DAY 01: Arrive Madras by International Flight

• Meeting and assistance at the airport upon arrival and transfer to HOTEL
• Hotel check in time 12 noon.
• Afternoon, sightseeing tour of Madras to see some of the highlights of India’s fourth largest city. Visit the National Art Gallery and Museum, which house some beautiful temple friezes and South Indian bronzes; the Cathedral of San Thome; the Mylapore Temple, and St Mary’s Church. (Museums are closed on Friday and National Holidays).
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 02: MADRAS-MAHABALIPURAM

• Drive from Madras to Mahabalipuram enroute visiting Kanchipuram, known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples.
• This is one of India’s sacred cities. Many early styles of temple architecture may be seen here. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. Kancheepuram has also long been famous for its silk weaving.
• Continue your drive to Mahabalipuram and upon arrival check-in at: HOTEL
• Afternoon sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram – an ancient coastal port – south of Madras. Here you will see many sculptures and temples of typical South Indian architectural design; the Five Rathas – a group of monolithic monuments and animal figures carved out of solid rock; the Shore Temple, lashed by the waves of the sea; and the huge fresco, “The Penance of Bhagirath”.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 03: MAHABALIPURAM-PONDICHERRY

• Drive from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry (105 kms/3 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL
  Afternoon sightseeing tour of Pondicherry, visiting the Auroville.
• Conceived as a tribute to Sri Aurobindo, Auroville is an entirely new concept in education and urban living; Sri Aurobindo Ashram – known to the world over as “Centre of Integral Yoga”.
• It was founded by Sri Aurobindo, India’s patrick philosopher around 1920.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 04: PONDICHERRY-TANJORE

• Drive from Pondicherry to Tanjore (177 kms/5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL. Afternoon, city sightseeing tour of Tanjore where you will stop to visit temples built during the 10th and 14th centuries.
• Later it became part of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, then passed into the hands of the Marathas and went to the British
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 05: TANJORE-TRICHY

• Drive from Tanjore to Trichy (54 kms/1.5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL Afternoon city tour of Trichy (Tiruchirapalli).
• The Rock Fort rises abruptly to a height of 273 ft. A steep staircase cut into the rock leads upto the Fort. At the first level are the remnants of a huge hall blasted into ruins in 1772.
• The next storey is the Mathrubhuteshwarer Shrine dedicated to Shiva. Finally at the top of the hill, the Ucchi Pillayar Koil- a Ganesh Temple offering a commanding view of the city.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 06: TRICHY-MADURAI

• Drive from Trichy to Madurai (128 kms/3.5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL
• Afternoon, city sightseeing tour of Madurai, visiting the Meenakshi Temple where Dravidian temple architecture maybe seen in its exuberant baroque phase. Its Hall of a Thousand Pillars is fabulous and is filled with worshippers at all hours of the day.
• also visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace which is in a highly decorative monument at Thebes. Its enormous roofed arcade supported by 48-foot-high stoned pillars still stands; and griffins, lions and other monster gargoyles are to be seen everywhere.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 07: MADURAI-PERIYAR

• Drive from Madurai to Periyar (137 kms/4 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL Afternoon game viewing by boat.
• Cruise in the Periyar Lake in the cool surroundings and the panorama spreads around – tropical jungles, wild Elephants, Indian Gaur, Monkeys, spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar and birds of myriad varieties.
• With an area of 777 sq km the wildlife sanctuary lies at an elevation of 914 meters to 1828 meters above sea level on the Periyar Lake in the hills of Western Ghats.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 08: PERIYAR-KUMARAKOM

• Drive from Periyar to Kumarakom (115 kms/3.5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 09: KUMARAKOM-COCHIN

• Breakfast on board.
• Morning backwater cruise towards Alleppey (2-3 hours cruise).
• Arrive at Alleppey boat jetty and drive to Cochin (56 kms/1.5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL Afternoon free for independent activities.
• Evening, witness the Kathakali dance performance, performed by various artists. Kathakali is a traditional dance form, depicting Indian epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata).
• The dancers are dressed in very colorful and elaborate costumes. Their faces are painted to depict various characters of these epics. This dance has a lot of facial expressions and brisk, yet articulate body movements.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 10: COCHIN

• Morning, sightseeing tour of Cochin, visiting the Jewish synagogue (closed on Saturdays), built over 400 years ago.
• It contains beautiful Belgian glass chandeliers, and is paved with hand painted tiles from China. Visit the “Dutch Palace” (closed on Fridays) with its wonderful murals depicting the entire story of the Ramayana on its walls. See St Francis Church, (closed on Sundays) the first European Church built in India.
• Afternoon free for independent activities.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 11: COCHIN-OOTY

• Drive from Cochin to Ooty (281 kms/7 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 12: OOTY

• Morning, city sightseeing tour of Ootacamund. Situated in the heart of the Nilgiris (Blue Mountains), at a height of 2,287 m. (7,500 ft), it lies on a plateau and looks like a vast park.
• To the northwest of Ooty are splendid downs resembling those of Sussex while to the west, south and southwest, lofty hills add to the grandeur of the scenery. Visits the terraced Botanical Gardens, which are a landmark in Ooty, have many rare trees and flowering plants.
• Afternoon free for independent activities.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 13: OOTY-MYSORE.

• Drive from Ooty to Mysore (158 kms/5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL
  Afternoon, you will visit the beautiful city of Mysore, that is known for its fine craftsmanship in wood, ivory, sandal-wood, and for its silk. Visit the Maharaja’s Palace which is lavishly decorated in a mixture of styles.
• Also visit the Zoological Garden, Mysore Arts & Crafts Center and then proceed to the Chamundi Temple on a hill high above the city.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 14: MYSORE-HASSAN

• Drive from Mysore to Hassan (115 kms/4 hours) enroute visiting Somnathpur and Sravanabelagola.
• Somnathpur- this temple is dedicated to Shiva and is a marvelous example of Hoysala architecture with exquisite sculptures.
• Sravanabelagola – it is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centers in India and site of the huge statue of Lord Bahubali (Gomateshwara) which, at 17 metres high and carved out of a single piece rock, is said to be the world’s tallest monolithic statue.
• It stands on top of the rocky hill.
• Continue your drive to Hassan and upon arrival check-in at: HOTEL Afternoon sightseeing tour of Belur and Halebid, which is the finest examples of Hoysala Art.
• The soft stone used by builders was chiselled with extreme fineness for detail. The temple at Belur is famed for its profusely ornamented exterior and the one at Halebid for its sculptured figures and open air museum. Also visit the colossal monolithic Jain Statue, 57-ft high, which stands on top of a steep bare hill.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 15: HASSAN-BANGALORE

• Drive from Hassan to Bangalore (190 kms/5 hours).
• On arrival check-in at: HOTEL Afternoon, city sightseeing tour of Bangalore, known as the Garden City of India. Visit the lovely Lal Bagh Gardens, which has one of the largest collections of exotic Indian tropical and sub-tropical plants. You will also visit the Bull Temple. Drive past the Vidhana Soudha and High Court.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 16: BANGALORE-ABROAD

• Transfer from hotel to the airport in time for: Lv: Bangalore by International Flight.

^*Note: All flight details and timings are subject to change.