Classical South India
Overview
Three southern states in one journey — Hoysala temples and royal Mysore, the Nilgiri toy train, Kerala's backwaters and spice gardens, and Tamil Nadu's great temple towns.
Route
Bangalore → Mysore → Ooty → Cochin → Chennai
Trip highlights
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 01
Arrive Bangalore
Evening arrival and transfer to hotel.
Day 02
Drive to Hassan
Orientation tour of Bangalore — Vidhan Sabha, Lal Bagh, Bull Temple — en route.
Day 03
Hassan – Mysore
Visit Shravanabelagola en route; afternoon city tour of Mysore.
Day 04
In Mysore
Hoysala temple at Somnathpur and Srirangapatna in the afternoon.
Day 05
Mysore – Ooty
Drive to Ooty; afternoon toy-train ride to Coonoor.
Day 06
Ooty – Cochin
Drive down to Cochin.
Day 07
In Cochin
Fort Cochin, the oldest European settlement in India, and the Chinese fishing nets.
Day 08
Cochin – Alleppey
Embark on a traditional houseboat on the backwaters.
Day 09
Alleppey – Periyar
Drive to Periyar and visit a Thekkady spice plantation.
Day 10
Periyar – Madurai
Drive to Madurai, visiting rope making and a small school en route.
Day 11
In Madurai
Meenakshi Temple and Thirumalai Nayak Palace.
Day 12
Madurai – Trichy – Tanjore
Visit the vast Srirangam Temple at Trichy, then on to Tanjore.
Day 13
Tanjore – Pondicherry
En route visit the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram.
Day 14
Pondicherry – Chennai
En route visit the ancient coastal port of Mahabalipuram.
Day 15
In Chennai
City tour of Chennai.
Day 16
Fly out from Chennai
Morning flight home.
