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South India
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£5,695
Summary
Southern India offers travellers an eclectic mix of rich cultural heritage, magnificent architecture and a long and colourful history of interwoven dynasties and empires. Covering the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka we visit some of the great historic and cultural monuments of India, from the 7th century Pallava to the rock-cut cave temples of Mahabalipuram.
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Full Price
£5,695
Today's Price
£5,295
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£400
Benefit from this limited time offer:
- Pay a low deposit of £99, was £500.
Single supplement: £895
Includes flights
Meet your Experts
Shagufta Siddhi
Guide Lecturer
Currently pursuing a PhD in Indian education, Shagufta previously worked at the Smithsonian Institute as an assistant to the exhibition curator. She has led several groups sharing her expertise of the archaeological sites across India.
Your itinerary
Day 1 - London - Chennai
We take an overnight flight from London to Chennai.
Day 2 - Chennai
Upon arrival in Chennai, we take time to rest at our hotel before spending the afternoon visiting the city’s historical sites. We visit the 17th century Fort St. George, including St. Mary’s, the first church consecrated on Indian soil. We also view the excellent bronzes in the National Art Gallery and the sculptures and architecture in the Government Museum.
| Hotel | Taj Club House, Chennai |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Dinner |
Day 3 - Mahabalipuram
We drive south to Pondicherry today, stopping at the deserted town of Mahabalipuram. This site consists of a tiny coastal village dwarfed by an open-air museum of sculpture in living rock. We visit the world’s largest bas-relief, Arjuna’s Penance, also known as ‘Descent of the Ganges’ and the Shore Temple, which has stood by the sea for 12 centuries.
| Hotel | Le Pondy Beach Resort, Pondicherry |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 4 - Puducherry
Today is spent in the French colonial town of Puducherry. 18th and 19th century churches can be found in the French Quarter along with European style architecture at every turn. We also have the chance to explore the Tamil Quarter, originally the native Tamil town, which was developed around a group of temples.
| Hotel | Le Pondy Beach Resort, Pondicherry |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 5 - Puducherry – Thanjavur
En route to Thanjavur, we stop at Chidambaram, also known at Thillai, and Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple. We find the famous Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram. Dedicated to Lord Nataraja, this ancient temple of the Cholas is not only devoted to the art of Bharatanatyam, but also it is a rare temple where Shiva is represented by an idol rather than the customary lingam.
| Hotel | Svatma Hotel, Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 6 - Thanjavur
This morning we visit the Brahadeeswarar Temple. Thanjavur is well-known throughout the world for being the home of this magnificent palace, as well as Rajah Serfoji’s Saraswathi Mahal Library, Art Gallery and its exquisite handicrafts like the Art Plate, pith work, bronze icons, Thanjavur paintings, and the classical South Indian musical instruments. This afternoon will be free to visit the other sites that Thanjavur has to offer.
| Hotel | Svatma Hotel, Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 7 - Thanjavur – Madurai
Our day begins with a visit to the Rockfort Temple in Trichy, en route to Madurai. The cave temple, cut out at the pinnacle, is believed to have been built in AD 580. After stopping for a traditional Chettinad lunch at Chettinad Mansion, we continue our journey to Madurai. This evening we visit Meenakshi temple and witness the temple closing ceremony.
| Hotel | Heritage Hotel, Madurai |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 8 - Madurai – Hyderabad
An early start this morning will allow us to visit the flower market in Madurai. Afterwards, we visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace, before our transfer to Madurai airport to board our afternoon flight to Hyderabad.
| Hotel | Taj Deccan, Hyderabad |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 9 - Hyderabad
We spend a full day today visiting the sites of the Nizam city of Hyderabad. Spread across 12 acres, Chowmahalla Palace is known for the grandeur of Nizams and comprises several buildings and courtyards. Next is the famous structure of Charminar, built in AD 1591 by the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. We also visit the Qutb Shahi Tombs and Golconda Fort.
| Hotel | Taj Deccan, Hyderabad |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 10 - Hyderabad - Hampi
We fly from Hyderabad to Vidhyanagar this morning and, on arrival, we transfer to Hampi. This evening we will soak up the atmosphere at an aarti ceremony at Virupaksha Temple.
| Hotel | Evolve Back, Hampi |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 11 - Hampi
Today we explore the medieval city of Hampi, once the significant capital of the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire that ruled most of southern India from the 14th to 16th centuries. Looking out at the sea of statues, sculptures and carvings gives a feeling of a fading era as this site was largely forgotten until the mid- 19th century. We view the remnants of Virupaksha Vittala and the remarkable carvings on display in the Ramchandra Temples.
| Hotel | Evolve Back, Hampi |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 12 - Hampi - Badami
Our journey today takes us to Badami via two ancient sites. Aihole, the ancient capital of the Chalukya Dynasty, has more than 70 temples dedicated to various deities of the Hindu pantheon. Next, we visit Pattadakal, a cluster of Hindu and Jain temples that are delicately chiselled and rich in detail. This is where the Chalukyan kings were crowned.
| Hotel | Hotel Badami Court, Karnataka |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 13 - Badami - Mumbai
We start our day visiting the Badami caves. The temples and gateways have been carved out of the natural gorge and lead to the hill city of Badami. One of the caves holds the only Jain Temple in Badami. Later, we drive to Hubli airport, where we board our flight to Mumbai.
| Hotel | Taj President, Mumbai |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 14 - Mumbai
Today we visit the island of Elephanta. The cave temples here were excavated between the 5th
and 8th centuries AD and are famous for their magnificently sculpted panels. We then visit the UNESCO World Heritage Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus this afternoon. This remarkable train station, formerly Victoria Terminus, is an ideal example of Victorian, Gothic Revival architecture. We will also see Mumbai’s beautiful Art Deco buildings.
| Hotel | Taj President, Mumbai |
|---|---|
| Meals included | All meals included |
Day 15 - Mumbai - London
We depart Mumbai and catch our included return flight back to London.
| Meals included | Breakfast |
|---|
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Professional Tour Manager
- Local travel aboard a private air-conditioned coach
- Meals as per the itinerary, tea or coffee with dinner
- Accommodation
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
- All taxes & gratuities
- Field notes
- Internal flights
| Tour Departure | Tour ID | Departure date | Return Date | Guided by | Price | Deposit | Single Supp. | Offer | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 February 2021 | ASIN210204 | 7 February 2021 (Sunday) | 21 February 2021 (Sunday) | Shagufta Siddhi | £5,695 (inc. flights) |
£99 |
£895 |
£5,295 save £400 |
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