DAY 1: CHENNAI
- Arrive Chennai
- Upon arrival, Welcome by Tour Express representative and transfer to your hotel.
- Non-alcoholic welcome drink at hotel.
- Chennai – The gateway to the sunny south, the capital of Tamil Nadu is also the seat of an ancient civilization, with a rich heritage of fine arts, sculpture and architecture. The city of Madras extends over an area of nearly 80 sq. kms has a population of about two million and is the third largest city of India. It has withstood the pressure of modernization to some extent and even today retains an old world charm, which has an instant appeal for the visitor.
- Overnight at Hotel. (Meals not Included)
DAY 2: CHENNAI – MAHABALIPURAM (60 Kms / 2 Hrs)
- Breakfast at the hotel .
- Depart for a city tour. Visit Fort St George that marks the beginning of Chennai as an important center for trade. Within the fort is St Mary’s Church, the first English church in India and the oldest British building to survive. Proceed to the Mylapore temple area visiting the 16th century Kapleeswarar temple and the fruit and flower market. Then visit the Government Museum and Art Gallery, to see the art and bronze gallery, (closed on Fridays and public holidays).
- Later, drive to Mahabalipuram: also known as the seven pagodas, Mahabalipuram is a pleasant seaside resort, 60 kms from Madras. Today the principal attraction of the place to the tourist lies in the wonderful monolithic monuments and stone sculptures of the ancient Pallava dynasty of kings who ruled much of the territory now known as Tamil Nadu, from the 16th century A.D. these kings laid the foundations of Dravidian architecture in India and at Mahabalipuram, today, the earliest of these remarkable monuments are to be seen, all hewn out of rocks. The Pallava monuments are spread over a wide area, some bordering on sea, and it is advisable to see them before the midday heart.
- Arrive Mahabalipuram and check-in at hotel.
- Rest of the time free to relax or for independent activities.
- Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 3: MAHABALIPURAM – KANCHIPURAM– MAHABALIPURAM (133 Kms – 4 Hrs)
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Leave for excursion to visit the temples of Kancheepuram.
- Kancheepuram: The “Golden City” 76 kms (47 miles) southwest of Madras, has a long history. It was a capital of successive dynasties of Hindu rulers. Huen Tsang, the Chinese traveler, who visited it in the 7th century A.D., has left an account of his sojourn there. Buddhism, Jainism and later Hinduism contended for supremacy in the ancient city for centuries. It is remarkable for its temples and shrines. There is a group of Jain temples of Tiruparuttipuram dating from the 9th to the 16th century A. D. Even older are the two great temples of Shiva and Vishnu, namely the Kailasnath and the Vaikunthanatha Perumal temples, built by the Pallav Kings. The latter is noted for its lofty towers with fine porches.
- Return to Mahabalipuram.
- Afternoon, sightseeing of Mahabalipuram :
- Visit the seventh century rock hewn monuments. The Shore Temple, a World Heritage Monument, is a unique example of a temple carried to shore.
- We also visit the Five Rathas (also known as Arjuna’s Penance), set of monolithic rock temples located on a sandy compound.
- At the heart of the site of Mahabalipuram, the magnificent rock called “the Descent of the Ganges” will surprise you. A natural crack in the center of the rock represents the Ganges descending into the hair of God Shiva. On both sides of the rock are divinities, saints, men and women.
- Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 4: MAHABALIPURAM – PONDICHERRY ( 96 KMS / 2 Hrs)
- Breakfast at Hotel.
- Then drive towards Pondicherry which has a unique charm and atmosphere quite different from the rest of India.
- Visit the city of Pondicherry: Formerly a French colony, Pondicherry is the capital of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Known as the French Riviera of the East, Pondicherry is unique because of its many influences that have shaped its culture. The French have been present for centuries, along with the Danish, English, Portuguese and Dutch, adding to the intoxicating mix of European flavor and local culture Tamil. The city is divided into two parts by the channel that separates the French Quarter-white city from the rest of the city. Today, Pondicherry reflects an image of a lovely French town with its picturesque cobbled streets, elegant houses, its street names sometimes inscribed in French, statues of Dupleix and Joan of Arc and pleasant gardens.
- The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual ashram in India and attracts many devotees from India as well as from all over the world for spiritual salvation. The ashram was founded in the year 1926 by Sri Aurobindo Ghose, who was an Indian philosopher, yogi and poet.
- Afternoon enjoy the rickshaw ride in the city of Pondicherry and Stop at the flower and vegetable market to get a glimpse of local life.
- Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 5: PONDICHERRY – CHIDAMBRAM – GANGAIKONDACHOLAPURAM – TANJORE (180 KMS / 5 Hrs))
- Breakfast at Hotel.
- A hundred kilometers south of Pondicherry, towards Tanjavur, is one of the Jewels of the Dravidian architecture of Tamil Nadu, the holy city of Chidambaram with the Nataraja Temple.
- Chidambaram is the birthplace of the sculpture and bronze image representation of Shiva as the cosmic dancer, a Tamilian concept and motif in Chola art that has since become notable as a symbol of Hinduism. The shrine is the only Shiva temple to have its main deity represented in this anthropomorphic form, as the Supreme Being who performs all cosmic activities.
- Drive towards Tanjore.
- En route visit the temples of Gongaikondacholapuram, It is a masterpiece, built by one of the greatest kings of the chola dynasty, Rajarajachola between 1150 and 1175 AD.
- Continue towards Tanjore.
- Arrive & Check-in at the hotel.
- Time free to relax or for independent activities.
- Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 6: TANJORE – TRICHY – MADURAI (197 KMS / 4 Hrs)
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Leave for visit the city of Tanjore. Tanjore or Thanjavur was the ancient capital of Chola monarchs, Pallava, Pandya and Chera. Endless struggles tore these dynasties, who seized power in turn.
- Start with the visit of Brihadeeswarar Temple, is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva and the temple was built in 11th century by Emperor Raja Raja Chola I of Chola dynasty. The Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as “Great Living Chola Temples” and one of the largest temples in India. The Temple is India’s one of the most prized site for its architecture.
- Visit the Royal Palace & Art Gallery in Tanjore.
- Later, drive towards Madurai.
- En route visit Trichy covering Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, the enormous temple was built in the 17th century and has 21 gopurams exhibiting a profusion of multicolored gods. The temple is sprawled over a large area, on an island as the Cauvery flows on both sides.
- Visit of Rock Fort Temple, which is perched on a rocky outcrop 83 mts high above the plains and offers spectacular views of the countryside.
- Also, Walk in the China Town Market, located at the foot of the Rock Fort.
- Continue towards Madurai.
- Madurai : is a major & the oldest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the bank of River Vaigai. It is commonly known as temple town of the country and very famous for its temples built by Pandyan and Madurai Nayak kings in the Dravidian style of architecture. It is also one of India’s most prominent Hindu pilgrimage centres. The place has a great cultural heritage and strong mythological history to be passed on to the next coming generations. The place is more than 2500 years old and the commercial center was developed in 550 AD.
- Arrive Madurai in the evening and transfer to your hotel.
• Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 7: MADURAI
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Later, we proceed for the sightseeing of Madurai.
- Visit the world famous Meenakshi Temple, this 2000 year-old complex is literally a city within the city of Madurai, one of the largest of its kind in India and undoubtedly one of the oldest too. It enshrines Lord Siva and his wife, Meenakshi (also known as Parvati). Not to be missed here are ‘Musical Pillars’. Each pillar when struck, produces a different musical note.
- Later, visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace: This Indo-Saracenic palace, constructed in 1523, was originally four times larger than its present size. Its most remarkable feature is the Swarga Vilasam or the audience hall, whose dome rises to a height of 20 m without any kind of support.
- We end our visit with a beautiful flower market, it is one of the biggest flower market in the southern India. Madurai flower market is popular for Jasmine, rose and other varieties also, especially Jasmine flower is exported to the countries like Germany, The United States of America and Italy. Jasmine flower in Madurai is also known as Madurai Malli.
- Evening visit Meenakshi temple to attend a ceremony of “Sunset Shiva.” It is a daily prayer ceremony when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is carried to the bed chamber of Parvati. The procession is accompanied by religious prayer and temple music. l.
• Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 8: MADURAI / PERIYAR (140 Kms / 04 hrs)
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Drive towards Thekkady and enter into the hills of Thekkady, where lies the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary; it is a protected area and also notable as an Elephant reserve and a Tiger reserve. It was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982 and it is set in the high ranges of Southern Western Ghats in Cardamom Hills. It is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in India.
- Arrive Thekkady and transfer to hotel for check-in.
- We than leave for the spice plantation visit and see how cardamom, pepper and tea are grown in these fertile areas. The spice plantation tour is one of the most culturally-interactive activities outside the reserve that a visitor can engage in. Here, you can truly see why Keralan cuisine is so different from most other Indian cuisines; smell and taste a plethora of spices: cardamom, pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and many other varieties of spices and medicinal plants. No wonder people came from far and wide for hundreds of years to Kerala to seek spices!
- Enjoy a boat ride on the Periyar lake, the usual way of touring the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Although it is unusual to see many animals from the boats, still you can spot wild elephant, tigers, chital and sambar deer, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs by the water’s edge. Also, a good chance to spot various species of birds like Malabar grey hornbill, Nilgiri wood pigeon, blue-winged parakeet, Nilgiri flycatcher and much more.
- Evening time is free to relax at the hotel or free to explore on your own.
- Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 09: PERIYAR / ALLEPPEY (140Kms / 4 hrs)
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Leave for Alleppey : a backwater heaven interlocked with lakes and canals. The network of canals is used for inland navigation. A vast stretch of paddy fields make this place as the rice bowl of Kerala. Apart from rice production the coir making and boat building is a thriving industry in this area. Houseboat or a Backwater Cruise along the palm fringed waterways of Alleppey is the most exciting holiday experience. Reach there and board the traditional houseboat and enjoy the backwaters. This truly offers the breathtaking views of inaccessible and untouched rural Kerala.
- Arrive Alleppey & board the traditional houseboat to enjoy the 24 hours of backwater cruise from Alleppey to Alleppey. This journey is considered to be one of the best attractions. The house boat is fully furnished with single and double bedrooms, sundeck, private balcony and a kitchen. It also comprises a chef, driver & cabin assistant. The houseboats are giant country Crafts, measuring up to 80 feet length. It looks great skill and meticulousness to construct these giants by tying huge planks of jack wood together, without the use of a single nail.
- Lunch and Dinner is included this day & will be served on board.
- Overnight stay in the houseboat.
DAY 10: ALLEPPEY / COCHIN (55 Kms /1.5 Hrs)
- Breakfast at hotel.
- Drive to Cochin (also known as Kochi), the « Queen of Arabian Sea ». Kochi is a major port city and the capital of Indian state Kerala. Vasco da Gama stopped over here and died here with the title of Viceroy of Portuguese India. His grave exists, but the body was actually brought back to Lisbon. It is a unique and magical city by the diversity of styles, moods, architectures, with its population Hindu, Jewish, Christian, Muslim and seventy other castes.
- Arrive Cochin and proceed for the sightseeing tour of Kochi:
- Visit Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays & Saturdays), it is the oldest synagogue in all the Commonwealth of Nations and was built by Malabar Yehudan People, or Cochin Jewish community.
- Then we visit St. Francis Church, the oldest European church in the country. It was built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan monks who accompanied the expedition led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral. Originally made of wood, the church was rebuilt in stone around the middle of the 16th century.
- Later visit The Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi, it is a very popular tourist attraction. These nets are fixed land installations, which are used for a very unique and unusual method of fishing. The entire structure of the Chinese fishing nets is about 10 meters in height. Each fishing net spreads to about 20 meters over the water body and is operated by a team of some six fishermen.
- In the early evening, we attend a traditional Kathakali dance show, it is a theater where you will see the artist’s make-up, then to a performance of Kathakali, featuring extraordinary characters with impressive masks that recreate, in a unique dance / mime theater, the sacred legends of the Mahâbhârata and Ramayana.
- Dinner & Overnight at hotel.
DAY 11: COCHIN
• Breakfast at hotel.
• After that its a time to say « Good Bye » and transfer to international airport.
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