11 days 10 night: Starting from €1780
Discover South India on an 11-day journey from Chennai to Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, and the grand temples of Chidambaram, Tanjore, Trichy, and Madurai.
Experience the natural beauty of Periyar with its spice plantations and wildlife sanctuary.
Conclude your tour in Cochin, blending colonial charm, vibrant culture, and serene backwaters.
Arrival in Chennai, welcome by our guide at the airport, transfer and overnight at the hotel.
Chennai – Mahäbalipuram (140 km). After breakfast, drive to Mahäbalipuram.
On the Tamil coast, the Pallava dynasty established a trading port in Mahäbalipuram between the 7th and 8th centuries, exporting to Cambodia and Vietnam. The town is full of charm with its stonemasons, its tranquility, and the friendliness of its inhabitants. The morning will be spent visiting the Shore Temple, one of the most famous and oldest temples in South India. Lunch.
Then you will discover the Descent of the Ganges, also known as “Arjuna’s Penance,” a grandiose fresco carved in bas-relief into a rock face. The entire hill is covered with monolithic temples carved into the rock. You will also see the Shore Temple, the emblematic image of Mahäbalipuram, built in granite by Pallava and built on the seashore, from which it is separated by only a few dozen meters and protected by trees against the corrosive sea spray. A rock dike has also been built to protect the temple from strong tides and erosion. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Mahäbalipuram – Pondicherry (140 km). After breakfast, drive to Pondicherry.
This city was French for nearly three centuries. A certain nostalgia reigns there today. Since its founding, Pondicherry was divided into two: the White City and the Black City, separated by a canal.
Lunch opposite the Alliance Française and near the Pondicherry Law School annex. This restaurant offers a multitude of Indo-Sino-Italian-French specialties. There’s something for everyone.
Then, a tour of the city. First, discover the old town, reminiscent of the French Belle Époque: the Lycée Des Anges, the French high school of the Far East, then the Atelier de Joseph, a Cluny embroidery workshop, the war memorial, the monument dedicated to Gandhi on the waterfront, and the statue of Dupleix. Then, visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Originally consisting of only a few buildings, it gradually expanded in many directions. The focal point of the community remains the house where Sri Aurobindo and “the Mother” resided, on Rue de la Marine. Sri Aurobindo, a Bengali philosopher and poet, founded, with a French woman called “the Mother,” the community that now bears his name. He planned a university residence, “Auroville,” to accommodate scholars and artists of all nationalities. He abandoned his “external” activities to devote himself to his “internal” pursuits. His tomb is a place of contemplation and veneration, where true fervor reigns.
Finally, visit the Manakula Vinayak Temple and stroll through the market. You will participate in a game of pétanque!
Continue to Auroville.
Visit Auroville, which was founded by “the Mother,” Sri Aurobindo’s companion.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Tanjore (180 km). Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Chidambaram where you will visit a remarkable sacred complex so characteristic of Dravidian India: the Nataraja Temple. Shiva is worshipped there in the form of the god of cosmic dance. Two of the gopurams are adorned with sculptures illustrating the 108 positions of the Natya Shastra, the treatise on the dramaturgy of Hindu ritual dances. Lunch. Departure for Tanjore.
Check-in upon arrival. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Tanjore – Trichy (100 km). Breakfast at the hotel.
Discover Tanjore with a visit to the still-active Brihadishwara Temple, dedicated to the god Shiva and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest in the world.
Then, visit the city, the former capital of the Cholas, with the Saraswati Mahal Palace, built in the 17th century, which houses a superb collection of bronze Chola statues dating from the 8th to the 12th centuries, as well as the Saraswati Mahal Library, which displays 30,000 palm leaf drawings.
Continue to Trichy. Lunch.
Visit the Rock Fort (437 steps!), from which you have a magnificent view of the walls and 21 towers of the Srirangam temple, then visit this Dravidian-style temple. Stroll through the China Town Market, located at the foot of the Rock Fort. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Trichy – Madurai (190 km). After breakfast, depart for Madurai.
Visit the city, famous for its production of Malligi (jasmine) flowers, which are harvested within a 25 km radius of the city. Jasmine is the city’s primary industry, and its extract is the base product for a majority of perfumes worldwide. India produces nearly half of the world’s production. France is one of the main importers. Lunch
In the evening (around 8 p.m.), you will travel by tuk-tuk to the Sri Meenakshi Temple for the bedtime ceremony of Shiva. Before reaching the “Holy of Holies,” Shiva is carried by Brahmins to bid goodnight to his two sons, including Ganesh, the elephant god. A truly memorable experience! Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Madurai – Periyar (165 km). After breakfast, continue to Periyar. Along the way, we’ll stop at a brick factory and have the opportunity to visit a school (outside of Indian school holidays). Upon arrival in Periyar, we’ll check into our hotel. Lunch
In Periyar, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy Ayurvedic massages, and in the evening, you can participate in a Kalarippayatt martial arts performance. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Periyar – Alleppey (195 km). Early in the morning, you’ll set off for a walk in the national park with an English-speaking nature guide, then return to the hotel for breakfast.
You’ll continue your day with a visit to Periyar, nestled in the heart of the mountains, in part of the Western Ghats. It’s one of India’s most important wildlife reserves (777 km²). Periyar boasts a splendid artificial lake with forests populated by waterfowl such as the darter, heron, egret, and the agile kingfisher. You’ll continue with a visit to India’s spice plantations. Then, depart for a boat safari on the lake to better observe wild elephants, gaurs, antelopes, and monkeys, but be aware that the animals tend to hide.
Lunch, then continue to Allepey.
Drive through the Cardamom Hills and past tea, rubber, and spice (pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.) plantations. Stop at a tea plantation.
Arriving in Allepey, you’ll board houseboats called “Kettuvallam” for a cruise on the backwaters. The houseboats feature air-conditioned bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. A kitchen with a traditional Puthenangadi cook, a navigator/guide, and a viewing platform. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
Allepey – Cochin (100 km). Breakfast on board. Morning cruise on the backwaters towards Allepey. You’ll leisurely cruise through the countryside, along the banks, canals, and lagoons shaded by coconut trees, where traditional boats glide. After disembarking, you’ll take a short tour of the city, also known as the Venice of India. Departure for Cochin. Lunch.
Afternoon free time to stroll around the waterfront district, where you’ll see the immense Chinese nets in action, evoking memories of the first sailors. In the early evening, transfer to the theater where you’ll watch the artists’ makeup, followed by a Kathakali performance, featuring extraordinary characters in impressive masks who recount, in a unique dance and mime theater, the sacred legends of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Cochin. Breakfast.
Visit Cochin, also known as “the Queen of the Arabian Sea.” It is India’s largest natural harbor. Cochin refers to a collection of islands and cities. It was here that the first European “colonists” settled in India around 1500, led by Vasco da Gama, who died there with the title of Portuguese Viceroy of India. His tomb exists, but his remains were actually brought back to Lisbon.
You will begin your tour of Cochin at the Dutch Palace (closed on Fridays), or Mattancherry Palace, where you will see some of the most beautiful murals, as well as objects that belonged to the ruler of Cochin, Raja Veera Kerala Varma (1537-1561).
You will also see Cochin Fort, as well as the Church of St. Francis Xavier, which is the oldest European church in the country. It was built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan monks accompanying the expedition led by Pedro Álvarez Cabral. Originally made of wood, the church was rebuilt in stone around the mid-16th century.
Lunch at the Well, free time. Dinner and transfer to the airport depending on your return flight.
1. Air conditioned vehicle with dedicated and experience driver
2. French and English speaking tour guide who will make your travelling experience unforgettable
3. Hotel (3/4 Stars)
4. Everyday breakfast included
5. Every monuments entry included in the tour will be provided
1. Lunch and Dinner
2. Flight tickets
3. Visa processing
4. Any other personal expenses