Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka Cultural Tour

Day 01 : Arrive Mumbai
Location : In Western India on the coastal edge of Arabian Sea
Popular As : Commercial capital of India and Home to Bollywood  
Established By : First Portuguese and then by Britishers 
Major Attractions : Marine Drive, Elephanta Caves, Chowpatty Beach

Detailed Itinerary : Arrive at Mumbai international airport; you will be received by our executive and transfer to your pre-booked Deluxe / Luxury hotel. Check in your hotel. Mumbai is an archipelago of seven islands. Mumbai is a spicy masala of entrepreneurs, concrete towers, clubs and discos, cricket, Bollywood, history, great cuisine, beaches and much more! Mumbai is located on a site of ancient settlement and took its name from the local Goddess "Mumba" - a form of Parvati, the consort of Shiva, one of the principal Gods of Hinduism - whose temple once stood in what is now the southeastern section of the Mumbai city.

Day 02 : Mumbai
Detailed Itinerary : Today morning after a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we take a City tour of Mumbai visiting Gateway of India - a grand ceremonial arch built to commemorate the visit of King George IV; Mani Bhavan - where the father of our Nation resided for 15 years; the Marine drive; the Prince of Wales museum - considered one of the best museums in the country; the Hanging gardens & Victoria Railway Station. Later enjoy Mumbai city tour including visit at Gateway of India built to commemorate the royal visit of George V and Queen Mary in 1911, the Prince of Wales Museum housing collection of Indo Sarcenic architecture, Flora Fountain, Victoria Terminus, St. Thomas Cathedral, Crawford Market, Malabar Hill and the Hanging Gardens and Dhobi Ghat (Washermen's village).
Overnight at Hotel.

Day 03 : Mumbai - Chennai (by flight) SG 293 1150/1330 hours
Location : South-eastern part of India 
Capital City : Chennai 
Major Attractions : Temples, Beaches, Tanjore Paintings, Bharatnatyam, Pongal
Delicious Cuisine : Dosa-vada-sambar, Chettinad chicken

Detailed Itinerary : Morning after breakfast check out the hotel and Depart for Chennai, you will be received by our executive and transfer to your pre-booked Deluxe / Luxury hotel. Check in your hotel. Have breakfast in your room and relax before starting our city tour next day. . Chennai (formerly known as Madras), is known for its cultural heritage & temple architecture. Take a half day of sightseeing includes Cochin Harbour terminus where the Chinese fishing nets present a wonderful sight; Mattancherry Dutch Palace; The Jewish Synagogue and St. Francis Church (built in 1510 Vasco Da Gama was originally buried here). Later you will visit the Hill Palace which was built in the 19th century by the Raja of Kochi, the Kochi province was ruled from here.
Later you will be collected for a Kathakali Dance Show.

Day 04 : Chennai - City Tour
Chennai - Mahabalipuram (70 km - 02 hr)
Key Features
Visit Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram Town. 
Visiting Mahabalipuram Shore Temple. 
Exploring 124 rock shrines and other monuments. 
A Visit to Silk Sari Weaving Center at Kanchipuram.

Detailed Itinerary : Today morning after leisurely breakfast you may Take a half day of sight seeing includes Cochin Harbour terminus where the Chinese fishing nets present a wonderful sight; Mattancherry Dutch Palace; The Jewish Synagogue and St. Francis Church (built in 1510 Vasco Da Gama was originally buried here). Later you will visit the Hill Palace which was built in the 19th century by the Raja of Kochi, the Kochi province was ruled from here. Later you will be collected for a Kathakali Dance Show. Afterward you will drive to Mahabalipuram, 7th century port city of the South Indian. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th & the 9th century, & has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monuments are mostly rock-cut & monolithic, constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. Upon arrival at Mahabalipuram, you will be accommodated at a pre-booked hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel. 

Day 05 : Mahabalipuram - Excursion to Kanchipuram (65 km - 1½ hr)
Detailed Itinerary : After breakfast drive to Kanchipuram, Kanchipuram is one of India’s seven sacred cities and one of its loveliest temple towns also known for its handloom silks, followed by visit to temples Kailasnathar, Vaikuntaperumal, Ekambareshwara, Kamakshiamma and Sakiswarar. We visit Kailasanatha Temple. The temple is famous for exquisite carvings & attracts devotees & tourists alike. There are 58 small shrines situated around the main shrine, as a compound wall. Next we visit Ekambaranatha, ancient temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. The 3000 year old mango tree inside the temple has 4 branches each yielding different variety of mangoes.Before returning to Mahabalipuram we will also visit Kamakshi Amman Temple, known as Parabrahmaroonpini. You can do shopping of silk cloth market and weavers homes.
Later return to Mahabalipuram to stay for overnight.

Day 06 : Mahabalipuram - Tanjore (300 km - 06 hr)
Detailed Itinerary : In the morning after a hearty breakfast you will proceed to Tanjore, Called the Rice Bowl of Tamilnadu. Later we visit Brihadeshwara temple, also known as Big Temple, Built in the 10th Century A.D., by Raja Raja Chola, the Temple Tower is capped by an 81.3 tones round monolithic cupola.. The temple is considered an engineering skill of the Chola architects who planned its construction in such a way that the shadow of the cupola never falls on the ground.
Check-in at your pre-booked Deluxe / Luxury hotel.

Day 07 : Tanjore - Madurai via Trichy (200 km - 04 hr)
Detailed Itinerary : In the morning after breakfast you will leave for Madurai, rich cultural heritage passed for more than 2500 years old & has been an important commercial centre as early as 550 AD. Madurai is one of the oldest cities of India, with a history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of the pre Christian era. Madurai where the people wake up at the chant of hymns is proud of magnificent 'The Meenakshi-Sundareswara Temple. Of its 12 gopurams, four of the tallest stand at the outer walls of the temple. Later we visit Rockfort most famed landmark is an 83 m high rock which is the only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of the city. The most amazing fact about the rock is that it is one of the oldest in the world approximately 3,800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland & older than the Himalayas.
Stay Overnight at the hotel.

Day 08 : Madurai
Detailed Itinerary : In the morning after breakfast you have an opportunity to take aHalf Day Tour to Meenakshi Sundareshwar, It was first built 2000 years ago & was substantially expanded between the years (1623-55 AD). Initially there was only the Shiva temple. A striking feature of the temple is the astonishing structure known as Ayiramkaal mandapam or the Hall of a thousand pillars in the outermost corridor.
Stay Overnight at the hotel.

Day 09 : Madurai - Periyar (136 km - 3 ½ hr)
Detailed Itinerary : After Morning breakfast you visit to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Set on an attractive lakeside, it is South India's most popular Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a place to cruise on the lake & gives an opportunity to see wildlife. It is home to tigers, leopards, elephants, bison, antelopes, sambhar, wild boar, monkey, a wide variety of birds. After lunch you will take safari to a nearby Coffee Plantations & villages. On arrival at Periyar, you will be transferred to your pre-booked Deluxe / Luxury hotel. 

Day 10 : Periyar - Kumarakom (135 km - 04 hr)
District : Kottayam 
Location : Banks of Vembanad Lake, 15 km W of Kottayam  
Known As : Queen of Vembanad 
Best Time To Visit : Water Fowls, Siberian Cranes 

Detailed Itinerary : At sun rise we take a boat ride to view wildlife in the sanctuary on Lake Periyar. After two hours of wildlife viewing we get back to the hotel for breakfast. Disembark at Kumarakom. Afternoon you will proceed for Kumarakom, is known for backwaters, huge Vembanad Lake & the famous Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. There are two seasons for birds: between October & February there are cormorants, teals, & other ducks & from February to July there are darters (snake birds), night herons, egrets, & Siberian storks. It also has golden backed woodpecker, crow pheasant, white-breasted water hen, tree pie etc.
Stay Overnight at hotel.

Day 11 : Kumarakom - Alleppey (Overnight Houseboat)
Detailed Itinerary : In the morning complete you breakfast and ready to visit Kumarakom Bird sanctuary. There are two seasons for birds: between October & February there are cormorants, teals, & other ducks & from February to July there are darters (snake birds), night herons, egrets, & Siberian storks. It also has golden backed woodpecker, crow pheasant, white-breasted water hen, tree pie etc. Later we board the houseboat, locally called Kettuvallam, cruise around beautiful backwaters of Kumarakom to Alleppey to observe & experience the daily life of the villagers along the backwaters.
Overnight Stay at the Hotel. 

Day 12 : Alleppey - Cochin (65 km - 01 hr)
Detailed Itinerary : Today we disembark the boat at Alleppey. Later drive to Cochin, one of the finest natural harbours on the Arabian coastline. Its cosmopolitan character is reflected in the buildings & structures representing different regions of the world. Today we visit Jew Town, synagogue, the spice market, Chinese fishing nets, (Cheenavala) are distinctly unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here.In the evening see Kerala's most popular classical dance, Kathakali.
Overnight Stay at the Hotel

Day 13 : Cochin - Ooty (300 kms - 07 hours)
Detailed Itinerary : In the morning after breakfast you will drive to Ooty (Udagamandalam), Queen of hill stations & the capital of Nilgiri district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiri means Blue Mountains. It is a land of picturesque picnic spots. It was a very popular summer & weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. An added attraction for the tourists is the mountain train journey on a ratchet & pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam & wends its way through many hair-raising curves & fearful tunnels & chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams & tea gardens.
Dinner and Overnight Stay at the Hotel.

Day 14 : Ooty - day at leisure.
Detailed Itinerary : Overnight hotel - Ooty 

Day 15 : Ooty - Mysore (150 kms - 03 hours)
Detailed Itinerary : Today morning after breakfast you will drive to Mysore and where you meet our tour representative who transferred to your pre-booked Deluxe / Luxury hotel.  check-in at the hotel. Afternoon city sightseeing tour of Mysore. Mysore, the third largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is famous for its sandalwood and silk. Mysore was once the home to the royal family, and the spectacular Maharajah's palace still occupies a large portion of the city centre. Chamundeshwari temple perched on a hilltop is 2000 years old, Nandi Bull half way to the hill is a 4.8 metre monolith.
Overnight at Hotel.

Day 16 : Mysore
Location : Southernmost Karnataka 
Famous For : Mysore Palace, Sandalwood Articlesrt-crafts-guide  
Distance : 130 kms from Bangalore 
Best Time to Visit : October (During Dussehra Festival)

Detailed Itinerary : On the 4th day the itinerary includes a tour of the exclusive locales of Mysore. Visit Brindavan Gardens, dancing musical fountains on the terraces of Krishnarajasagar Dam, is a vast stretch of the most delicately planned symphony in architecture, horticulture, engineering & aesthetics. Srirangapatnam has a number of magnificent monuments that are important tourist destinations and are well worth a visit. You must have been longing to visit such as the Shri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery that is housed in the Jagmohan Palace and has a collection of exquisite paintings dating back to the year 1875. St. Philomena's Church that was built in the Gothic style is one of the largest churches in India.
You stay at the hotel overnight.

Day 17 : Mysore - Bangalore (136 km - 03 hours)
Location : South eastern Karnataka 
Famous For : Gardens, Shopping 
Distance : 331 kms from Chennai  
Best Time to Visit : October to February

Detailed Itinerary : Take your leisurely breakfast at the Hotel. Later we departure for Bangalore, the garden city. The spacious city has many imposing structures full of historic & modern architecture. You may take a half day tour of Bangalore, Visit famous attractions like Lal Bagh Garden, Cubbon Park, Vidhan Soudha, High Court and MG Road. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel. Other attractions close to Bangalore include the Nrityagram Dance Village, the town of Ramanagaram, the village of Ramohalli, and Shivaganga, where you can expect to find lots of wild monkeys wandering around, so be sure to hold onto your belongings.
Transfer on time to the airport to board flight for onward journey

Tour Highlights
Mumbai	Gateway of India, Elephanta Caves boat cruise, Prince Wales Museum & Marine Drive
Chennai	Fort St. George, San Thome Cathedral & the Museum
Mahabalipuram	Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance & Five Rathas
Kanchipuram	Kailasanatha Temple, Ekambaranatha & Kamakshi Amman Temple
Tanjore	Brihadeshwara temple
Trichy	Srirangam Temple & Rockfort
Madurai	Meenakshi Sundareshwar
Periyar	Wildlife Sanctuary, Boat Cruise and Spice plantation tour
Kumarkom & Alleppey	Backwaters of Kerala & Houseboat
Cochin	Kathakali, St. Francis Church, Dutch Palace (Built by Portuguese), Jew Town, Jewish Synagogue, spice market & Chinese fishing nets
Optional	Boat Cruise
Ooty	Scenic Beauty of Nilgiri Hills, Botanical Garden, St. Stephen Church
Mysore	Srirangapatnam & Tipu's Summer Palace, Maharaja's Palace & Chamundi Hill
Bangalore	Tipu Sultan Palace & Museum, ISKCON Temple & Lal Bagh Garden.