| Hyderabad• Bangalor • Mysore • Hasan • Belure and Halibed Temples • Chennai (Madras) • Madurai • Tiruchirapally • Periyar National Park • Kumarakom • Cochin • Mumbai
DAY 1-DEPARTURE
Depart from New York, Newark, Chicago or Los Angeles for Mumbai. Departure details from other cities are available upon request.
DAY 2-MUMBAI
Arrive Mumbai. Change planes for Hyderabad.
DAY 3-HYDERABAD
Hyderabad is gifted with many beautiful monuments including Char Minar, Mecca Masjid, Salar Jung Museum and Falaknuma Palace.
DAY 4-BANGALORE
City tour of Hyderabad. Fly to Bangalore, the city of Lakes, gardens, tree-lined avenues, Nandi Bull temple, and the gardens of Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park.
DAY 5-MYSORE
Morning City tour. The afternoon drive through the picturesque evergreen hills and beautiful natural landscaped plains takes you the Palace filled Mysore. Enroute visit Palace of Tippu Sultan and Brindaban gardens with its magnificent fountains.
DAY 6-BELURE/HALEBID
Lord Fergusson, an authority on Indian architecture, observes “There are many buildings in India which are unsurpassed for delicacy of detail by any in the world, but the temple of Belure surpasses even these for freedom of handling and virtuosity of Indian sculptors reached its peak at the temples of Belure and Halebid. This morning we explore these majestic monuments.
DAY 7-CHENNAI (MADRAS)
Morning is free to visit local bazaars. Drive to Bangalore and fly to Madras.
DAY 8-CHENNAI
Madras is the Gateway to a voyage of discovery of an ancient temple-studded state. Sightseeing includes Mylapore Temple, St. Thomas Cathedral, St. George Fort, and National art Museum.
DAY 9-CHENNAI
Mahabalipuram is famous for its rocks cut shore temples and monolithic figures in Dravidian architecture. After touring the Five Rathas, Mahisaura and Krishna Mandapams we will proceed to Kanchipuram, the city of woven silk and temples.
DAY 10-MADURAI
Fly to Madurai. The city was planned as a lotus flower with Meenakshi Temple and its court of thousand beautifully carved pillars at its center. We will explore this jewel of a temple city.
DAY 11-TIRUCHIRAPALLY
Full day excursion to Trichy and visit Rock Fort and Srirangam temples.
DAY 12-PERIYAR
Periyar is known to have fair population of tigers, herons, leopards, sambers, boars, darters, white-necked storks, kingfishers, osprey, and woodpeckers but is best known for its wild elephants. View wildlife while cruising on Lake Periyar.
DAY 13-KOVALAM
Drive to the sea resort of Kovalam, Kerala. The ice blue sea and a backdrop of gently swaying coconut trees make this a paradise for seaside holidays.
DAY 14-ALLEPEY/HOUSEBOATS
Drive to Allepey-The ‘Venice of the East’. Board a houseboat and cruise the backwaters. Waterways and lagoons covered with canopies of lush green foliage meander their way past the fishing villages, dense coconut groves and rise paddies.
DAY 15-BACKWATERS (KUMARAKOM)
Visit lush green villages and Vembanad Lake, home to thousand of migrating birds as you float on the houseboat.
DAY 16-COCHIN
Disembarkthe houseboat and you will be driven to Cochin, the picturesque seaport on the palmnged coast of Arbian Sea, laced with inland waterways and tropical lagoons. Sightseeing includes Cochin Fort and the Jewish Synagogues.
DAY 17-COCHIN
City tour visiting Dutch Fort, Mattanchery Palace, St. Francis Church-the oldest church in India and Bolghatty Palace.
DAY 18-MUMBAI
Fly back to Mumbai.
DAY 19-HOMEBOUND
Depart for New York, Newark, Chicago or Los Angeles in the morning. Arrive in the afternoon.
•••••
Itineraries are designed with current flight schedules and remain subject to adjustment / change.
|
