Grand Tour of South India

Day 1  Fly to Chennai    
         
Days 2-3  Chennai  
Arrive in Chennai and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. The following day, learn about Chennai’s rich colonial history on a city tour.

Day 4  Chennai to Puducherry        
En route to Puducherry, stop to unwind in the coastal town of Mahabalipuram, famous for its cave temples.

Day 5  Puducherry      
Roam the Puducherry Museum, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and nearby Auroville, a unique township built by the flower power generation of the 1960s, which continues to be dedicated to peace and sustainable living.

Day 6  Puducherry to Kumbakonam      
Drive toward the temple city of Kumbakonam, where you will stay in a small rural village nearby.

Day 7  Kumbakonam      
Marvel at the spectacular Airavatesvara Temple, dating back to the 12th Century and is renowned for intricate carvings.

Day 8  Kumbakonam to Chettinad      
Today head to Trichy to visit the imposing Rock Fort and enormous Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. Later, continue to Chettinad, homeland of the Chettiars, once a prosperous trading community. Their legacy lives on in the palatial houses and spicy cuisine for which the area is famous.

Day 9  Chettinad to Madurai      
Continue to colourful Madurai, where the afternoon is free to explore this ancient city at leisure.

Day 10  Madurai      
Today, enjoy a tour of the temples and palaces surrounding Madurai, including the celebrated Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Day 11  Madurai to Periyar      
Depart Madurai and drive up into the cool Western Ghats mountain range towards Lake Periyar and its wildlife sanctuary.

Days 12-13  Periyar        
Enjoy an early morning boat ride and then visit a spice plantation. The next day is free to relax, or why not add an organised hike.

Day 14  Periyar to Backwaters      
Leave the hills behind and board your houseboat, your home for the night.  Cruise the palm-fringed lakes and waterways of Kerala’s beautiful backwaters.

Day 15  Backwaters to Kochi        
Bid farewell to your crew and head to the historic port city of Kochi.

Day 16  Kochi        
Explore Kochi on a city tour, before experiencing a traditional Kathakali dance show this evening.

Days 17-18  Fly home