Day 1: Arrive Chennai

On your arrival in Chennai, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel, where you will be assisted with the check in

Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, and the fourth largest city in India. In 1639, when the East India Company chose to select a new location for settlement, the erstwhile fishing village called Madraspatnam was born and renamed Madras

Day 2 : Chennai - Mahabalipuram

Morning proceed for a guided sightseeing tour of Chennai. Visit Fort St. George, Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral Basilica and Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Post lunch drive to Mahabalipuram

Day 3 : Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram

post breakfast proceed for a guided sightseeing of Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram

Mahabalipuram is a port city of the Pallavas, who mastered the art of construction without using bricks or mortar, just carving out exquisite sculptors from rocks.

Visit Shore temple. Built in the 7th century, Shore Temple depicts the royal taste of Pallava dynasty. During the reign of Rajasimha, the temple saw its construction when Pallava art was at its apex. Ravaged by wind and sea, the temple has witnessed the historical events of India

Also visit Pancha Rathas also referred as Pandava Rathas are the most excellent architectural edifices of the nine monolithic temples of Mahabalipuram

The five structures each chiselled in the shape of rathas or chariots out of large block of stone or monolith of granite typifies monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture that dates back to the 7th century during the reign of the Pallava dynasty. The five rathas are named as ‘Dharmaraja Ratha’, ‘Bhima Ratha’, ‘Arjuna Ratha’, ‘Nakula Sahadeva Ratha’, and ‘Draupadi Ratha’ after the five Pandava brothers and their common spouse Draupadi from the great Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’

Later, visit Kanchipuram. Visit the Kamakshi Amman temple, dedicated to Kamakshi the ultimate form of Goddess Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari. Also visit the Kailasanathar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and the Ekambareswarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva

Day 4 : Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry

Drive to Pondicherry. Afternoon visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory, The Pondicherry Museum and Auroville

Day 5 : Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Tanjore

Drive to Tanjore enroute visit the mythical site of Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, one of the oldest temples in Tamil Nadu. Afternoon visit the impressive Brihadeshwara Temple and the majestic Tanjore Palace including the Saraswati Mahal Library Museum and the Art Gallery

Day 6 : Tanjore - Madurai

Morning visit Trichy. Visit Rock Fort Temple and Ranganathaswamy Temple. Drive to Madurai

Day 7 : Madurai

Morning visit city covering Meenakshi Amman Temple,Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal and Koodal Azhagar temple

Late evening experience “Going to Bed Ceremony” at Meenakshi Amman Temple

Day 8 : Madurai - Thekkady

Drive to Thekkady,home of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, a community based ecotourism project which aims to protect the rare flora and fauna of the region as well as providing a living for the residents of the area. The sanctuary is known for the Tigers. It has a wide range of animals, including the elephants, bison, macaque leopards, jungle cats, wild dogs, mouse deer, gaur, sambar deer, barking deer. The sanctuary treasures a wide variety of rich flora and rare fauna

Day 9 : Thekkady

To experience the incredible sanctuary, early morning you will be picked up for a boat ride on the Periyar Lake. Most of the tourist activities are focused around the Lake. There are roughly 700 elephants roaming in the forest, and they are generally seen on the banks of the Periyar Lake.

Evening visit a spice plantation. Cinnamon, Ginger, pepper, cardamom, and various other spices grown on the Periyar hill made it nature’s taste factory in the 14th century.

Day 10 : Thekkady - Kumarakom

Drive to Kumarakom. Rest of the day is free to relax

The village of Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, and is part of the Kuttanad region. The bird sanctuary here, which is spread across 14 acres is a favourite haunt of migratory birds and an ornithologist's paradise

Day 11 : Kumarakom - Houseboat

Post breakfast embark on on your Houseboat for an overnight stay

Houseboat - These rice barges or “Kettuvallams” sail alongside the shallow palm-edged lakes and narrow canals. The House Boat takes you through the villages constructed on narrow spits of land, where you can stop at the local markets, or to see the wonder of the craftsmen engaged in centuries-old boat-making tradition. These Houseboats offer one or two small cabins with a tiny sitting area and a crew of 2 staff and a chef. The Houseboats serve authentic Keralan cuisine.The overnight stay on the Houseboat is an extraordinary experience

Day 12 : Houseboat - Cochin airport

After breakfast, disembark from your houseboat at Alleppey and drive to Cochin International airport to fly back home