South India Temple Tour

Arrive at Chennai International Airport and settle in.

• Meet and greet by our representative and private transfer to the hotel.
• Afternoon visit to the Marina Beach, one of the longest urban beaches in the world.
• Visit Kapaleeshwarar Temple in the Mylapore neighbourhood — a fine example of Dravidian architecture.
• Evening walk through the Mylapore market and flower bazaar.
• Overnight stay in Chennai.

Explore Chennai’s colonial heritage and classical South Indian culture.

• Morning visit to Fort St. George, the first English fortress in India, now a museum.
• Explore the Government Museum — one of the finest collections of South Indian bronze sculptures.
• Visit the Santhome Basilica, built over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle.
• Afternoon at the Kalakshetra Foundation — a renowned centre for classical Bharatanatyam dance and Carnatic music.
• Evening at leisure in the city.
• Overnight stay in Chennai.

Drive south to the ancient stone-carved shore temples.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.
• Drive along the East Coast Road to Mahabalipuram (approximately one and a half hours).
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Visit the Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site overlooking the Bay of Bengal.
• Explore Arjuna’s Penance — a remarkable open-air bas-relief carved from a single rock face.
• Visit the Five Rathas (Pancha Rathas), monolithic temples carved from a single boulder.
• Overnight stay in Mahabalipuram.

Drive to Pondicherry, the former French colonial enclave on the coast.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning visit to the Krishna’s Butterball — a massive granite boulder improbably balanced on a slope.
• Drive to Pondicherry (approximately one and a half hours).
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Afternoon walk through the French Quarter — immaculate colonial streets lined with bougainvillea.
• Visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
• Evening along the Promenade Beach and the French Quarter.
• Overnight stay in Pondicherry.

A contemplative day between Pondicherry and the experimental township of Auroville.

• Morning visit to Auroville, the utopian international community founded in 1968.
• See the Matrimandir — the golden-domed meditation centre at the heart of Auroville.
• Return to Pondicherry for a leisurely afternoon.
• Cycle through the Tamil Quarter — temples, spice markets and street food contrasting with the French side.
• Dinner at a French-Tamil fusion restaurant.
• Overnight stay in Pondicherry.

Drive to Thanjavur, home of the great Brihadeeswarar Temple.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.
• Drive to Thanjavur (approximately three hours).
• Check-in at the hotel.
• Afternoon visit to the Brihadeeswarar Temple — a UNESCO-listed masterpiece of Chola architecture, built over 1,000 years ago.
• Marvel at the 66-metre vimana (tower) capped by a single 80-tonne granite capstone.
• Visit the Royal Palace and the Thanjavur Art Gallery with its superb Chola bronze collection.
• Overnight stay in Thanjavur.

Explore Chola temple towns and village crafts.

• Morning visit to the Gangaikondacholapuram temple — the lesser-visited twin of Brihadeeswarar, equally magnificent.
• Return to Thanjavur for the afternoon.
• Visit a Tanjore painting studio and watch artisans work on the gold-leaf panels.
• See the ancient bronze casting workshops in the town.
• Overnight stay in Thanjavur.

Drive to Madurai, the city that never sleeps.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.
• Drive to Madurai (approximately three hours).
• Check-in at the hotel and freshen up.
• Afternoon visit to the Meenakshi Amman Temple — one of the largest temple complexes in the world.
• Walk through the 14 soaring gopurams (towers) decorated with thousands of painted sculptures.
• Attend the evening Alangaram ceremony, where the deity is dressed for the night in a traditional ritual.
• Overnight stay in Madurai.

A full day exploring Madurai’s streets, markets and heritage.

• Early morning return to Meenakshi Temple before the crowds.
• Visit the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, a 17th-century palace with a vast courtyard and grand arches.
• Explore the flower market and silk-weaving lanes near the temple.
• Afternoon excursion to the Gandhi Museum, one of the finest Gandhi museums in India.
• Evening at the rooftop near the temple to watch the lit gopurams after dark.
• Overnight stay in Madurai.

Final morning in Madurai before your onward journey.

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Morning at leisure — last visit to the temple or the local textile shops.
• Transfer to Madurai Airport or Railway Station for your departure.
• Tour concludes warmly from our team.