Best Of South India

Assistance on arrival at international airport

On arrival, once you have completed Immigration formalities and collected your baggage, please proceed to the arrival lounge. TOTAL HOLIDAY OPTIONS executive will meet you holding a placard who will assist you with a transfer to your accommodation.

Full day sightseeing with walk around Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis church, Santa Cruz Cathedral, Chinese fishing net, Hill Palace and Kathakali dance performance

Morning proceed for the sightseeing tour of Cochin. You will have a walk around the Synagogue. The area around the synagogue is known as Jews town and is one of the Kochi's spice trade centers. Ongoing, you will visit St. Francis Church, the first church to be built in India by the Portuguese. Next after visiting Santa Cruz Cathedral, enjoy a stroll on the beach to see the Chinese fishing nets. Also visit the Hill Palace which was built in the 19th century and is the largest archaeological museum in Kerala. Later in the evening enjoy a Kathakali Dance Performance. Kathakali is a ritualized dance form that is native to Kerala, with elaborate costumes and make-up. Male dancers portray both male and female roles that tell the stories taken mostly from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

Pick up from hotel and travel to Thekkady

Morning assistance on departure and travel to Periyar also known as Thekkady, the valley of spices and see the spice plantation gardens. Periyar, with its bountiful treasures of tropical flora and fauna, is the ultimate reservoir of many species.

Check in at Hotel

On arrival transfer to your accommodation.

Morning boat ride, followed by visit to spice plantation with local market

Early morning experience a boat cruise on Lake Periyar, which showcases a kaleidoscope of activities that occur around the lake and jungle. Evergreen moist deciduous forests and savannah grass lands characterize Periyar. Later visit a spice plantation growing cardamom, pepper and coffee. It is believed that the spice trade dates back three thousand years in Kerala and many spices find their home here. The slanting slopes caress a variety of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric and curry leaves. On the way back you could stop at the local market and purchase some fragrant spices.

Travel to Munnar

Morning In time check-out and travel to Munnar, a place to enjoy scenic beauty and marvellous waterfalls, high mountains with the low flying clouds passing by. The town stands at a confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. The three streams later join the Periyar River and finally the Arabian Sea. A haven of peace and tranquility, Munnar is amazingly beautiful and an idyllic destination.

Check in at Hotel

On arrival in Munnar, check-in at your accommodation by self (No assistance required). Rest of the day is at leisure or for own activities.

Walk through tea estate, visit Tea Processing Factory and Museum

Morning proceed for a walk through the enchanting tea estates and enjoy the tranquillity it provides while watching women plucking tea leaves at the tea estate. Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district, Munnar was the favoured summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. It's the place you would love to visit - it's the place you would wish never to leave. Visit Tea Processing Factory and Museum. The museum puts light on the important fact and figures about the growth of the tea plantations in Munnar. It contains curios, old photographs, machinery and other things which have been used since long.

Travel to Madurai

Morning checkout from your accommodation and travel to Madurai, second largest city of Tamil Nadu, situated on the banks of the River Vaigai and is believed to be more than 2500 years old. One of South India’s oldest cities, it has been the centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Madurai is called Athens of the South because of the way myth meets life here.

Check-in at Hotel

On arrival in Madurai, check-in at your accommodation (No assistance required). Rest of the day is at leisure or for own activities.

Morning visit to flower market, later Meenakshi temple and Samanar Hills

Get-up early in the morning and proceed to visit the flower market, when the vendors first arrive from the countryside to sell bushels of roses, cockscombs, marigolds, lotuses and Madurai’s famous jasmine. Afternoon visit the magnificent Meenakshi Temple and experience stunning architecture as the sculpted pillars tell the story of the beautiful princess of Madurai and her marriage to Lord Shiva. The Temple occupies an area of six hectares with 12 temple towers (Gopurams) and the outer towers are the landmark of Madurai. Conclude your day with a visit to Samanar Hills, is a beautiful hill rock complex which was originally home to Tamil Jain monks. The hill caves are a popular place of tourism and have elaborate carvings and drawings of the monks on the interior walls.

Travel to Thanjavur

Morning check-out and travel to Thanjavur or the city of temples. It has a lot of cultural value and is known for its famous Tanjore paintings, antiques and handicrafts, textiles and saris, its Carnatic music and musical instruments.

Check in at Hotel, afternoon city tour of Thanjavur visiting Brihadeeswara Temple and Palace

On arrival at Thanjavur, transfer to your accommodation. Later proceed to visit Brihadeeswara temple, called the Big Temple. The 64. 8 Mt. tall tower over the sanctum sanctorum, a testimony to the engineering skill of the Cholas. In keeping with the size of the temple, it has gigantic Mahalingama in the shrine, measuring 4 meters in height. A monolithic Nandhi chiselled out of a single rock. It is the second largest Nandhi in India. Then we proceed for visit to Palace which dates back to 14th century AD. It is a fascinating building with huge corridors, spacious halls, decorated rooms, tall observation towers, beautiful stucco works, wonderful fresco painted walls and ceilings, an underground tunnel and intricate carvings.

Travel to Pondicherry

Morning travel to Pondicherry, the town which is adorned with natural beauties of the Deccan Plateau. This city was ruled by the French for about 281 years before Independence, and the profound influence of Southern France is still very prominent. The medieval town of the French province, Pondicherry has managed to preserve its French aura, from its delectable restaurants offering French cuisine to streets bearing French names. The numerous palm-fringed beaches, splendid backwaters, fabulous tiny fishing villages and hamlets make it a beautiful town.

Check-in at Hotel followed by sightseeing tour of Pondicherry

On arrival transfer to your accommodation. Later enjoy exploring the heritage section of the city - the French Quarter. The best part of Pondicherry though remains the many walks you can take through the beautiful French Quarter (which is the area bounded roughly by NSC Bose St, SV Patel Rd and Goubert Ave). Walk through streets with names like Rue Romain Rolland, Suffren and Dumas. Visit the Promenade Beach and Rocky Beach. The main buildings which we will be covering will be French War Memorial, Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville.

Travel to Chennai

In time check out from your accommodation and travel to Chennai, originally known as Madras, is the gateway of the culture of South India. Home to many museums, galleries and other institutions is located on the coromandel coast off the Bay of Bengal. The state capital of Tamil Nadu and an emerged cosmopolitan city, the city still firmly holds out an excellent diversity of South Indian architecture, music, dance, drama, sculpture and other arts and crafts forms.

Assistance on arrival and check-in at Hotel

On arrival, you will be assisted with a transfer. The rest of the day is free to relax or for your own activities.

Full day sightseeing tour, visit Kalakshetra, Sri Parthasarathy temple, St Mary’s church and Santhome Cathedral Basilica

Morning proceed for the guided sightseeing tour of Chennai with a visit to Kalakshetra, a school of art and music that encourages exponents of Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music, traditional weaving and designing. Thereafter visit St. Mary’s Church, the oldest Anglican Church in India; Sri Parthasarathy Temple built by Pallavas in the 8th century AD; San Thomas Cathedral Basilica, one of the historical churches in India. This Roman Catholic church is one among the three churches in the world that were built on the tomb of apostles.

Assistance on departure to airport

Assistance on departure to board flight for your onward journey.

Assistance on arrival at airport, afternoon enjoy drive past Eden Garden, Dalhousie Square and visit Victoria Memorial

On arrival, once you have collected your baggage please proceed to the arrival lounge. TOTAL HOLIDAY OPTIONS executive will meet you holding a placard who will provide assisted transfer to your accommodation. Later enjoy drive past The Eden Gardens; the oldest and finest cricket playground in the country, which has undergone tremendous modernization and today boasts of its ability to accommodate about 1,20,000 spectators. Appreciate the architecture and history of the city's many unique and spectacular buildings during the drive past Dalhousie square now a World Heritage Site. Visit Victoria Memorial ; a fantastic museum that will take you into the world of past history, where one can view the photos and effigies of prominent personalities who made an incredible contribution to the glory of India and houses a group of mind-blowing figures above the north porch that epitomize prudence, learning and motherhood.

Assistance for departure transfer to Howrah railway station

In time assistance for departure transfer to Howrah railway station to board the train to onward destination.