Tour Plan

Day 01 Arrive Kochi

One of India’s most interesting towns, a principle port and the centre of the spice trade on the MalabarCoast Kochi is rich in history and retains a relaxed and quiet atmosphere. The first European settlementin India, Kochi was founded by Vasco da Gama in 1502, however it was the British who influenced this colourful city the most with it being under direct British political control from 1795 up until India’s independence. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 02 Kochi

After Breakfast, explore Fort Kochi. Visit St Francis Church the oldest European church in India before walking down to the waterfront to witness the fascinating Chinese fishing nets and peruse the market stalls. Also you may be interested to visit the Dutch Cemetery situated at Fort Kochi in Ernakulam was consecrated in 1724 and is today managed by the Church of South India.Afterwards, return to your car to visit Mattancherry Palace (also known as Dutch Palace), the nearby merchant houses and a fine synagogue (closed on Friday &Saturday). Dutch Palace (closed on Friday) was built by the Portuguese in 1557 as a gift to the Raja of Kochi in exchange for trading rights and today houses exhibits of clothes, weapons and furniture as well as having numerous remarkable murals painted on the wooden walls. Continue to the synagogue, adorned with beautiful Cantonese ceramic tiles, before stepping out and exploring the local streets which still teem with traders who selling varieties of rice, ginger, garlic, chilli and antiques from street side warehouses. 

Day 03 Kochi to Coimbatore – 5 hrs

At leisure this morning to further enjoy Kochi before leaving in the afternoon for the drive to Coimbatore. Known for cotton manufacturing, Coimbatore commands a strategic location between the plains of Tamil Nadu, the plateaus of Mysore and the coastal ports of Kerala. Coimbatore is also close to Mettupalayam, the starting point of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Toy Train) to Ooty

Day 04 Coimbatore to Mettupalayam – 1 hr/ Mettupalayam to Ooty – by train 5 hrs

This morning transfer by car to Mettupalayam Railway Station in good time to catch the Nilgiri Mountain Railway train (Toy Train) to Ooty. This spectacular journey encounters 16 tunnels and crosses 250 bridges. One of the steepest lines in Asia, the views and scenery are breathtaking.  Ooty once enticed the British to escape the summer heat of the plains and, later today, visit the well-maintained botanical gardens. 

Day 05 Ooty to Sultans Battery(Wayanad) – 4.5 hrs

After breakfast leave Ooty and drive to Sultan's Battery, a small town in the Western Ghats (Wayanad) and the centre of a region which produces some of India's finest coffee, cardamom and vanilla.

Day 06 Sultans Battery

You have the day at leisure to enjoy Amaryllis and the surrounding area. Swim in the beautiful pool or relax with a good book in the scenic resort. There are also excellent bird watching opportunities at Amaryllis, for the more energetic, there are several walking trails.

Day 07 Sultans Battery to Mysore – 3 hrs

Leaving Sultan's Battery, drive to pretty Mysore. In the afternoon take a two hour specialist heritage walk in the city which starts at the Town Hall, visits the Devaraja Market and ends at the Jagan Mohan Palace. During the walk the guide will share various stories from Mysore's past and there will also be a chance to taste ‘Mysore Pak’, the city's famous sweet

Day 08 Mysore

Today explore Mysore starting at Chamundi Hill, site of the Chamundeswari Temple and famous Nandi Bull. From here continue to the vast City Palace. Re-built by Henry Irwin during 1897 in an Indo-Saracenic style, the palace contains extraordinary wall paintings, stained glass work and inlaid doors. In the afternoon leave the city and visit the temple complex at Somnathpur including the exquisite Keshava Vishnu temple, one of the finest in India, and over 700 years old

Day 09 Mysore to Bangalore – 3.5 hrs. Bangalore to Chennai – By Air

This morning leave Mysore and visit Srirangapatnam where Tipu Sultan was killed in battle against an East India Company army including Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. Later continue to Bangalore Airport and fly to Chennai. One of India's largest cities, Chennai remains a principle port and a major gateway to the south and retains an elegant colonial heritage.

Day 10 Chennai

This morning take a guided heritage walk through the historic heart of the city and discover colonial Madras through the buildings the British left behind. St Mary’s (1678), the first Anglican church east of Suez, and the homes of Clive and Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) stand rather neglected within the ramparts of old Fort St George (now a museum). They recall the East India Company, just as the later raj is epitomised in the mixture of neo-classical and Indo-Saracenic administrative buildings, banks and railway stations. Later in the afternoon take a further guided walk through the bustling bazaar of George Town. Walk through the by lanes, where plenty of history, mythology and folklore intertwine to give you a true glimpse of living India teeming with life and spilling over with colour, noise and exuberance.

Day 11 Chennai to Pondicherry via Mahabalipuram – 5 hrs

Today leave Chennai and drive south to the former French colony of Pondicherry stopping en-route in Mahabalipuram to visit the beach-side temple complex – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Pondicherry explore the town which still retains its typically French atmosphere.

Day 12 Pondicherry to Tanjore via Chidambaram and Gangaikondacholapuram – 5 hrs

Leave Pondicherry this morning and drive Chidambaram to see the Nataraja Temple complex and then continue to nearby Gangaikondacholapuram, which is renowned for its Chola temple art and was part of a hydraulic lay-out that seems to anticipate Cambodia’s Angkor. From here continue to Tanjore. Situated in the lush green delta of the Kaveri River Tanjore is a pretty town and home to one of the most impressive monuments of South India – the Brihadisvara Temple.

Day 13 Tanjore

This morning explore Tanjore and the surrounding area starting your day at the spectacular Brihadisvara Temple which was constructed between 1003 and 1010 AD by the Chola King Rajaraja I. Later drive to Kumbakonam, visit the 1,200 year old Nagesvara Swami Temple then continue to the Sarangapani Temple, one of the largest in Kumbakonam with a 44 metre tall gopuram. End the day at the nearby town of Swamimalai which has a renowned school teaching the art and craft of making bronze idols.

Day 14 Tanjore to Madurai – 4 hrs

After an early breakfast head to Trichy which is dominated by its Rock Fort and, after visiting the Rock’s temple, continue to Srirangam – a religious complex spread over an island in the nearby Cauvery River. Leaving Trichy drive south to Madurai, a hub of learning and pilgrimage for many centuries. A centre for Tamil culture, the main attraction of this crowded but vibrant pilgrimage centre is the famous Sri Meenakshi temple complex located in the heart of the city. 

Day 15 Madurai

Start the day with a morning visit to the Thirumalai Nayaka Palace then make your way to the impressive 17th century Sri Meenakshi temple. An exact contemporary of the Taj Mahal in Agra, this exceptional temple complex dominates the old city and is instantly recognisable. With its nine gopurams, profusion of multi-coloured images, flower sellers, musicians and a decorated temple elephant, the temple is a hive of activity from dawn until late into the night.

Day 16 Madurai to Munnar – 4-5 hrs

After Breakfast, drive to Munnar, most popular hill stations in South India, situated at the confluence of three mountain streams Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni & Kundala. It was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British officers in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picture book town, winding lanes, trekking & holiday facilities make Munnar a unique experience

Day 17 Munnar

Today after breakfast, we take a tour of Munnar, visiting the world's highest tea estates spread like a green carpet over a large area. Later we visit Eravikulam National Park, the best place to see the rare Nilgiri Tahr (mountain goat). This sanctuary was set up for the preservation of the endangered Nilgiri Thar (animal sighting is subject to luck). Later visit other tourist interested places. 

Overnight at Hotel in Munnar. 

Day 18 Munnar to Alleppey – 5 hrs

This morning leave Munnar and continue towards the Keralan backwaters to join a private Houseboat for a two night cruise. Authentic and comfortable, all meals are cooked on board and the boat is staffed with a captain, a deck hand cum cook. Spend the remainder of day cruising the beautiful and peaceful backwaters. Backwaters consisting of a network of lakes, canals and estuaries, sit back and relax on your boat as you pass tiled and thatched cottages and cantilevered Chinese fishing nets. Witness local life as children swim and play in the water, women attend to their daily chores and men fish from their wooden canoes

Day 19 Alleppey to Mararikulam – 45 mts.

After breakfast depart your houseboat and travel the short distance to the beach resort of Mararikulam

Marari is a beach in Alappuzha District of Kerala. Barely 12 km from Alappuzha and 55 kms from Cochin, this sleepy little village (also called Mararikulam), is an idyllic location for a vacation and Beach Stay

Day 20 & 21 Mararikulam

Day 22 Mararikulam to Kochi Airport – 2.5 hrs