Temples of south India

Day 01: Arrive at Chennai

Arrive at Chennai Airport. You will be met by your driver and representative and transferred to
hotel. Stay at The Residency Hotel (4 star) for 3 nights.

Day 02: Chennai Sightseeing

Time to visit capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai on Coromandel Coast. Kick off Chennai
sightseeing with Parthasarathy Temple, Kapaleeshwar Temple and Adeeswar Temple and more.
You will visit places like St. Thomas Cathedral, Marina beach, markets etc. Later Drop to hotel,
Overnight at Chennai.

Day 03: Chennai – Tirupati – Chennai

Begin journey with one of the holiest Hindu Pilgrimage Tirupati Temple located in the hill town of
Tirumala. Temple dedicated to Lord Sri Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu. It is richest
temple in the world in terms of donations received. After Darshan at Temple and head back to
Chennai city.

Day 04: Chennai – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram

Morning after breakfast drive to Kanchipuram (2 Hrs) Kanchipuram offers sightseeing of
Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Ekambareshwrar temple, Kamakshi Amman Temple. If time
permits visit to silk weaving factories of Kanchipuram. On arrive at Mahabalipuram visit to
UNESCO heritage listed group of monuments recognized at World Heritage sites.

Later drive to Mahabalipuram. On arrival enjoy a sightseeing tour of this lovely seaside which
was the capital of the Pallavas dynasty. You could visit the shore temple, the largest bas-relief in
the world called Arjuna’s Penance and the famous and beautiful Five Rathas (Chariots) are what
will be most eye-catching. Arjuna’s Penance, a complicated piece of work on a vertical rock is
one of the best preserved. Stay at Landmark Pallava Beach Resort (3 Star) for 1 night.

Day 05: Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry

Morning after breakfast drive to Pondicherry (1.5 Hrs). The capital of the Union Territory of
Pondicherry, Pondicherry is a former French colony and is now among the chief tourist
destinations of South India. This coastal town was a French colony till 1954 and still retains
many colonial buildings, churches, statues and the systematic town planning by the French and
is often called the Europe of India because of its town planning. Stay at Hotel Atithi (4 Star) for 1 night.

Pondicherry is the treasure and rich history and culture Admire architecture of Auroville
Township, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, famous promenade beach and Manakula Vinayagar
Devasthanam Temple, Mahatma Gandhi Statue and French war memorial. Evening French
colony walk.

Day 06: Pondicherry-Chidambaram -Tanjore

Morning after breakfast drive to Chidambaram ( 2 Hrs). Nataraja Temple, also referred to as the
Chidambaram Nataraja temple or Thillai Nataraja temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to
Nataraja – Shiva as the lord of dance – in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple has
mythical roots and a Shiva shrine existed at the site when the town was known as Thillai.
Chidambaram, the name of the city and the temple literally means “atmosphere of wisdom” or
“clothed in thought”, the temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and
spirituality, creative activity and the divine.

Later drive to Tanjore visiting temple at Darasulam en-route. The famous Airavateswarar temple
is dedicated to Lord Shiva and located in the small town of Darasulam, about 4km from
Kumbakonam in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu. This Hindu temple was built by Rajaraja
Chola II in the 12th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other famous
temples like the Brihandeswhara temple and the great Living Chola temples.
Stay at Hotel Gnanam (2 star) for 1 night.

Day 07: Tanjore – Trichy – Madurai

Start your day with 1000 year old Brihandeswhara Temple, Great living chola Temples and leave
for glorious city of Madurai. En-route visit to Tiruchirappalli, once the part of chola Kingdom.
Visit sculpted temples and Fortress of Trichy. Begin with Jambukeswarar Temple, Sri
Ramnathaswamy Temple and Rockfort temple.

Drives to Madurai continue. On arrive check in to hotel. Overnight at Madurai.
Stay at JC Residency (4 star) for 2 nights.

Day 08: Madurai Sightseeing

Morning enjoy a sightseeing tour of Madurai with a guide. The most impressive and important
of south India’s temples, Meenakshi temple in Madurai dates back as far as 3,500 years!
Apparently, the city was built around the Shiva lingam that’s inside its sanctum. The temple
complex covers 15 acres, and has 4,500 pillars and 12 towers — it’s massive. An ancient city
with a rich cultural and architectural heritage, it is called the ‘Athens of the east’; but Madurai,
arguably, has as much as history as Athens itself. You will also see Teppakulam Tank, Madurai
Palace Remains, and Gandhi Museum etc.

Day 09: Madurai – Rameshwaram

Morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Rameshwaram (5 Hrs).

Head to Rameshwaram situated one and only island separated from mainland India. Here pay
your visit to Ramnathaswamy Temple dedicated to the Hindu god Rama. Post darshan and pooja
ceremony at temple back to hotel and night spend at Rameshwaram.
Stay at Hotel Vinayaga (2 Star) for the night.

Day 10: Rameshwaram – Kanyakumari

This morning follow scenic drive known from Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari a coastal town. Enroute visit to Thiruchendur Murugun Temple. Continue drive to Kanyakumari. On arrive enjoy
sunset view of Kanyakumari shore and also visit Vivekananda Rock. Stay at Hotel Sea View (3 star) for 1 night.

Day 11: Kanyakumari – Kovalam

There is time this morning to explore pilgrimage sites and historical significant places of
Kanyakumari. Visit Kanyakumari Amman Temple, Thiruvallur statue and Gandhi Mandapam.
Leave for Kovalam a beach destination. Rest of the day relax at beaches. Overnight at Kovalam.
Stay at Soma Palmshore (3 star) for 2 nights.

Day 12: Kovalam

Full day at leisure by the beach or visit Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala.

Day 13: Trivandrum Airport Departure

Like all good things, your tour in Kerala comes to an end but you will always carry memories of
this unique and unforgettable holiday experience. Today you will be assisted and transferred (1
Hours) to Trivandrum International Airport to connect your flight home.