Kerala & India's Beautiful South with Two-night Mahabalipuram Beach Extension

Fly overnight to Bangalore.

Your tour manager will meet you as you arrive in Bangalore, and our coach will transfer to your welcoming hotel in this thriving city where modern developments surround the colonial remnants, parks, and green spaces of what was once known as the Garden City. Enjoy the chance to rest and relax before your first dinner at the hotel.

This morning’s tour begins with a short journey to an ornate temple atop the Chamundi Hills before returning to take in Mysore’s spectacular, domed Maharaja’s Palace. This fusion of architectural styles has a striking interior whose highlight is the magnificent royal wedding hall. You’ll also see the Jaganmohan Palace, with its collection of Indian paintings and carvings, and visit the Railway Museum.

This afternoon, re-board the coach for another short journey, this time to Somnathpur, where the Keshava Vishnu temple is one of the finest examples of the intricate style favoured by the region’s 13th-century Hoysala rulers. Return to Mysore, to take in the extraordinary sight of the illuminated Maharaja’s Palace, this evening.

Board the coach for the memorable scenic journey into the foothills of the Western Ghat mountains. You’ll pass the forests of the Bandipur National Park, and, by afternoon, you will have arrived in the Queen of Hill Stations, Udhagamandalam (or Ooty is it’s more often and briefly called). Spend the evening in this idyllic location, discovering the Kew-inspired Botanical Gardens, Gothic St Stephen’s Church, and crumbling colonial splendour.

Board the historic, narrow-gauge Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway to journey down through the spectacular hills to the plantation town of Coonoor for lunch. Tour a tea factory before returning to Ooty, where you'll visit the quintessentially British botanical gardens and St Stephen's Church, as well as the local market.

After a leisurely morning, perhaps making use of your hotel’s facilities, you’ll head to Coimbatore Station and board the early afternoon Ernakulam Express, which will speed you in air-conditioned comfort into Kerala. Spend the next two nights here, in Kochi, the ancient trading seaport once known as Cochin.

Journey east into Tamil Nadu, heading down onto the southern plains to spend the next two nights in Madurai. One of Asia’s oldest cities, Madurai stands on the banks of the River Vaigai and is famed for its extraordinary temples. Soak up the atmosphere of this unforgettable metropolis, which is dominated by the vast, colourful Meenakshi temple.

A scenic journey through a landscape of rice-paddies and irrigated fields takes you to Pondicherry, a town of decidedly Gallic leanings that boasts an authentic Hôtel de Ville, where French is still widely spoken and where the "gendarmes" patrolling the beachfront promenade still wear kepi berets.

Enjoy an overnight stay here, in a town that forms one of the backdrops to Yann Martel’s enchanting novel, Life of Pi.

This morning, pay a visit to the Pondicherry Museum, with its diverse collection of artefacts, before you join a cycle rickshaw ride through the colonial French Quarter.

Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening. 

Journey north to coastal Mahabalipuram to check into a beach-facing resort. A sightseeing tour then includes a visit to the extraordinary, 8th-century Shore Temple.

This afternoon, rest and relax on the beach for a few hours before enjoying dinner at the resort.

A day of leisure awaits you, and you can spend it unwinding by the swimming pool, which looks out over the sea, or in the spa.

Your last day free allows you to take it easy in this beautiful, tranquil setting.

After your final breakfast, travel to Chennai, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour of India’s fourth-largest city.

You’ll then travel to Chennai airport for the overnight flight home.

Arrive back in the UK at the end of a colourful, enthralling journey.