Day 1: Arrive Bangalore

On arrival at Bangalore airport assistance & transfer to hotel (hotel check in/ out time 12pm). Rest time free for personal activities. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 2: Bangalore 

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Lal Bagh Garden which houses over 1800 species of flora including rare and enchanting collection of tropical plants, trees and herbs. Cubbon Park a landmark area located within the heart of the city. The Bangalore Fort a living testimony of the notorious struggle of the Mysore Empire against the mighty Britishers. Tippu`s Summer Palace the magnificent accommodation of the valiant ruler of Mysore Tipu Sultan. Bangalore Palace an epitome of great architecture and beauty a mixture of Tudor & Scottish Gothic architecture. The Bull Temple one of the oldest temples in the city.

Also drive pass the Government buildings Vidhana Soudha & the Secretariat. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 3: Bangalore - Vellore (220kms)

Breakfast at hotel, drive to Vellore check in at hotel. 

Later visit Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple situated at the foot of a small range of green hills. This temple is gilded with 1500kg of pure gold, double the dome of the Golden Temple at Amritsar. Also visit 16th-century Vellore Fort & Jalakandeswarar Temple inside the fort features with many ornate sculptures. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 4: Vellore - Chennai (145kms)

Breakfast at hotel, drive to Chennai via visiting Kanchipuram an ancient city famous as city of thousands temple. In Kanchipuam visit Kailasanathar temple 8th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Ekambareswarar temple an ancient temple dedicated to Siva, 2500 year old mango tree inside the temple has 4 branches each yields different varieties of mangoes. Varadharaja temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Vaikundhaperumal temple dedicated to lord Vishnu & Kamakshiamman temple the ultimate form of Goddess Parvati. 

On arrival check in at hotel. Later city tour of Chennai. Visit Fort St. George & St Mary`s Church inside the fort built by the British East India Company in 1640 AD. Kapaleeshwarar Temple a holy shrine of Lord Shiva originally built by the mighty Pallavas and rebuilt in 16th century by the Vijayanagar kings. Vadapalani Murugan Temple one of the most frequented places of worship for Hindus in Chennai. Government Museum built in the Indo-Sarcenic style it houses a rich collection of works of Raja Ravi Varma. Dakshinachitra Museum, one of the living-history museums. Santhome Cathedral a historical and ancient pilgrim centre, which was built during the 14th to the 15th century AD by the then reigning Portuguese. Prakasam Salai an impressive stylish building in Indo-Saracenic style with eminence in red bricks. It has a cluster of old shrines that include Kandaswamy Koil, Tucker's Church, a Wesleyan Chapel and the Anderson's Church.

Drive Pass Marina Beach a 13kms long natural urban beach along the Bay of Bengal. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 5: Chennai - Pondicherry (160kms)

Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Pondicherry enroute In Mahabalipuram visit Monolithic Temples Five Rathas an excellent examples of the evolution of Dravidian style architecture. Krishnas Butterball a gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline. 7th century Cave Temples cut and decorated with panels in the Mamalla style. Shore Temple built with blocks of granite in 7th century during the rule of King Narsimha-Varman II Rajasimha the temple complex consisting of two Siva temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The Arjuna`s Penance an enormous rock-cut relief, one of the largest in the whole world. 

On arrival check in at hotel. Later visit Aurovil an experimental community founded in 1968 by the spiritual leader Mirra Alfassa as a town where people from all over the world could live in harmony. Its focal point is the Matrimandir, a futuristic, spherical temple covered in gold discs. Pondicherry Museum it houses a fantastic collection of bronze sculptures of god and goddess, a wide gathering of temple lamps, handicrafts and art. Drive pass or walk through stunning French Quarters, charming mustard streets, colonial villas and vibrant Tamil settlements. Besides a very picturesque view of the lovely alleys and narrow lanes, you can also marvel at the gorgeous architecture of the French colonial settlements which include French consulate, Raj Nivas, Government Square, Churches & French schools. Evening to relax on the beach. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 6: Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Gangaikonda Cholapuram - Darasuram - Thanjavur (180kms)

Breakfast at hotel, drive to Thanjavur via visiting Nataraja Temple dedicated to the dancing posture of Lord Shiva at Chidambaram. Constructed during the 10th century when Chidambaram used to be the capital of the Chola dynasty, the architecture of temple represents the link between arts and spirituality. 

Also visit The Great Living Chola Temples at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple built in Tamil style of architecture with a square plan. The temple complex includes Nandi Mandapa, Alankar Mandapa, Maha Mandapa, Mukha Mandapa and Ardha Mandapa. And Darasuram a storehouse of art and architecture with 85 feet high vimana. The front mandapam itself is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses. The temple has some exquisite stone carvings. The main deitys consort Periya Nayaki Amman temple is situated adjacent to Airavateshwarar temple. 

Arrive Thanjavur check in & Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 7: Thanjavur - Chettinad (140kms)

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Brihadeshwara Temple, built in the 10th century it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed in UNESCO world heritage site. The shrine is a 216 feet structure, the sanctum is dotted with paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods and the statue of Nandi the Bull welcomes at the entrance. Vijayanagar Fort built by Nayaks and partly by Maratha rulers during the early 1550 AD. Thanjavur Art Gallery, located in the Thanjavur Palace has an exquisite collection of ancient sculptures and coins. Saraswathi Mahal Library another section of the Palace where over 30, 000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts are preserved. 

Later drive to Chettinad via visiting Trichy, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple the largest functional temple in the world. The temple complex along with the surrounding area covers a total area of 156 acres, there are 22 gopurams including India`s tallest 72 meters, 13 storey high. Many people have had a hand in its construction, including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and rulers from Vijayanagar. Rock Fort Temple the 83m high Rock Fort is the only outcrop in the flat land of the city. The rock is one of the oldest in the world-approximately 3800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland and older than the Himalayas. Also visit Jambukeswarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, it houses five concentric walls, and seven gopurams. 

Continue drive to Chettinad, check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 8: Chettinad - Madurai (90kms)

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Chettinad, the region is known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak. Construction materials, decorative items, and furnishings were mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium. Many of these mansions were built using a type of limestone known as Karai. They were built by men who once traded in everything from salt to gems. But in the mid-20th century, most Chettiar families moved to cities. Their palatial homes were left in the custody of caretakers, who maintained them for those rare occasions, such as weddings or Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, when the family came to visit. 

Drive to Madurai check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 9: Madurai - Coimbatore (220kms)

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Meenakshi Temple one of the largest temple complexes in India built between the 16th to 18th centuries. Apart from the estimated 33 million sculptures there, the temple is absolutely absorbing with the endless rounds of ceremonies, prostration of countless devotees and glittering market stalls. Thirumalai Nayakar Palace built in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, the palace depicts the perfect blend of Dravidian and Rajput styles. Also visit Alagar Koil, Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple & Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple.

Later drive to Coimbatore, check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 10: Coimbatore - Ooty (85kms)

Breakfast at hotel. Visit Gass Forest Museum, a natural history museum located inside the premises of the Forest College Campus. The museum has several relics of wild and domestic animals stuffed and preserved to make them look real. Centuries-old Dravidian-style colorful and intricately carved Arulmigu Subramaniyaswami Temple. Excursion to visit Adiyogi Shiva Statue surrounded by verdant green farms at the foothills of Velliangiri Mountains in the Western Ghats. 112 feet tall world biggest bust statue dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located in the Isha Yoga Complex and is carved out of 500 tonnes of steel. Also visit Isha Yoga Ashram and yoga center.

Then drive to Ooty check in at hotel. Ooty is all-seasons hill resort and the queen of hill stations at an elevation of 7216 ft above sea-level. Surrounded by trees, central Ooty Lake is a huge artificial expanse of water with beautiful boats. Enjoy the town and visit the well-maintained botanical gardens, which have over 1,000 varieties of plants, shrubs and trees. Also take a ride on the famous Nilgiri Mountain Railway that winds its way down through spectacular scenery and breathtaking views to the nearby town of Coonoor. It was established in the early 19th century by the British now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 11: Ooty - Mysore (210kms)

Breakfast at hotel, drive to Mysore check in at hotel. 

Later city tour visit Mysore Palace built in the 1912 for the 24th Ruler of the Wodeyar Dynasty and is counted amongst one of the biggest palaces in the country. Chamundi Hills, site of the Chamundeswari Temple, one among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas located on the eastern edge at the height of 1000ft. The temple also has statues of Nandi Bull and Mahishasura the demon. City Palace which was re-built by Henry Irwin during 1897 in an indo-saracenic style. The palace contains astonishing wall paintings, authentic stained glass work and ornamented doors. St. Philomena`s Church the second tallest church of Asia built in Neo-Gothic style of architecture. Jaganmohan Palace that housed the royals before the construction of The Mysore palace, this structure displays various paintings of the past kings of Mysore and is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Overnight at hotel.

 

Day 12: Mysore - Bangalore (140kms)

Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Bangalore and drop off to airport to board flight for onward destination. 

Assistance on arrival at airport.

11 Nights' accommodation in selected price category hotels.

Daily breakfast at hotels. Any other meal (lunch/ dinner) if clearly mentioned in the itinerary).

Private air-conditioned deluxe car for airport transfer, sightseeing and excursion as per program.

English speaking tour guide on sightseeing days (local guide in each city), as per program.

Monument entrances and activities charges mentioned in the itinerary.

Bottled drinking water in car.

Government taxes.
 

 

Hotels used or similar for 11 nights accommodation

Bangalore x 2 nights
3* - Ramada/ The Rialto
4* - Fortune Select JP Cosmos/ Lemon Tree Premier Ulsoor Lake
5* - ITC Gardenia, a Luxury Collection/ ITC Windsor a Luxury Collection

Vellore x 1 night
3* - Hotel Khanna Fiesta/ POPPYS Anukula Residency
4* & 5* - Regency Sameera Vellore by GRT Hotels/ Fortune Park

Chennai x 1 night
3* - Raj Park/ MGM East Woods
4* - The  Raintree/ Accord Metropolitan
5* - ITC Grand Chola/ The Leela Palace

Pondicherry x 1 night
3* - Shenbaga Hotel/ Annamalai International
4* - Le Pondy/ The Windflower Resort & Spa
5* - Palais De Mahe/ La Villa

Thanjore x 1 night
3* - Grand Gardenia/ Oriental Towers 
4* - Sangam Hotels/ Ideal River View Resort
5* - Svatma

Chettinad x 1 night 
3* & 4*- Chidambara Vilas/ Chettinadu Mansion
5* - Visalam Cgh Earth

Madurai x 1 night
3* - Astoria by Sparsa/ Madurai’s Residency
4* - GRT Regency/ Fortune Pandiyan Hotel
5* - Heritage Madurai/ The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai

Coimbatore x 1 night
3* - Gokulam Park Hotel/ ZIBE Coimbatore by GRT Hotels
4* - Lemon Tree Hotel/The Residency Towers
5* - WelcomHotel Coimbatore/ Vivanta Coimbatore

Ooty x 1 nights
3* - Monarch Hotel/ Hotel Darshan
4* - Fortune Resort Sullivan Court/ Sinclairs Retreat
5* - Savoy - IHCL SeleQtions/ Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel

Mysore x 1 night
3* - Southern Star/Sandesh The Prince
4* - Fortune Park JP Palace/ Grand Mercure
5* - Royal Orchid Brindavan Garden/The Windflower Resort & Spa

Any flight tickets.

Camera charges at monuments.

Meals other than mentioned in day plan.

Expenses of personal nature like liquor, laundry, tips, telephone, fax, internet etc. 

Gratuities & optional activities.

Anything not mentioned in inclusions.