Splendours of the South

Discover the best of the South of India on this cultural journey through the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Begin in the hi-tech city of Bangalore and head to Mysore, capital of a former princely state.

Visit the Hill Station of Ooty and on to the laid-back historic charms of Cochin.

Head to Kumarakom on the shores of Lake Vembanad. Take a Backwaters Cruise and move on to Thekkady and experience the best of Kerala's nature and wildlife in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, including a lake cruise.

See the spectacular temples of Tamil Nadu, recall the French influence in Pondicherry and finish the trip in Chennai with a visit to the shore temple of Mahabalipuram.

As with all of our holidays to India, this one can be ammended to suit you as you wish - so just let us know your preferences.

Day 1: Fly UK to Bangalore

Overnight flight from UK to Bangalore.

Day 2: Bangalore   

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your chosen hotel.

Bangalore, often referred to as the 'Garden City' is known for its numerous parks and avenues.

In the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Bangalore covering Tipu Sultan's Palace, Bull Temple, Lalbagh Gardens, Cubbon Park & Museum and Vidhana Soudha, which houses both the State Legislature and the Secretariat.

Overnight: Bangalore
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 3: Mysore

After breakfast, drive to Mysore.

The capital of a former princely state, Mysore is a city of palaces and gardens and is famous for its silk, sandalwood and jasmine.

En-route, visit the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan in Srirangapatnam and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.

On arrival, check into your chosen hotel. Enjoy the evening free to explore the colourful bazaars if you wish.

Overnight: Mysore
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 4: Mysore

In the morning enjoy a city tour including Mysore Maharaja's Palace, the Nandi Bull and the Chamundi Hills with the afternoon free.

Overnight: Mysore
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 5: Ooty

After breakfast, transfer by car to Ooty.

On arrival, check into your chosen hotel.

In the afternoon, visit popular attractions including the Botanical Gardens, Lake Doddabetta, Mukurti Peak and tea plantations.

Overnight: Ooty
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 6: Cochin

In the morning, enjoy a toy train ride through the hills to Coonoor.

Afterwards  drive to Cochin and on arrival, check into your chosen hotel.

In the evening, enjoy a Kathakali performance at a cultural centre nearby.

Overnight: Cochin
Meals: All Meals included

Day 7: Cochin

After breakfast, enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of Cochin covering the Dutch Palace, Jew Street, The Jewish Synagogue,  St. Francis Church and The Chinese fishing nets.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure. 

Overnight: Cochin
Meals: Breakfast included

Day 8: Alleppey

After breakfast drive to Alleppey and check into a Houseboat for an overnight night cruise towards Kumarakom.

Alleppey has large networks of canals and is the centre for backwater cruises in Kerala.

During the cruise, it’s possible to stop for a short walk through the nearby villages and enjoy local life. Meals are served on board.

Overnight: On Board
Meals: All Meals included

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you.

You will have your own private car, driver and guide on excursions and for transfers around India.

Vehicles are modern and air-conditioned and bottled water is provided.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

As this is a private tour, there are no set departure dates.

Which Airlines do you use?

We work with all the major airlines flying to India.

Typically for India, British Airways, Virgin, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air India and Jet Airways are the airlines we most often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

There are currently direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa and Ahmedabad.

Which Hotels do you use?

We're careful with our choice of hotels in India, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

We keep on top of hotel developments in India through our own inspection trips and also through the expertise of our local partners. We also keep tabs on feedback online and from our customers.

India has a really great choice of heritage hotels in Rajasthan in particular - usually former royal palaces or lodges converted into boutique hotels - often very luxurious, usually very atmospheric.

There are also many great boutique hotel options in destinations such as Kerala which we try to utilise. The bigger cities have some outstanding luxury hotels and an increasing number of smaller, more interesting options too.