Grand Tour of Southern India

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your overnight flight to Bengaluru.

Arrive in Bengaluru this morning and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Bengaluru, taking in the Bull Temple and Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace. Later, head to Mysore, stopping en route in Sri Rangapatnam to visit Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tipu’s Death Place, Daria Daultabad and Gumbaz.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Visit Devaraja Market, and then head to Chamundi Hills and the magnificent Mysore Palace and Jaganmohan Art Palace. This afternoon, visit the 13th-century Chennakesava Temple.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive south to Ooty, known fondly as the Queen of Hill Stations. The three-hour drive passes through Bandipur National Park and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, a prime habitat for wildlife including elephant, deer and peacocks.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning ride one of the most iconic mountain railways in India: the Ooty Toy Train. These little locomotives with their smart blue and cream livery have become an institution in Southern India, and the ride through the hills, jungles and stations is like a journey through time.

Stepping off in Coonoor (weather permitting), visit a local tea plantation, then return to Ooty to visit the Botanical gardens, church and local market.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

After breakfast, drive to Coimbatore and board a modern Indian train travelling south-east to the coastal city of Kochi. On arrival, transfer to the hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Kochi presents an intriguing blend of ancient mosques and synagogues alongside European colonial architecture – a legacy of centuries of traders and explorers. This morning’s tour begins with a visit to Fort Cochin, St. Francis Church and the giant, spider-like Chinese fishing nets on the north shore, as well as Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica. Later, enjoy an Anglo-Indian cookery class, followed by lunch with a local family. Tonight, experience a performance of Kathakali, a centuries-old art form.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning starts with a visit to the ancient Jewish Synagogue. We then drive to Alleppey and board a traditional, thatch-roofed ‘Kettuvallam’ houseboat for a leisurely lunch and cruise along the labyrinthine canals and waterways that run between the region’s coconut groves, rice fields, hidden temples and tiny islands. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay on the houseboat.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast, drive to Periyar in the Cardamom Hills and enjoy a free afternoon at leisure. In the evening, attend a Kalaripayattu performance at a local stadium – one of the oldest martial arts traditions in the world, originating in Kerala and dedicated to achieving ultimate co-ordination between mind and body.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

The morning is at leisure, or you can join an optional guided nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to elephant, bison, wild boar and tiger. Later, visit Periyar Spice Garden to explore the region’s historic role in the spice trade, followed by a relaxing cruise on Periyar Lake.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel to Madurai, arriving early afternoon. Tonight there’s an included excursion to Sri Meenakshi Temple to witness the ‘Going to bed ceremony’. This ceremony is subject to numbers on the day and the temple doors close promptly at 9pm.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Discover Madurai – one of the oldest cities in India – on a morning drive through its twisting streets. Explore Sri Meenakshi Temple, noting its ornate carvings, shrines and towering gopurams – monumental gateways that frame the continuous ceremonies and devotions held throughout the day. Continue to Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace, whose vast scale remains striking despite its faded grandeur. In the afternoon, visit Keeladi Heritage Museum, where excavations dating back to the 3rd century BC reveal the lives and culture of ancient Tamil Nadu.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive to Thanjavur and visit the 11th-century Brihadeeswara Temple. Tonight, visit the renowned temple town of Kumbakonam.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel on a scenic drive to southern India's coastal city of Puducherry. Spend the afternoon at leisure, with time to explore independently or browse local markets for saris, silks, leather goods and jewellery.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

After breakfast, visit the Pondicherry Museum and Sri Aurobindo Ashram – which has grown from a small group of 12 disciples into a community of around 2,000 members. You can also pay to take an optional trip to Auroville, another local community. Later, take a sightseeing and rickshaw ride around the French Quarter.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Continue north to Mamallapuram – a coastal site celebrated for its extraordinary temples and carvings. A sightseeing tour reveals UNESCO World Heritage-listed monuments including the vast relief of Arjuna’s Penance – regarded as one of India’s greatest artworks – and the twin-towered Shore Temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Enjoy a final day at leisure in Mamallapuram, with time to revisit favourite sites or simply absorb the atmosphere of southern India.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Transfer to Chennai, where you stay overnight.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.