock cut caves, Panch Ratha temple, 7th century shore temple where both Vishnu & Shiva are enshrined under one roof and soap stone workers in the market who designs and made sculptures by chisel & hammer. This is very special to see. Afternoon free to enjoy at sea beach. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 4 Mahaballipuram - Pondicherry - Tanjore
Morning leave early for Tanjore. En route visit Pondicherry `Finally reach to Tanjore, arrive and check in at Hotel for overnight stay.
Day 5 Tanjore - Trichy (56 Km, 01.1/2 hours)
Morning sightseeing of Tanjore visiting Brideshwarar Shiva Temple was built by King Raja Rajan from the year 985 - 1010 AD. As usual, South Indian temples have big Gopurams (towers) but this temple is parameter shaped, 65 meters high from the ground. This is one of the superb temple architect of the Chola dynasty. Afterwards visit Raja Rajan art gallery to see bronze statures of 9-16th century.
Return back to Hotel for check out and leave for Trichy. Arrive & check in at Hotel. Afternoon visit Srirangam Vishnu temple has 21 Gopurams (towers), one of the gopurma is 73 meters highest in India . Afterwards visit Rock Fort 83 meters above the ground having 344 steps to reach on the top to see Vinayaka temple. Return back to your Hotel for overnight stay.
Day 6 Trichy - Madurai (131 Km, 03 hours)
Morning leave for Madurai , arrive and check in at Hotel. Afternoon visit 16th century Thirumalai Nayak Palace . Afterwards visit biggest Meenakshi temple, the temple has two main shrines one is dedicated to goddess Parvati (Meenakshi) and another to Sunereshwara (Shiva). The doms of both the shrines are covered with heavy gold plates. You can also see 1000 pillars hall built in 16th century by Nayakas by pure granite stones. Return to hotel for overnight stay.
Day 7 Madurai - Periyar (140 Km, 04 hours)
Breakfast at Hotel and leaver for Periyar, arrive and check in at Hotel. Periyar is on 1000 meters above sea level and is rich in spice growing. 95% pepper in India is produced from here. Vaskodegama was the first European landed at Malabar coast in 1498 A.D. in search of spices. Those Days pepper was exported against the equal weight of gold, so in the beginning of 15th century pepper was called black gold.
Afterwards visit Periyar Tiger Reserve by boat to watch different varieties of animals such as panther, leopard, bison spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar, groups of wild elephants crossing the river and many birds. In evening you can buy here world class spices such as vanilla, cardamom, white, green and black Pepper. Return to Hotel for overnight stay.
Day 8 Periyar - Kovalam - Cochin
After breakfast leave for Cochin . Enroute visit spice Garden to watch different varieties of spice plantations such as cardamom, cinnamon, peeper, clove, vanilla, ginger, chili, tea and coffee plantations. En route also have than a house boat ride in the back waters of Kovalam. This cruise is very exciting and sensational to watch the real traditional Kerlan life who lives on the banks of backwaters.
Continue your drive to Cochin . Arrive and check in at Hotel. Late afternoon visit to watch traditional Kerlan Kathakali dances. Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 9 Cochin - Mumbai (By Flight)
Morning start city tour of Cochin . Visit Dutch Palace , Jewish Synagogue, Chinese fishing nets and St. Francis Church, one of the oldest Church built by the Europeans in 1503 A.D. Than transfer to cochin airport to board the flight for Mumbai.
Arrive in Mumbai and after a short city tour and Farewell Dinner transfer to Mumbai International airport for onward journey.
Optional : You can choose 2 days houseboat cruise in Backwaters and I day more in Mumbai for the whole city tour. |
