The Diamonds of South India

Duration:
Route: Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Pondicherry, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Darasuram, Tanjore, Trichi, Madurai, Thekkady, Kumarakom, Cochin, Mumbai

Tour Description:

Lots of travelers think that the north part of India, which is the most visited part of India, is whole India. But the southern India is also very beautiful and very much different than the north India. This tour will show you the best on south India especially with TAMILNADU, KERALA.

In this tour you will explore CHENNAI the fourth largest city of India, The temples of MAHABALIPURAM, KANCHIPURAM, French colony of PONDICHERRY,GANGIKONDACHOLAPURAM, DARASURAM, TANJORE, TRICHI MADURAI in TAMILNADU and A boat ride at PERIYAR LAKE, BACKWATER, COCHIN in KERALA.

Itinerary

Day 01 Chennai

Arrival in CHENNAI, The Capital of TAMIL NADU and the fourth largest city of India where you will be greeted with a traditional Indian welcome on arrival and escorted to the hotel.
Overnight at Chennai.

Day 02 Chennai – Mahabalipuram

The visit of CHENNAI. At first you visit THE ST.THOMAS CHURCH, THE KAPALESHWAR TEMPLE, THE BRONZE MUSEUM and THE FORT CHENNAI nearby MARINA BEACH. Then you will move towards MAHABALIPURAM. Arrival and check in at hotel and then in the evening the visit of MAHABALIPURAM where you visit THE SHORE TEMPLES OF MAHABALIPURAM,ARJUNA’S PENANCE AND THE FIVE RATHAS, rest of the evening is free to explore the local market on your own.
Overnight at Mahabalipuram.

Day 03 Mahabalipuram – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram

All day excursion. After breakfast drive towards KANCHIPURAM, one of the seven sacred cities of India where we had near about 1000 temples but currently around 190 left. Here you will see THE KAILASHNATH TEMPLE, SRI EKAMBARANATH TEMPLE, KAMAKSHI AMMAM TEMPLE and DEVRAJSWAMI TEMPLE. Come back to Mahabalipuram.
Overnight in Mahabalipuram.

Day 04 Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry - Gangaikondacholapuram –Darasuram - Tanjore

Check out and drive towards TANJORE. On the way you cross the city called PONDICHERRY, One French colony in India. Then the first stop will be at GANGAIKONDACHOLAPURAM where we visit THE BRIHADISHWARA TEMPLE. Continue towards Tanjore. On the way again one stop to visit THE AIRATESVARA TEMPLE in DARASURAM. Continue towards Tanjore Arrival and check in at hotel.
Over night at Tanjore.

Day 05 Tanjore-Trichi-Madurai

This day in the morning at first you will visit THE BRIHADISHWARA TEMPLE in TANJORE one of the world heritage site of India and then drive towards TRICHI where you will visit THE ROCK FORT TEMPLE and SRI RANGANATHSWAMY TEMPLE and then continue towards MADURAI. Arrival and check in at hotel.
Overnight in Madurai.

Day 06 Madurai-Thekkady (Periyar Lake)

In MADURAI you will visit THE TIRUMALAI NAYAK PALACE and SRI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE.And after that move towards THEKKADY, situated in the Nilgiri Hills in KERALA, full of plantations with spices nearby PERIYAR LAKE.
Overnight in Thekkady.

Day 07 Thekkady-Kumarakom (Backwaters)

Before breakfast early in the morning boat ride in PERIYAR LAKE (This Boat Ride is subject to availability), One of the national parks of India full of animal life and lots of flora and fauna and then after breakfast check out and move towards KUMARAKOM the region of BACKWATERS, a vast network of lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals. Travelling the backwaters is one of the highlights of a visit to Kerala.
Overnight in Kumarakom.

Day 08 Kumarakom (Backwaters)

Day for relax in the hotel. Then sometime in the day a boat ride of the BACKWATERS which is the most romantic way of seeing one of the most beautiful areas of Kerala, relax and watch the world go by and experience the local village life on the Backwaters.
Overnight in Kumarakom.

Day 9 Kumarakom (Backwaters)-Cochin

After breakfast drive towards COCHIN, arrival and check in at hotel. Then leave the hotel to explore the fascinating cantilevered CHINESE FISHING NETS, JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, MATTANCHERRY PALACE and ST. FRANCIS CHURCH.
Overnight in Cochin.

Day 10 Cochin – Mumbai – Your Country

Drive towards airport catch the flight for MUMBAI. Where you visit THE GATEWAY ON INDIA, built by English people to commemorate the visit of king Jorge 5th in 1911, from the same place we have a very nice view of TAJMAHAL HOTEL, then we drive towards MARINE DRIVE the place which is built on land reclaimed from Back Bay in 1920, on the way to Marine Drive we will see the colonial building like UNIVERSITY OF BOMBAY, CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS well known as VICTORIA TERMINUS. Then after Marine Drive you will drive up to MALABAR HILL where you will visit the HANGING GARDENS and THE TOWER OF SILENCE (From Outside) the cremation place of the Paresis. After that you will visit the MANI BHAWAN, This is the place where Mahatma Gandhi stayed during his stay in Mumbai from 1917 to 1934 and at last you visit the DHOBI GHAT the place where the Laundry men wash the clothes.
And then transferred towards International Airport to catch onwards flight.