South India Temples Tour

Duration : 14 Nights/15 Days

Destination Covered : Chennai – Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Thanjavur - Madurai - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari - Kovalam

Day 01: Arrival Chennai
After arriving at Chennai Airport, you head for the hotel. Night halt at Chennai.

Day 02: Chennai
Chennai is the gateway of South India, you can across different phases of India - Classical, Ancient, Gentle. Chennai Spreads over 50 miles and features a large and beautiful waterfront on the Bay of Bengal. It is the 4th largest city in India. The British East India Company established its first trading post at Chennai, and in 1653 the company built Fort Saint George to protect its position. After breakfast, visit Marina Beach, the second longest beach in the world.

The St. George Fort, built in 1653, is currently used as the state government's secretariat; Santhome Cathedral was built around 14th-15th centuries and is another colonial structure worth visiting. The Kapaleeswara Temple is the oldest temple in Chennai - Dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Parthasarthy Temple - dedicated to Lord Krishna. Later you can visit the Snake Park, which has a large collection of snakes and many other reptiles. Night halt at the hotel.

Day 03: Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram

Drive to Kanchipuram, after breakfast. Later visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. Kanchipuram is justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris, embellished with stunning patterns. Drive towards Mahabalipuram, later.

Night halt at the hotel.

Day 04: Mahabalipuram
Take a sightseeing tour of the city built in the 7th century, after breakfast. this city is said to be a sculptor's delight, boasting of some of India's most sublime rock-cut art, for which it is now a World Heritage site. Later visit the seven pagoda-style Shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments and animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. Night halt at Mahabalipuram.

Day 05: Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry (135 Kms)
Drive to Pondicherry, after breakfast. Pondicherry is the capital of the French colonies in India since the 17th century. In Pondicherry, visit the Aurbindo Ashram, which has been a seat of learning and Vedic cultures since ancient times and then leave for Auroville. Night halt at the hotel

Drive to Thanjavur, After breakfast. Here you can visit the the beautiful Chola Temple of Gangaikondacholesvaram also known as Brihadisvara Temple is capped by a monolithic cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by the Egyptians for building pyramids Tanjore is known for its bronze and handicrafts. Night halt at Thanjavur

Day 07: Thanjavur - Trichy - Kodaikanal (55 Kms 1 hr drive)
Drive to Trichy, after breakfast. Take a sightseeing tour of Trichy, was the citadel of the Chola dynasty in the medieval period. Trichy has witnessed the Carnatic wars fought between the French and the English. Lord Robert Clive's house is still there to see and so is the Danish Church. The Rock-Fort is the landmark of Trichy.

Day 08: Trichy - Kodaikanal (90 Kms 3 hrs drive)
Drive to Kodaikanal-situated on the southern crest of the Palani Hills at an altitude of 2100 M, after breakfast. It is the only hill station in India to be established by Americans. Night halt at Kodaikanal

Day 09: Kodaikanal
A must see or walk is the customary amble down Coaker's Walk, a strip of paved road on the steep southeastern mountainside. Later you can visit the Bryant Park, a botanical garden set up by a British forest officer. A must see is also the Pillar Rocks. Night halt at Kodaikanal.

Day 10: Kodaikanal - Madurai (82 Kms)

Drive to Madurai, After breakfast. After relaxing for sometime you can visit the Meenakshi Sundareshwar - one of the largest temple complex in India built between the 16th and 18th centuries. The temple is absolutely absorbing with the endless rounds of ceremonies,

prostration of countless devotees and glittering market stalls You can also visit the Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple, Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple. Night halt at Madurai.

Drive to Rameshwaram, after breakfast. Later you can visit the Rameshwaram city (one of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrim centre. temples in sea, visit Sri Ramanath Swami Temple, Danushkodi, Ramarpadam, Navabhasanam at Devipattinam.

Night halt at the hotel in Rameshwaram.

Day 12: Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari (295 Kms)
Proceed towards Kanyakumari, after breakfast. Around april you can enjoy the setting and the rising of the sun. Other attractions include : Kumari Amman Temple,Gandhi Mandapam and Vivekananda Memorial.

Day 13: Kanyakumari - Kovalam (95 Kms)

Drive to Kovalam through green coastal belt and cashew plantations, after breakfast Despite the fact that virtually the entire 550 Km length of the Kerala coast is lined with sandy beaches, rocky promontories and coconut alms, Kovalam is one of the only place where swimming in the sea is not considered eccentric by locals.

Day 14: Kovalam

since the 1930s. Kovalam has been a favorite haunt of tourists. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful Bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. Then you can enjoy : Ayurveda treatment, message, yoga classes, swimming,

beach volleyball, indoor games and Learn to cook with spices, sunbathing, special cultural programs, Catamaran cruising You could also go for breakfast at Thiruvanathapuram.

The coastal city of Thiruvanathapuram is set on seven low hills, 87km from the southern tip of India. The oldest most interesting part of town is the fort area in the south; around the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple and Puttan Malika Palace.

Day 15: Kovalam - Trivandrum Airport
Leave for Trivandrum airport/Railway Station, after breakfast.
The trip comes to an end with unforgettable memories