Day 01  :  ARRIVE CHENNAI
Arrive Chennai in the evening.  After immigration & customs, you will be met & transferred to your prebooked Hotel.

Day 02  :  CHENNAI - KANCHIPURAM - MAHABALIPURAM
Morning, half day city tour of Chennai, formally known as Madras, and one of the first trading posts of the British East India Trading Company.  Visit the National Art Gallery and Museum, which has some of the most beautiful temple friezes and South Indian bronzes, the Cathedral of San Thome, the Mylapore Temple and St. Mary's Church.

Afternoon, drive to Mahabalipuram, enroute visit Kanchipuram, the golden city of thousand temples and one of the seven sacred cities of India. It has many Gopurams, which can be seen from long way away.

Continue drive to Mahabalipuram, the marvelous city was the seaside capital of the Pallava dynasty. The artistic temperament of these rulers resulted in some of the greatest works of South Indian art.

Day 03  :  MAHABALIPURAM
Morning, visit the the scenic Shore Temple, The Five Rathas (chariots) made from single stone boulders and Arjuna’s Penance, the largest bas-relief in the world are highlights. The entire city resonates to the sound of chisels from small workshops that produce very ornate stone sculptures.  Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 04  :  MAHABALIPURAM - PONDICHERRY
After breakfast, leave for Pondicherry.  On arrival into seaside town you are captured by the charming French colonial influence. It was a small union territory where the French East India Company set up a trading centre in 1673 and ruled even after independence to remain a part of French India until 1954.  The former French colony is also known as The French Riviera Of The East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est), as a remarkable degree of French influence in Pondy exists today. The relics of French rule are evident from the dress of the police to the simplicity of the people. The entire town is divided into 2 sections, the French Quarter (Ville Blanche) and the Indian Quarter (Ville Noire). Many streets still retain their French names.  Afternoon, enjoy the sights combined with a visit to the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Day 05  :  PONDICHERRY - TRICHY - TANJORE
Morning, leave for Tanjore, enroute visit the Rock Fort temple in Trichy.
Continue drive to Tanjore or Thanjavur was the capital of the Chola Empire and is a flourishing centre for bronze sculpture and a unique style of painting.

Day 06  :  TANJORE - MADURAI
Morning, visit The famous Brihadishwara Temple, built by Rajaraja The Great, ruler of the Chola Empire (11thC) is one of India’s finest UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Royal Palace at Thanjavur was built partly by the Nayaks around 1550 AD. It is possible to climb the Godagopuram, an eight storey watchtower and armory of 190 feet high. The museum’s galleries contain a World Famous Collection Of Magnificent Tanjore Bronzes depicting ancient themes, dancers and deities

Afternoon, drive to Madurai, an ancient city and centre of Tamil knowledge with origins lost in the mists of time, said to be over 2000 years old. Madurai was the capital city for the great Pandya kings.

Day 07  :  MADURAI

The Sri Meenakshi Temple at Madurai is one the wonders of India and is famed for its architectural and religious importance. The complex houses 12 magnificent gopurams that are elaborately sculptured and painted, the tallest of which, the famous Southern Tower, rises to over 170 ft high.

Also worth visiting is The Thirumalai Nayakar's Palace (1623), a classic example of the Indo-saracenic style of extravagant architecture. Madurai is famous for Jasmine flower sellers and spice markets that crowd the narrow streets around the main temple complex

Day 08  :  MADURAI - PERIYAR
Drive to Periyar, a plantation town washed in fresh spice scented air, with panoramas of cardamom, coffee and pepper plantations.
An area known for its undulating hills, spice plantations, and elephant sightings. One of the 27 tiger reserves in India, the Periyar valley in Thekkady is the oldest. Check into your hotel.

In the evening, embark on a boat ride for game viewing. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary has very picturesque surrounding. The reservoir and the surrounding forest provide protection and a constant supply of water to the animals. The earliest sanctuary to be set up in 1934, it extents to 777 square Kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges, the Western Ghats.Wildlife can be seen while cruising on Periyar Lake in a motorboat, amongst the animals that can be seen are Elephants, Wild Boar, Sambar, Wild dog, Languor monkeys, Wild buffalo's and occasionally Tiger, Leopard

Day 09  :  PERIYAR
In the morning soft trek in the forest full of rare species of birds and mammals including Malabar squirrel, barking deer, mouse deer, Nilgiri langur and the highly endangered Lion-tailed macaque.

Afternoon, go on a spice plantation tour where one will be enticed by not only the aroma of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and nutmeg but will also get to know how they are grown, harvested and processed before they reach the supermarkets.

Day 10  :  PERIYAR - KUMARAKOM
A four-hour drive through rubber, banana and coconut plantations takes us to Kumarakom where we board our riceboat for the night. Cruise along Vembanad Lake in the afternoon to admire the bird life and village life along the banks.  The backwaters of Kerala are an interlinked body of natural waterways, rivers and lakes connecting coastal towns. Over 900 Km of the Kerala backwaters are navigable and have been used for centuries by local people for the transportation of spices and rice.  From your Rice Boat, you can watch rural fisher folk and people who live along the backwaters, or just stop along the canal bank and explore villages on foot or eat freshly caught crabs and lobsters. Water birds such as terns, kingfishers, darters and cormorants, and animals such as otters and turtles are easily observed along the backwaters.

Houseboat : Before the trucks became popular, the main cargo transportation was through backwaters by 'Kettuvalloms'. Kettuvallom means, 'stitched boat'. These Kettuvallom were converted to Houseboat and are designed for comfortable cruise and over night stay. The boat has one and two bath-attached rooms with modern comforts, a living cum dining room and a kitchen. Eco-friendly materials construct the boat. A cook and two-member crew would be there to attend you. The boat moves through the backwaters with village tours and at night the boat is anchored at a beautiful part of the lake

Day 11  :  ALLEPEY - COCHIN
Disembark at Allepey after breakfast for the drive to Cochin, the ancient port city has been influenced by traders from the Middle East, China and Europe who came to trade for spices from the Malabar Coast.

Afternoon, city tour of Cochin which will include - The Jewish Synagogue in what is locally called the Jew Town, St. Francis Church which is the oldest European Church in India, the Santa Cruz Basilica built in 1557 by the Portuguese, the Dutch Palace, the Spice market and the 15th century Chinese fishing nets believed to have been brought by Chinese traders

In the evening, enjoy the famous dance drama of Kerala, the Kathakali. This dance is characterised by some great story telling, amazing costumes and extensive make-up.

Day 12  :  COCHIN - OOTY
After breakfast, drive to Ooty also known as Udhagamandalam is the "Queen of hill stations" and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiris means "Blue Mountains". It is a land of picturesque picnic spots. Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level

Day 13  :  OOTY
Visit the Botanical garden, which has some rich flora of the region, St. Stephen's church that reflects the city's long association with the British. You can also explore Government Museum to witness tribal artifacts of the region and other historical relics. Or simply sit back and reflect by the side of Ooty Lake

DAY 14  :  OOTY - MYSORE
After breakfast, drive to Mysore - the political capital of the Wodeyar dynasty which ruled the state of Karnataka for some 150 years till the independence of the country from the British. These kings were great patrons of art and culture and Mysore was the cultural capital of the south under the rule of the Wodeyars.

Afternoon, Visit Mysore Palace, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, this palace was the sea of Maharajas of Mysore. The earlier palace was burnt down in 1897 and the present one was completed in 1912. Notable are beautifully carved mahogany ceilings, solid silver doors, white marble floors and superb columned Durbar Hall. Chamundi Hill - At the top of 1062m Chamundi hill, overlooking Mysore is Sri Chamundeswari Temple. One has to climb 1000 plus steps to the top. The temple is dominated by its towering seven storey, 40m high gopuram. The goddess Chamundi was the family deity of the maharaja. On you way down you can see the famous Nandi (bull). Standing five meters high and carved out of solid rock in 1659, it's one of the largest in India.

Day 15  :  MYSORE - HASSAN
Morning, visit Srirangapatnam - 16 kms from Mysore are the ruins of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan's capital from which they ruled much of Southern India during the 18th century. Tipu Sultan, was defeated by the British in 1799 and Tipu's defeat marked the real beginning of British expansion in South India. Much of the palace was destroyed by the British, but the extensive ramparts and battlements and some gates still stand. The dungeon where Tipu held a number of British officers has been preserved and the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, a popular place of pilgrimage for Hindus.

Afternoon, drive to Hassan. Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked Hotel

Day 16  :  HASSAN
Visit the Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebid - the cream of what remains of one of the most artistically exuberant periods of Hindu cultural development

Belur - The main temple to be seen here is the Channakeshava temple. The main structure of the temple, which is star shaped, is a homogenous architectural unit on a raised platform. Everything is carved in blackstone looking like metal. Facing the temple, at the entrance, stands the winged figure of Garuda, Lord Vishnu's carrier. The 650 charging elephants on the frieze around the walls outside are all different from each other. The exotic bracket figures (Madanikas) on the walls of the temple are serene, playful and amorous, enhancing the overall effect of this pinnacle of architectural excellence. Inside, even in the darkness you can see the hand-lathe-turned shining pillars, each unique in its splendor. On the smooth circular platform in front of the shrine you can see the beautiful Shantala Devi, queen of King Vishnuvardhana. The spotlight is on the famous bracket figures on the ornate ceiling. All these figures have been inspired by Shantala Devi's Voluptuous beauty. Sculpted limbs undulated in lyrical lines. One sculpted beauty communicates with a pet parrot whose tail is like that of a peacock another wrings water from her long hair and you can see the drops collected on hair ends. The delicacy and attention to the fines details here are incredible.

Halebid - Halebid is 27 Kms north west of Hassan and 17 Kms from Belur. This place is also called as Dwara Samudra, the wealthy capital of the Hoysala Kingdom. Halebid has several striking beautiful Hoysala temples and Jain Shrines. Another famous temple is the Keddareshwara Temple where the sculptor's virtuosity seems to have surpassed even the goldsmith's skill in its sheer intricacy. One Kilometer from the Halebid temples is the Basti hills where there are Jain Bastis with gleaming black stone pillars. The Hoysaleshwara temple, standing on platform like a casket, is a sculptural extravaganza, richly endowed with most finely detailed scroll work in stone. Outside there is a Nandi( the sacred bull, a vehicle of the Lord Shiva) and a hillock where a palace stood, connected to the temple by a passage. Inside its dark depts., the queen Shantala Devi beckons from an alcove. The figure of mortals and immortals are larger compared to Belur and are beautifully chiseled in shinning black stone. The walls of the temples are covered with variety of gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. There is a museum on the lawns with 12-13th century sculptures and the gold coins in use at the time.

Day 17  :  HASSAN - SRAVANABELAGOLA - BANGALORE
After breakfast, leave for Bangalore enroute visit Sravanabelagola (Monk of the White Pond) - Sravanabelagola's history goes back to the 3rd century B.C. when Chandragupta Maurya came here with is guru, Bhagwan Bhadrabahu Swami, after renouncing his kingdom. In the course of time, the preachings of Bhadrabahu were spread all over the region and thus firmly established Jainism in the south. The religion found powerful patrons in the Gangas who ruled the southern part of Karnataka between the 4th and 10 centuries, and it was during this time that Jainism reached the zenith of its influence. The statue was created during the reign of Ganga King, Rachamalla in 981 A.D. The statue of naked Bahubali (Gomateshvara) is 17m high and overlooks the town of Srivanabelagola over the top of a hill called Indragiri. This is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage center in India.

Continue drive to Bangalore is the "Garden City of India" with its many gardens and boulevards. Its pleasant climate and laid back charm attracted many senior citizens and thus later on came to be called at "the retired man's paradise". With the multinational Computer companies setting up their offices here and its the rich technical expertise found in the city gave it the name of "Silicon City". And of course what is Bangalore without all its Pubs. Its is now also called the Pub City with over 200 Pubs all over the town

Afternoon, visit The Bangalore Palace was built in the year 1887 by the Wodeyar dynasty. It is built similar to medieval castles in Normandy and England . It's interiors boasts of elegant wood carvings and Tudor -style architecture. Tipu's Palace - The Palace was constructed first by Hyder Ali and completed by his son Tipu Sultan in the year 1791. Tipu called it as 'The Envy of Heaven'. It is constructed mainly in wood and has fine intricately sculpted arches surrounded by exquisite minarets.

Day 18 : DEPART BANGALORE
Transfer to Bangalore airport to board flight back home