Embark on an 18-day journey through the heart of South India, where every turn reveals a new marvel. Wander through ancient ruins and majestic temples that whisper tales of a bygone era. Be captivated by the grandeur of enchanting palaces, each a testament to royal opulence. Lose yourself in the lush, emerald-green tea plantations that stretch as far as the eye can see. Drift along tranquil backwaters, where the serene waters reflect the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Immerse yourself in vibrant cultural cities, each pulsating with life, colour, and a rich tapestry of traditions. This itinerary promises a mesmerizing blend of history, nature, and culture that will leave you spellbound.
Itinerary Highlights
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi
Visit the impressive Mysore Palace
Relax and enjoy the beautiful scenic tea plantations
Enjoy the stunning tea plantations at Munnar
Overnight on a houseboat in the Keralan backwaters
Experience the mix of cultures in Fort Cochin
What’s included
Private tours for most included activities
Meet & greet airport service
Luxury or boutique accommodation at your chosen level
Expert guides in each destination
flexibility
This is an example itinerary. It is fully flexible; you can add or detract days and include hotels at your chosen budget. It departs daily.
17
Nights
Price Guide
From $9,000 per person
Our quotes are bespoke for your customised trip. The prices displayed are indicative only, read more
Day 1
Fly to Hyderabad
Day 2
Exploring Hyderabad
Enjoy a tour of Chowmahalla Palace, once the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and still owned by the heirs of the Nizams. The name Chowmahalla means four palaces. Situated in a secluded corner of Motigalli, in Hyderabad’s bustling Old City, the Chowmahalla Palace offers visitors a peek into the luxurious lifestyles of the Nizams. Later proceed to the bazaars and buildings around the Charminar. Stroll through the bustling lanes and find out more about the offerings of this remarkable place. Charminar is famous for its intricate architecture.
Day 3
Hyderabad to Hampi
Fly from Hyderabad to Vidyanagar and transfer to Hampi. Hampi was the last capital of the Vijayanagara kingdom, one of the most significant in Southern India. Its wealthy kings built exquisite temples and palaces.
Day 4
Exploring Hampi
Head out on the Vittalapura walk where you can explore the Vittalapura Bazaar that leads to the famous Vijaya Vitthala temple, renowned for its musical stone pillars and a chariot carved in stone. In the 14th century, the last great Hindu kingdom of India, the Vijayanagara Empire, conquered Pampa, today’s Hampi the capital. Later in the afternoon visit the Raya trail. This trail takes you back five hundred years to give you a privileged peek at the life and times of the Rayas of Vijayanagara. The Queen’s Bath is a standalone structure that had provisions for the daasis (attendants) who looked on, periodically throwing petals and aromatic luxury paraphernalia while the queens bathed. The last stop on the Raya trail are the Elephant Stables, which are marvels of architecture with separate quarters for the mahouts.
Day 5
Exploring Hampi
Enjoy a leisurely walk up the Hemakuta hill followed by a visit to the Virupaksha Temple and culminating in the exquisite Krishna temple and the huge Narasimha monolith and later an offbeat trek that takes you through giant boulders to the ruins of the Achyutaraya Temple and its famed ‘Courtesan Bazaar’.
Day 6
Hampi to Bangalore
Drive to Vidyanagar airport and fly to Bangalore. Cosmopolitan Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) is one of India’s most progressive and developed cities, blessed with a benevolent climate, a modern metro system, and a burgeoning drinking, dining, and shopping scene.
Day 7
Exploring Bangalore
Visit Tipu Sultan’s summer palace, it has two stories, built with wood, mortar, stone and plaster. Huge garden area surrounds the palace. Interiors are well decorated with floral motifs and paintings showcasing historic events and battles and later visit to St. Mary’s Cathedral church. Next, you will stop at Vidhana Soudha, it is built largely with “Bangalore granite”, excavated from the areas around Mallasandra and Hessaraghatta. For visual effect and relief, “Magadi pink” and “Turuvekere black” stones have also been used. It is truly a secular edifice, showing features of British, Dravidian, and Indo-Islamic architecture. Later explore Bangalore Palace, it is famous for its beautiful wood carvings and fascinating architecture.
Day 8
Bangalore to Mysore
Transfer approximately three hours to Mysore, one of South India’s most enchanting cities, famed for its glittering royal heritage and magnificent monuments and buildings. Mysore is also rich in tradition, with a deeply atmospheric bazaar district replete with spice stores and incense stalls.
Day 9
Exploring Mysore
Today visit Mysore Palace the second-most-visited sight in India (after the Taj Mahal), this palace is among the very grandest of India’s royal buildings and was the seat of the Woodyear maharajas. Take a tour of a bustling bazaar of colourful stalls that are loaded to the brim with fruits, vegetables, and flowers, along with incense, coffee beans, and heaping piles of spices.
Day 10
Mysore to Ooty
Transfer approximately four hours to Ooty. Ooty is a hill station that will surely mesmerise you with its beguiling beauty. A chain of misty hills spread across a lush green carpet – with plenty to see, enjoy and experience.
Day 11
Exploring OOTY
Visit to the Botanical Garden. The surrounding and the freshness of these well-maintained gardens, provide a deep sense of tranquility. This stretched green land showcases thousands of exotic and indigenous floras, making it an ideal place for nature lovers. Later on visit the beautiful Ooty lake.
Day 12
Ooty to metupalayam to coimbatore
Take the stunning “toy train” of the famed Nilgiri Mountain Railway to Mettupalayam, renowned for its stunning scenery and picturesque landscapes. Then transfer by road to Coimbatore. Often referred to as the “Manchester of South India,” is a vibrant city located in the state of Tamil Nadu. Known for its pleasant climate, textile industry, and proximity to the Western Ghats.
Day 13
Coimbatore to Munnar
Transfer approximately five hours to Munnar, famed for its scenic beauty, with endless stretches of tea gardens, rolling hills, and serene valleys. The emerald-green tea plantations, often shrouded in mist, create a surreal landscape that is perfect for leisurely walks, photography, and soaking in the tranquillity of nature.
Day 14
Exploring Munnar
Enjoy a stroll through the charming market of Munnar, followed by a visit to the Tea Museum which houses machinery, brewing ware, pictures and literature that goes back a century – all tracing the complexities of tea making. Enjoy the beautiful views of the tea plantations and embark on a nature walk through scented pine forests.
Day 15
Munnar to Alleppey
Transfer five hours to Alleppey. It is here that you will board a traditional houseboat for an idyllic trip through the majestic forests and palm-shaded backwaters of the city and its surroundings.
Day 16
Alleppey to Cochin
Transfer two hours to Cochin. Enjoy a fascinating Kathakali dance performance this evening. Kathakali recitals are emotive and narrative and combine dance with dialogue to bring myth and legend to life in the temple courtyards of Kerala.
Day 17
Exploring Cochin
Explore Cochin and its historical sights – you will experience the bustle of commerce in and about the city’s godowns (warehouses) and open courtyards heaped with betel nut, ginger, peppercorns and hanks of coir (coconut husks). You will visit to Fort Cochin, Albuquerque arrived with half a dozen ships bearing settlers and five friars, and built the first European church in India, St. Francis Church. Then stop by the shore, where you will see the large, graceful Chinese fishing nets, probably the single most familiar image of Kerala. Explore the Mattancherry, or the two-storey Dutch Palace, with its wooden interior decorated with a remarkable series of murals and will spend some time in Jew Town, a fascinating mix of antique shops, warehouses, and spice auction rooms.
Day 18
Depart Cochin
A note on price
The prices outlined above are a rough guide to give you an idea of costs and enable you to budget for your trip.
Guide prices are generally for private arrangements based on twin share, in well located, good quality accommodation (excluding international flights).
Please note costs are indicative and may vary due to a number of factors such as; travel date, hotel choice, room category, number of people travelling and prevailing exchange rates.
Price Guide $9000 per person
When to travel
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India is such a vast country that climatic conditions in the far north have little relation to those of the extreme south. India’s climate is dominated by the great wind system known as the Asiatic monsoon which reverses direction at certain times of the year, for some months it will blow steadily from the southwest; for other months, from the northeast. Generally speaking, the country has a three-season year – the hot, the wet and the cool, with variations from region to region.
The coolest, driest time over most of the country is from December to February, when light northerly winds bring clear skies and very little rain. From March to May the climate becomes hotter and hotter with the southwest monsoon arriving in southern India around June time, heading north about a month or so later and continuing till October
North and Central India experiences an extreme range of temperatures with the mercury pushing 40 degrees on some summer days during April-June but winter nights from November to March can be almost freezing! The monsoon rains occur from May to September with heavy rain usually occurring in the morning or late afternoon.
Southern and Western India does not have a “cool season” as such, the summer is hot and humid with the rains coming in June and continuing through till September. The region also experiences winter rains from November onwards, although they are not as heavy as the monsoonal rains. From October onwards, the weather becomes pleasant with highs around 30 degrees Celsius and lows of around 25 degrees with minimal humidity making it an ideal time to travel.
India is an all year round destination; however, peak times to travel would be October through to April when the weather is generally cooler and dry. The abundance of spectacular colourful festivals in February and March makes this a great time to visit Rajasthan where as November and December is a great time for bird watchers with the return of the migratory birds.
The weather is dry and sunny in most parts of India, with average temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. This is a popular time to visit the hill stations, such as Shimla and Darjeeling, where the temperatures are cooler.
The weather is similar to January, but it can be a bit warmer in the southern states. This is a good time to visit Rajasthan, as the desert heat has not yet set in.
The weather starts to warm up in March, with average temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius in the north and 35 degrees Celsius in the south. This is a good time to visit the beaches of Goa and Kerala.
The weather is hot and humid in April, with average temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the north and 40 degrees Celsius in the south. This is not the best time to visit India, but if you do, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous activity during the day.
The weather is the hottest in May, with average temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in the north and 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the south. It is also the driest month of the year, so there is little relief from the heat.
The monsoon season begins in June, and it rains heavily in most parts of India. The rains bring relief from the heat, but they can also cause flooding in some areas.
The monsoon rains continue in July, and it is still hot and humid. The beaches are closed due to the rains, but the hill stations are popular destinations.
The monsoon rains are at their heaviest in August, and it is the wettest month of the year. The rains can be disruptive, but they also bring lush greenery to the landscape.
The monsoon rains start to taper off in September, and the weather becomes drier. This is a good time to visit the beaches of Goa and Kerala.
The weather is pleasant in October, with average temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. This is a good time to visit the hill stations and the beaches.
The weather is similar to October, but it can be a bit cooler in the northern states. This is a good time to visit the Taj Mahal, as the crowds are smaller and the weather is more comfortable.
The weather is generally dry and sunny in December, with average temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. This is a popular time to visit India, as the weather is pleasant and the crowds are smaller.
Add on’s
If you are wishing to extend your time in India, you could combine this Southern India itinerary with the Golden Triangle in the north of the country. Alternatively a few days relaxing on the beach south of Cochin at Marari Beach Resort would make a relaxing ending to the trip.
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