The sights, scents and sounds of India's vibrant south are enthralling and this tour is the perfect introduction to the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Start in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore and known as 'The Garden City'), where colonial architecture and green spaces mix with more modern developments.
You'll enjoy a number of scenic journeys, notably through the Chamundi Hills and the Western Ghat mountains, and embark on a number of cultural experiences. Board the historic, narrow-gauge Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway, as you journey from Ooty to the plantation town, Coonoor. You'll also enjoy a scenic rail trip to the port city of Kochi.
Later in the trip, board a traditional, thatch-roofed Kettuvallam houseboat and spend an overnight stay on board. Take in the beautiful scenery, from coconut groves to rice fields as you meander through waterways and islets.
There will also be time in the evenings to take in a traditional Kathakali dance performance and an Indian martial arts performance, with opportunities to explore your destinations by night on guided walks and rickshaw tours.
Hotels
Radisson Blu Atria, Bengaluru (night 2)
Radisson Blu Hotel, Mysore (nights 3-4)
Fortune Resort Sullivan Court, Ooty (nights 5-6)
The Fern, Kochi (nights 7-8)
Keralan Houseboat (night 9)
Greenwoods, Periyar (nights 10-11)
The Taj Gateway Hotel, Madurai (nights 12-13)
The Residency Towers, Pondicherry (nights 14-15)
ITC Mahabalipuram, Mahabalipuram (night 16)
* From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, subject to availability and based on 30 April 2026 departure date and LGW flight. Price includes saving, discount is capacity controlled. Various departure dates are available, please call for details. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement n/a. Deposit £300pp. Local charges such as tourist tax may apply. Offers are not valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. Travel insurance is not included and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through other selected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd and Newmarket Holidays ABTA V7812. ATOL protected 2325. ABTOT 5509.
Depart on your overnight flight to Bengaluru. Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and travel by coach to your hotel. Check in for your overnight stay and take time to relax before dinner at your hotel this evening.
After breakfast at your hotel, explore Bengaluru on a sightseeing tour. Highlights include the vast Vidhana Soudha state 'capitol' - India's largest civic building - the 16th-century Bull Temple, with its massive, granite Nandi bull, and the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan.
After your tour, travel to charming Mysore, stopping off en route to take in the island of Srirangapatna - once the stronghold of the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, who was finally defeated by the future Duke of Wellington. Check in to your hotel for a two-night stay and enjoy dinner this evening.
After breakfast at your hotel, tour Mysore. Journey to the ornate temple atop the Chamundi Hills before returning to take in Mysore's spectacular, domed, Maharaja's Palace. You'll also see the Jaganmohan Palace, with its collection of Indian paintings and carvings, and visit the Railway Museum.
This afternoon, travel 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 and enjoy dinner this evening.
After breakfast, board the coach for a 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 as it's commonly known). Check in to your hotel for a two-night stay, enjoy dinner and spend the evening in this idyllic location.
After breakfast, board the historic, narrow-gauge Nilgiri Blue Mountain Railway to journey down through the spectacular hills to plantation town 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. Enjoy dinner this evening.
After breakfast and a leisurely morning, head to Coimbatore Station and board the early afternoon Ernakulam Express, which will take you into Kerala. Check in to your hotel and spend the next two nights here, in Kochi, the ancient trading seaport once known as Cochin. Enjoy dinner this evening.
After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of historic Kochi. See the exquisite murals of "Dutch" Mattancherry Palace, the ancient Jewish synagogue and Fort Cochin - home to the famous Chinese fishing nets that have become one of India's most-photographed sights.
This evening, enjoy dinner and take in the intricate choreography, glorious costumes and colourful make-up of a traditional Kathakali dance performance.
After breakfast, travel to Alleppey, and board a traditional, thatch-roofed Kettuvallam houseboat to lazily cruise a labyrinth of canals and waterways, lined with coconut groves, rice fields and dotted with temples. This landscape of tiny islands is home to fishermen, buffalo farmers, and coconut growers.
This evening, enjoy a guided walk through a traditional Keralan village before returning to the houseboat for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, journey through the lush, rolling landscapes dotted with tea- and spice-plantations, to Periyar. You'll spend two nights here, close to the famous wildlife sanctuary. Check in to your hotel for a two-night stay, then join your guide to explore a spice plantation and learn the mysteries and history of Indian tea and spices, which are grown in abundance on the slopes of the sanctuary.
Enjoy dinner and a cooking demonstration at the hotel this evening. You can also choose to go on an optional tour (not included) to Kalaripayattu in Periyar. Here, in a small venue with stadium seating, you'll be able to watch a traditional Indian martial arts performance.
After breakfast, relax in the surroundings of your hotel, or explore Periyar at your leisure. Alternatively, join an optional tour (not included) to the Wildlife Sanctuary. Go in search of the endangered mammals (elephants, palm civets, giant squirrels and - for the lucky few - tigers and leopards) and 250-plus bird species that make it their home.
This afternoon, board a boat as you cruise the serene Periyar Lake. Sightings of elephants and colourful birds are possible here, too; though glimpses of the elusive tigers and leopards are the preserve of the very fortunate few. Return to your hotel for dinner.
After breakfast, 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. Enjoy dinner this evening.
After breakfast, go on a guided sightseeing tour of Madurai. Visiting the Old City, see the ornately carved façade, colonnades, shrines and quartet of towering gopurams of the Meenakshi temple. Marvel at the continual ceremonies and devotions, take in the bustle of the temple markets and stroll the labyrinth of corridors and walkways.
Enjoy dinner this evening and then head back out to discover the city's narrow, bustling streets and colourful market by cycle-rickshaw.
After breakfast, 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.
Check in to your hotel for a two-night stay, in a town that forms one of the backdrops to Yann Martel's enchanting novel, Life of Pi. Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.
After breakfast, 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.
After breakfast, journey north to coastal Mahabalipuram for an overnight stay. A sightseeing tour includes a visit to the extraordinary, 8th-century Shore Temple. This afternoon, rest and relax on the beach for a few hours before enjoying a farewell dinner at the hotel.
After breakfast, bid farewell to your hosts and transfer to Chennai, where you'll enjoy a guided tour of India's fourth-largest city. After the tour, you'll be transferred to Chennai Airport for the return overnight flight home.
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* From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, subject to availability and based on 30 April 2026 departure date and LGW flight. Price includes saving, discount is capacity controlled. Various departure dates are available, please call for details. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement n/a. Deposit £300pp. Local charges such as tourist tax may apply. Offers are not valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. Travel insurance is not included and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through other selected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd and Newmarket Holidays ABTA V7812. ATOL protected 2325. ABTOT 5509.