South India Temple Tour with Backwaters

Top India Travel offers a ten-day, nine-night tour of the South India Temple and its backwaters. We will provide you with a private car round trip to the following locations: Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Thanjavur - Trichy - Madurai - Periyar - Kumarakom - Cochin - Mumbai/Chennai

Day 1 - Welcome to Chennai Madras!

The first stop of Top India Travel’s South India temple tour with backwaters is your arrival at the Chennai International airport. Chennai is the capital of the state Tamilnadu and is one of the four largest metropolises in India.

Day 2 - Exploring Chennai

After breakfast of your South India temple tour, you will go for the city tour. Madras is a vibrant metropolis with over 6 million people residing. There are a lot of South Indian feature films made here, thus earning the name "Hollywood of India". On the city tour, you will see the Kapaleshvara temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a good example for the south colorful temple of Indian architecture. Then, you can visit Fort St. George, trade post 1639. Also useful is the 16th century St. Thomas Church. At the National Museum, you will get to see sculptures of the Pallava, Pandava and Chola time. The tour also includes visits to the National museum which showcases sculptures out of the Pallava, Pandava and Chola time, as well as a tour of the National Art Gallery and Marina Beach.

Day 3 - From Chennai, to Kanchipuram, to Mahabalipuram

On day 3 of your South India temple tour, after a quick breakfast, you will go to a 70-kilometer far synagogue metropolis Kanchipuram. It is among the "Seven sacred cities of India". Kanchipuram was the capital of the Pallava, the Chola and the Vijayanagar kings. Out of the undue supply of temples, there is a need to visit the three most important: namely the Kailasanatha-temple, the Vaikunthaperumal synagogue, as easily as the Ekambareshwara synagogue. If you would like to shop for hand-woven silk, go to Kanchipuram. Further onwards, you can go to Mahabalipuram, easily known for its 7th century Five Rathas. These are the reality's largest stone relief. At the end of the day, you can lull in the beach and spend the night at the hotel.

Day 4 - Exploring Mahabalipuram

On day four of your Top India Travel’s South India temple tour , right after breakfast, you will start sight seeing. Visit the 7th century temple of Shore, surrounded by gardens. You can also visit the Five Rathas, which is the world's biggest stone relief and the Bhagiratha penance, a 27 x 9 meter rock block from 6th and 7th century rock cut caves. In the evening, you can take a walk and see soap stone workers making designs and sculptures with a chisel and hammer and spend the night at Mahabalipuram.

Day 5 - From Mahaballipuram, to Pondicherry, to Tanjore (Thanjavur)

The first agenda on day five of your Top India Travel’s South India temple tour is to travel to Tanjore Pondicherry-Tanjore (Thanjavur) right after breakfast, where you will drive to Tanjore. On the way, you can visit Pondicherry and Sri Aurobindo Ashram Auroville and the city, which runs more than 2,000 hectares and the most famous among Westerners. Currently, we can also see the influence of the State French Pondicherry, because the French were strongly represented here until 1954. A lot of people still speak French today, aside from Tamil and Tanjore. Afterwards will be the arrival and transfer for a night at the hotel.

Day 6 - From Tanjore to Trichy (Trichurapalli)

Halfway through your South India temple tour, you will visit the 9th century Brihadeshwara Temple, known as the "Jewel of South India". Temple tower is in the form of pyramid and is around 66 meters high. It is crowned by a thick cupola weighing 88 tons. The synagogue is dedicated to God Shiva. You can also inspect Raja Rajan Art Gallery to view bronze statues from the 9th to the 16th centuries. Afterwards, you will drive over to Trichy and then move on to the hotel for recreational activities for the rest of the afternoon. The highlight of the day will be the sight of the renowned Rock Fort Temple that is carved away 83 meters higher stone. One has to climb 345 steps in decree to view the synagogue on the side. From this vantage point, you have a fantastic view of the metropolis. You can also inspect Srirangam, a big synagogue metropolis with 21 synagogue towers, which lies on an island in the Kaveri River. The Ranganathasvami synagogue, dedicated to God Vishnu, is one of the largest temples in southeast India and renowned for its lovely sculptures. After that, you view the Jambukeshwara synagogue, dedicated to God

Day 7 - From Trichy to Madurai

On day 7 of your South India temple tour with backwaters, you will arrive at Madurai where the main attraction is the Sri Meenakshi Temple. Then, arrival and transfer to the hotel for rest and refreshment. Madurai is a city with the crowd of pilgrims, beggars, merchants, cows and many vehicles were waiting Rickshaw drivers. It is one of the oldest cities in southern India and a center of pilgrimage. Religious ceremonies are held here from early morning to late evening. Pilgrims from all over the world visit here, which sometimes reach up to 10,000 people. Sri Meenakshi Temple was built in the 17th century and is one of the most important temples in India. Within this location, there is a market for the entire day full of life and in the evenings, you can observe a temple ceremony. Also, visit the 16 th century Thirumalai Nayak Palace.

Day 8 - From Madurai to Periyar (Thekaddy)

During the eighth day of the South India temple tour, after breakfast, you will be driven to Thekaddy. This journey through the mountains with the spice plantations and tea plantations will unquestionably reenergize your senses. After a bit of recreation at the hotel, you can enjoy a late afternoon love boat journey in Periyar Wildlife National Park. This park is where you can best have a view of the elephants in their normal environment. Then, you can have a glimpse of wild animals at the bank of Periyar Lake. . Be one with elephants and other wild animals at the bank of the Periyar Lake, and visit the local markets at the end of the day, after which you can return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 9 - From Periyar, to Kumarakom (Backwaters), to Cochin

From Cochin, you will have the option to visit a Spice Farm, after which you will travel to Kovalam for a serene boat ride in the Backwaters. From there, you will drive to Cochin and have an evening visit at the Kathakali Dance Show.

Day 10 - Final Stop: From Cochin to Mumbai/Chennai

For the last day of your South India temple tour with Backawters, visit Cochin, the St. Francis Church, the Mattancherry Palace or "Dutch Palace" and the Jewish Synagogue, which was built in 1558. After breakfast, go for Cochin expedition. Visit St. Francis Church, built in 1503 by the Portuguese. Mattancherry Palace or "Dutch Palace" built by the Dutch and subsequently on handed over to the local queen. At the harbour, you can view unusual Chinese fishing nets, which marks the visit of Chinese folk in Cochin. Also inspect the Jewish Synagogue, built in 1558. Around the Synagogue, you can purchase a lot of unique and old products. From here, you can board a flight to Mumbai or Chennai - where you can go to the International airport to fly home or pursue a different travel destination.

* Your Top India Travel’s South India Temple Tour with Backwaters can be extended for two more days, for a tour of Mumbai and to visit the Ajanta and Ellora caves (UNESCO world heritage sites) near the city.