Duration : 13 Nights / 14 Days (South India Tour Packages)
Visiting Places : Cochin / Alleppey / Kumarakom/ Thekkady / Madurai / Trichy / Tanjore / Pondichery / Mahabalipuram / Chennai
Day 1 : Cochin
Arrive Cochin Airport & our executive meet you and explain tour, later transfer to hotel, afternoon go for Cochin sight seeing, visit St. Francis Church, Vascoda Gama Square, Fort Cochin, Chinese fishing nets, Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Jew Street, Santacruse Basilica etc.. Evening See Kathakali show (cultural programe) in an AC Theatre. Overnight stay at hotel
Day 2 : Cochin to Alleppey
Morning after breakfast checkout from hotel and drive to Alleppey, the backwater destination of Kerala. (60 kms / 1.30 hrs). Arrive and checkin to hotel, rest of the day at leisure at hotel on the banks of the Lake. Overnight stay at Hotel
Day 3 : Alleppey to Kumarakom
Morning after breakfast around 1130 hrs checkout from hotel and drive to houseboat checkin point, Arrive and check in to houseboat which is also called as Kettuvallom and begin your journey through the picturesque backwaters of Kerala. In early days houseboats / Kettuvalloms were used for transporting goods (a standard kettuvallom can hold up to 30 tones) from the isolated interior villages to the towns. With the advent of roads, bridges and ferry services, gradually the Kettuvalloms went off the scene. Now these kettuvalloms are back again as a major tourist attraction in Kerala. Your houseboat has a living area with comfortable chairs, kitchen, bedroom with attached toilet. There will be 3 accompanying staff in the boat, one cook, one driver and one helper. Lunch, Evening Tea, Snacks & Dinner will be cooked and served on board. around 0530 pm the boat will be anchored. In Ac boats ac is in bedroom and it will switch on from 9 pm to 6 am only. Overnight stay at Houseboat.
Day 4 : Kumarakom to Thekkady (Periyar)
Morning after breakfast proceed to Thekkady (150 kms/ 4hours) which is also known as Periyar famous for Spices and Wildlife. Periyar is South India’s most popular wild life sanctuary spread across 777 sq. kms in the picturesque rainforests of the Western Ghats. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated here and it is one of the world’s most fascinating natural wildlife reserves. Afternoon go for an elephant ride. Evening free for shopping. Here you can buy high quality Tea, Coffee and Spices. Overnight stay at hotel (Boating at Lake Periyar is closed now)
Day 5 : Thekkady
Full day free for activities like : Jeep Safari(Full day programme), Elephant Ride, Spice Plantation tour, Martial arts Kalaripayattu show, Nature Walk, Ayurveda Massage etc. Overnight stay at Hotel.
Day 6 : Thekkady to Madurai
Morning after breakfast checkout from hotel and drive to Madurai (145 kms / 3 hrs), one of the ancient cities of India. Arrive and check in to hotel. The main attraction in Madurai is the Meenakshi Temple, with its 12 towers, each at a height of 45 – 50 meters. Evening, visit the Meenakshi temple and the Thousand Pillared Mandapam. Dinner and Overnight stay in the Hotel.
Day 7 : Madurai
Morning enjoy a brief sight seeing of Madurai City. This includes the Gandhi Museum, Thirumala Nayakar Mahal and Mariammam Teppakkulam, the temple tank. Rest of the day is free for shopping. Dinner and Overnight stay in the Hotel.
Option for day excursion to Rameshwaram (175 kms / 3.30 hrs one way)
Day 8 : Madurai to Trichy to Tanjore
After breakfast checkout from hotel and drive to Trichy (130 kms / 2.30 hrs visit the Rock Fort Temple and the Sri Rangam temple. Later drive to Tanjore, – Tanjore boasts on the glorious Chola culture. It was the capital of the Cholas, a dynasty of temple builders. Arrive and check in to hotel. Overnight stay.
Day 9 : Tanjore
After breakfast go for sight seeing. The sight seeing places in Tanjore are Sri Brahadeshwara temple, built in the 10th century with a total height of 65 meters, the palace with huge corridors and spacious halls. The Sangeeth Mahal within the Palace is a striking example of the engineering skills of the ancient builders. Overnight stay in the Hotel.
Day 10 : Tanjore to Pondichery
Morning after breakfast drive to Pondichery, The old French colony has retrieved its Indian character, but the scent of the French influence can be found again in the red kepis of the police officers, French spelling on signboards and traffic signs and some buildings and old stones . In the evening, visit Sree Aurobindo Ashram. Overnight stay in the Hotel.
Day 11 : Pondichery / Mahabalipuram
After breakfast drive to Mahabalipuram (100 kms / 3 hrs) arrive and check into the hotel for 2 nights. Mahabalipuram is situated on the shore of Bay of Bengal and was a port of Pallavas. It is historically known for its rock cut monuments. The interesting monuments to see are Arjuna’s Penance, a bas relief, 27 metres long and 9 metres high, the rock cut Mandapams situated within a radius of 1kms are known for their design and execution. Also interesting are the Rathas (temple chariots) with their Gopurams, multi-pillared and sculptured walls. Rest of the day is free to relax in the beach. Dinner and Overnight stay in the Hotel
Day 12 : Mahabalipuram/ Kanchipuram/ Mahabalipuram
After breakfast go for a day excursion to Kanchipuram (75 kms / 2 hrs), known as the city of Thousand Temples. Visit the interesting temples. Kanchipuram is also famous for its exquisite hand woven silk fabrics. Later drive back to Mahabalipuram. Rest of the day at leisure. Dinner and Overnight stay in the Hotel.
Day 13 : Mahabalipuram to Chennai
After Breakfast Check out from hotel and drive to Chennai (60 kms / 1.30 hrs) the capital of Tamil Nadu state. It’s the fourth largest city in India and is a bustling commercial center. Chennai can boasts of an interesting flair of South Indian Art, Architecture, dance, music and festivals with rich cultural traditions. Check into the hotel for the night. Afternoon enjoy a short sight seeing tour of Chennai city. This includes Museum, St Thomas Mount, and Marina beach. Dinner and Overnight stay in the Hotel.
Day 14 : Chennai Airport drop
Morning after breakfast checkout from hotel and drop at Chennai airport to depart your home town.
End of a fabulous Holiday !