Your tour gets off to a heady start at Chennai, India’s leading metro city & Tamil Nadu’s state capital. After your arrival and a hearty welcome, check in to the Hotel at Chennai. Get ready for a full day metro tour... Drive around the metro-city and get to know some of its famous landmarks. Visit the Fort St. George (the British built fortress, which still retains its colonial charm). Watch the long beach at Marina - regarded as world’s 2nd longest seashore.

Time to experience some mystics and legacy… Travel to a little outer from the metro area, towards the sacred hillock St. Thomas Mount. It was from here that St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ, carried out his missionary activities till he attained ‘martyrdom’ in 72 AD. Observe his deeds through the sculptures and relics at the old European-styled Church on the hilltop. You can find how harmoniously the traditional Tamil culture and modern British culture are blended. As night falls, return to your Hotel for overnight stay.

Today, depart from the state capital and drive to ‘Mahabalipuram’ - an ancient port city and an ideal hub for understanding the priceless Dravidian culture & heritage. On reaching Mahabalipuram; set out for sightseeing… View some splendid specimens of Dravidian architecture & art forms - testimonies of former Pallava Kings, who were great patrons of arts / crafts - such as, ‘Pancha Rathas’ (‘Five Chariots’ - monolithic structures, each carved from one single large piece of stone - named after the five ‘Pandavas’ of the great epic Mahabharata), ‘Arjuna's Penance’ (a massive relief sculpture illustrating an episode from the epic Mahabharata), ‘Descent of the Ganges’ (another giant open-air bas relief, depicting a famous scene from Hindu mythology), and the ‘Varaha Cave Temple’ (a rock-cut-temple with fine carvings), ‘Shore Temple’ (a very old shrine with entry from the seashore).

As the daylight paves way for nightfall, get in to your lodgings… settle down in its comforts. Overnight stay at Mahabalipuram.

After breakfast, depart Mahabalipuram and drive to the legendary city of Thanjavur… On the way, first halt at ‘Gangai Konda Cholapuram’ - erstwhile capital of great Chola emperor Rajendra I, who, after the conquest of North Indian Ganges regions, assumed the title Gangai Konda Cholan and named this place after him. Here visit the temple built by Rajendra Chola - an imposing multi storied shrine surrounded by a fort-like wall. Then you will know, like the Pallava kings; Cholas too were great connoisseurs of arts & crafts.

Next, en route halt at Kumbakonam, nicknamed as the ‘temple town’, due to presence of many beautiful shrines. After a quick get-around here, proceed to ‘Darasuram’, an ancient location nearby. At Darasuram you can find remnants of Airavateswar Shiva Temple. View some exclusive architecture, sculptures & paintings at this Temple.

Subject to time and convenience, take an optional halt at ‘Swamimalai’ - one of the six most important abodes of Lord Muruga, and also famous for its indigenous bronze sculptures. Here you can visit the sacred Lord Muruga Temple and watch a local unit where bronze sculptures are made, using centuries-old method of bronze casting (right from the Chola era). Continue with your trip… On reaching Thanjavur, check in to the hotel and settle down. Overnight stay at the hotel in Thanjavur.

After morning warm up, set out for a day long sightseeing of Thanjavur, the ages-old capital royal of Chola Kings. Start with a masterpiece of Chola-styled architecture - the big temple ‘Brihandeswara’ (1000+ years old shrine, built by the esteemed Chola emperor Rajaraja I). Apart from its architectural intricacies and sculptures, what makes Brihandeswara temple unique is the high temple tower that is taller than the sanctum sanctorum - a feature not seen in other typical Tamil / Dravidian temples.

Later, visit the nearby water tank ‘Shivaganga’, a popular hangout place. As time permits, have a quick get-around in other notable sights like, ‘Thanjavur Palace’, ‘Royal Museum’ & ‘Art Gallery’. Afterwards do some shopping - buy unique Thanjavur specials, such as, the Thalayatti Bomai (head-nodding doll). Late evening, return to your hotel at Thanjavur for overnight stay.

Today take a drive to Trichy (‘Tiruchirapalli’ in local), another major city in land of Dravidians. After a few hours’ ride check in to your hotel at Trichy and get refreshed. Soon proceed for Trichy temple visit. Begin with the most important landmark in the city - the ‘Rock Fort Ucchi Pillayar Temple’ (a combination of two shrines located atop a high rock, 83 meters tall - one shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and other to his son, Lord Ganesh, known as ‘Pillayar’ in Tamil). In these shrines, which are regarded as one of the oldest in the world, watch the awe inspiring rock architectures bearing ancient traits.

Afterwards visit Trichy’s most elegant Christian monument, the St John's Church - a colonial styled church that dates back to almost two centuries. Experience the vintage air that engulfs the Church. Also visit the neighboring cemetery… all these will remind you about some fairy tale scenes. As night falls, return to your hotel at Trichy and stay overnight.

Begin this day’s sightseeing on a high note with a visit to the largest functioning temple complex in the world - ‘The Ranganathaswamy Temple’. Located at Srirangam near Trichy, this overwhelmingly massive shrine is regarded as one among the holiest Vaishnavite (followers of Lord Vishnu) Temples in India. Watch in awe the fascinating architecture and sculptural beauty of this gigantic shrine. See the ‘One Thousand Pillar Hall’ (actually 953 intricately carved stone pillars) in the temple complex.

Although Ranganathaswamy Temple complex is very vast, you won’t miss its most striking feature - the ‘Rajagopuram’ - built by the Vijayanagara Emperors this is the tallest temple tower in Asia!

Afterwards leave Trichy for another significant Temple city - Madurai, one of the oldest & continuously inhabited cities in the world. After reaching Madurai, check into your hotel and wash off your journey marks. If time permits take a quick look-around the surrounding city area. Overnight stay at Madurai.

Spend the morning at leisure, readying for Madurai sightseeing... Start with visiting one of India's greatest cultural & architectural landmarks - the ‘Meenakshi Sundareswar Temple’ (dedicated to Meenakshi - Goddess Parvathy). Watch the looming temple towers, each studded with carvings of Gods, Goddesses, mythological figures and even depictions from fairy tales. Explore the sprawling temple complex... Visit the awe inspiring ‘Thousand Pillar Hall’ (in fact 985 now). Then see the ‘musical pillars’ - each one, when struck, produces a different musical note!

Then visit the ‘Mariamman Teppakulam’, a huge water tank located near the Meenakshi Temple. The tank is known as 'Mariamman Teppakulam due to the presence of Goddess Mariamman Temple there (Teppakulam means water tank in Tamil). At the center of the tank is a Lord Ganesh temple - accessible only by water. The area of the tank and the island pavilion is approximately equal to the area of the great Meenakshi Temple!

Later visit Madurai’s other important landmarks like, the ‘Thirumalai Nayakar Palace’ (a splendid palace of the former Madurai King, who made this city a memorable one). Get a brief outlook this ageless city’s royal legacy. At nightfall, get back to your lodgings at Madurai for overnight stay.

Now experience the rustic beauty of Tamil Nadu’s countryside. Travel to ‘Theni’, a district enclosed in majestic Western Ghat mountain range. Enjoy the ride through Theni, immersing within the green stretches of cultivated lands and tea gardens… Visit the panoramic ‘Vaigai Dam’ site. You will understand Tamil Nadu is a trove of cultural legacy as well as abundant natural beauty. After the day-long enjoyment, stay overnight at the lodgings in Theni.

This day brings you another scintillating experience - a trip to the ‘hill station royal’ Kodaikkanal, which rivals any major hill stations across India in terms of attractive locations. After reaching Kodaikkanal, start your sightseeing with the prime beauty spots like, the Kodai Lake where you can go for boating and take a walk along its well laid out banks, enjoying the picturesque surroundings.

Then visit the haunting beauty ‘Devil’s Kitchen’ - now better known as ‘Guna Caves’ (popularized by the Kamal starrer Tamil Movie ‘Guna’). This peculiar location, with its bat-infested chambers between three giant boulders, offers a challenging as well as fearsome exposure.

Afterwards, the enthusiasts can take a trekking to explore the crude charm of Kodaikkanal. Enjoy the breathtaking views of endless Tea gardens and Pine Tree valleys. Depending on time you can opt for some shopping too. At dusk, get back to your Hotel / Resort at Kodaikkanal and stay overnight.

From the royal high ranges of Tamil Nadu to a wildlife beauty in Kerala… Travel from Kodaikkanal to Thekkady - abode of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (a major wildlife reserve in India). After arriving at the destination, soon set out to visit that wild hub. Enriched with variety flora & fauna, Periyar Sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers every year as it is ideal for watching animals in their natural habitat. Here you can either opt for a boating in the beautiful lake, or engage in other exciting activities like soft trekking, spice plantation visit, shopping spice items ... Overnight stay at the hotel in Thekkady.

Now it’s time to experience the typical Kerala specialty - the backwater cruise. Proceed to Alappuzha from Thekkady. With plenty of waterways, canals & backwater lagoons, Alappuzha is rightfully dubbed in the world tourism map as ‘the Venice of the East’ - also the hub of Kerala’s backwater tourism.

By afternoon check in to a houseboat at Alappuzha. As the overnight cruise begins, settle down in this floating luxury and get immersed in the gentle rhymes of backwaters. Watch the green paddies dotted with coconut trees, groups of ducks enjoying the waters, village folks engaged in their age-old routines… grasp the spirit of rural Kerala that still thrives unaltered in these regions. Spice up your cruise with delicious Kerala cuisines along the way. Overnight stay in the houseboat comforts.

The mind boggling houseboat overnight cruise is to be followed by another backwater special. This time it is a daylong cruise along the longest functioning waterway in Kerala - from Vembanad Lake (in Alappuzha) to Ashtamudi Lake (in Kollam)! Check out from the houseboat this morning… and after a short break board a cruise boat that operates in Alappuzha-Kollam water route. This cruise, lasting around seven to eight hours, will take you deep into the fascinating world of backwaters - the unparalleled natural phenomenon that made Kerala world-famous.

The gentle rippling of waters, humming of water-birds, chirpy duck-gang, soothing winds across the lush paddy fields, gorgeous greeneries…. Visual treats are in plenty! As the shadows begin to enlarge, you will arrive at the destination - Kollam. Check in to your resort hotel and settle down. Overnight stay at Kollam.

After the backwater glories, now it’s the turn of Kerala’s splendid seashores. Today proceed to one of the finest beach havens in the world - Kovalam. Check in to your hotel / resort at Kovalam on arrival and get ready for a beach day. Kovalam is blessed with three lovely crescent-shaped seashores, namely ‘Samudra Beach’ (which is the main beach), ‘Howah Beach’ and ‘Lighthouse Beach’. Spent the entire day engaged in various beach activities - sunbathing, swimming, enjoying the big splashes in the rejuvenating sea breeze… After a satisfying beach stint, return to your hotel / resort for overnight stay.

The final day of your leisure tour… Say good bye to Kovalam beach and drive to the nearby Trivandrum city, where your departure is arranged. If time permits, you can make a quick visit-cum-shopping in the city. Then depart with fond memories.