Tamilnadu and Kerala Tour

Arrive Chennai. Upon arrival in Chennai - assistance and transfer to your pre-booked hotel.
Overnight, stay at hotel in Chennai.

Post breakfast, morning city tour of Chennai - the sprawling and gracious city on the ‘Bay of Bengal’ is the fourth largest city in India. Visit the Fort St. George was declared a national monument in 1948 and most of its buildings have been converted into government offices, notably the Legislature and Secretariat. Visit the San Thome Cathedral, a Gothic-style Catholic church said to house the remains of St. Thomas, the ‘Apostle of India’, who died at nearby St Thomas Mount in 72 A.D.
Afternoon drive to Mahabalipuram (58 kms) enroute visit Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram - known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the oldest towns in India. It is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well preserved and for its hand-woven silks. Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva and Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Continue drive to Mahabalipuram and upon arrival, check into the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, leave for the sightseeing of Mahabalipuram - is famous for its unique 7th-century Shore Temple, lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in the world. The temples situated on the bank of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This town was a workshop for temple building. 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 & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture.
Afternoon at leisure for own activities.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Pondicherry (180 kms) presently known as Pondicherry. Upon arrival in Pondicherry, check into the hotel. Pondicherry - This charming and well-restored former French colony displays a Mediterranean aura, with its beautiful streets and whitewashed houses. Visit the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram whose founder Sri Aurobindo emerged as a new type of thinker, one who combined in his vision - alacrity of the West with illumination of the East. Visit Auroville or the ‘City of Dawn’ - Designed by a French architect Roger Arger, it is a universal city-in-the-making whose purpose is human unity in the broadest sense of the word.
Overnight at the hotel.

Morning drive to Thanjavur (230 kms) en route visit Chidambaram. Chidambaram - has a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the enthralling form of the Cosmic Dancer Nataraja. It is one of the few, which allows non-Hindus to visit the inner shrine. The peculiarity of the temple is its presiding deity - the Akasha Lingam or the ether lingam. The four tall entrance ways have carvings of the famous South Indian dance, Bharatanatyam.
Continue drive to Thanjavur and upon arrival, check into the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Morning sightseeing of Thanjavur – Once the capital of the Chola Empire from the 10th to the 14th centuries. A Chola king, Raja Chola, built the greatest of the empire's 74 temples; the Brahadeeswarar temple is an outstanding example of the Chola architecture. Guarding the inner shrine of the temple is the gigantic statue of Nandi, the Bull. The courtyard walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods, comparable to the famous Ajanta cave frescoes.
Afternoon at leisure for own activities at the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.

Post breakfast, drive to Trichy (54 kms from Thanjavur) for sightseeing tour. Trichy - visit the ‘Rock Fort Temple’ which rises abruptly to a height of 273 ft. A steep staircase cut into the rock leads to the Fort.
Continue drive to Madurai (190 kms). Upon arrival in Madurai, check into the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.

Morning leave for the sightseeing of Madurai. Meenakshi temple is one of the biggest temple complexes in India dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi (the consort of Lord Shiva) and Lord Shiva. The high point of the Meenakshi temple is Hall of a "Thousand Pillars", built in the 16th Century which is as great a work of structural engineering as it is of art. Also visit the palace of Tirumala Nayak which is an example of the architectural mastery of the Nayaks - a blend of Hindu and Saracen architecture.
Rest of the day free to relax at the hotel.
Evening leave for the Meenakshi temple to attend the night ceremony at the temple at 9 P.M. This is a ceremony that takes place every evening when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is carried to the bedchamber of Parvati. The procession is accompanied by religious prayer and temple music.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Periyar (180 kms). Upon arrival in Periyar, check into the hotel. Periyar -
Periyar commonly known as Thekkady, sprawling across the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats, Thekkady is the home to one of the largest wildlife reserves in India. Alive with exotic flora and vibrant wildlife, it is the perfect getaway tucked away among hills.
Afternoon experience boats ride on the Lake of the famous Periyar wildlife sanctuary to see wild life. Periyar an artificial lake or reservoir created by a dam on Periyar River is the heart of the Wildlife Sanctuary where wild elephants, Asiatic Deer, Black Buck come to the banks of lake to drink water.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Kumarakom through the winding "Ghats" lined with prosperous tea /spice plantations. Arrive at Kumarakom (140 kms). and check in at hotel.
Kumarakom-is a beautiful backwater village on the shores of the enchanting Vembanad Lake, criss-crossed with meandering waterways and ancient cottages.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, morning at leisure for own activities.
Afternoon drive to Cochin (85 kms). Upon arrival in Cochin, check into the hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.

Early morning leave for the walking tour of fort Cochin area. Walking by foot is best way to explore the locality of Fort Cochin area.
Later after breakfast, leave for the sightseeing tour of Cochin - the palm green, commercial capital of Kerala which has one of the finest natural Harbour and is known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea". From time immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British & Portuguese seafarers followed the sea route to Kochi & left their impression on the town. Modern Kochi is thus a splendid mosaic of these myriad influences. Visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue, the Church of St. Francis & the famous Chinese fishing nets.
Afternoon witness the Kathakali dance performance - Kathakali is a unique dance which has a 2000 year old history with more than 100 different 'mudras' or gesture depicting deities, demons, heroes, heroines and kings.
Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your onward journey