| | | ::Itineraries:: | | | | South India Tour | | | | | Glimpses of South India Chennai - Tirupati - Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Pondicherry - Tanjore - Madurai - Chennai 09 Nights - 10 Days | | | | | 01 Day: Chennai Arrival: Meeting and assistance on arrival at the International airport, our representatives welcome and escort you by a private car and transfer to the hotel, whilst the room keys and check-in is organized, our representative would hand over the documents and brief the tour programme to you. Overnight at the hotel. 02 Day: Chennai: After breakfast take a city tour of Chennai: the gateway of South India will put you in touch with a different phase of India - Classical, Ancient, Gentle. Chennai, the 4rth largest city in India. Spread over 50 miles and features a large and beautiful waterfront on the Bay of Bengal. The British East India Company established its first trading post at Chennai, and in 1653 the company built Fort Saint George to protect its position. Take a sightseeing tour of Chennai visiting Marina Beach, the second longest beach in the world. The St. George Fort, built in 1653, is currently used as the state government’s secretariat, Santhome Cathedral was built around 14th-15th century and is another colonial structure worth visiting. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kapaleeswara Temple is the oldest temple in Chennai. Another important temple in the city dedicated to Lord Krishna is Parthasarthy Temple. The Snake Park has a large collection of snakes and many other reptiles. Evening optionally you can visit to flower and fruit market. Overnight at the hotel. 03 Day: Chennai - Tirupati - Chennai (Excursion 140 kms - 2 ½ hours): After breakfast drive to Tirupati. A temple and pilgrim town located at the foot of the Tirumala Hills on which the ancient and beautiful temple of Lord Venkateshwara stands. Spread over seven hills, this township is the most picturesque pilgrimage centre in the south. One must see the fervour with which the devotees stand in long queues for a glimpse of their Lord. Masses of coins, jewellery & hair are received as offerings. On arrival proceed for Darshan of Lord Balaji. After Darshan drive back to Chennai for overnight stay. 04 Day: Chennai - Mahabalipuram (65 kms - 1 ½ hrs): After breakfast, take half-day sightseeing tour touching Fort St. George, San Thome Cathedral and the museums that contain the world's most complete and impressive selection of Chola bronzes and stone sculptures from South India and the Deccan. Later, drive on to, then passed into the hands of the Marathas and later still went to the British. For ages it has been the chief Mamallapuram, The city, built in the 7th century, this ancient city is said to be a sculptor's delight, boasting of some of India's most sublime rock-cut art, for which it is now a World Heritage site. On arrival transfer to the hotel. The evening free for visit to local market and individual activities. Overnight at the hotel at Mahabalipuram. 05 Day: Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram (65 kms - 1 ½ hours): After breakfast departure for sightseeing covering Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance & Five Rathas. Then after lunch drive to Kanchipuram, the golden city of thousand temples, one of Hinduism's seven most sacred cities of the early Chola Period of the 2nd century. After visit drive back to Mahabalipuram for overnight stay. 06 Day: Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry (135 kms 3 hours): After breakfast check out the hotel and drive to Pondicherry, the capital of the French colonies in India since the 17th century. Later take a city tour of Pondicherry, including a visit to Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the Ecole Françoise d’Extreme Orient, which is nearly 100 years old, with programs in Sanskrit, Tamil and Archaeological studies. The French Catholic influence is evident in a number of churches, notably the Jesuit Cathedral (Notre Dame de la Conception’ 1691-1765), The Church of Our Lady of Angels (1855), famous for an oil painting of Our Lady of Assumption given to the Church by King Louis Napoleon III, and the 17th century Chapel of Our Sisters of Cluny. In the evening you can visit to French colonies and local market. Overnight at the hotel. 07 Day: Pondicherry - Tanjore ( 190 kms- 4 hours): After breakfast check out the hotel and drive to Tanjore, on arrival check in to the hotel, after relaxation visit beautiful Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara. The temple is capped by a monolithic cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by the Egyptians for building pyramids. The more than 200 feet in height and constructed in the Dravidian truncated pyramid form, and has a huge lingam in its sanctorum. Return to the hotel for overnight stay at Tanjore. 08 Day: Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai (158 kms 3 hours): After breakfast check out the hotel and drive to Madurai . En route visit to Trichy take sightseeing tour of the city, most famous landmark of this bustling town - the Rock Fort Temple, a spectacular monument perched on a massive rocky outcrop, the Sri Ranganathanswami Temple. This temple is one of the largest and most interesting temple complexes in India, built on an island in the middle of the Cauvery River and covering a staggering 2.5 sq km and Jambukeshwara - Mysore Temples. After visit continue to drive to Madurai. On arrival transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel in Madurai. 09 Day: Madurai: After breakfast take a sightseeing tour of the city visiting Meenakshi Sundareshwar, one of the largest temple complexes in India built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Apart from the estimated 33 million sculptures there, the temple is absolutely absorbing with the endless rounds of ceremonies, prostration of countless devotees and glittering market stalls, later visit Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple, Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple. Overnight at Madurai. 10 Day: Madurai - Chennai (By Air): After breakfast check out the hotel and transfer to the airport to board the afternoon flight to Chennai. On arrival transfer to the International airport for the onwards journey for home country. On departure the tour concludes with happy memories. | | | | | | | | | Book This Tour | | | | | Important Note: 1. Customized Tour: Above tour programme can be customized, as per the preference by the guest in terms of arrival dates, departure dates and destinations, no. of days etc., it will be your individual tour not sharing with other person or a group tour. 2. Our Services: We provide individual customized tour packages with 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 star deluxe hotels as well as standard and luxury heritage hotels and palaces with air - conditioned car accompanied by English speaking driver through out the tour (right from your pick up from the airport till you departure to home town) for all transfers, sightseeing, intercity travel, city tour with services of English/multilingual guide, domestic air/train ticketing, special interest tour with all kind of travel related services. 3. Tour Cost: Tour cost depends on 3 major factors: A) How many people are traveling together? B) Travel period, as the hotels are having different rates during low and high season. C) Preference of hotel category or budget per person per day. 4. Group Tours: The above tour programme can be executed for group tours, if the guest or any travel agency forms a group in their own country. Conducting and forming a group tour in India with different nationals is not feasible. | | | | | | Indian travel agents, tour operators, Explore South India tamilnadu tourism, travel Guide to tamilnadu, holiday packages for Tamilnadu,, holiday packages, trip to india, car rental, coaches, tourists guide, travel itinerary, planning trip to Indian sates, tour itineraries, travel tips, inbound agency of India, travel Itineraries for Tamilandu, South India Tamilnadu tour itineraries, tour planning, hotel booking, reservations, car rental, holiday agencies for tour to North India, travelling in Kerala backwaters, tour operator, Southern India, Eastern India, Western India, Eastern India tourist sectors, , tour to Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Orrisa, Himachal, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himalaya, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, desert, heritage, culture pilgrimage tours of South India, travel agent, Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, Kolkata, Sikkim, Bombay, Jaipur, Agra, Pushkar, Udaipur, Cochin, Alleppey, Kumarakom, Bangalore, Chennai, Rajasthan, Rajasthan holiday packages, car rental in Rajasthan, hotels bookings Tamilnadu, South India tourism, tourism guide, 26th April 2008, | | | | About Us | Destination | Fairs & Festivals | Palace on Wheels | Parks & Sanctuaries | Adventure Tours | Itineraries | | | | Discover India | Contact Us | Home | | | | | | Copyrights © Meruka India Tourism Service 2006. 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