Golden Triangle & South India Temples
New
Start in Delhi and finish in Delhi on this 13 day journey mixing Mughal marvels with South Indian splendour. In the capital, you’ll explore Old and New Delhi – think Red Fort, Chandni Chowk rickshaws, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutub Minar. Continue to Agra for the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, then to Jaipur’s Amber Fort and bazaars via Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri’s stepwell. Fly south to Chennai and the Coromandel Coast – visit Mahabalipuram’s Shore Temple, Kanchipuram and French influenced Pondicherry. Travel through the Chola heartland at Chidambaram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram, see Srirangam in Trichy, and witness evening Aarti at Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more.
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Tour Overview
Duration
13 daysHotel Rating
3, 4 or 5 star hotelsStarts
DelhiEnds
DelhiMinimum 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
$5,925.00
$3,203.00
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
New Delhi
Delhi
Agra
Jaipur
Fatehpur Sikri
Abhaneri
Chennai
Chennai (Madras)
Kanchipuram
Mahabalipuram
Pondicherry
Tiruvannamalai
Chidambaram
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Darasuram
Thanjore
Thanjavur
Tiruchirappalli
Trichy
Madurai
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Included
Not Included
Accommodation Standard
Prices
Itinerary
Day 1 - Delhi
Arrive in Delhi. On landing at Delhi airport, we meet you and provide assistance before a transfer to your hotel. Hotel check in is from 12:00 – early check in is subject to room availability. The remainder of the day is free to relax and attend to your own plans. You may choose to go out for dinner with your driver. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2 - Exploring Delhi
After breakfast at the hotel, we set out on a full day tour of Delhi, taking in the highlights of Old and New Delhi. In Old Delhi, we visit the Red Fort – home of the Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years until 1857 – and Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in the world, built by Shah Jahan. We take a cycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk and Khari Baoli Spice Market, a bustling area of spices, dried fruit, silver jewellery and colourful saris, with narrow lanes lined by tiny shops selling essential oils, stationery and traditional Indian sweets. We also visit Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi at his cremation site.
In New Delhi, we visit Humayun’s Tomb – the subcontinent’s first garden tomb, commissioned by Empress Bega Begum in 1569–70 – and Qutab Minar, a 73 metres tall minaret within the Qutb complex noted as a fine example of Afghan architecture. We stop at the Lotus Temple, a Bahá’í House of Worship, notable for its flowerlike design and open to all. We then drive along the ceremonial avenues, passing the President’s House, Parliament and India Gate, before returning to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3 - Agra & The Taj Mahal
After breakfast, we drive from Delhi to Agra – 210 kilometres, around 4 hours – and check in to the hotel. In the afternoon we tour the city, visiting the Taj Mahal – the ivory white marble mausoleum on the Yamuna commissioned in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan for Mumtaz Mahal and also the site of his own tomb – Agra Fort, the principal Mughal residence until 1638 – and the Tomb of Itmad–ud–Daula, commissioned by Nur Jahan for her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4 - Fatehpur Sikri & Jaipur
After breakfast, we drive from Agra to Jaipur (245 km – around 5 hours) via Fatehpur Sikri and Abhaneri. At Fatehpur Sikri – founded in 1569 by Mughal emperor Akbar and abandoned after about 15 years due to water scarcity – we explore its red sandstone architecture that blends Hindu and Muslim styles, including Diwan‑E‑Khas, Jodha Bais Palace, Jama Masjid, the Tomb of Salim Chisti, Panch Mahal and Buland Darwaza. We continue to Abhaneri to see Chand Baori – one of India’s deepest and largest stepwells – and the nearby Harshat Mata Temple.
We then continue to Jaipur and check in at the hotel. In the evening we explore the Pink City’s colourful bazaars. You can also visit Albert Hall Museum, which displays metalwork, woodcraft, carpets, stone and metal sculptures, arms and weapons, natural stones and ivory, along with miniature paintings from the Bundi, Kota, Kishangarh, Udaipur and Jaipur schools. If you wish, round off the day with a Bollywood film at the opulent Rajmandir Cinema. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5 - Exploring Jaipur & Amber Fort
After breakfast, we begin our city tour of Jaipur, India’s first planned city. Established in 1727 by Jai Singh II, the king of Amber, it was laid out by architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya using Vastu Shastra after the capital shifted from Amber due to a growing population and water scarcity. In 1876 the city was painted pink – a colour associated with hospitality – to welcome the Prince of Wales, and it still rises against the backdrop of Nahargarh, Jaigarh and Garh Ganesh Temple.
Later, we visit Amber Fort, followed by Jaigarh Fort and Sisodia Rani Garden. In the afternoon we tour the City Palace, the Observatory and Hawa Mahal, then we explore the famous bazaars of the Pink City. In the evening we attend the aarti ceremony at Birla Temple. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6 - Fly to Chennai
Jaipur – Chennai (flight) After breakfast, we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Chennai. On arrival, we meet you and transfer to your hotel, then set out on a city tour. We explore Fort St George and its museum – built by the British East India Company in 1640 and regarded as the first British stronghold in India. We continue to Kapaleeshwarar Temple, then to Semmozhi Poonga, a landscaped botanical garden created by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department, known for rare plants and an artificial pond. We visit Dakshina Chitra, a living history museum dedicated to South Indian heritage and culture, founded and managed by the Madras Craft Foundation since 1996. We also see Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathy Temple, a Vaishnavite shrine dating to the 8th century in Thiruvallikeni.
In the evening, you can take a leisurely walk along Marina Beach. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7 - Kanchipuram & Mahabalipuram
After breakfast we drive from Chennai to Mahabalipuram via Kanchipuram – a journey of around 120 km taking approximately 3 hours. En route we explore Kanchipuram, the City of a Thousand Temples and renowned Silk City. We visit Kailasanathar Temple, an 8th century shrine to Lord Shiva noted for its sandstone architecture, fine sculptures and the ring of 58 small shrines around the sanctum. We continue to Ekambareswarar Temple, dedicated to Shiva and home to a 2,500‑year‑old mango tree with four branches said to yield different varieties. We then see Varadharaja Perumal Temple, one of the 108 sacred Vaishnavite temples famed for its sculpture, followed by Vaikundhaperumal Temple, also counted among the 108 Divyadesams. We conclude at Kamakshiamman Temple, dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi and closely associated with Adi Shankaracharya.
We continue to Mahabalipuram and check in at the hotel. Later we explore the celebrated monuments of Mahabalipuram. We visit the monolithic temples – locally known as rathas – carved top to bottom from single boulders, including the Five Rathas together with Ganesha Ratha, Valayankuttai Ratha and Pidari Rathas. We then admire the Shore Temple, built of granite in the 7th century under King Narasimha Varman II Rajasimha – one of South India’s earliest structural stone temples and part of the UNESCO‑listed Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram – housing two Shiva shrines and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. We continue through the rock‑cut cave temples decorated in the Pallava Mamalla style, and finish at Krishna’s Butterball, a striking granite boulder poised on a short incline. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 8 - Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry
After breakfast, we drive from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry – about 120 km, approximately 3 hours – and check in to the hotel. In the afternoon, we explore Auroville, the experimental township founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, including the Matrimandir, a spherical temple clad in golden discs, the Auroville Botanical Gardens that conserve the region’s tropical dry evergreen forest, and Auroville Beach. Back in town, we visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, established in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, followed by the Pondicherry Museum, noted for its Chola-period lost-wax bronzes, including 81 Chola bronze sculptures. We then take a guided walk through the French quarter to see colonial-era architecture – 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, and you may wish to pause for coffee and desserts en route. In the evening, you can relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 - Chidambaram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple & Tanjore
After breakfast, we drive 180 kilometres – around four hours – from Pondicherry to Tanjore, visiting key Chola landmarks en route. Our first stop is Chidambaram’s Nataraja Temple, dedicated to Shiva as the cosmic dancer. Set in the heart of town, it saw major works under Chola and Pallava rulers – parts were rebuilt in 1213 AD by Aragalur Udaya Iraratevan Ponparappinan. We explore its gopurams, carvings, five mandapams and inscriptions, along with the Sivagangai tank and the four tall shikharas carved with the 108 dance postures of the Natya Shastra.
We continue to Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple to appreciate its geometric planning – square mandapas, sanctum and tower elements that echo the grand Brihadisvara Temple in Tanjore. Our final visit is Darasuram’s Airavateshwarar Temple, noted for its 85–foot vimana, chariot–shaped front mandapam and intricate stonework, with the Periya Nayaki Amman shrine adjacent.
We then drive on to Tanjore and check in at the hotel for the night.
Day 10 - Exploring Tanjore & Transfer to Trichy
After breakfast in Tanjore, we visit the Brihadeshwara Temple and Fort, a masterpiece of Chola architecture from the 10th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple’s dome rises to 63 metres, and its apex is said to be carved from a single block of granite weighing about 81 tonnes. We then explore Tanjore Palace and Museum, begun by the Nayakas around 1550 and later expanded by the Marathas. Highlights include the art gallery in the Nayak Durbar Hall, noted for superb Chola bronzes from the 9th to 12th centuries, as well as the adjacent Saraswathi Mahal Library, which preserves more than 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in Indian and European languages, plus a hall of music and further granite and bronze sculptures from the Chola period.
After sightseeing, we drive to Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) – 60 km, about 1 hour 20 minutes – and check in to the hotel. You have the rest of the day free to relax. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 11 - Trichy & Madurai
Trichy – Madurai (135 km – approx. 3 hours). After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Trichy. At Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, we take in its 22 gopurams, including India’s tallest at 72 metres with 13 storeys, and note contributions from the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagar rulers, as well as ivory sculptures of Lord Vishnu and images of Nayak kings with their consorts from the 17th century. We continue to the Rock Fort Temple, the city’s landmark outcrop and one of the oldest rock formations in the world, older than the Himalayas. From the hilltop Uchipillaiyar Koil dedicated to Lord Vinayaka there is a wide view over Tiruchirappalli. A flight of steps leads to the Thayumanaswami Temple, where the lingam is a projection of the rock itself; below sit two Pallava cave temples with fine 6th and 7th century sculptures. At the base are a tank and pavilion used during the temples’ float festival. The hillock is said to be around 230 crore years old, and contains quartz and feldspar. We also visit Tiruvanaikkaval’s Jambukeshwarar Temple, dedicated to Shiva, noted for its five concentric walls and seven gopurams and the site where an elephant is said to have worshipped under the sacred jambu tree.
After sightseeing, we drive to Madurai and check in at the hotel. Later, we tour the city, visiting the Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple – one of India’s largest temple complexes, built between the 16th and 18th centuries and alive with ceremonies and market stalls. We continue to Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple and Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple, and also visit the Tirumal Nayak’s Palace, known for its richly decorated halls and a vast roofed arcade supported by stone pillars 48 feet high. In the evening, we return to Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple to attend the aarti. Overnight in Madurai.
Day 12 - Fly to Delhi
After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Delhi, with timings arranged to suit your schedule. On arrival, we’ll be there to assist and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure – you can relax or ask your driver to take you to places that interest you.
Day 13 - Delhi
After breakfast, we transfer you to Delhi airport in line with your flight schedule. Standard hotel check-out is at 12:00 – we’ll time your pick-up accordingly for your onward destination.
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Extras and add-ons
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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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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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