South with Nilgiri 06
Duration 11 nights / 12 days
Places to Visit: Cochin - Alleppey - Kanyakumari - Kovalam - Thekkady - Munnar
Day 1
Chennai
Arrive in Chennai, the capital city of Chennai and the gateway of South India. Tour the tourist places in Chennai namely, the Kapaleeswarar temple, Santhome Church, Fort Museum and National Art Gallery. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 2
Kanchipuram / Mahabalipuram
From Chennai drive to Kanchipuram, one of the sacred 7 cities of India famous for its thousand temples. Also visit the numerous temples like Kailasanatha Temple, Vaikunda Perumal Temple, Varatharaja Temple and Ekambareswara Temple, which give the city its name as 'the temple city'. Drive to Mahabalipuram, the only shore temple surviving in India. Overnight stay at the hotel in Mahabalipuram.
Day 3
Mahabalipuram
Morning relax and take breakfast at the hotel. Famous for its monolith temples that made it a World Heritage Site; have an afternoon tour of these temples at Mahabalipuram. After admiring the prevalent and astonishing rock cut art, stay overnight at the hotel.
Day 4
Pondicherry
Pondicherry was once the French settlement, which is now home to the Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville. Also go to the beach where you can relax perfectly for the whole of the evening. Pondicherry is undoubtedly the seat of Yoga. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5
Chidambaram
Drive to Chidambaram home to the most popular Nataraja temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva. Have a short excursion to Kumbakonam, a sacred town known for its four large temples dedicated to Sarangapani, Kumbeswarar, Brahma, Nageswarar and Swamimalai. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6
Velankanni
Then move towards Velankanni where you can offer prayers at the Sacred Arokkiya Madha Church.During the months of August and September the festival organized at the place attracts a large crowd of devotees and tourists.Overnight stay at the Velankanni hotel.
Day 7
Tanjore / Trichy
Half day city tour of Tanjore covering the tourist places like Brahadeeswara temple (the second largest monolithic sculpture Nandi (Bull)), the Royal palace complex, which houses library and museums. Trichy was the citadel of the Chola dynasty in the medieval period. See the Lord Robert Clive's house, Srirangam temple, Rock-Fort temple, Ganapati temple on hilltop and Shiva temple. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 8
Madurai
Reach Madurai, known for 1000-pillared Meenakshiamman temple. You are also taken to the special religious night ceremony held in the temple. Also visit Thirumalai Nayak's Palace and Gandhi Museum. Overnight stay at the temple.
Day 9
Rameshwaram
A full day excursion to Rameswaram, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. The holiness of this place is clear from the belief that even your trip to Kashi is incomplete without your trip to Rameshwaram. The Ramnathswami temple here dedicated to Lord Shiva is thronged by millions of pilgrims every year. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 10
Kanyakumari
Drive to Kanyakumari, the confluence of Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal which also gives it the name Thriveni Sangamam. The beach is known for its beautiful virgin beaches and breathtaking sunrise and sunset. The tourist places in Kanyakumari are the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Gandhi Mandapam and Temple. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 11
Trivandrum
Also visit the Padmanabhaswamy temple and Suchindram temple famous in Trivandrum. Proceed for the sightseeing tour of Trivandrum in the next half covering Napier Museum, Chitra Art Gallery and Padmanbhapuram Palace. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 12
Departure
Depart for your onward destination or way back home from the Trivandrum Airport.