Day 01: Chennai
Your South India Architecture Tour
begins from Chennai. After you disembark from the
airport and escorted to the hotel by an India Tour
Guides representative, unpack your luggage and get
refreshed for a exciting sightseeing tour of Chennai
that will include Kapaleeswarar Temple, Santhome Church,
Fort Museum and National Art Gallery among others.
Return to the hotel for overnight stay.
Day 02: Mahabalipuram
Home to the only shore temple in India that has survived
the test of time, spend your full day at this world
heritage site of Mahabalipuram. Marvel at the intricate
designs and artwork of the past. Go out on the shore
and see the gentle waves lapping against each other.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Mahabalipuram
Day 03: Kanchipuram /Vellore /Tiruvannamalai
Day third of the Architecture Tour
will take you to the cities of Kanchipuram, Vellore
and Tiruvannamalai. At Kanchipuram, you can witness
the architectural wonders of Kailasanatha Temple,
Vaikunda Perumal Temple, Varatharaja Temple and Ekambareswara
Temple. Up next, the Vellore city tour will include
Tipu Sultan's forts and Jalakandeswara Temple. At
Tiruvannamalai, there will be visits to Arunachaleeswarar
Temple and the Ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Overnight
stay at the hotel in Tiruvannamalai.
Day 04: Pondicherry
The quaint, peaceful town of Pondicherry is architecturally
rich and there will be visits to the numerous temples
such as the Varadraja temple, Manakula Vinayagar temple,
Sri Vedapureeswarar temple, Kamatchiammalle temple
and Varadarajaperumal temple, the 14th century Gingee
fort and the century old Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Pondicherry
Day 05: Chidambaram / Gangaikondacholapuram /
Darasuram / Kumbakonam / Tanjore
The fifth day will be a little hectic, as lots of
places will be covered. At Chidambaram, the focus
of attraction will be the 9th century Shiva temple,
along with Sarangapani Temple, Kumbeswarar Temple.
Next stop would be the temple at Gangaikondacholapuram.
After lunch, head out towards Dharasuram, a place
renowned for its Chola architecture. You will also
visit the temple of Kumbeshwar at Darasuram. The Tanjore
Temple will be the last stop of the day where you
can appreciate the rich Tanjore style of architecture
and buy some exquisite Tanjore paintings. Overnight
stay at the hotel.
Day 06: Trichy
Day Six will bring you to Trichy where you will enjoy
the popular architectural sites such as Lord Robert
Clive's house, Srirangam Temple, Rock-Fort temple,
Ganapati Temple. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 07: Madurai
The beautiful city of Madurai awaits you with her
enchanting architectural delights that you will get
to see on a sightseeing tour on the seventh day. There
will be visits to the the famous 1000-pillared Meenakshiamman
Temple, Thirumalai Nayak's Palace and Gandhi Museum.
There will be an overnight stay at the temple.
Day 08: Periyar
Discover Periyar with India Tour Guides as we take
you to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
and Thekkady where you will enjoy nature and wildlife
at its glorious best. Cruise along on a boat ride
along the gentle Lake Periyar and then drive through
the spice and tea plantations that dot the hillside.
In the evening, go for shopping at the local markets
before retiring to a hotel for the night.
Day 09: Kochi
Enjoy the city of Kochi that still retains some of
its colonial flavor as you visit the Jewish Synagogue,
The Dutch Palace, Portuguese Churches, Mosques, Hindu
temples and Chinese Fishing Nets. In the evening,
you will get to see a superb Kathakali dance performance.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 10: Ooty
Arrive at Ooty and spend a relaxing day at this charming
hill station, watching the famous Nilgiri hills. The
sightseeing tour will comprise of visits to the Botanical
Gardens, the Ooty Lake, Dodabetta Peak. In the evening,
enjoy a lovely toy train ride to Coonoor. Overnight
stay at the hotel in Ooty.
Day 11: Mudumalai / Mysore
As you are driven to Mysore, enjoy the beautiful countryside.
Enroute to Mysore, visit the Mudumalai and Bandipur
Wildlife sanctuaries. At Mysore, you will get to see
the Mysore Palace, the Art Gallery and Brindavan Gardens.
Day 12: Mysore / Srirangpatna / Somnathpur
In the morning, start out from Mysore towards Srirangapatna
and Somnathpur to see the intricate designs of the
stone temples situated here. Head back to Mysore,
late in the afternoon, to see the Devaraja vegetable
and flower market in its full glory. Overnight stay
at the hotel.
Day 13: Hasan / Sravanbelagola
On the thirteenth day, enroute to Hasan, there will
be a stopover at the popular Jain pilgrimage site
located in Sravanabelagola. This Jain temple is known
for its 600 rock cut steps that lead to the hill summit.
It will be followed by trips to Belur and Halebid
where you can see glorious samples of Hoysala Architecture
temples. Overnight stay at the hotel
Day 14: Hospet
After a long drive, you will reach Hospet that is
the gateway to Hampi, where you can get to see the
famous Tungabhadra Dam that is located on the River
Tungabhadra
Day 15: Hampi
The ancient city of Hampi served as the former capital
of the mighty Vijayanagar Empire. You will have a
field day exploring the astounding temples and the
ancient markets. The Virupaksha Temple, Vittal Temple,
Hazara Rama Temple and the Underground Virupaksha
Temple are testimony to the grand architecture of
the past. Also, you will enjoy a boat along the famous
Hampi River. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 16: Aihole / Pattadakal
Day 16 will bring you face to face with some of the
best examples of Southern Dravidian School of architecture.
The day's itinerary will include visits to the Lad
Khan Temple, Meguti Temple and Ravanaphadi Cave, Sanghameswara
Temple, Mallikarjuna Temple, Virupaksha Temple and
Papanatha Temple. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 17: Badami
After a heart breakfast, leave for Badami/ Vatapi.
Savor the rich cultural heritage of South India as
you visit the various rich Hindu and Jain temples
that have been carved out of sand hills. Visits to
the famous Badami Cave Temple, Malegitti Shivalaya
Temple and the Badami Fort are also on the cards.
Day 18: Bijapur
As you drive to Bijapur, you will realize that the
city is dominated by the Islamic architecture. The
famous Gol Gombaz is easily spotted against the city's
skyline. At Bijapur, spend your day exploring the
Gol Gumbaj, Ibrahim Roza, Taj Baoli, Assa Mahal, Gaggan
Mahal, Bara Khamba and the numerous other architectural
relics abound in the city. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 19: Gulbarga
Gulbarga is the next stop in the itinerary for
South India Architecture Tours as you near
the fag end of the South India Architecture Tour.
At Bijapur, you will get to see the Jumma Masjid and
the Khwaja Banda Nawaz. Followed by an overnight stay
at the hotel.
Day 20: Hyderabad
Reach the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad
that is the last destination point in the itinerary.
Spend the day visiting the landmark Charminar, the
Mecca Mosque, the Salar Jung Museum and High Court
Buildings
Day 21: Hyderabad
The penultimate day of the South India Architecture
Tour is all yours to enjoy in anyway you
feel is right. You can visit the Golconda Fort and
see Tombs of Qutab Shahi Kings or hit the local markets
that are full of delectable goods. Overnight stay
at the hotel.
Day 22: Departure
Take a flight out from the Hyderabad airport to your
home or to your destination in South India.
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