The Grand South Circuit

On your arrival at Chennai airport, our representative welcomes you and then transfer to hotel. Rest of the time is free for independent activities. Overnight stay at Chennai.

Have early morning breakfast at the hotel, you will leave for full day sightseeing in Chennai wherein you will visit Marina Beach, St. Thomas Mount church, St. George Fort and Valluvar Kottam auditorium. On completion of the sightseeing, you will drive towards Mahabalipuram and on arrival at this place, check-in the hotel for overnight stay.

Have breakfast at the hotel, then you will leave for sightseeing in Mahabalipuram and visit Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas, Tiger’s Cave and Mahabalipuram Beach. On completion of the sightseeing, you will leave for Pondicherry and on arrival, check-in the hotel for overnight stay.

After having breakfast at the hotel, you will visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville and Raj Niwas also called as ‘Palais du Gouvernement’. Stay overnight at Pondicherry.

After Breakfast, drive to Tanjore. Check in at hotel. Visit the world famous Brihandeswara Temple. Then visit Trichy and explore Rock Fort temple, Jambukeshwara temple, Srirarangam temple, and Sri Ranganathaswamy temple. Stay overnight at Tanjore.

After Breakfast, drive to Chettinad. Visit the Chettinadu Raja’sPalace, local handmade tile making, Saree Weaving and a daily local market. Stay overnight at Chettinad.

After Breakfast, drive to Madurai. Check in at hotel. Afternoon enjoy a sightseeing tour of Madurai. You will see the famous Meenakshi Temple, the largest temple in South India, Madurai Palace remains, Gandhi Museum & Teppakulam tank. The city of Madurai was originally built in the shape of a lotus flower, centred on the celebrated Sri Meenakshi Temple. The rich cultural heritage and striking architectural leadsmany Indians to refer to the city as the 'Athens of the East'. You will also visit Tiruprakundam temple later. Stay overnight at Madurai.

After Breakfast, drive to Periyar. Check in at hotel. Enjoy evening Spice plantation tour to see the various spice grown in this area. Stay overnight at Periyar. 

Enjoy morning Boating on Periyar lake. Then drive to Munnar – one of India’s largest tea production areas. Munnar was the favoured summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. Sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, winding lanes, trekking and holiday facilities make Munnar a unique experience. Evening enjoy a walk to the near-by waterfalls and tea plantations. Stay overnight at Munnar.

Morning you enjoy a sightseeing tour of Munnar with your driver. You will visit the Tea museum to see the processing of tea; it also has the history of tea in the region. There are other viewpoints like Eravikulam National Park famous for Nilgiri Thar, Mattupetty Dam and scenic place and these tend to be very popular with tourists. You could also visit Srishti, a welfare center in Munnar which is managed and run by Tata Tea. It comes under Tata Global Beverages’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. This Tata initiative houses a school for lesser abled children, a textile factory, a recycle paper factory, a bakery and a little shop where they sell their home made products. Stay overnight at Munnar.

Morning you will be transferred to Alleppey ( 4 Hrs)

By noon board Deluxe Houseboat (All meals) from the Alleppey House boat jetty for an overnight Cruise with on board lunch and snacks and dinner, covering the nearby villages and the ethnic life around these villages to Alleppey, through the famous Vembanad Lake. This afternoon you’ll enjoy a relaxing cruise through the waterways which gives you an opportunity to observe rural Kerala up close. For the people living on the banks, the backwaters are a part of their day to day life. You stop to look at paddy cultivation, watch local fishing, and see historic churches and local temples. Your Houseboat will have tow bedrooms with en-suite facilities and exterior space to sit and relax. Stay overnight in Houseboat.

After Breakfast, disembark the Houseboat and the drive to Kochi. Check in at hotel in Fort Kochi. Fort Cochin is the home to some of the oldest European architecture in India and has been a significant settlement ever since Cochin Harbour was discovered. Unlike the bustling Ernakulum, the twin cities of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry have preserved an extraordinary wealth of early colonial architecture spanning the Portuguese, Dutch and the British eras- a crop unparalleled in India.

Evening enjoy Kathakali dance performance, the traditional art form of Kerala. Kathakali dance is the ancient pantomime dance drama of Kerala. The performance is for about 2 and half hours, with an hour of make-up, a short introduction about the dance and an hour of dance performance. Stay overnight at Kochi.

 Morning after breakfast, enjoy sight- seeing tour of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry with a guide. Unlike the bustling modern part- Ernakulam, the twin cities of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry have preserved an extraordinary wealth of early colonial architecture spanning the Portuguese, Dutch and the British eras a crop unparalleled in India. You will see Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church, Jewish Synagogue etc. Stay overnight at Kochi.

After Breakfast, drive to Kochi airport to board your flight back home. THE TOUR ENDS