My Experience to South India By Train

DAY 01 Arrive Chennai. Transfer to Hotel.

DAY 02 Morning arrive Chennai. Transfer to hotel. Full day tour of Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram (64 kms from Chennai) is the ancient capital of the Pallavas famous as a city of 1000 Temples and still has 124 shrines. The first temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century and has paintings on the walls. Temples of Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also famous for its silks. The city of Mahabalipuram is famous for the seven pagodas. Here on the seashore is an interesting group of ancient rock hewn temples which are the examples of Dravidian style of Architecture.

DAY 03 Morning city tour. Visit the Museum to see the Art and Bronze Gallery (Closed on Fridays and Public holidays). Drive through the Flower and Fruit market, High court, Fort museum, Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral and snake park . Check-out at 1200 hrs from the hotel. Late evening transfer to rail-station for Madurai night train. Night on board train.

DAY 04 Morning arrive Madurai and transfer to hotel. Afternoon visit the great Meenakshi Temple dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva with its towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding country side). Later, visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace - A gracious building in the Indo saracenic style, famous for the Stucco work on its domes & arches. Also visit the Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran Rock temple. Afternoon free. Overnight Madurai.

DAY 05 Morning drive to Periyar National Park. Set up in 1934,it extends to 777 square kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges, the Western Ghats. Wild life can be seen while cruising on Periyar Lake in a motor boat. Amongst the animals which can be seen are elephants, wild boar, sambar, tiger, leopard, wild dog, langur monkeys, etc. Overnight Periyar.
DAY 06 Drive to Trivandrum viewing thescenin beauty enroute. Kerala is lush green and is full of lakes and water. Overnight Trivandrum.

DAY 07 Day free in Trivandrum or optional tours to Cape Comorin (Kanya Kumari - the southern most part of India) or nearby places like Kovalam beach, etc.

DAY 08 Morning drive to Cochin visiting the Kerala villages enroute.

DAY 09 Morning tour of Cochin. Cochin is the natural harbour created by the famed underwater Malabar mud-banks whose quality ensures that the rougher the seas are outside the calmer the waters are within the Harbour. Vasco-de-Gama placed it on the world map. It has a Jewish synagogue, Portuguese churches, mosques & Hindu temples. Watch the Chinese Fishing Nets. Checkout at 1200 hrs. Transfer to railstation for Bangalore night train. Night on board.

DAY 10 Morning arrive Bangalore and transfer to hotel. After-noon city tour. In this Garden City - visit the Lal Bagh with a variety of old trees, fountains, lotus pools, terraces & an assortment of tropical and sub-tropical herbs. Also see the Maharaja's Palace & Government Buildings. Overnight Bangalore

DAY 11 Morning drive to Mysore. Afternoon free. Overnight Mysore.

DAY 12 Morning visit the palace of the Maharaja built in 1911 - 1912. The palace is of harmonious syntheses of the Hindu and saracenic styles of architecture with archways, domes, turrets, colonnades and sculptures which are magnificent. Visit the Art Gallery; drive upto Chamundi hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple and a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way back, see the Nandi Bull. Afternoon free. Overnight Mysore

DAY 13 Morning free. Transfer to rail-station for Chennai train. Arrive Chennai & transfer to hotel.
DAY 14 Transfer to airport. End of our services.