Overview
Tour Highlights:- | |
Pondicherry |
7th-century Shore Temple, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville, Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus |
Tanjore |
Chidambaram, Akasha Lingam, Brahadeeswarar Temple, |
Trichy |
Rock Fort Temple |
Kumbakonam |
Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Airavatesvara Temple |
Mahabalipuram |
Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, The Vaikunthaperumal Temple |
Chennai |
Fort St. George, San Thome Cathedral |
Day 01 - Chennai Airport to Pondicherry (148kms - 2hrs 45mins)
Meet on arrival at Chennai airport and drive to Pondicherry. On arrival in Pondicherry check into your hotel. After checking in rest for a bit before heading out for sightseeing. Visit the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram whose founder Sri Aurobindo emerged as a new type of thinker, one who combined in his vision - alacrity of the west with illumination of the east. Visit Auroville - designed by a French architect Roger Arger, it is a universal city-in-the-making whose purpose is human unity in the broadest sense of the word. There visit the Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this church is noted for its gothic architecture and stained glass panels which depict the entire life of Jesus Christ.
Overnight at Hotel in Pondicherry.
Day 02 - Pondicherry
After breakfast you may take a leisurely walk to the local market of Pondicherry. Enjoy the rest of the day on the beach.
Overnight at Hotel in Pondicherry.
Day 03 - Pondicherry to Tanjore (166kms - 3hrs 40mins)
After breakfast visit the Brahadeeswarar temple is an outstanding example of the Chola architecture. Guarding the inner shrine of the temple is the gigantic statue of Nandi, the Bull. The courtyard walls of the sanctum are covered with wall paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods, comparable to the famous Ajanta cave frescoes. Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel in Tanjore.
Day 04 - Tanjore to Trichy (59kms - 1hrs 10mins)
After breakfast, checkout and drive to Trichy - visit the 'Rock Fort Temple' which rises abruptly to a height of 273 ft. A steep staircase cut into the rock leads to the Fort. At the first level are the remnants of a huge hall blasted into ruins in 1772. The next storey is the Mathrubhuteshwarer Shrine dedicated to Shiva. Finally at the top of the hill, the 'Uchhi Pillayar Koil' - a Ganesh temple offering a commanding view of the city.
Overnight at Hotel in Trichy.
Day 05 - Trichy to Kumbakonam (92kms - 2hrs 10mins)
After breakfast, checkout and drive to Kumbakonam. Visit the Adi Kumbeswarar Temple and Kasi Viswanathar Temple which are Hindu temples dedicated to the deity Shiva. Also visit the Airavatesvara Temple, a Hindu temple of Dravidian architecture located in the town of Darasuram, near Kumbakonam. After which you can return back to your hotel in Kumbakonam.
Overnight at Hotel in Kumbakonam.
Day 06 - Kumbakonam to Mahabalipuram (227kms - 4hrs 35mins)
After breakfast and proceed for sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram - is famous for its unique 7th-century Shore Temple, lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This town was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. Enjoy your afternoon at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel in Mahabalipuram.
Day 07 - Mahabalipuram to Chennai (56kms - 1hr 45mins)
After breakfast and proceed to Chennai. After checking in, rest for a bit before heading out for sightseeing. Visit the Fort St. George - most of its buildings have been converted into government offices, notably the Legislature and Secretariat. Visit the San Thome Cathedral, a Gothic-style Catholic church said to house the remains of St. Thomas, the 'Apostle of India', who died at nearby St Thomas Mount in 72 A.D.
Overnight at Hotel in Chennai.
Day 08 - Chennai
After breakfast checkout and transfer to Chennai to catch your flight back home.
End of our Services.