South India Temple Tours

Destinations Covered: Chennai, Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Pondicherry, Chidambaram, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari, Trivendrum, Kovalam
Duration: 14 Nights / 15 Days

Day 01- Arrive at Chennai
Arrival at Chennai follows meeting/assistance at airport and transfer to hotel. Spend the day at leisure and overnight at hotel.

Day 02- Chennai
Morning breakfast at hotel follows a city tour of Chennai, covering the Gandhi Memorial, Kala Kshetra, Mylapore temple and thee Marina beach. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 03- Chennai/ Tirupati (154kms/3.5hours)
After having breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Tirupati. Arrival follows check in at hotel. Tirupati is a temple town, known for the famous ancient temple of Lord Venkateswara. Observe the afternoon Pooja and Darshan at the temple. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 04- Tirupati/ Kanchipuram/ Mamallapuram
Have breakfast at the hotel and drive to Mahabalipuram, visiting Kanchipuram en-route. Kanchipuram was the capital of the Pallava rulers. Kanchipuram is famous as a city of 1000 Temples and still has 124 shrines. It is also famous for its silks. After a journey of 2 hrs, you will reach Mahabalipuram. Upon arrival, check in at hotel. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 05- Mamallapuram/ Mahabalipuram
After morning breakfast relax at the beach. An afternoon excursion tour of the city is organized. Built in 7th century, this ancient Pallava port is the sight of several antique sculptural marvels. In this ancient seaside town, you can see shrines and huge sculptures cut-out of rocks more than 1200 years back. Spend the night at Overnight at hotel.

Day 06- Mamallapuram/ Tiruvannamalai/ Pondicherry
After your breakfast at hotel drive to Pondicherry, visiting Tiruvannamallai (112kms/03hrs) en-route. It is a pilgrim center with an ancient temple of Lord Shiva. Thereafter continue your drive to Pondicherry (131kms/ 3.5hrs). It was established by the French. Legend says that Pondicherry is the place where St. Agasthaya settled down. Upon arrival, check in at hotel and spend the night at hotel.

Day 07- Pondicherry
After th3e morning breakfast, visit the Aurobindo Ashram, the city of dawn, 10kms north of Pondicherry. This ashram promotes Aurobindo's ideas in bringing about a synthesis of Yoga and modern science, so as to unite the spirit and matter. It is followed by a visit to the Auroville - a unique experiment in international living and creating a new environment where men and women of all nationalities live together in harmony. Return back and spend the night at hotel.

Day 08- Pondicherry/ Chidambaram/ Tanjore

Breakfast follows drive to Tanjore, visiting Chidambaram (65kms/1.5hrs) en-route. Chidambaram is famous for Nataraja temple, with the root of the sanctum-sanctorum covered with golden plates. The temple is located at the centre of the town covering an area of 40 acres. After Chidambaram continue your drive to Tanjore (Thanjavur) (104kms/03hrs), en-route visiting the Brass factory at Kumbakonam. Upon arrival, check in at hotel. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 09- Tanjore/ Trichy (54kms/02hrs)
Breakfast follows leisure. After a short while leave for Trichy, short name of Tiruchirapalli, situated on the banks of Cauvery River. It is a blend of history and tradition. It is also famous for the Ranganath temple. On arrival, check in at hotel. An afternoon city tour follows, covering the Rock fort and its temple at a height of over 23mts. Also visit Srirangam and Jambukeshwar Temple. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 10- Trichy/ Madurai (133kms/3.5hrs)
After breakfast at hotel proceed to the temple city of Madurai. Upon arrival, check in at hotel. The ancient city of Madurai is said to be 2600 years old and lies on the banks of river Vaigai, with the Meenakshi temple in the centre. An excursion tour of the city is organized, covering the Meenakshi temple, King Tirumala's Palace, Great tank and the Gandhi museum. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 11- Madurai/ Rameshwaram/ Madurai (154 kms/4hrs one way)
Morning breakfast at hotel follows excursion to Rameshwaram- the most sacred temple town of India. It is an island, sanctified by the epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama is said to have visited before going into battle of Srilanka. In the evening return back to Madurai for overnight stay at hotel.

Day 12- Madurai/ Kanyakumari (235kms/06 hrs)
Breakfast follows drive to Kanyakumari. It is the point of India where the water of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet. It is an important pilgrim centre of India. Upon arrival, check in at hotel. In the afternoon visit the famous Amman Temple, a symbol of unity and sanctity. It is dedicated to the virgin Goddess, Kanya Kumari. To its South East lies the famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial, a blend of all the architectural styles of India. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 13- Kanyakumari/ Trivendrum/ Kovalam
Take a brief leisure after the breakfast and then drive to Kovalam, visiting Trivandrum en-route, where the ancient temple of Sri Padmanabhaswamy is one of the major attractions. Thereafter continue your drive to Kovalam and upon arrival check in at hotel. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 14- Kovalam
Morning breakfast at hotel follows full day relaxation at the beach. Spend the night at hotel.

Day 15- Kovalam/ Trivandrum/ Delhi (IC 168 at 1500/1955 hrs)
Have your breakfast at hotel and transfer to Trivandrum airport to board the return flight.