The capital of Tamilnadu, the land of festivals. India's fourth largest city, old seaport and trading centre, British Raj nostalgia. Know a culture over 2000 years old. Overnight at Hotel.

Explore Chennai, Santhome Cathedral - Portuguese built during 14^th - 15^th century. Named after St.Thomas.fort St. George - Old stronghold of the East India Company. Named after St.George, the patron saint of England. Kapaleeswarar temple - Temple of Lord Siva with inscriptions from the 13^th century AD. Classic Dravidian Temple 'Gopuram' (tower). Exquisite and intricate carvings. Marina Beach - Pride of Chennai. The second longest beach in the world with a wide sandy foreshore. Kalakshetra - Cultural Institution devoted to the revival of classical arts. Classical dance,music, traditional textile design and weaving etc taught hear in the ancient way of Indian learning - Gurukulam. Later, drive to Mahabalipuram. Overnight at beach resort.

Mahabalipuram - 7^th century port of Pallava kingdom. Site of several antique sculptural marvels. Temples of sculpted rocks without using brick, mortar or timber. Masterpieces of Pallava sculpture. Arjuna's Penance here is the world's largest bas- relief measuring 27m by 9m done over 1300 years ago. Kanchipuram - Spectacular Temple city. Great temples and thriving Handloom industries famous for silk weaving. Drive Back to Mahabalipuram for overnight stay.

Pondichery - The flavour of France. Representing French dream of an Indian empire. French influence remains in the red kepis of police officers, French signboards and traffic signs, old buildings of stone. Visit beaches, old churches, and Auroville with "sacred banyan tree". Overnight at Hotel.

A grand tour of the ancient temples of Chidambaram, Gangaikondacholapuram, Darasuram, Kumbakonam. Tanjore: Ancient capital of the Chola Kings, a dynasty of temple builders who ruled South India between 10^th century and 14^th century. Sri Bahadeeswara Temple : Massive temple built by great chola king Rajaraja I in the 10^th century AD. Tanjore Palace: The palace near the temple is a vast building of masonry built around 1550 AD. Overnight at hotel.

Trichy is on the banks of river Kaveri. Held and ruled by different dynasties. Several temples and the historic Rock fort that played a vital role in Carnatic wars of 18 century. Srirangam; Ancient Island temple-town enclosed within the seven walls of the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswami Temple. Rock Fort temple; A top of 83m high outcrop, after a stiff 437 - step climb, the stone temple affords a magnificent view. Ranganathar : Probably the largest temple in India, dating from the 14^th to 17^th centuries. Overnight at Hotel.

Madurai: More than 2500 years old ancient city. Represents the golden era when art, architecture and learning scaled new heights. Tirumalai Nayak Mahal: Indo - Saracenic built in 1523. Vaniyur Mariamman Teppakulam : Enormous temple tank with a mandapam at the centre. Meenakshi Temple ; 2000 years old temple with The Hall of Thousand Pillars. Classic Dravidian architecture spread over six hectares. Overnight at Hotel.

Cross the border to Kerala, God's own Country. Periyar is a hill station that produces large quantity of spices,like pepper, cardamom etc. One of the well-maintained wild life sanctuaries of South India. Now declared Tiger Reserver. Ideal to see the wild elephants, bison's, wild dogs, deer's water birds and occasionally tiger. Afternoon visit of Spice plantations. Watch the trading at spice shops.

Early morning boating at Lake Periyar. Trekking in the Periyar forest. Option for elephant ride. Overnight at hotel.

Enchanting hill station of Kerala. Tea plantations from a green carpet. 1600 to 1800 meters above sea level. An old British Tea Plantation town. Picture postcard views, trekking, fresh mountain air. Rest and stay at resort.

Morning Sightseeing. Mattupetty dam and lake. Rajamala, the natural habitat of Nilgiri Tahr, a rare mountain goat. Eravikulam National Park. Relaxed afternoon and overnight at resort.

Cochin is one of the liveliest and most interesting towns in South India. A trading port since Roman times. The commercial capital of Kerala. Watch Kathakali dance, traditional dance form of Kerala. Performed at the temples for festivals, artists don costumes with natural colours and masks. Epic stories are expressed by Mudras (gestures). Overnight at Hotel.

Discover historic Fort Kochi, the first European township in India. An eventful and colourful history shaped by the Dutch and later the British, Chinese fishing nets: Huge cantilevered fishing nets first erected between 1350 and 1450 AD by traders from the court of Kublai Khan. St.Francis Church ; India's oldest European church built 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan Friars. Vasco da Gama was originally buried here in 1524. Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace): Built by the Portuguese in 1557. Was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. On display are beautiful murals depicting scenes from the Indian epics. Synagogue; The oldest synagogue in the commonwealth, built in 1568. Overnight at Hotel.

Kumarkom is a water village in Alleppey, Check in at Backwater Resort. An authentic insight into unique Kuttanad life of the boat people. Overnight at Resort with option for Ayurvedic massage.

Kerala's houseboats are massive, 67 feet long and about 13 feet wide in the middle. Houseboats were used in the early days for river transport. A fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters. Watch farming in rice paddies, toddy tapping and fishing. Houseboats have airy rooms with sundeck, chairs, kitchen and toilet with WC. The crew includes a chef and two oarsmen with different restrooms. Enjoy traditional Kerala cuisine onboard. Stop at village markets, churches and houses to get a feel of village life. Overnight on board.

After breakfast drive to Kovalam, India's most spectacular beach with boundless blue beaches on the Arabian Sea and coconut palms. A beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. Other options are sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programme, catamaran cruising etc. Afternoon guided tour of Trivandrum city, capital of Kerala. Visit traditional fishing areas. Padmanabhapuram palace. Visit Museum, Sri Padmanabaswami Temple. Drive back to Kovalam. Overnight at Resort.

Day free for personal preferences.

Day free for personal preferences.

On time transfer to airport for departure