South India Hills & Temples
New
Begin in Bangalore and loop through Tamil Nadu and the Nilgiris on this 12 day journey, returning to Bangalore. You'll explore sculpted temple cities like Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Tanjore and Madurai, and marvel at UNESCO gems in Mahabalipuram and Darasuram. Expect to see colonial touchstones in Chennai and stroll the French influenced streets of Pondicherry, with time for Auroville and coastal sunsets. Discover opulent Chettinad mansions, then ride the Nilgiri Mountain Railway to cool, green Ooty. Round things off in regal Mysore with Chamundi Hills, Somnathpur and nearby Srirangapatna. A varied blend of culture, history and hill scenery – well paced and packed with flavour.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more.
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Tour Overview
Duration
12 daysHotel Rating
3, 4 or 5 star hotelsStarts
BangaloreEnds
BangaloreMinimum Age
No minimum ageMaximum Age
Tours have upper age limits for several reasons, such as but not limited to: tour pace, activity level, and accommodation standards. If you fall outside of this age limit, we do have lots of other tours in India that are suitable for all ages!
Arrival Transfer
YesDeparture Transfer
YesTour Guide
Yes - for included sightseeing.Country
IndiaPassengers
$3,065.00
$1,685.00
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Tour Style
Group Size
Min 1 / Max Private Tour
Trip Type
Private Tours
Range
On this tour, you won't be joined by other travellers, and will just be travelling with your booking party. Some transportation & sightseeing may be shared, check the Inclusions for more information.
Guiding Style
This tour includes scheduled sightseeing with expert guides in key destinations as per the Inclusions, as well as transportation (either with a driver or public transport), plus of course your accommodation. There is no single tour guide or tour leader throughout the trip. You’ll have support where it counts, and more freedom in between. Our cruise tours also fall into this category where you will be looked after by a crew. For more information, check the Inclusions of this tour.
Tour Pace
A balanced pace, with a mix of free time and visits to multiple locations, allowing for both relaxation and exploration. Generally doesn't visit more than one or two destinations per day.
Physical Rating
A moderate amount of walking is required during sightseeing, with some free time, offering a balance between activity and relaxation. As a general rule, you should be able to walk 2-kilometres without stopping.
Tour Guide
Yes - for included sightseeing.Group Size
Min 1 / Max Private TourRange
On this tour, you won't be joined by other travellers, and will just be travelling with your booking party. Some transportation & sightseeing may be shared, check the Inclusions for more information.
Guiding Style
This tour includes scheduled sightseeing with expert guides in key destinations as per the Inclusions, as well as transportation (either with a driver or public transport), plus of course your accommodation. There is no single tour guide or tour leader throughout the trip. You’ll have support where it counts, and more freedom in between. Our cruise tours also fall into this category where you will be looked after by a crew. For more information, check the Inclusions of this tour.
Tour Pace
A balanced pace, with a mix of free time and visits to multiple locations, allowing for both relaxation and exploration. Generally doesn't visit more than one or two destinations per day.
Physical Rating
A moderate amount of walking is required during sightseeing, with some free time, offering a balance between activity and relaxation. As a general rule, you should be able to walk 2-kilometres without stopping.
Trip Type
Private ToursPlaces You'll See
Bengaluru
Bangalore
Bangalore Division
Vellore
Kanchipuram
Chennai
Chennai (Madras)
Pondicherry
Chidambaram
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Darasuram
Thanjore
Trichy
Chettinad
Tiruchirappalli
Coimbatore
Madurai
Ooty
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Mysore
Mysuru
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Included
Not Included
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Itinerary
Day 1 - Bangalore
Arrive in Bangalore (Bengaluru). On landing at the airport, we’ll meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Hotel check in is from 12:00 – early check in is subject to availability. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or pursue your own plans. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 - Exploring Bangalore
After breakfast at the hotel, we set out on a city tour of Bangalore. We begin at Lalbagh Botanical Garden, home to over 1,000 species of flora, including a notable collection of tropical plants, trees and herbs. We continue to Bangalore Fort, first built by Kempe Gowda and later expanded by Tipu Sultan – within its walls stands the well preserved Ganapathi Temple from the 16th century. We then visit Tipu’s Summer Palace, originally a mud brick defence built by Kempe Gowda in 1537 and rebuilt by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan in 1791. We also view the government buildings at Vidhana Soudha – a grand granite landmark in the neo Dravidian style that borders Cubbon Park and houses the State Legislature and the Secretariat. Return to the hotel – overnight in Bangalore.
Day 3 - Bangalore to Vellore
After breakfast we drive from Bangalore to Vellore (220 km – approx. 5 hours) and check in at the hotel. Vellore is known for its 16th–century Vellore Fort with imposing granite walls and a surrounding moat; inside, the Jalakandeswarar Temple features ornate sculpture. Nearby, the Government Museum exhibits prehistoric relics and natural history displays. Within the Sripuram spiritual park, the Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple sits at the foot of green hills – the shrine is gilded with 1,500 kg of pure gold, double the 750 kg used on the Golden Temple’s dome in Amritsar. The rest of the day is free – you can relax or explore independently. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4 - Kanchipuram & Chennai
Vellore – Kanchipuram – Chennai (145 kms – 3 hours approx). After breakfast, we drive to Chennai via Kanchipuram, the City of a Thousand Temples. We visit Kailasanathar Temple, an 8th century shrine to Lord Shiva noted for its architecture and sculptures, with 58 small shrines surrounding the main sanctum. We continue to Ekambareswarar Temple, another ancient Shiva temple known for its 2,500 year old mango tree with four branches that yield different varieties. We also visit Varadharaja Temple, Vaikundhaperumal Temple – one of the 108 Divyadesams – and Kamakshiamman Temple, a major Shakti shrine dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi.
We then continue to Chennai and check in at the hotel. Later, we take a city tour, visiting Fort St George and its museum – built by the British East India Company in 1640 and regarded as the first British establishment in India – Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Semmozhi Poonga botanical garden, Dakshina Chitra living history museum, and Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Temple, an 8th century Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. We round off the day with a walk on Marina Beach. Overnight in Chennai.
Day 5 - Mahabalipuram & Pondicherry
Chennai to Pondicherry (160 km – around 3 hours). After breakfast we drive south via Mahabalipuram, where we explore the Monolithic Temples – locally known as the Rathas – carved directly from huge boulders. We visit the 7th‑century Shore Temple, built of granite blocks and comprising two Siva shrines and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu – one of South India’s earliest structural stone temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also see the 7th‑century Cave Temples, decorated in the Mamalla style of the Pallava period, with traces indicating they were once plastered and painted, and pause at Krishna’s Butterball, a colossal boulder poised on a slope.
Continuing to Pondicherry, we check in to the hotel. Later we visit Auroville, founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, with the Matrimandir at its centre, and the Pondicherry Museum, noted for its art and history collections, including 81 Chola bronzes made by the lost‑wax method. We then take a guided walk in the French Quarter – you can customise the route with your guide to include the French Consulate, French Institute, Raj Nivas, Bharati Park (Aayi Monument), Government Square, beaches, monuments, churches and French schools, and you may like to stop for coffee and desserts along the way. The evening is free to relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6 - Pondicherry to Tanjore
After breakfast, we drive from Pondicherry to Tanjore (about 180 km – around 4 hours), visiting key Chola sites en route. We stop at the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, dedicated to Shiva depicted in his dancing form. We continue to the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple to see its series of mandapas – Nandi, Alankar, Maha, Mukha and Ardha. We then visit the Darasuram temple, noted for its fine stone carvings and craftsmanship. We arrive in Tanjore and check in at the hotel for the night.
Day 7 - Exploring Tanjore & Journey to Trichy & Chettinad
After breakfast, we explore Tanjore’s Brihadeshwara Temple and Fort, a Chola masterpiece from the 10th century and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We continue to the Tanjore Palace complex to see the Art Gallery and the Saraswathi Mahal Library, which preserves more than 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in Indian and European languages.
We then drive to Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) to visit the vast Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple – famed for its 22 gopurams, including India’s tallest at 72 metres and 13 storeys – before heading to the Rock Fort Temple, set atop an outcrop rising 83 metres and regarded as older than the Himalayas. We also visit Tiruvanaikkaval’s Jambukeshwara Temple, dedicated to Shiva, with its five concentric walls and seven gopurams.
Later we continue to Chettinad for hotel check in. The rest of the day is at leisure – you can relax after the day’s touring. Total driving today is around 140 km – approximately 3 hours. Overnight in Chettinad.
Day 8 - Chettinad to Madurai
Chettinad to Madurai – 90 km – around 2 hours. After breakfast we explore Chettinad, renowned for its 19th‑century mansions with wide courtyards and spacious rooms finished with Italian marble and Burmese teak. Many materials and furnishings were imported – chandeliers from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and mirrors from Belgium – and the houses often used a local limestone called karai. It is estimated that around 11,000 mansions remain – about half the number from a century ago – many kept by caretakers and opened on special occasions such as weddings and Pongal. We visit a selection of residences open to visitors, including Chettinad Mansions and Chettinad Palace, and several temples such as Vairavan Kovil, Karpaga Vinayakar, Kundrakudi Murugan and Kottaiyur Sivan.
In the afternoon we drive to Madurai and check in at the hotel. In the evening we visit the Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple to attend the aarti, observing the temple’s evening rituals and ceremonies. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 - Madurai to Coimbatore
After breakfast, we set out on a city tour of Madurai, visiting the Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple – one of India’s largest temple complexes, built between the 16th and 18th centuries and home to an estimated 33 million sculptures. The temple’s ceaseless ceremonies, devoted pilgrims and lively market stalls make it a compelling place to explore. We continue to Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple – one of the Six Abodes of Murugan – carved in rock-cut architecture by the Pandyas in the 6th century, and then visit the highly decorative Tirumal Nayak’s Palace, known for its enormous roofed arcade supported by pillars 48 feet high.
In the afternoon we drive to Coimbatore – about 220 km, taking roughly five hours – and check in at the hotel for the night.
Day 10 - Ooty & Coonoor
After breakfast at the hotel in Coimbatore, we visit the colourful, intricately carved Arulmigu Subramaniyaswami Temple and the Gass Forest Museum, which houses an extensive collection of preserved fauna and notable timber specimens. We then drive to Ooty – a scenic 85 km, around 2 hours – and check in. In the afternoon, we take a ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as it winds through hillside scenery to the nearby town of Coonoor, where we explore the town and visit the well‑maintained botanical gardens, home to over 1,000 varieties of plants, shrubs and trees. Return to Ooty for the night.
Day 11 - Ooty to Mysore
After breakfast, we drive 210 kilometres – around 5 hours – from Ooty to Mysore and check in to the hotel. In the afternoon, we tour the city, visiting Chamundi Hills, the Chamundeswari Temple and the Nandi Bull, then explore the City Palace, rebuilt in 1897 by Henry Irwin in an Indo–Saracenic style and noted for its wall paintings, stained glass and ornamented doors. We also make an excursion to Somnathpur to see the Keshava Vishnu temple, then continue to Srirangapatnam, where Tipu Sultan was killed in battle against an East India Company army that included Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 - Mysore to Bangalore
After breakfast, we drive from Mysore to Bangalore – around 140 km, approximately 3 hours – and transfer you to the airport to board your onward flight.
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Extras and add-ons
If you'd like to add extras or add-ons to your booking, you can do this easily during checkout. Just review the available options and select any additional services or upgrades you'd like before completing your purchase.
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Hotels
The hotels listed below are examples which we frequently use on this tour. Alternative hotels of a similar standard may be used instead.
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Prices & Dates
The prices you see below are a guide, with final prices per person being determined by the number of travellers in your booking party, desired hotel standard and the rooming arrangements required. To see an accurate price, please click "Book Dates" and enter the details for your booking party.
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