Southern India Jewels

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duration 11 days
tour type Small group Request as private
age requirement 8-95 yrs
max group size 6
guiding method Fully guided
Tour Code BM-38925
Footprint Carbonneutral CO₂ emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
Operated in English

Starts Chennai, India
Ends Chennai, India

HIGHLIGHTS Download trip notes

Admire the Shore Temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal in Mamallapuram
Enjoy a rickshaw ride through Madurai, one of India’s most historic cities
Discover the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, blending Indian and European styles
Visit the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in search of elephants, boars, and birds
Sail through the breathtaking backwaters of Kerala on board a houseboat
Bask in the beauty of Cochin, situated on the coast of the Indian Peninsula
Show more

Start and end in Chennai, the "Southern India Jewels" trip is a guided cultural, religious and historic sites tour that takes 11 days. You will travel through Tanjore, Madurai, Kumbakonam and 5 other destinations in India. "Southern India Jewels" is a small group trip which includes accommodation in hotels, transport, meals and others.

Discover the most fascinating jewels of Southern India with this 12-day ultra-small group tour! Prepare for extraordinary temples, magnificent cityscapes, exhilarating safari adventures, and delicious cuisine. Begin your journey in Chennai, the largest city in Southern India, from where you will travel to Mamallapuram. Pay a visit to Arjuna's Penance, with extraordinary views from two magnificent boulders and exceptional carvings of sacred figures. See the Shore Temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal before you depart for Kumbakonam, a breathtaking town with ancient temples situated between the Cauvery and Arasalar Rivers. Discover the Kumbeswarar and Sarangapani Temples and make your way to Tanjore, once the capital of the Chola Empire. Admire the Brihadeshvara Temple and the Nandi statue. Next, you will visit Trichy and arrive in Madurai for a unique and eco-friendly rickshaw ride. See the Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Meenakshi Temple and travel to Periyar, situated high above sea level surrounded by forests of the Idukki District. Search for wildlife in the area and make your way to Alleppey, home to breathtaking lakes, wonderful canals, and sandy beaches. Cruise along the backwaters of Kerala and drive to Cochin, where you will end your tour of Southern India.

ITINERARY Expand All

Day 1: Chennai - Mamallapuram (65km/ 1.5h)
Day 2: Mamallapuram
Day 3: Mamallapuram - Kumbakonam (250km / 5.5h)
Day 4: Tanjore
Day 5: Kumbakonam - Trichy - Madurai (195km /4h)
Day 6: Madurai
Day 7: Madurai - Periyar (165km/4.5h)
Day 8: Periyar
Day 9: Periyar - Alleppey (140km / 4h)
Day 10: Alleppey - Cochin (65km / 1.5h)
Day 11: Cochin

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Accommodation

09 Nights accommodation on a twin sharing basis at listed hotels or equivalent

Meals

Breakfast daily
1 traditional lunch in Mamallapuram
Full board meal plan onboard houseboat
1 farewell dinner at hotel in Cochin

Transport

Transportation in deluxe AC vehicle

Guide

Service of English-speaking local guides

Others

01-night stay on a houseboat
Sightseeing as per the itinerary
Bicycle rickshaw tour in Madurai
Elephant ride in Periyar
Kathakali dance performance
All local applicable taxes

Entrance

Entrance fees as per the itinerary

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

Items of a personal nature, tips & gratuities
Items not mentioned as being included

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a Superior This travel specialist is consistently delivering tours which receive customer ratings above 4.5 on average. tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 96 reviews for other tours with an average 4.4 rating.

REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:

Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
Protected Travel within your own bubble.
Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.

Request a private and/or personalized departure To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.

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