Luxury Tours of South India

South India Tour

Duration : 17 Nights / 18 Days Places Covered : Bombay - Hyderabad - Bangalore - Hassan - Mysore - Ooty - Cochin - Thaneermukh - Kumarakom - Periyar - Madurai - Tiruchirapalli - Mahabalipuram - Madras - Mumbai » Arrive Mumbai : Upon arrival in Mumbai (Bombay) you are met and transferred to your pre booked Hotel. This afternoon proceed on a guided tour of the city, which is distinctly tropical. Its weathered Victorian mansions, some still privately owned, and grand public buildings, many beautifully lit at night, stand as lingering reminder of the days of the British Raj, First visit the Gateway of India, hastily created as a symbol of welcome to Queen Mary and King George V of England on their to India in 1911. Next visit the Hanging Gardens, perched at the top of Malabar Hill, which provide lovely views over the Arabian Sea. Overnight at Hotel. » Bombay - Hyderabad by Flight : After breakfast an excursion on motorized boats across the Arabian Sea to the Elephanta Caves, which house several, sculptures and images sacred to the Hindu faith . Of special mention is the sculpture of the Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the Creator, Preserver and the Destroyer. Afternoon we are transferred to the domestic airport to board flight for Hyderabad. Upon arrival we are met and transferred to our pre booked Hotel. Overnight at the Hotel. » Hyderabad : Now the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Your city tour reveals an amalgam of old world charm together with the ebullience of modern growth. Hyderabad, the Indian Subcontinent's richest and major state at the time of independence Char Minar - the city;s landmark, has four minarets built in the 16th Century. the library and the university all display the grandeurs of modern - day India. Salar Jung Museum house and extraordinary collection including rare fine-art objects of the Nizam, once the wealthiest man in the world. Mecca Masjid is an impressive 17th Century mosque built of sandstone. Birla Temple,The antique fort of Golconda is the former capital of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. formerly a mud structure, it grew into a magnificent fortress citadel. It is know for the use of acoustics in its architectural design - sound signals could be passed from the gates to the top of the fort without the use of modern equipment. Tombs of the dynasty rulers are situated nearby, set in manicured garden. Overnight at the Hotel. » Hyderabad - Bangalore (by Flight) - Hassan : Today morning we take a short flight to Bangalore. The city is full of well lay out gardens. Wide tree lined avenue, imposing building and vigorous bazaars. Upon arrival in Bangalore most popularly known as the Garden capital of India we take a short capital tour .  Visit the Bull Temple, positioned on a hill is one of Bangalore's oldest attraction. Afternoon depart for Hassan .Upon arrival in Hassan we check into our pre booked Hotel. The temples which remained incomplete despite 80 years of labour, offers the finest workmanship in stone to the God.It is said that the temples here are even better than the celebrated Konark and the Khajuraho temples. Hassan is the support of visit the celebrated temples of Belur and Halebid. » Hassan - Mysore : Depart for Mysore enroute visiting Halebid, Belur, Sravanabelagola, Halebid is the sister temple of Belur, 500 rock hewn steps lead up to it. Religious rituals involve bathing the statue in milk and rose petals. Upon arrival in Mysore check into your pre booked hotel for an overnight stay. Built in the 12th Century from soft soapstone and depicts the whole Hindu Pantheon, Sravanabalagola is the shine to the Jain Saint Gaomateswara, carved in 983 AD out of solid rock , » Mysore : After a relaxed breakfast we drive for a morning sightseeing of the city of Mysore. Today's city tour include the zoological gardens, the Chamundi Temple, handicraft Centre and 22 kms away - the Brindavan Gardens, which are a sight by day and night. Evening visit to the gardens where there are many illuminated fountains. Mysore a city of 17 Palaces - the Maharaja's City Palace being one of the biggest in the country. Overnight stay at hotel. » Mysore - Ooty: Morning after breakfast we start our drive towards Ootacamund most popularly known as Ooty. It is mostly referred to as the Queen of the Southern hill stations.It drive its name from the Niligiri or the Blue Mountains - the name to the Hills by the inhabitants for more than 850 years because of the blue mist of clouds which envelope the hill slopes. Upon arrival we check into our pre booked Hotel. Afternoon we drive around Ooty to visit the Botanical Gardens , Lake Doddabetta , Mukurti Peak , the Pykara Dam and the sprawling Tea farm. Overnight at the Hotel. » Ooty - Cochin : Upon coming in Cochin we verify into our pre booked hotel. Evening is relaxed and free for person activities. Overnight at the Hotel. After a relaxed morning breakfast we are now set to start our journey towards the famous town of Kerala - COCHIN. » Cochin : Which run from the ocean inland through lush tropical countryside. The true character of the town us to be found in the older part of the Fort Cochin area which remains as it used to be a 1000 years ago.  It could be compare to a journey down the amazon with jungle foliage hanging from the bank. Early morning grow and transfer to the backwaters of Cochin,  This relaxing ship trip is fascinating, as our guide discuss coming and going from village. Return to Cochin and afternoon expend explore the sudden and isolated Jewish society. It was a main area for flavor trade. score of small company crowd together in old buildings, with the air filled of ginger, cardamom, cumin and clove scent. Local potters weight cart of spices running up and down contracted lane for transport. the history of the early explorers and traders who used this as a main artery to the sea. Even the locals board and disembark, One street - long area is the Mattacncherry section, used to occupy virtually all Jewish homes, the oldest synagogue in the former British Empire. It is a town with indelible marks of Christian, Islamic, Hindu and Jewish traditions. This part of the town reflect an unusual bled of medieval Portuguese, Dutch and English life grafted on to the tropical Malabar coast. A unique feature here is isolated Jewish society whose origin date back to AD 52. Evening we go to watch the famous Kathakali Dance Performance. Overnight at the hotel. Cochin is one of the most fascinating cities of coastal south India » Kumarakom - Periyar : Drive to the Thaneermukh ship soil stage and take a ship ride on the Backwaters to Kumarakom and verify in to the our pre booked resort . In the Evening attend a exhibition of Kerala cuisine cook. The rest of the day relaxing by the pool or taking a sunset cruise on a man - powered nice-ship. You may wish to visit the Ayurvedic centre for a herbal massage. » Periyar - Madurai : Today we start our drive towards Madurai. Upon coming at Madurai we verify into out our pre booked Hotel. Afternoon we visit Madurai whose history goes back to six centuries before Christ. The Pandyan ruler made this their capital until the 14th Century and the city flowered with the genius of its writers, builders, poets and academics. Then the Nayaks ruled Madurai from the middle of the 16th Century to 1743. The ten tall Gopurams of the Meenakshi Temple were raised during their dynasty. This is a huge compled of Temples. A thousand - pillared hall and a tank. A full day tour visiting the Meenakshi Temple, Palace of King Triumalay, the great tank, Gandhi Museum and Temple at Alaghat Koli enroute visiting Elephant Rock. Overnight stay at the hotel. » Madurai : Here the God Rama offered prayers to Lord Shiva. One of the most scared towns of India , it is well known for its temple corridor - the longest in India, the Bathing Ghat , After an early breakfast take a full days tour to Rameshwaram, a major center for Hindu pilgrimage.  Ganthamathana Parvatham , Kothandaramar temple , Kurusadai and other nearby islands - abundant with coral reefs and other Marine wonders. Return to the hotel for overnight. » Madurai - Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) : In the inner shrine of the temple, one sees India's second largest statue of Nandi the bull, the mount of the God Shiva. Upon coming in Trichy check into your pre booked hotel.Thanjaur was the chair of the Chola Empire from the 10th to the 14th Centuries and it was a Chola King, Rajah Chola who built the maximum of its 74 temples, Depart for Trichy by road enroute visit Tanjore.  the Birhadeswara Temple which is more than 200 feet tall in the Dravidian truncated pyramid form, and has a huge lingam in its sanctorium Evening at leisure for personal behavior. Overnight at the Hotel. » Trichy - Mahabalipuram : We now continue our journey towards Mahabalipuram. Trichy's historic associations stretch from chola time to the 18th Century karnataka Wars, When Britain and France espoused the aspirations of rival princes. After breakfast we go for a morning town tour of Trichy visiting Rock Fort, Sirangam and Jambukeshwar Temples.  Upon coming we check into our pre booked hotel. Overnight at the hotel. » Mahabalipuram : Temple, Kamakshi Temple, and Vaikunta Perumal. Kanchipuram is the centre of silk weaving and is celebrated for its saris and material.Is nothing less than a wonderful display masterful sculpture carved out of solid rocks of granite, the Shore Temple - a splendid example of early temple construction in the south. Penance of Bhagirata the worlds largest bas - relief also known as "Argon's Penance'. Kanchipuram, city of a thousand temples, Once the capital of Pallava, Kanchipuram still contains no less than 124 shrines. Morning we undertake a full day town tour of Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram. Mahabalipuram, once the principal port of the Pallavas who ruled between the 06th and 09th Centuries AD. "The town of Seven pagodas".The temples were built mainly by two rulers, Mahendray and Mamalla Narashimha Parman. Typical of their architecture is the Kailasnatha Temple dedicated to Siva, believed to be 1200 years Old . Other important ones include the 16th Century Ekambasreshwar Return to the Hotel for an Overnight. » Mahabalipuram - Madras (Drive) - Mumbai (BOMBAY) Flight : St. Mary's Church and the St. Thomas Cathedral and drive along the marina. Afternoon transfer to the airport to board our flight for MUMBAI ( BOMBAY ).  Walk with our guide though some colourful market areas. Early morning we depart for Madras city tour visiting the National Art Gallery Fort St. George,  Upon coming we are met and transferred to your pre booked Hotel. Rest of the day at Leisure. Overnight at the Hotel. » Leave Bombay : After what will have been a majestic way to see and experience royal India, we bid farewell as we are transfer to the airport for our flight back home.