Best of Southern India

Day 1  Cochin
Arrive in Cochin and explore the city at your leisure.

Day 2  Cochin to Kalpetta
This morning take a train to Kozhikode then drive through rolling hills covered with tea plantations to Kalpetta.

Day 3  Kalpetta
Spend today at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary where you may spot bison and elephants. Later, visit the Edakkal Caves, believed to have been a shelter used by Neolithic people.  

Days 4-5  Kalpetta to Mysore
Continue to historic Mysore and imagine life as a maharaja on a guided tour including the fascinating Chamundeshwari Temple and Mysore Palace.  

Days 6-7  Mysore to Mahabalipuram
Travel to Chennai by train before continuing by road to the small town of Mahabalipuram, site of the spectacular 7th Century Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend day 7 exploring the town’s remarkable monuments by bicycle or on foot. Why not take a sunset walk along the beach?  

Day 8  Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry
Set off for Pondicherry, formerly a French colony and an important trading town. Admire the historic architecture while strolling the elegant boulevards.

Day 9  Pondicherry to Madurai
Travel by road to the town of Madurai, home to many striking temples and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.  

Day 10  Madurai
Enjoy an early morning rickshaw tour of Madurai, passing by fruit and vegetable markets and stopping at the famous Meenakshi Amman temple.

Day 11  Madurai to Thekkady
Continue to the spice capital of India for a tour of the plantations and tea factory.

Day 12  Thekkady to Backwaters
Travel through Kerala’s backwaters to a village homestay on a small island. Explore the island and observe local life with a chance to meet and talk with the people that live here. Admire the sunset on a peaceful boat ride this evening.

Days 13-14  Backwaters to Cochin
Spend the morning with a local family who will teach you how to cook traditional food or simply explore more of life on the backwaters. Later, board a boat and cruise through sleepy canals before enjoying a traditional lunch prepared by women of the Planeterra Theruvarom Empowerment Project. Afterwards return to Cochin where your tour concludes on the morning of day 14.