Tamil Nadu is a State with several distinct tourism genres. For its unique culture and ample tourism potential, tourists from upcountry and abroad flock the tourist spots throughout the year.
It has some of the most remarkable temple architecture, living tradition of music, dance, folk arts and fine arts. The state is well renowned for its heritage sites and temple towns, waterfalls, national parks, local cuisine and the fabulous wildlife and scenic beauty. The state boasts the largest tourism industry in India.
Day 01 Arrive Chennai (By Flight)
Arrive Chennai, meet assist and transfer to the hotel.
After breakfast and explore Chennai today.
Chennai is a heady mix of historical splendor, natural beauty and modernity. The tourist attractions in Chennai are Fort St. George, St. Thomas Mount, Santhome Cathedral, Kapaleeswarar Temple and the National Art Gallery.
In the evening, attend an exclusive classical dance performance.
Retire to the hotel for night stay.
Day 02 Chennai–Kanchipuram–Mahabalipuram (By Road) (145 Km/ 3H 40M)
After breakfast leave by private car to Mahabalipuram on the way stop at Kanchipuram. On arrival city tour of Mahabalipuram.
Kanchipuram: Situated in the northern part of Tamil Nadu, Kanchipuram is the city of thousand temples and one of the seven most sacred pilgrim centres for the Hindus. Tourist Attractions: The Ekambaranathar Temple, Vaikunta Perumal Temple, Varadaraja Temple, Kailasanathar Temple and the Kamakshi Amman Temple.
Day 03 Mahabalipuram
After breakfast, city tour of Mahabalipuram.
Overnight in Mahabalipuram.
Mahabalipuram: The temple town of Mahabalipuram is famous for its various temples and other attractive features. This 7th century city of the Pallavas is considered pioneer in the Dravidian architectural style. The city was earlier called Mallapuram and was a famous trading port of Pallavas. During your Mahabalipuram tour, you will come across many interesting tourism spots. Some of the best ones are as follows.
Arjuna’s Penance – Arjuna’s Penance is the pride of not only Mahabalipuram and Tamilnadu but also of India. Arjuna’s Penance is the world’s largest bas-relief that measures 27 meters and 9 meters along its length and breadth respectively. This huge whaleback shaped rock contains figures of Gods, Demigods, Men, Beasts and Birds. The whole structure looks like the penance of Arjuna, the Pandava prince and one of the protagonists of Indian epic Mahabharata; hence the name.
Five Rathas – Five Rathas are the one of the most magnificent tourist attractions at Mahabalipuram Beaches. Five Rathas are actually five monolithic temples, each created in a different style. They are modeled around chariots that are called ‘Rathas’ in Hindi. They are also known as the ‘Pancha Pandava Rathas’, which means that each one of them represent 5 Pandavas, the protagonists of Indian epic Mahabharata..
Dakshinachitra – A must visit site on the Mahabalipuram beach is Dakshinachitra, a heritage village that is the brainchild of the Ministry of Culture. The village falls to your left when you start moving from Chennai to Mahabalipuram.
Shore Temples – Shore Temple is one of the oldest temples in South India and the oldest one based on the Dravidian style architecture. It belongs to the early 8th century AD and is considered a pioneer in the Dravidian temple art. The monuments are floodlit at night in order to make it visible in the night. In fact, the temple looks great in moonlit night. Overnight in Mahabalipuram.
Day 04 Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry (By Road) (99 Kms. / 2H 10M)
After breakfast leave by private car to Pondicherry.
On arrival, visit Pondicherry.
Overnight in Pondicherry.
Pondicherry: It is a city of southeast India on the Bay of Bengal south-southwest of Chennai (Madras). Pondicherry Temples: Most of the temples around Pondicherry are dedicated to Ganesh, the Destroyer of all Obstacles. The Pondicherry Museum: It showcases an eclectic collection of art, Pallava sculptures, handicraft, weaponry, archaeology, geology and the old French Governor Duplex’s bed, an old palanquin and other interesting things.
Day 05 Pondicherry – Tanjore (By Road) (178 Kms. / 4H 20M appx.)
After breakfast, drive to Tanjore.
On the way, visit Chidambaram and Kumbakonam.
Kumbakonam: The town is bounded by two rivers – ” River Cauvery” on the north and “River Arasalar” on the south. Kumbakonam gets its name from the deity Lord Aadhi Kumbeshwarar. A traditional representation of South Indian Culture, the town is known for its temples, intricately carved panchaloha idols, exquisite brass wares especially lamps and silks(kancheepuram and kumbakonam are the very well known silk producers). The place, like many other sacred places has a unique festival known as the Mahamaham festival. The festival celebrated once in twelve years coincides with the entry of Sun and Jupiter into constellation of Aquarius and Leo respectively. People from all walks of life have a dip in the Mahamaham tank along with the presiding deities of the town.
Kumbakonam is full of temples. Every street, road, locality has a prominent temple. Better read some litereture on them before your visit them. The Sankara Matam and associated institutions preserve and represent all that is great about the Hindu ancient scholarly tradition.
Later, drive to Tanjore.
On arrival, city tour of Tanjore.
At Tanjore, the capital and spiritual heart of the Chola, the brightest of the dynasties of southern India, the temple of Brihadishvara celebrated with pomp his protector, Shiva. Served by substantial resources, architects of the year by miles conjuguèrent rigor symbolic spatial organization and the monumental, building the tallest tower Vimana of India, crowned by a monolith of 80 tonnes and perfection art, dazzling in the multitude of reliefs that decorate the walls of the temple.
Religious work unmatched in South India, bold continuation of the prestigious heritage of the Pallava art, the temple was also intended as a monument to the glory of Chola Kings, celebrating their power stretching, a rare example in history of India, beyond the seas. Nayak’s palace we visit the museum, which exhibits a remarkable collection of Chola bronzes.
Overnight in Tanjore.
Day 06 Tanjore – Trichy – Chettinadu (By Road) (137 Kms. / 3H 10M appx.)
After breakfast, drive to Chettinadu.
On the way, visit Trichy.
Tiruchirappalli (also called Tiruchi or Trichy) is an ancient city in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state. The Kaveri and Kollidam rivers flow around Srirangam Island, which is known for sacred Hindu sites Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, with intricately carved gopurams (towering gateways), and Jambukeswarar-Akilandeswari Temple, dedicated to the god Shiva. The Rock Fort Temple complex towers over the city center.
Later, continue drive to Chettinadu.
On arrival, visit Chettinadu.
Chettinad is a region located mainly in the Sivaganga district historically ruled by Ramnad kingdom of Pandya Nadu and has a small portion extending into the Pudukottai District of Chola Nadu in Tamil Nadu, India.
Overnight in Chettinadu.
Day 07 Chettinadu – Madurai (By Road) (90 Kms. / 2H 15M appx.)
After breakfast, drive to Madurai.
Madurai, the cultural capital of the Tamil country which opens like a fan delta of the Kaveri, which was the capital of the Cholas, the most brilliant ever known kingdom in South India.
Madurai – Originally known as Madhurapuri got its name from the falling of divine nectar from Lord Shiva’s rocks. This ancient city has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Madurai is believed that this is more than 2500 years old ancient city, situated on the banks of the river Vaigai Madurai is believed to have been built by the Pandyan King Kulasekara.
PM: Visit Meenakshi temple and watch night ceremony.
Overnight in Madurai.
Day 08 Madurai
After breakfast, full day city tour of Madurai.
This temple is the city’s main attraction. This temple is nearly 2000 years old placed in the heart of the old town – a splendid example of Dravidian architecture. A striking feature of the temple is the astonishing structures know as “Ayiramkaal Mandapam” or the Hall of Thousand Pillars and each pillar features high, ornate, bold sculptures that look life like. The present temple was designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha Nayak and subsequently built during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak. There are four entrances to the temple with an area of six hectares. Each of its 12 towers has the height of 45 to 50 meters.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 09 Madurai – Mumbai (By Flight)
After breakfast, transfer to airport for flight to Mumbai.
On arrival, city tour of Mumbai.
Visit Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Haji Ali, Marine Drive, Victoria Terminus and Colaba Causeway.
Overnight in Mumbai.
Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) is a densely populated city on India’s west coast. A financial center, it’s India’s largest city. On the Mumbai Harbour waterfront stands the iconic Gateway of India stone arch, built by the British Raj in 1924. Offshore, nearby Elephanta Island holds ancient cave temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. The city’s also famous as the heart of the Bollywood film industry.
Day 10 Mumbai
After breakfast, full day city tour of Mumbai.
Visit Elephanta Islands, Gateway of India, Gandhi Museum (Mani Bhawan), Dhobhi Ghat.
Overnight in Mumbai.
Day 11 Depart Mumbai (By Flight)
Departure transfer to Mumbai airport for flight to onward destination.
| City | Night (s) | 5* Hotels |
| Chennai | 01 | The Accord Metropolitan |
| Mahabalipuram | 02 | Chariot Beach Resort |
| Pondicherry | 01 | The Promenade |
| Tanjore | 01 | Svatma Hotel |
| Chettinadu | 01 | Chettinadu Mansion |
| Madurai | 02 | Heritage Madurai |
| Mumbai | 02 | Sun N Sand |
– Welcome with fresh flower garlands.
– Meet assist at the airport and hotels.
– 10 nights hotel accommodation as per the program.
– Daily breakfast and dinners.
– Entrance fees to the monuments.
– Visit the major tourist attractions of Chennai including the Fort St. George, St. Thomas Mount, San Thome Cathedral, Kapaleeswar Temple and the National Art Gallery
– Excursion to Marina beach
– Guided tour tothe major Kanchipuram tourist attractions include visits to the Kailasanthar Temple, Ekambareshwarar Temple, The Vardarajanperumal Temple and the Sakkiswarar Temple.
– visit the major tourist attractions like the Shore and the Five Ratha temples, Arjuna’s Penance and the Tiger caves in Mahabalipuram
– Explore the Aurbindo Ashram and Auroville, at Pondicherry
– Guided city tour of Tanjore including major tourist destinations like the Vijayanagar Fort, Shiva Ganga Garden, Brahadeshwara temple and the Chandra Bagawan Temple.
– Local English / French / German / Italian / Spanish / Chinese / Russian speaking guide.
– Madurai – Mumbai economy class air ticket.
– All transfers, sightseeing, excursions by private AC vehicle.
– All taxes.
– Tips
– International Air Fare
– Visa Fees
– Travel Insurance
– Personal expenses and drinks.
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.