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GRAND
TOUR OF SOUTH INDIA
21
Nights / 22 Days
Chennai
- Mahabalipuram - Pondichery - Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai - Periyar
- Cochin - Bangalore -
Hassan - Mysore - Bangalore - Hospet (Hampi) - Badami - Goa
- Mumbai
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DAY
01 : ARRIVE CHENNAI
On arrival meet and assist at the airport
and transfer to hotel.
Chennai
: At the southern tip of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, Chennai
– or Madras as it was known earlier – is its capital city of the
state of Tamil Nadu. It is also the third largest metropolis in
India. Chennai as the gateway will put you in touch with a different
face of India – classical, ancient, gentle. Definitely touched by
colonialism but not ravaged by wars & intensely aware of its
roots & traditions.
DAY 02 : CHENNAI - KANCHIPURAM - MAHABALIPURAM
After breakfast , city tour of Chennai visiting
Museum to see the art and bronze gallery
(Closed on public holidays). Drive through the Flower &
Fruit Market, High Court, Fort Museum, Marina Beach, San Thome cathedral.
Afternoon, leave for Mahabalipuram. Enroute visit Kanchipuram
- (64 km from Madras) ancient capital of the Pallavas, famous as
a city of 1000 temples that still has 124 shrines. The first temple
dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th & 8th century &
has painting on the walls. Templs of Ekambaswara, Kailasnatha, Sri
Kamakshi & Vardarajaewamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also
famous for its silk. On arrival in
Mahabalipuram checkin at your prebooked hotel.
DAY
03 : MAHABALIPURAM
After
breakfast, visit Mahabalipuram , which was the main port
of the Pallava dynasty & has exquisite Rock-cut monuments, monolithic
structures & Bas-reliefs. It is also a beach resort. Visit a
very interesting creation enroute Dakshin Chitra , a museum that
preserves actual houses of different communities & village craftsmen
from the four southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka
& Kerala.
DAY
04 : MAHABALIPURAM - PONDICHERRY
After breakfast, leave for Pondicherry.
On arrival checkin at hotel.
Afternoon, sightseeing of Pondicherry which was formerly a French
Colony. Settled early in the 18th century Pondicherry became part
of the Indian Union in the early 50s when the French voluntarily
relinquished control. The main attraction here is the Aurobindo
Ashram which was founded by Sri Aurobindo in 1926. The ashram
is one of the most popular in India with westerners, and is also
one of the most affluent. Also to be visited is the Pondicherry
Museum which has a well displayed variety of exhibits ranging from
French furniture to this history of bead making.
DAY
05 : PONDICHERRY - TANJORE
After breakfast, leave for Tanjore.
On arrival checkin at hotel.
Afternoon, visit Tanjore (Thanjavur) which was the ancient capital
of Chola kings. Visit the Brihadishwara temple which was
built by Raja Raja and is termed as the crowning glory of Chola
temple architecture. This temple is one of the monuments in India
with World Heritage listing. Also visit the Thanjavur Palace
which was contructed in 1550 and has huge corridors, spacious halls,
observation and arsenal towers.
DAY 06 : TANJORE - TRICHY - SRIRANGAM - MADURAI
After breakfast, leave for Madurai, enroute visit the Rock Fort
Temple in Trichy (Tiruchirapalli) and the Sri Ranganathaswamy
Temple at Srirangam - This superb temple complex is surrounded
by seven concentric walls with 21 gopurams and is probably the largest
in India. Most of it dates back from 14th to 17th centuries. The
largest gopuram was completed as recently as 1987, and now measures
an astouning 73 metres. After visiting Srirangam, continue drive
to Madurai. Arrive Madurai and arrival checkin at hotel.
DAY
07 : MADURAI
After breakfast, visit Madurai – one of the oldest cities in South
India and has been a centre of learning & pilgrimage for centuries.
Visit Madurai’s main attraction – Sri Meenakshi temple which attracts
thousands of pilgrims from all over India. The temple is named after
the daughter of a Pandyan King. Designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha
Nayak, the present temple was substantially built during the reign
of Tirumalai Nayak (1623-55 AD), but its history goes back 2000
years to the time when Madurai was the capital of Pandya Kings.
DAY 08
: MADURAI - PERIYAR
After breakfast, leave for Periyar (Thekkady). On arrival in Periyar
checkin at your prebooked hotel.
Afternoon, game viewing at the wild life park.
DAY
09 : PERIYAR - KOTTAYAM - ALLEPEY - COCHIN
After
breakfast, leave for Cochin, enroute disembark from the vehicle
at Kottayam to do a very pleasant stretch upto Allepey in boats
on the backwaters of Kerala. At Allepey board our car/coach which
awaits you to drive you to Cochin. On arrival in Cochin checkin
at your prebooked hotel.
DAY 10 : COCHIN
After breakfast, visit Cochin – the city of lagoons. Visit
the St. Francis Church, India's oldest European Church was
contructed in 1503 by Portuguese; Chinese Fishing Nets, strung
out along the top of Fort Cochin; Mattancherry Palace or The
Dutch Palace, built by Portugese in 1557, this palace was presented
to the Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Verma. The palace's alternative
name, the Dutch Palace, resulted from substantial renovations by
the Dutch after 1663Palace. Afternoon, free for individual actitivities.
In the evening, witness Kathakali Dance Show.
DAY 11 : COCHIN - BANGALORE
(BY FLIGHT)
Transfer
to airport to board flight for Bangalore. On arrival in Bangalore,
transfer to prebooked hotel. Afternoon, city tour of Bangalore -
"city of gardens". Visit, theo Vidhan Sudha – It houses
the State’s Legislature and Secretariat, Nandi Temple – One of the
oldest temple, popularly known as the Bull temple.
DAY 12 : BANGALORE - HASSAN
After breakfast, leave for Hassan, enroute visiting Sravanabelagola,
one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centres in
India, and the site of the 17m high statue of Gomateshvara, said
to the world's tallest monolithic statue – an important Jain religious
centre – a colossal Gomateshwara statue. Arrive Hassan & checkin
at hotel.
Afternoon, excursion to Hoysala Temples of Halebid & Belur.
Visit the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebid which is the most outstanding
example if Hoysala art. At Belur, visit the Channekeshava temple
is the only one at the three Hoysala sites still in daily use.
DAY
13 : HASSAN - MYSORE
After
breakfast, leave for Mysore. On arrival in Mysore checkin at hotel.
Afternoon, visit the magnificent city on the foothills of Mount
Chamundi. Visit the Mysore Palace, also known as the Amba
Vilas Palace, this palace was the seat of the Maharajas of Mysore.
Burnt down in 1897, the present one was completed in 1912, at a
cost of Rs. 4.2 million; Chamundi Hill - overlooking Mysore
from 1062m summit of the hill is the Sri Chamuneswari temple and
the Brindavan Gardens.
DAY
14 : MYSORE - BANGALORE
After breakfast, leave for Bangalore. Enroute visit
Srirangapatnam : the capital of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan
from which they ruled much of southern India during the 18th century.
Continue drive to Bangalore. Arrive Bangalore and check in at prebooked
hotel.
DAY
15 : BANGALORE - HOSPET
After breakfast, leave for Hospet. Arrive Hospet
and check in at prebooked hotel.
DAY 16 : HOSPET
After breakfast, excursion to Hampi. Hampi the once
beautiful capital city of Vijaynagar Empire was greater than Rome
and had palaces; temple and sculptures spread all over. The Sultanates
of South razed the city to the ground in the year 1565 AD. Some
of the interesting ruins remaining are the Virupaksha, Vittala and
Hazara Rama Temples, huge Ganesha & Narasimha images, the elephant
stables, the queen's bath, and carvings on the Ramachandra Temple
& Lotus Mahal.
DAY
17 : HOSPET - BADAMI
After breakfast, leave for Badami, enroute visit
Aihole which was the Chalukyan regional capital between the
4th & 6th centuries. There are over 70 structures in and around
and the more important structures include the Ladkhan temple , Kulinguidi
& Durgigude Temples. Continue drive towards Badami. Enroute
stop at Pattadakal, the second capital of Badami Chalukyans,
Pattadakal reached the height of its glory during the 7th and 8th
centuries. The most important monument here is teh Lokeshwara or
Virupaksha temple that narrates episodes from the Hindu epics, the
Ramayana and Mahabharata.
After the visit continue drive to Badami. Arrive Badami and check
in at prebooked hotel.
DAY
18 : BADAMI
After breakfast, visit Badami which was once the
capital city of the Chalukyan empire which ruled much of the Central
Deccan between the 4th and 8th centuries A.D. Badami is best known
for its cave temples, cut into the cliff face of the red sandstone
hill and connected by flights of steps. They display the full range
of religious sects which have grown up on Indian soil. Two of them
are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Siva and the fourth is a Jain temple.
There's also one natural cave which is a Buddhist temple. Afternoon,
free.
DAY
18 : BADAMI - GOA
After
breakfast, leave for Goa. Arrive Goa and check in at prebooked hotel.
DAY
19 : GOA
After breakfast, full day tour of North & South
Goa.
DAY
19 : GOA
Day free for individual activities.
DAY
20 : GOA - MUMBAI (FLIGHT)
In the afternoon, transfer to the airport to board
flight for Mumbai.
Arrive Mumbai and transfer to prebooked hotel.
DAY
21 : MUMBAI
After breakfast, city tour of Mumbai
- the capital city of the state Maharashtra and is the economic
powerhouse of India. Visit the Gateway of India, which was
conceived following the visit of King George V in 1911 and officially
opened in 1924; Price of Wales Museum, designed in Indo
Saracenic style and has sections for arts and paintings, archeology,
natural history and an interesting collection of miniature paintings,
bas reliefs from the Elephanta caves and Budha images; Marine
Drive, which runs along the shoreline, starting at Nariman Point
and upto Malabar Hill; Hanging Gardens, laid out in 1881
these formally laid out gardens have a notable collection of hedges
shaped like animals free. In the afternoon, transfer to the
railway station to board train for Mumbai.
DAY
22 : DEPART MUMBAI
Transfer to airport to board flight back home/onward
destination
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