Deep South of India - Kerala and Tamil Nadul

Day 1 · Cochin - Called as the Queen of the Arabian Sea

1. 1

   Kochi (Cochin)

   5 hours

   You will be picked up from Cochin Airport with a signed board under your name, as per your flight details. Early arrivals have the possibility to explore Cochin, depending on your preferences. Some places would be visited according to your time and personal interests.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Old Courtyard Semi Luxury: Trident Luxury: Grand Hayat

Day 2 · Cochin - Bustling commercial port city with a trading history that dates back to at least 600 years.

1. 1

   Fort Kochi

   3 hours

   A charming seaside area, Fort Kochi is known for its Dutch, Portuguese, and British colonial architecture, and elaborate bamboo fishing nets at Fort Kochi Beach.

2. 2

   Church of Saint Francis

   one hour Admission included

   Saint Francis Church, in Fort Kochi, Kochi, originally built in 1503, is one of the oldest European churches in India and has great historical significance as a mute witness to the European colonial struggle in the subcontinent.

3. 3

   Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica

   one hour Admission included

   The Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica at Fort Kochi, Kochi is one of the nine Basilicas in Kerala. Counted as one of the heritage edifices of Kerala, this church is one of the finest and most impressive churches in India and visited by tourists the whole year round.

4. 4

   Kochi (Cochin)

   2 hours

   Stroll around its picturesque beaches fill with peculiar fish nets and the fish market

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Old Courtyard Semi Luxury: Trident Luxury: Grand Hayat

Day 3 · Alleppey - From houseboat stays in to lazing around on pristine beaches, enjoy the wide range of memorable experiences.

1. 1

   Alappuzha

   5 hours

   Enjoy a Boat Ride at Vembananad Lake, which offers a fascinating insight into the life of Keralan Backwater. On the narrow strip of land you could appreciate the fishing fishermen, children swimming, and women doing their daily chores. Experience any place you find on the way, loose yourself and unravel the magic of the place.

Hotel Options Available: Houseboat in the Backwaters of Kerala

Day 4 · Thekkady - Experience the sight of majestic elephants, spice plantations, and beautiful hills.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   4 hours

   Boating on the Lake Periyar and witness the fascinating Wildlife and unique animal sanctuaries in India. Visit the fragrant spice plantations of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, and coffee. Enjoy the Tea States as well. Shop in the local market for natural seasonings to take home.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Tree Top Semi Luxury:Elephant Court Luxury: Naramaya Retreats

Day 5 · Thekkady

1. 1

   Green Land Spice Garden

   2 hours Admission included

   Enjoy it´s vibrant smells and colors

2. 2

   Periyar Lake

   3 hours Admission included

   Enjoy a boat ride in the Periyar Lake to observe Wildlife

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Tree Top Semi Luxury:Elephant Court Luxury: Naramaya Retreats

Day 6 · Munnar - Popular hill-station perched at an altitude of 1600m in the Western Ghats, known as the Kashmir of South India.

1. 1

   Munnar

   5 hours

   One of the highest Tea growing lands in the world. Visit Eravikulam National Park, home of the endangered Nilgiri Thar (Ibex). Experience Mattupetty Dam, the Indo Swiss Dairy farm and

   the Kundala Lake.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Cooper Castle Semi Luxury: Tea County Resort Luxury: Panaromic Gateway

Day 7 · Munnar

1. 1

   Munnar

   6 hours

   Enjoy the natural beauty of Tea States

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Cooper Castle Semi Luxury: Tea County Resort Luxury: Panaromic Gateway

Day 8 · Madurai - The holy city famous for its towering Hindu shrines and the most iconic pilgrimage destinations in India.

1. 1

   Madurai

   5 hours

   Visit and witness one of the architectural dreams of all times created, the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple (The Goddess of Wealth). Experience a walking tour through the flower market in the city’s Mattuthavani district. Enjoy how raw fragrance is being made at Raja Palaniswamy’s facility.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Madurai Residency Semi Luxury: Fortune Pandiyan Luxury: Heritage Madurai

Day 9 · Madurai

1. 1

   Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal

   3 hours Admission included

   Thirumalai Nayak Palace is a 17th-century palace erected in 1636 AD by King Tirumala Nayaka. This Palace is a classic fusion of Dravidian and Rajput styles.

2. 2

   Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

   2 hours Admission included

   Temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, the consort of lord Shiva. It has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Madurai Residency Semi Luxury: Fortune Pandiyan Luxury: Heritage Madurai

Day 10 · Thanjavur

1. 1

   Stop 1

   5 hours

   Visit the celebrated temple Brihadeshra built by the Chola King during the 11th century. Experience the Saraswati Mahal library, containing a rare collection of books and manuscripts on paper and palm leaves.

2. 2

   Swami Malai Temple

   one hour Admission included

   Swamimalai Swaminathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Murugan.

3. 3

   Airavatesvara Temple

   4 hours Admission included

   UNESCO World Heritage Site

   The Airavatesvarar temple is one among a cluster of eighteen medieval era large Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam area. The temple is dedicated to Shiva. It also reverentially displays Vaishnavism and Shaktism traditions of Hinduism,

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Hotel Parisutham Semi Luxury: Hotel Sangam Luxury: Hotel Mantra Koodam

Day 11 · Pondicherry - The perfect amalgamation of the traditional Indian sensibilities and French architecture

1. 1

   Pondicherry

   7 hours

   Enjoy the serene aura and cuisine of this Union territory of India. Visit the Navagraha Temple where all the nine planets are worshipped and known for their influence in our lives.

   Experience Auroville city known as the City of Dawn, is where people from different nationalities, beliefs and traditions live together in harmony.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: La Chateau Semi Luxury: Hotel De L’Orient Luxury: La Villa

Day 12 · Pondicherry - A dreamy escape that offers the best of both worlds. A fairytale charmed city.

1. 1

   White Town

   4 hours

   Charming White Town is known for the French colonial-era villas lining its leafy streets. Eateries from quirky cafes to upscale courtyard restaurants serve French, Indian, and Franco-Tamil cuisine, while small crafts shops dot cobbled lanes. The beachfront promenade is popular for evening strolls.

2. 2

   Auroville

   2 hours

   Auroville is a universal city in the making in south-India dedicated to the ideal of human unity based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: La Chateau Semi Luxury: Hotel De L’Orient Luxury: La Villa

Day 13 · Mahabalipuram - Famous for its intricately carved temples and rock-cut caves

1. 1

   Mahabalipuram

   5 hours

   Visit the second pagodas, a wonderful monolithic monuments and stone sculptures to be seen.

   Experience the Pallava architecture expressed at Five Rathas, the bas-relief on a huge rock popularly known as Arjuna’s penance; Mahisasura Madapam and the Shore Temple overlooking the sea, surrounded by gardens and ruined courts

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Mammala Heritage Semi Luxury: Ideal Beach Resort Luxury: GRT Radisson Temple Bay

Day 14 · Mahabalipuram

1. 1

   Shore Temple

   4 hours Admission included

   As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.[2] It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of South India

2. 2

   Pancha Rathas

   2 hours Admission included

   Pancha Rathas is a monument complex at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Mammala Heritage Semi Luxury: Ideal Beach Resort Luxury: GRT Radisson Temple Bay

Day 15 · Mumbai

1. 1

   Elephanta Caves

   5 hours Admission included

   Elephanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. They are on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, in Mumbai.

2. 2

   Gateway Of India

   50 min

   The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built in the early twentieth century in the city of Mumbai.

   It was erected to commemorate the landing in December 1911 at Apollo Bunder, Mumbai of King-Emperor George V and Queen-Empress Mary, the first British monarch to visit India.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   2 hours

   Dharavi is Mumbai’s largest slum (and the third-largest in the world) made famous by the film Slumdog Millionaire.

4. 4

   Dhobi Ghat

   one hour Admission included

   Dhobi Ghat is an open air laundromat. The washers, known as dhobis, work in the open to clean clothes and linens from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals.

5. 5

   Colaba Market

   2 hours

   The everyday carnival of the Colaba Causeway market is a shopping experience like no other in Mumbai. That infamous Indian saying of "sab kuch milega" (everything is possible) certainly applies at this market.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Fort Residency Semi Luxury: Suba Palace Luxury: Taj Mahal Tower

Day 16 · Mumbai

1. 1

   Mumbai

   6 hours

   Feel the energy of this impressive city and live the Elephanta Caves. Experience as well Dharavi, the area where Bollywood movie and Oscar Winner, “Slumdog Millionaire” has been shot.

Hotel Options Available: Affordable: Fort Residency Semi Luxury: Suba Palace Luxury: Taj Mahal Tower

Day 17 · Mumbai - Departure

1. 1

   Mumbai

   3 hours

   Relaxed and ready for travelling back home, your driver will take you to the airport as per your flight schedule.