South India Dravidian Temples

Arrive in Hyderabad by flight, where we meet you at the airport for assistance and a private transfer to your hotel. Hotel check-in and check-out are at 12:00 – early check-in is subject to availability. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and settle in. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Hyderabad – a city with over 400 years of history, lively bazaars and impressive Islamic monuments. We begin at Golconda Fort, once the seat of the Qutub Shahi rulers and renowned for the region’s historic diamond mines associated with the Kohinoor, then continue to the Qutub Shahi Tombs, a serene necropolis noted for its architectural grandeur. In the Old City we visit Charminar, built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, and nearby Mecca Masjid – one of Hyderabad’s largest mosques. We also tour Chowmahalla Palace – closed on Fridays – the former seat of the Asaf Jahi Nizams; Purani Haveli – closed on Fridays – known for its extraordinary long wooden wardrobe; and the Salar Jung Museum – closed on Fridays – famed for its vast collection dating back to the first century. Later, we head to Birla Mandir, a white marble temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, and take in the views around Hussain Sagar Lake, which links Hyderabad and Secunderabad.The rest of the day is free for you to relax. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we drive 260 kilometres – around 5 hours – from Hyderabad to Gulbarga via Bidar, pausing to explore Bidar’s highlights. At Bidar Fort – rebuilt by Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali of the Bahmani dynasty – we take in its Persian‑influenced design, seven gateways, triple moat and long walls punctuated by 37 bastions.We continue to the 15th–century Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, once a renowned Islamic university, and the Bahmani Tombs, noted for their grand domes and arches, including the popular tomb of Ahmad Shah Wali. We also visit Rangeen Mahal, admired for its glazed tile work, mother–of–pearl inlay and intricately carved wooden pillars.At Narasimha Jhira, you may choose to wade waist–deep through a 300–metre cave stream to reach the shrine of Lord Narasimha. We also stop at Guru Nanak Jhira, an important Sikh pilgrimage site where a natural spring is believed to have originated during Guru Nanak’s visit.After sightseeing, we continue to Gulbarga and check in at the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast we explore Gulbarga, beginning at the imposing Gulbarga Fort – a legacy of the Bahmani era. Originally built by Raja Gulchand and later strengthened by Allah‑ud‑din Bahmani with 15 towers, a surrounding canal and 26 guns – including one around 8 metres long – the fort reflects thoughtful military planning and robust architecture. We continue to the Jama Masjid in Gulbarga City, renowned for its sweeping arches – its interiors echo those of Hyderabad’s Spanish Mosque, both recalling the Great Cathedral–Mosque of Córdoba. We then visit the Dargah of Hazrath Khaja Bandanawaz, a revered Chishti Sufi saint known for advocating harmony and tolerance. Later we drive to Bijapur – about 170 km, approximately 3 hours – and check in to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Bijapur – Badami (120 km – around 3 hours) After breakfast, we set out on a city tour of Bijapur, exploring Adil Shahi–era monuments at the Bijapur Fort. We continue to Asar Mahal, built by Muhammad Adil Shah in the 1640s as a hall of justice and believed to enshrine a hair relic of the Prophet, then to Bara Kaman, the unfinished mausoleum of Ali Adil Shah II where only two of the intended twelve intersecting arches were raised. We admire the vast Gol Gumbaz – famed for its 124‑foot‑diameter dome, second in size only to St Peter’s in Rome – with minarets that serve as staircases, and visit Jama Masjid, noted for its elegant twin minarets with pigeonhole detailing and bulbous domes. We also see the colossal Malik–e–Maidan cannon, known as the Ruler of the Plains, and Ibrahim Rouza, where a mosque and tomb share a serene square enclosure with a tank, fountain, finely carved arches and a petalled dome. Later in the afternoon, we drive to Badami and check in at the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

BadamiBreakfast at the hotel, then we set out to explore Badami, the early Chalukya capital from the 6th to 8th centuries. We visit the Badami Cave Temples, outstanding examples of rock cut architecture, and the hilltop Badami Fort, noted for its Chalukya and Pallava era history. We also stop at the open air museum area, where experimental rock cut steps, caves and unfinished idols are preserved.We continue to the Pattadakal temple complex on the west bank of the Malaprabha River – a UNESCO World Heritage site of 7th–8th century Chalukya Hindu and Jain temples. While most shrines are dedicated to Shiva, the friezes also present Vaishnava and Shakta themes, with scenes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana, the Panchatantra and the Kiratarjuniya. The Papanatha and Virupaksha temples display an accomplished fusion of northern and southern styles, and Virupaksha remains an active place of worship.We then visit Aihole’s highlights – the apsidal Durga Temple with its later northern superstructure, Huchamalli Temple with early shrines to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma and a sanctum with a pradakshinapatha and a rekhanagara tower, the hilltop Meguti Jain Temple dated to 634 AD and built without mortar, and the 6th century Ravanapadhi Cave Temple dedicated to Shiva. You have the rest of the day free to relax at the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Badami – Gadag – Lakkundi – Hampi (180 kilometres – approximately 4 hours). After breakfast, we drive to Hampi, stopping en route in Gadag to visit the Trikuteshwara Temple – a Shiva shrine distinguished by three lingas mounted on a single stone and a shrine to Saraswathi set among carved columns. We then continue to Lakkundi to explore its cluster of ruined temples, including Mallikarjuna, Virabhadra, Manikeshwara, Nanneshwara, Lakshminarayana, Someshwara and Nilakanteshwara. On arrival in Hampi, we check in to the hotel – the rest of the day is free for you to relax. Overnight in Hampi.

After breakfast we set out on a full day exploring Hampi. We begin at the Royal Enclosures – an open–air area that offers a clear picture of courtly life under the Vijayanagara rulers and the scale of destruction after their decline – and the Hazara Rama Temple, known for bas–relief panels depicting episodes from the Ramayana. We then see the King’s Balance – a five metres tall stone arch with three loops where a ceremonial balance once hung – the Mahanavami Dibba, the tallest structure in the Royal Enclosure built by Krishnadevaraya after his victory at Udayagiri, and the striking monolithic statue of Ugra Narasimha carved from a single block of stone.We continue to Virupaksha Temple – still an active place of worship – before visiting the Vithala Temple Complex on the southern bank of the Tungabhadra River, renowned for its intricate carvings and Dravidian architecture. We also take in the elegant Lotus Mahal within the Zenana Enclosure.You have time free afterwards to relax at your hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we drive from Hampi to Hubli airport – 170 km, about 4 hours – and fly to Chennai. On arrival, we provide assistance and transfer to your hotel for check-in. Later, we set out on 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 – the Kapaleeshwarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, the beautifully landscaped Semmozhi Poonga, Dakshina Chitra living history museum, and the Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Temple dating to the 8th century and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. We end the day with a walk along Marina Beach. Overnight at hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive from Chennai to Mahabalipuram via Kanchipuram – the City of a Thousand Temples – around 120 km and 3 hours. In Kanchipuram, we visit Kailasanathar Temple, an 8th century shrine to Lord Shiva noted for its architecture and sculptures, with 58 small shrines encircling the main sanctum. We continue to Ekambareswarar Temple, another ancient Shiva temple, where the 2,500–year–old mango tree has four branches, each yielding a different variety of mango. We also visit Varadharaja Temple, known for its fine sculptures; Vaikundhaperumal Temple, one of the 108 Divyadesams dedicated to Lord Vishnu; and Kamakshiamman Temple, dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi and revered as a Shakti worship site. You may also choose to visit local handloom workshops – Kanchipuram is famous for its silk sarees, a main profession for many residents.We continue to Mahabalipuram and check in at the hotel. Later, we explore the monolithic temples known as the Rathas, chiselled from single boulders, and the Shore Temple, a 7th century granite complex with two Shiva shrines and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu – one of South India’s oldest structural stone temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. We also visit the Cave Temples, carved and panelled in the Mamalla style of the 7th century Pallava period, where traces suggest they were once plastered and painted, and see Krishna’s Butterball, a huge granite boulder poised on a gentle slope. The rest of the day is free for you to relax. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we drive 120 km – around 3 hours – to Pondicherry and check in to the hotel. In the afternoon, we visit Auroville, founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa as a town where people from around the world can live in harmony, with the Matrimandir as its focal point. We continue to the Pondicherry Museum, noted for its fine Chola period lost wax bronzes – the collection includes 81 Chola bronze sculptures. We then take a guided walk through the French Quarter, where French architecture blends with Tamil influences; you can tailor 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, with time for a coffee and desserts along the way. In the evening, you can relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive from Pondicherry to Thanjore – about 180 km and around four hours in total – with key temple visits en route. We stop at Chidambaram to visit the Nataraja Temple, dedicated to Shiva in his dancing form. We continue to Gangaikonda Cholapuram to see the temple complex with its Nandi Mandapa, Alankar Mandapa, Maha Mandapa, Mukha Mandapa and Ardha Mandapa. Further on, we visit Darasuram Temple, noted as a storehouse of art and architecture with exquisite stone carvings. We then reach Thanjore and check in at the hotel – overnight in Thanjore.

After breakfast in Thanjore, we visit the UNESCO‑listed Brihadeshwara Temple and Fort – a 10th‑century Chola masterpiece – and the Thanjavur Palace complex, including the Art Gallery and the Saraswathi Mahal Library, which preserves around 30,000 palm‑leaf and paper manuscripts in Indian and European languages. We then drive to Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) to explore Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple – famed for its 22 gopurams, including India’s tallest at 72 metres and 13 storeys – the Rock Fort Temple rising 83 metres on an ancient outcrop regarded as one of the oldest rocks in the world, and the Jambukeshwara Temple at Tiruvanaikkaval with its five concentric walls and seven gopurams. Afterwards we continue to Chettinad – today’s total drive is around 140 kilometres, taking about 3 hours – and check in at the hotel. You are free to relax for the rest of the day. Overnight in Chettinad.

Chettinad – Madurai (90 km – around 2 hours) After breakfast, we explore Chettinad, renowned for its 19th‑century mansions with wide courtyards and grand halls finished in karai limestone. Many were fitted out with imported materials – Italian marble, Burmese teak, European crystal and Belgian mirrors – reflecting the fortunes of Chettiar traders active across Burma, Malaysia and Singapore. An estimated 11,000 mansions still stand, about half the number from a century ago, with many maintained by caretakers for family occasions such as weddings and the Pongal harvest festival. We visit selected homes open to visitors, including Chettinad Mansions and Chettinad Palace, and call at key temples such as Vairavan Kovil, Karpaga Vinayakar, Kundrakudi Murugan and Kottaiyur Sivan. In the afternoon we drive to Madurai and check in to the hotel. Overnight in Madurai.

After breakfast, we explore Madurai, beginning at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – one of India’s largest temple complexes, built between the 16th and 18th centuries and known for its intricate sculpture, continuous ceremonies and bustling market stalls. We continue to Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple and Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple, then visit the Tirumal Nayak Palace, noted for its decorative design and an enormous roofed arcade supported by stone pillars rising to 48 feet. We also attend the Aarti at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Later in the afternoon we transfer to the airport to board the flight to Hyderabad. On arrival, we are met and driven to the hotel – overnight in Hyderabad.

After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer you to Hyderabad airport in time for your onward flight – your journey concludes here.