Backwaters - Hills - Temples - Tour | Kerala Backwater Tour

Day 1 : Arrive Mumbai

You will be met on arrival and transferred into the city to your hotel

Day 2 : Mumbai

City tour of Mumbai with a local guide. This is India’s biggest and most cosmopolitan city with a rich past and a vibrant present. Overnight in Mumbai

Day 3 : Mumbai

Day free for exploring the markets or take a boat ride over the Elephanta Caves, with their spectacular rock cut temples and the awesome three headed Shiva statue. Overnight in Mumbai

Day 4 : Mumbai - Goa

Morning transfer to the airport for flight to Goa On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon you are at leisure, and overnight in Goa

Day 5 & 6 : Goa

2 Days free in Goa, where you may choose to explore India’s smallest state and its rich Portuguese heritage, or just relax on the beach and watch the world go by. Overnight in Goa

Day 7 : Goa – Cochin

Depending on the day of the week, you will either take a direct flight to Cochin, or fly to Bangalore and transfer to a connecting flight there. Direct flights operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays only. On arrival in Cochin, you will be met by our Tour Executive and transferred to your hotel. Tonight enjoy a professional performance of the traditional Keralan dance form of Kathakali, in the comfort of an air-conditioned auditorium, and overnight in Cochin

Day 8 : Cochin

Sightseeing with a local, visiting the sites of Fort Cochin. This historic port city has been a thriving trading post for centuries and the myriad influences on its culture, cuisine, religion and lifestyle come from British, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and Jewish involvement. Overnight in Cochin

Day 9 : Cochin

Day free for your own activities. Overnight in Cochin

Day 10 : Cochin – Alleppey – Houseboat

After breakfast drive 65kms to Alleppey and board the houseboat which will be your home for the next idyllic interlude. While on board, your crew will prepare delicious Keralan meals and navigate the boat through the vast network of lagoons, canals and lakes which make up the backwaters. Overnight on the houseboat

Day 11 : Houseboat - Kumarakom - Periyar

After breakfast, you may find yourself reluctant to disembark the houseboat! Once you reach Kumarakom it is a 4 hour drive up into the hills of the Western Ghats. Upon reaching Periyar, you can take a late afternoon boat ride on the lake with a very good chance to see herds of elephants as they come down to the water’s edge to drink. The lake is also home to a huge variety of birdlife. Overnight in Periyar (Thekkady)

Day 12 : Periyar

Today you are free to indulge in a traditional Ayurvedic massage, visit a spice plantation or simply relax in the cool, green surroundings of the hills. Overnight in Periyar

Day 13 : Periyar – Madurai

After breakfast drive 4hrs to Madurai and in the afternoon visit Meenakshi Temple and the Nayak Palace. Overnight in Madurai

Day 14 : Madurai – Trichy – Tanjore

This morning drive 3hrs to Trichy, visit the Srirangam Temple and Rock Fort Temple, late afternoon drive 1.5hrs to Tanjore

Day 15 : Tanjore – Pondicherry

Morning visit the Tanjore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage city and one of the great examples of Chola architecture, and the Palace. In the afternoon, drive 5hrs to Pondicherry, a unique city of unmistakable French influence nestled on the shore of the Bay of Bengal

Day 16 : Pondicherry – Mahabalipuram

Morning city tour of Pondicherry and drive 2.5hrs to Mahabalipuram, visit the World Heritage Monuments- the Shore Temple, the Five Rathas and Arjuna’s Penance

Day 17 : Mahabalipuram – Chennai

Depending on the time of your international flight out of Chennai, you will have most of the day to relax on the beach prior to departing for the 90 minute drive to Chennai airport. You will be escorted and assisted to the airport and fare welled at the end of a comprehensive exploration of some of the wonders of Southern India..