City tour of Chennai, visiting the Art Gallery, the Bronze Gallery, Fort St. George, St. Mary’s Church, San Thome Basilica and the Kapaleeswarar Temple. Early this afternoon, depart for Mamallapuram, formerly known as Mahabalipuram. Stop en route to visit Kanchipuram, the “City of a Thousand Temples,” which is also renowned for its exquisite silks. (B, D)

This morning, visit the rock-cut shore temples and the magnificent bas-relief depicting the “Penance of Arjuna.” The afternoon is at leisure to relax by the beach and enjoy an invigorating swim in the Bay of Bengal. (B,L)

Drive along the coast to the former French settlement of Pondicherry, which still bears testimony to 281 years of French Colonial influence. Visit the Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville, a community established to kindle a lasting kinship and exchange of ideas among the diverse citizens of the world. (B,D)

Travel to Chidambaram. Visit Chidambaram Temple, with its fabulous sculpture of “Nataraja,” or Shiva as the Cosmic Dancer, is considered by Hindus to be the cosmic center of the universe. Continue on to Tanjore and visit the Brahadeeswarar Temple, whose central tower is considered a unique feat of architecture. (B,L)

Continue your journey to Trichy. Visit the Rock Fort and the Srirangam Temple. Located on an island in the Cauvery River, Srirangam, with its seven enclosures, is the largest temple dedicated to Vishnu. (B,L)

Proceed to Madurai, situated on the banks of the Vaigai River. Visit the celebrated Meenakshi temple, the Thirumalai Nayak Palace and Mariamman Teppakulam. Later this evening, return to the Meenakshi Temple to witness the celestial wedding of Lord Shiva and Meenakshi. (B,D)

Drive to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This tranquil sanctuary located on the border of Tamilnadu and Kerala is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. This afternoon, enjoy a game-viewing cruise on the Periyar River. (B,L)

After an early morning game-viewing cruise, continue west to Kerala and the ecological backwater reserve of Kumarakom. The Kerala backwater system is considered among the most ecologically balanced regions on the planet. The afternoon is at leisure. (B,D)

This morning, enjoy a backwaters cruise, including a visit to the Vembanad Bird Sanctuary. The afternoon is at leisure. This is a great place to enjoy a relaxing Ayurvedic massage. (B,D)

Depart for Cochin in the morning. Visit the Portuguese-built St. Francis Church, the Jewish Synagogue, the famed Mattancherry Palace, and see the use of Chinese fishing nets - ingenious devices requiring little human attention. Tonight, enjoy a presentation of the colorful costumed Kathakali dance drama followed by a farewell dinner. (B,D)

Depart Cochin today for home, bearing fond memories of the Temples & Traditions of South India.

$ 2295.00

$ 990.00

Tour Dates: 2012

How to book: Call 1-312-332- 4722 or click on ' Reservation Form' and print it. Return completed form with copy of photo ID and deposit of $ 350.00 per person. Balance will be due 75 days prior to departure. Industry ID required.

Airfare: Interliners may arrange their own passage through their Pass Bureau to Chennai and return from Cochin. Air India, Singapore, Lufthansa and British Airways have regular services to Chennai (Madras).

General information, terms and conditions: Participants may obtain international passage on their own. Discounted group airfares are available upon request. Among others, Air India, Lufthansa, British and Singapore etc. have services to Chennai (Madras) and Cochin. Every confirmed booking is subject to $ 100.00 handling / change fee. Trip Cancellation Insurance required. Additional nights in Chennai are available for $ 165.00 per person double plus taxes. Average cost of lunch and dinner in above cities / hotels will be about $ 10.00 each. Itinerary remains subject to change. Prices are guaranteed at the time of booking. Prices reflect discount for check / cash payment. Credit Card payments will have foreign conversion / bank processing fee of 3.76%. Last minute bookings, till 14 days prior to departure, require full payment with rush fee of $ 35.00 per person.