Day 1 · Chennai
Arrive in Chennai
You are met at Chennai airport and taken to your hotel. The capital of Tamil Nadu grew up around a British fort on the Bay of Bengal, and the rest of the day is yours to find your feet.
11 days · 10 nights
Temple towns of the south, then a slow night afloat on the Kerala backwaters.
Choose your dates when you enquire
Ask about datesBegin in Chennai and travel south through the great temple towns of Tamil Nadu, from Mahabalipuram on the shore to Thanjavur and Madurai. Then cross into Kerala for the spice hills of Periyar, a night aboard a houseboat near Alleppey and a last evening in Kochi.
The same person from your first question to the flight home, with a wedding or vow renewal planned alongside if you like.
How the days unfold. Your advisor tailors the pace, the hotels and the extras to you.
Chennai
Day 1 · Chennai
You are met at Chennai airport and taken to your hotel. The capital of Tamil Nadu grew up around a British fort on the Bay of Bengal, and the rest of the day is yours to find your feet.
Day 2 · Chennai
A morning excursion to Kanchipuram, one of the seven sacred cities of ancient India, where the eighth-century Kailashnath temple honours Shiva. Back in Chennai, see the Government Museum and its bronze gallery, the Kapaleeshwarar temple and Santhome Cathedral, then drive along Marina Beach.
Pondicherry
Day 3 · Pondicherry
Stop at Mahabalipuram, where cave temples, carved rathas and a vast rock relief sit between the beach and a lagoon, with the UNESCO-listed Shore Temple at the water's edge. In Pondicherry, visit the Aurobindo Ashram, the museum and the Church of the Sacred Heart, then wander streets that still carry French names.
Kumbakonam
Day 4 · Kumbakonam
Drive south by way of the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram and the towering temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram. At Kumbakonam, visit the UNESCO-listed Airavatheeswarar temple at Darasuram, then the town's temples to Vishnu and Shiva beside the Cauvery River.
Thanjavur
Day 5 · Thanjavur
A short drive to Thanjavur, once the capital of the Chola Empire. In the afternoon, visit the Brihadeeswara temple, with its great Nandi and corridors of Chola-era sculpture and frescoes, and see the old palace, now largely an art gallery.
Day 6 · Thanjavur
A day out to Trichy, where steps cut into the rock climb past shrines to temples with views over the Kaveri River. Continue to Srirangam and the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, one of the largest in India, with a bazaar inside its walls, before returning to Thanjavur.
Madurai
Day 7 · Madurai
Transfer to Madurai, a centre of Hindu learning and pilgrimage for centuries. The afternoon takes in the Meenakshi temple, the Tirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Museum, and in the evening you attend the night ceremony at the Meenakshi temple.
Periyar
Day 8 · Periyar
Drive up to Periyar, known for its wildlife sanctuary and spice gardens. In the afternoon, take a boat out on Periyar Lake to look for elephants, deer and birdlife, water levels permitting, then watch a performance of Kalaripayattu, Kerala's ancient martial art.
Alleppey
Day 9 · Alleppey
Drive to Alleppey and board a kettuvallam, a traditional rice barge built without nails and now fitted with bedrooms and a shaded deck. The day is at leisure as you drift along the backwaters past village life, with lunch and dinner on board.
Kochi
Day 10 · Kochi
Leave the houseboat and transfer to Kochi, a port city shaped by Portuguese, Dutch and British traders. A walking tour takes in the Mattancherry Palace and the Pardesi Synagogue in Jew Town, and the evening ends with a Kathakali dance performance.
Day 11 · Kochi
A last breakfast before your shared transfer to Kochi airport.
The hotels for each stop. Your advisor confirms them, or something just as good, for your dates.
Chennai · 2 nights
Or similar
Pondicherry · 1 night
Or similar
Kumbakonam · 1 night
Or similar
Thanjavur · 2 nights
Or similar
Madurai · 1 night
Or similar
Periyar · 1 night
Or similar
Alleppey · 1 night
A traditional kettuvallam on the backwaters. Or similar
Kochi · 1 night
Or similar
Tell us when you would like to travel. Your advisor confirms dates and hotels, tailors the trip to the two of you, and stays with you until you are home.
India
9 days · 8 nights
Delhi → Varanasi → Khajuraho → Agra → Jaipur → Delhi
Begin in Delhi, then fly east to Varanasi for the evening ceremony on the Ganges and a dawn boat ride. From there you follow the temples of Khajuraho and Orchha to Agra and the Taj Mahal, then the forts and palaces of Jaipur before driving back to Delhi.
India
6 days · 5 nights
Delhi → Jaipur → Agra → Delhi
A short, classic circuit of northern India. From Delhi you drive to Jaipur for its forts and palaces, then on to Agra by way of Fatehpur Sikri, with an afternoon at the Taj Mahal and a morning at Agra Fort before returning to Delhi.
India
6 days · 5 nights
Delhi → Jaipur → Agra → Delhi
This version of the Golden Triangle gives Delhi a full day, from the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk to Humayun's Tomb and the Qutub Minar. You then spend two nights in Jaipur and one in Agra, visiting the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort on the final morning before the drive back to Delhi airport.
Begin in Chennai and travel south through the great temple towns of Tamil Nadu, from Mahabalipuram on the shore to Thanjavur and Madurai. Then cross into Kerala for the spice hills of Periyar, a night aboard a houseboat near Alleppey and a last evening in Kochi.
Every trip can be shaped around you before you book.
Arrive early or stay on at the end, in the same hotel or somewhere new.
Your travel expert books flights that fit the first and last day.
Choose a better room or a hotel with a view for the nights that count.
A honeymoon, an anniversary or a birthday, planned into the trip.
Other ways to see India, closest in length first.
Small group tour | 11 days | Delhi · Jaipur · Varanasi | Price on enquiry.
Small group tour | 10 days | Chennai · Madurai · Pondicherry
Small group tour | 10 days | Mumbai · Jodhpur · Agra
Private jet journey | 12 days | Mumbai · Jaipur · Delhi
