Welcome to India! On arrival in Chennai, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel. The land of Tamils in India in Tamil Nadu. It is nestled in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula. The state shares its borders with the union territory of Puducherry and the South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka , and Andhra Pradesh. It is surrounded by the Eastern Ghats to its north. The Nilgiri, the Annamalai Hills, and Kerala bounded the state on the west Overnight at the hotel

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels
• 5 Star Hotel: Trident Hotel Chennai

After breakfast at the hotel, proceed for the city tour of Chennai with Fort St. George (closed on Friday); the oldest or first British fort built in India now acts as the headquarters for the legislative assembly of the state of Tamil Nadu. Inside, Fort St. George you browse various interesting monuments, St. Mary's Church (the oldest Anglican Church), Wellesley House, Fort Museum, where you will watch antiques from British rule in India including weapons, coins, medals and uniforms and gravestones in the lawn. Then, head to the Indo-Saracenic-style Government Museum also noted as Madras Museum is the second-oldest museum in India is a treasure in itself! With your guide, you will browse its impressive six independent buildings with 46 galleries. First explore its “Main building”, where you will find artifacts and sculptures from the past, animal galleries, botany galleries and philately gallery then move toward its second famed “Front building” which is noted for puppet gallery and galleries preserving the folk art and music. Later experience the third “Bronze gallery” prominent for bronze artifacts and numismatics and chemical conservation galleries. Then “Children’s Museum” notable for doll section and technology and science galleries and its last two but not least National Art Gallery which hold paintings and pieces of artistic marvels and Contemporary Art Gallery that display rock and cave art to British portrait to modern art, undeniably mesmerize you and see how the art of ‘art’ has evolved over ages. Afterward, drive to Kapalishwara Temple, dedicated to the Lord Shiva, and be amazed with the stunning Dravidian architecture at its Gopurams (ornate monumental tower). Overnight at the hotel

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels
• 5 Star Hotel: Trident Hotel Chennai

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Mahabalipuram enroot visit Kanchipuram (80 Km / 6 hours’ drive including Kanchipuram). Kanchipuram, sometimes called Kanjeevaram or Kanchi, is a small town in Tamilnadu. One of the most important spiritual centers of Hinduism, and a major pilgrim destination. Kanchipuram has several medieval temples with spectacular architecture. It used to be the capital of the Pallava kingdom from the 4th to the 10th century and was a center of learning for all the major religions of South India. Kanchipuram is not only known for its temple but also popular for silk saris are mainly known for rich gold borders and heavy brocades in contrasting colors. Over 155 years of traditional weaving of Kanchipuram is purely hand-woven from processed silk yarn and Zari– the silk thread made of silver and gold. Most of the local families are engaged in different production processes such as silk weaving, warping, spinning, twisting, and dyeing. Later proceed to visit Mahabalipuram which is full of rock-cut monuments and wonderful examples of Dravidian architecture. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Ideal Beach Resort
• 5 Star Hotel: Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram

After breakfast at the hotel, proceed for a visit to Mahabalipuram - an erstwhile port of the Pallava dynasty, its stone carvings, caves, and rock-cut temples also attract tourists. Visit various cave temples and sculpted respites including Five Rathan, Arjuna Dhabas, Krishna Mandapam, and Krishna Butterball etc. Visit the Shore Temple, which is now a World Heritage Monument, and the other stone carvings and rock-cut temples. A crocodile farm, snake venom extracting center, schools of art and sculpture, and many resorts draw holiday seekers all around the year. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Ideal Beach Resort
• 5 Star Hotel: Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Pondicherry by car (110 Km / 2 – 2 ½ Hours). Pondicherry though small but the largest French colony in India. The city has a long and interesting history of trade and war. There is a strong French influence in the city, especially in the old quarters, with Rues and Boulevards lined with Mediterranean-style houses and bakeries, although the city remains very much Indian. French is still understood, and the whole city makes for rather a pleasant mix of East and West. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). Evening explores the beautiful beach of Pondicherry. Overnight at the hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Accord Puducherry
• 5 Star Hotel: Maison Perumal Hotel & Restaurant – CGH Earth

After breakfast at the hotel, take on a tour of the spiritual community “Sri Aurobindo Ashram” noted as The Mother, a spiritual site attraction and represent an amalgam of yoga and modern science. Step to the neighboring Pondicherry Museum, nestled in Bharathi Park. On the way, your guide will point out many structures that show the belongings of French colonial. significance. Inside, observe the museum’s spectacular collection of artifacts, sculptures, and archaeological findings from the old Arikamedu settlement, a Tamil fishing village that traded with the Romans. Then, you will drive approximately 4 miles (6.5 km) to Auroville, a small town and spiritual community. Here, you will visit Matrimania. Be amazed at the plated gold of its 98-foot high (30-meter) with a lotus-shaped foundation vase, then roam inside to watch the utter-white interior and huge crystal in the center Discover from your guide how this temple is an important spiritual place for experts of intrinsic yoga. Overnight at the hotel

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Accord Puducherry
• 5 Star Hotel: Maison Perumal Hotel & Restaurant – CGH Earth

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Thanjavur by car (220 Km / 5 hours’ drive). Upon arrival, check in at the hotel. Thanjavur is an ancient city in the Thanjavur district in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a welcoming place for history and architecture buffs. Now a modern town, it was earlier the capital of the Cholas. It is famously known as the Rice Bowl of South India as it grows a large amount of paddy crops and sugarcane. The rest of the day is free for leisure. Overnight at the hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: GReaT Trails Riverview Resort Thanjavur By GRT Hotels
• 5 Star Hotel: Svatma

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, later proceed to visit Brihadeshwara Temple and Tanjore Art Gallery.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: GReaT Trails Riverview Resort Thanjavur By GRT Hotels
• 5 Star Hotel: Svatma

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Madurai en route and visit Trichy (190 Km / 4–5-hour drive En route visit Trichy). Trichy is settled on the banks of river Kaveri, Trichy is listed among the most traveled tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu. From notable attractions to lively bazaars. Trichy has a lot to keep you engaged. This 4th largest city of the state and the stronghold of the early Chola rulers, this city is an amazing mix of modernity and tradition. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel. Madurai is the second largest city in the South Indian state, of Tamil Nadu. This temple city is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai and has been one of the oldest cities to be inhabited. In the north of the city lies the Sirumalai hills and in the south lies the Nagamalai hills. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Regency Madurai by GRT Hotels
• 5 Star Hotel: The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai, Madurai

After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to visit the renowned Hindu Temple of Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort Shiva, here named Sundareswaran. Followed by a Visit to Tirumalai Nayak Palace. This Palace is a classic fusion of Dravidian, an Islamic style. Post dinner attends the evening tradition of Meenakshi Temple known as the Night ceremony. During the ceremony palanquin of the god, Shiva would be carried in a palanquin from his shrine to his residing place. Overnight at the hotel

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Regency Madurai by GRT Hotels
• 5 Star Hotel: The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai, Madurai

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Thekkady (140 Km / 4 hours drive). Periyar/ Thekkady, known for its Tiger Reserve, is an example of nature’s bounty, with great scenic charm, rich biodiversity, and providing veritable visitor satisfaction. Sprawled over an area of 925 Sq .km., Periyar is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India. The rest of the day is free for leisure. Overnight at the hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Forest Canopy
• 5 Star Hotel: Spice Village – CGH Earth

After breakfast at the hotel, Enjoy the boat ride on Periyar Lake. Then visit the Spice Plantation - where you can see how spices like pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg are grown. Afterward, stroll through the city's colorful markets before heading through the Cardamom Mountains to Thekkady in the Periyar Game Reserve, where tropical birds, bison, sambar deer, and elephants live. Evening visit Thekkady town for Tribal Art Performance “kalarippayattu” (in the auditorium at 1800-1900hrs) – a community-based eco-tourism program. Overnight at the hotel

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Forest Canopy
• 5 Star Hotel: Spice Village – CGH Earth

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Munnar (100 Km / 3 hours). Munnar (hill drive) where the rolling hills of tea plantations are spread before your eyes. Munnar, quite literally “three rivers”, is a verdant paradise situated at the confluence of three mountain streams – Muthipuzza – Nallathanni – Kundala. Called the spice capital of the world, the salubrious climate is conducive for pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, and other spices to grow in abundance. Upon arrival in Munnar, transfer and check in at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Elephant Passage Resort
• 5 Star Hotel: Chandys Windy Woods 5 Star Resort Munnar

After breakfast at the hotel, proceed for the city tour of Munnar and enjoy the short hiking to the top station. Afterward, you will make a leisurely hike in the plantations and enjoy the beautiful landscape of this magnificent region. You will visit tea and spice plantations and get to know the wonderful nature of the hilly mountain landscapes. In the afternoon you will visit a tea factory (closed on Mondays), where you will learn a lot about the production of tea. Overnight at the hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Elephant Passage Resort
• 5 Star Hotel: Chandys Windy Woods 5 Star Resort Munnar

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Alleppey Houseboat Jetty (180 Km / 4 hours). Upon arrival embark private boat (Kettuvallam). Embarkation time at 1300hrs. This is where the beautiful backwaters of Kerala begin to endless miles of snaking waterways flanked on either side of emerald palms, offering you the experience of a lifetime. This is a unique way to see the backwaters of Kerala. With a cook and captain on board, you will float past the villages and the many small waterways before you anchor in the middle of the lake for the night and have dinner under the stars. The Ketuvallam offers the visitor to Kerala an entirely new kind of experience. Combining holidaying, pleasure boating, and ecological living in an exhilarating way. Lunch & dinner on board. Overnight on the houseboat

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Houseboat in Alappuzha
• 5 Star Hotel: Houseboat in Alappuzha

After leisurely breakfast on the houseboat, disembark upon arrival at the Alleppey Houseboat Jetty & drive to Cochin (60 Km / 1 ½ hours’ drive). Upon arrival in Cochin, check in at the hotel. Cochin, the city is called the queen of the Arabian Sea. Kochi is a lovely town to walk around. The city is famous for its Chinese fishing nets & was the center of the Indian spice trade for many centuries, and was known to the Yavanas (Greeks and Romans) as well as Jews, Syrians, Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times. Evening at leisure for personal activities or you can troll down to local markets around. Overnight in the hotel

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Casino Hotel, CGH Earth
• 5 Star Hotel: Taj Malabar Resort & Spa, Cochin

After breakfast, proceed for the sightseeing of Kochi the Old Jewish quarters and synagogue, Chinese fishing nets, and the Dutch Palace. Synagogue (closed to non-Jews Fridays and Saturdays) & Dutch Palace (closed on Fridays) Further, you can enjoy Kathakali Dance Performance - the riveting 400-year-old drama of Kerala that narrates sequences from Indian religious epic, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. The make-up for the dance starts at 1730hrs in the evening which is the most interesting part, and it lasts till 1830hrs. The makeup is very elaborate, and the costumes are large and heavy. The makeup is so elaborate that it is more like a mask than makeup in the usual sense. The materials that comprise the makeup is locally available. The white is made from rice flour, the red is made from Vermilion (a red earth such as cinnabar). Overnight in the hotel

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Casino Hotel, CGH Earth
• 5 Star Hotel: Taj Malabar Resort & Spa, Cochin

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Cochin International airport in time to board the flight for onward destination.