Home :: India Pilgrimage Tour :: South India Temple Tour

01 Arrive Chennai
You arrive in Chennai by international flight. After a traditional 'Swagat' (Welcome) our representative would meet & assist you at the airport and to our hotel for check in and overnight stay.

02 Chennai Mahabalipuram(65 Kms)
Morning half day sightseeing tour touching Fort St. George, San Thome Cathedral and the museums that contain the world's most complete and impressive selection of Chola bronzes and stone sculptures from South India and the Deccan. Drive to Kanchipuram, the golden city of thousand temples, one of Hinduism's seven most sacred cities of the early Cholas of the 2nd century.Later drive to Mammalapuram. Built in the 7th century, this ancient city is said to be a sculptor's delight, boasting of some of India's most sublime rock-cut art, for which it is now a World Heritage site. On arrival we assist you to check in at our Hotel for overnight stay.

03 Mahabalipuram Pondicherry (170kms)
Morning drive to Pondicherry and check in at hotel. Then spend the day on the beach.

04 Pondicherry
Morning visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the museum. In the evening visit Auroville the City of Dawn. It is a unique township, which started as an experiment for celebrating unity in diversity. Located a few kilometers from Pondicherry, at the center of the township stands Matrimandir built in the form of a globe. Visit the Matrimandir during the meditation time for a truly spiritual experience. Return to Pondicherry. Overnight at hotel.

05 Pondicherry – Tanjore(210 kms)
Early morning drive to Tanjore. Upon arrival a visit to Brihadewswara Temple also known as the 'Big Temple', built by the Chola dynasty. This massive temple is 216 feet high and the single spherical stone on top weighs 80 tons. Overnight stay.

06 Tanjore Trichy Madurai (200kms)
Post breakfast departure for Madurai via Trichy. On arrival city tour of Trichy, covering Srirangam temple & Rockfort, Trichy's most famous landmark, which has a temple perched on the outcrop of Rock. On to Madurai. Overnight stay.

07 Madurai
Morning visit to Meenakshi Sundareshwar, one of the largest temple complexes in India built between the 16th and 18th centuries. It is estimated that 33 million sculptures are there. Leisurely afternoon. Overnight stay at hotel

08 Madurai Thekkady(136 kms) (Periyar Wildlife Sanctury)
Early morning drive to Thekkady. On arrival we assist you to check in at our Hotel for overnight stay. Evening game viewing at the sanctuary by boat on lake Periyar. Overnight stay.

09 Thekaddy Kumarakom
Morning drive to Kumarakom near Kottayam and stay in one of the backwater resorts160 kms) enjoy nature at its best.. The panoramic

10 Kumarakom Alleppy in house boat
Morning drive a short distance before switching over to a boat for a through many canals and waterways up to Alleppey. The backwater cruise in a country boat is the best way to explore the villages and rural life. In Alleppey you will be taken aboard your floating houseboat, a different boat with a bedroom and en-suite rest room for your comfort. Enjoy a cruise on the backwater through a maze of canals and lagoons and enjoy freshly caught fresh water fish cooked to your taste on board.

11 Alleppy to Cochin(70 Kms)
Post breakfast departure for Cochin, one of the finest harbo urs on the Arabian coastline, famous as a port for foreigner traders from early times. A city of peninsulas and islands, today it is Kerala's commercial hub. Overnight stay. tour of Cochin to visit Dutch Palace (Built by the Portuguese), Jew Town, the 1568 Jewish Synagogue, spice market, where the air is filled with the pungent smell of spices, St. Francis' Church and Chinese fishing nets. The evening holds a show of Kerala's most popular classical dance. Overnight stay.

12 Cochin – Guruvayoor and Mysore(250 kms)
Early morning drive to Mysore via Guruvayur. On arrival we assist you to check in at our Hotel for overnight stay.

13 Mysore – Hassan(170 Kms)
Today we visit the most impressive and one of the largest city palaces in India. The City Palace of Mysore "Ambar Vilas" is built in the Indo-Saracenic style. Mysore is world famous for Silk and Sandalwood. Mysore is also a centre of producing saris which is a common dress of woman in India. Overnight in hotel.

14 Hassan
Morning visit to Halebid which is the ancient capital of Hoysala empire. In Halebid we visit the Hoysalesvara Temple of 12th century where we see half life size statues of Hindu deities, with minute details of each, all around the temple. After the visit in Halebid we proceed to Belur. In Belur we visit the group of Chennakesava Temples which are famous for its architecture and sculptures. Overnight at hotel.

15 Hassan -Hospet( 350 kms)
Morning drive to Hospet and visit Hampi. The once beautiful capital city of Vijayanagar Empire - greater than Rome, had palaces, temples & sculptures, spread all over. The city was razed to the ground by the Sultanates of South in 1565. Some of the interesting ruins remaining are the Virupaksha, Vittala and Hazara Rama temples huge Ganesha and Narasimha images, the elephant stables, the Queen's Bath, carvings on the Ramachandra temple & Lotus Mahal. Overnight stay at Hospet.

16 Hospet – Badami(200 kms)
After breakfast we drive to Badami enroute stopping at Aihole and Pattadakal, Aihole is the cradle of stone temple architecture of the southern Dravidian School. The oldest temple, Lad Khan goes back to the 5th century A.D. There are 70 temples in this group. The Durga temple is noted for its sculptures.The Meguti temple is built of 630 small stone blocks. The Ravanaphadi Cave has some beautiful carvings. Pattadakal, referred to as Petrigal, reached its pinnacle of glory under the Chalukya kings from 7th to 9th centuries. The oldest in this group is the Sanghameswara Temple. The Mallikarjuna Temple has pillars depicting life of Krishna. Virupaksha temple has sculptures and panel scenes from the epics, the Ramayana & Mahabharata. The Papanatha Temple has impressive carvings on pillars and ceiling. Overnight stay at Badami.

17 Badami
Breakfast at the hotel followed by sightseeing tour of Badami also known as Vatapi is rich with Hindu and Jain temples carved out of sand stone hills. The carved temples date back to the 6th century. Of these, three are Hindu and one Jain. Sculptured out of solid rock they are adorned with carvings. The Fort, on top of a hill encloses large granaries, treasury and a watchtower. The Malegitti Shivalaya temple set on the summit of a hill is built of stones without mortar. Overnight stay at the hotel.

18 Badami – Bijapur(132 kms)
Bijapur is distinct as it resembles a North Muslim city with its mausolea, mosques and palaces. The main landmarks are the Jama Masjid one of the finest in the Deccan with a large, shallow, onion shaped dome and arcaded court. It was built by Ali Adil Shah I in the 16th century. Ibrahim Rauza the 17th century palatial tomb is beautifully proportioned, its slender minarets, carved decorative panels of lotus, wheels and cross patterns and bold Arabic calligraphy bearing witness to the tolerance of Adil Shah of other religions. Gol Gumbaz, the vast tomb of Mohammad Sadil Shah, buried here with his family and favorite court dancer, has been described by some as startlingly ugly. It is the worlds second largest dome unsupported by pillars and has a large whispering gallery. After lunch, served in the gardens of the Madhuvan, we drive approximately 196 kms to Bijapur. Hotel Madhuvan.

19 Bijapur – Gulbarga(160 kms)
Morning drive to Gulbarga. This town was the first capital of the Bahmanis and is known in South India as the home of Saiyid Muhammad Gesu Daraz Chisti who was instrumental in spreading the Islamic faith in the Deccan in the 14th century. The most striking remains in the town are the fort, with its citadel and mosque and the tombs in its eastern quarter. The mosque covers an area of 3500 sq m and is covered by a dome covering the four corner domes and 75 minor domes making it unique among Indian mosques. The tombs of the Bahmani sultans lie in two groups and the tomb of the Chisti is two stories high with a highly decorated painted dome and a mother of pearl canopy over the grave. Hotel Aditya.

20 Gulbarga – BidarHyderabad(140 kms)
Morning drive to Bidar (115 kms). This walled fort town in North Karnataka was once the capital of the Hamanis and Barid Shahis. The fort is still intact and the palaces and tombs provide some of the finest examples of Muslim architecture in the Deccan, intermingling Hindu and Islamic styles. After visiting the fort and old town we lunch at a Dhaba, a popular name for an Indian roadside café, where the food is hot and freshly cooked. This is a not to be missed culinary experience. The surroundings are rustic, but the food equivalent of fine dining in any deluxe city hotel. We continue to Hyderabad, a distance of 140 km, arriving early evening.