Tour Southern India
Southern India Tour Includes Madurai, Bombay and More
Tour Southern India with Pacific Holidays for a visit to this scenic and historic region. You will enjoy both the rural settings and the urban landscapes, including Madras, Trichy, Madurai and Bombay. Your tour guide will provide you with background information on Southern India, including these cities that have evolved over two-thousand years. View beautiful temples, witness rural life, shop at local markets and see examples of native wildlife. Our vacation package will give you the feel, smells and tastes of this exotic locale.
Begin your sightseeing in Southern India with a tour of Madras and side trips to the temples of Mahabalipuram and the Five Rathas stone sculpture. On the outskirts of Trichy you will visit the Brihadeeshwara Temple and Rajaraja Museum. Once in Mandurai you will visit the lovely Meenakshi Temple with its four ornately decorated towers.
Your tour through Southern India will offer diverse experiences. You will also visit a wildlife sanctuary, experience a local dance performance and see a fishing village. You'll even have time to relax on the beach in Mararikulum at your hotel, the Marari Beach Resort. Your tour will conclude with a triumphant visit to the cosmopolitan city of Bombay.
See below for an extension to this tour to Ellora & Ajanta Caves.
Enjoy your Southern India Tour, including Madurai and Bombay, with Pacific Holidays, an industry leader with over 15 years of experience. For details on this or any of our Asia travel packages, please click on the selections below or contact 800-355-8025 for more information
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1, Sunday - New York/Madras (Chennai)
Depart this evening via Air India trans-Atlantic flight.
Day 2, Monday - En Route
Touch down in Bombay and connect to onward flight.
Day 3, Tuesday - Madras
Arrive very early morning and transfer to your hotel. After a morning at rest, set out for an afternoon tour including 17th-century Fort St. George, the National Gallery, and the waterfront marina promenade. (Taj Connemara Hotel) (B)
Day 4, Wednesday - Madras
An hour's drive brings you to the temples of Mahabalipuram, an ancient port on the Bay of Bengal. View the penance of Arjuna monumental bas relief, the Five Rathas stone sculpture, and the Shore Temple, which has stood by the sea for twelve centuries. (B)
Day 5, Thursday - Madras/Trichy
Depart by train for a 5-hour ride across Tamil Nadu state to Trichy, and transfer to your hotel. (Hotel Sangam) (B)
Day 6, Friday - Trichy
An excursion out of the city to Tanjore includes visits to Brihadeeshwara Temple and Rajaraja Museum. (B)
Day 7, Saturday - Trichy/Madurai
Travel via road to Madurai this morning, stopping en route for lunch at Karaikkudi. This evening, witness the night temple ceremony at Meenakshi Temple. (Taj Garden Retreat) (B)
Day 8, Sunday - Madurai/Periyar
Return for a daylight look at the imposing Meenakshi Temple, its four ornately decorated towers, and its Hall of a Thousand Pillars. This afternoon, drive on to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of India's tiger preserves and home to elephants, bison, and rare spotted deer. (Spice Village) (B)
Day 9, Monday - Periyar/Kumarakom
Take a boat ride on the lake this morning to view wildlife along the shore and water birds. This afternoon, travel overland to Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. Transfer to your hotel by boat along the famous backwaters of Kerala state. (Coconut Lagoon) (B)
Day 10, Tuesday - Kumarakom/Cochin (Kochi)
Set out early this morning on a backwater cruise to view migratory birds. This afternoon, drive two hours to Cochin, the "Queen of the Arabian Sea." This evening attend a performance of kathakali dance. (Brunton Boatyard Hotel) (B)
Day 11, Wednesday - Cochin/Mararikulum
Transfer south along the coast to the fishing village of Mararikulum, and spend the balance of the day at leisure on the beach. (Marari Beach Resort) (B)
Day 12, Thursday - Mararikulum
A full day of leisure allows time for lounging on the beach or exploring the local life in this rural setting. (B)
Day 13, Friday - Mararikulum/Bombay (Mumbai)
Transfer to the Cochin airport, and fly Air India to Bombay, India's industrial/ financial capital and perhaps its most cosmopolitan city. (Taj President Hotel) (B)
Day 14, Saturday - Bombay
A motor launch takes you across the harbor to the island of Elephant and its sculpted caves. This afternoon visit the Gateway of India, Hanging Gardens, the bustling Crawford Market, Flora Fountain and the memorial to Haj Ali, a Muslim saint. (B)
Day 15, Sunday - Bombay/New York
Transfer to the airport very early this morning for your return flight to the US, arriving in New York the same day. Or take our 4-day Ellora & Ajanta Caves Extension. (B) |
