Itinerary

Day 1

Chennai - Mamallapuram Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of southern India. It's a lively city with some of the craziest traffic that you're likely to see in India. The Tamil people are very laid back, outgoing and friendly. You'll leave the hectic city this morning and head south to Mamallapuram (also known as Mahabalipuram) where you'll stay in a lovely family-run hotel with an all-important swimming pool. Mamallapuram is a relaxed and charming fishing village strewn with ruined temples. There are open-air sculpture workshops here producing amazingly beautiful creations, and you can watch the artists in action. You'll have the evening to yourself, and dining in a rooftop restaurant while you look out over the magical temples comes highly recommended. The food here is hot, hot, hot – so be careful what you order or face the fiery consequences.

Day 2

Mamallapuram - Tanjore Mamallapuram is home to innumerable temples, partially hidden in caves on the beach. Cows and goats casually wander around the beguiling temples, mostly dedicated to Shiva and built by the Pallava kings. The temple directly on the beach (Shore Temple) is one of the oldest temples in India and decorated with many Nandi bulls - Shiva's chosen mode of transport. Your guide will tell you all about the fascinating mythologies behind the decoration of the temple.

After taking in the sights and spiritual atmosphere of Mamallapuram, you'll drive on to Tanjore. The journey will take a total of just over 7 hours. Along the way, you'll take a breather at the famous Shiva Temple (Gangaikonda Cholapuram) and the Darasuram temple (originally called the Airavatheshwar temple). You'll spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Tanjore.

Day 3

Tanjore - Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) In Tanjore, you'll find a holy place completely different to the other temple towns in Tamil Nadu. Instead of an exuberant explosion of colour, Tanjore is a sober sandstone colossus. You'll visit the Brihadeshwar Temple, built by the Chola kings and now protected as a World Heritage Site. Here, pilgrims jostle each other to get to the altar in the centre of the temple. You'll pay an entry fee to the temple elephant, who'll take the rupees from your hand with his holy trunk. Then, you can silently slip in through the door and sense the aura of sincere devotion. After the temple, you'll visit the Palace Museum where bronze statues and glass paintings are made.

You'll then leave Tanjore and begin the car journey to Trichy (also called Tiruchirappalli). The journey will take approximately 1½ hours. You'll spend the night at a lovely hotel with a swimming pool for a refreshing dip.

Day 4

Trichy - Madurai You'll spend the morning exploring Trichy. A large temple stands serenely in the centre here, and the chaotic town moves all around it. The streets are full of life with traders selling offerings and irresistible snacks to pilgrims on their way to the temple. The inside of the temple is so huge that it could almost be a town in its own right. There are towers everywhere, including one made of pure gold. Within the complex there are seven temple walls, and after wandering wide-eyed for a while you'll climb the 437 steps up to the Rock Fort Temple. From here, you'll have a beautiful view over Trichy.

During the afternoon, you'll drive on to Madurai, which lies three hours to the south. You'll stay in a comfortable hotel here, equipped with modern facilities. In the evening, you'll attend the mystical ceremony in the beautiful Meenakshi Temple.

Day 5

Madurai We've saved the best for last. Without a doubt, Madurai is the most spectacular temple city in Tamil Nadu. It is over 2500 years old, and yet still relatively undiscovered by tourists. Meenakshi Temple was built in the 12th century, with four huge towers decorated with over a thousand coloured images. Only the northern tower has been left bare, in order to keep the demons away. There are also eight other towers and a hall composed of one thousand decorated pillars. The huge complex is dedicated to Shiva - Meenakshi was his wife and a princess from Madurai. Her story is told by the sculptures in the temple.

Inside the temple, the atmosphere is very otherworldly. Most places are open to visitors, except for the central Hindu shrine. You'll see many Brahmas and pilgrims repeating mantras and kneeling before the holy shrines. There are also five famous musical pillars, each sounding a note when tapped. Then, on a rickshaw tour of the city, you'll visit Tirumalai Nayak Palace, the fascinating Gandhi Museum and the temple tank. You'll spend another night in the hotel in central Madurai.

Day 6

Madurai - End of module The module ends today, and so you'll have to choose where to go next. From Madurai, you can take the overnight train northwards to modern Bangalore, a pleasant university town and the centre of information technology in India. Unlike many Indian cities, Bangalore is spacious with many parks, botanical gardens, and a pretty palace. The town is considered very fashionable by Indians, with modern shopping malls, exciting restaurants, and sophisticated bars. Bangalore is also the starting point of our Kerala silk tour module.

If you're desperate for sun, sea, and sand, you can opt for the Backwaters and sandy beaches module. This tour starts in Cochin (on the north coast of Kerala, about 5 hours from Madurai). Or you can head further up the coast to finish your trip with a Goa beach break.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Accommodation with breakfast, transport, excursions (including a rickshaw ride in Madurai)

Exclusions -

Other meals and entry fees