Day 01 : Abroad - Chennai - Mahabalipuram
Arrive Madras International airport.
You will be met on your arrival by the representative of Athithi tours and transferred to Mahabalipuram. En route visit Kanchipuram/ (If the flight arrives in the evening, the visit of Kanchipuram will be provided on day-02)

Kanchipuram - known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the oldest towns in India. It is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well preserved and for its hand-woven silks. Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva and Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. With a weaving tradition dating back to the Pallava era (when silk was the royal cloth), Kanchipuram is justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris, embellished with stunning patterns. Visit the local homes of the weavers and watch them create magic out of silk thread into saris.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 02 : Mahabalipuram
Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning you will be given the tour of Mahabalipuram/
Mahabalipuram - This is a small, quiet seaside resort with a unique 7th-century Shore Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This, town was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. They were constructed in a single century-long burst of creative enthusiasm, starting in the reign of Narasimhavarman 1 (AD 630-68). End the visit by photography of the beautiful Shore temples at sunset.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 : Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
Breakfast at the hotel.
Leave Mahabalipuram for Pondicherry by road.

Pondicherry, which was up until the 1950s, a far-flung outpost of the French maritime empire. It is so different from the rest of Tamil Nadu that one feels that one has entered another country! This busy coastal town is divided roughly into two: the old White Town of elegant French houses, restaurants & administrative buildings and the Black Town west of the canal where India takes over again.

Tour of Pondicherry - visiting Botanical garden, Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus and Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Later visit township of Auroville or the city of Dawn. Designed by a French architect Roger Arger, it is an entirely new concept in education and urban living.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 04 : Pondicherry - Tanjore
Breakfast at the hotel.
Leave Pondicherry for Tanjore by road. Arrive and check in at the hotel.
Afternoon sightseeing tour of Tanjore - was the capital of the Chola Empire from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries. A Chola king, Raja Raja Chola, who held the throne from 985 to 1016, built the greatest of the empire's 74 temples, the Brahadeeswarar, with its soaring tower over the inner sanctum. This tower rises more than 62 meters (200 feet). On its dome rests a single block of granite weighing 80 tons.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 : Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai
Breakfast at the hotel.
Leave Tanjore for Madurai by road. En-route visit Trichy.
City tour of Trichy - visit the 'Rock Fort Temple' which rises abruptly to a height of 273 ft. A steep staircase cut into the rock leads upto the Fort. At the first level are the remnants of a huge hall blasted into ruins in 1772. The next storey is the Mathrubhuteshwarer Shrine dedicated to Shiva. Finally at the top of the hill, the 'Uchhi Pillayar Koil' - a Ganesh Temple offering a commanding view of the city.
Continue drive to Madurai. Arrive Madurai and check in at the hotel.
Evening visit of the Meenakshi temple - Leave the hotel for the temple by cycle rickshaws. At 9 PM, attend the night ceremony at the temple. This is a ceremony that takes place every evening when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is carried to the bed chamber of Parvati. The procession is accompanied by religious prayer and temple music.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 : Madurai - Periyar
Early this Morning city tour of Madurai visit the Meenakshi temple one of the biggest temple complexes in India - 46 ft. long by 790 ft broad built in the 17th Century. It is a rectangular twin shrine: the southern temple dedicated to Meenakshi (the consort of Shiva) and the other to Shiva. It is Madurai's greatest landmark - a file city within a city: the complex includes a bazaar that bustles from dawn to nightfall. The high point of the Meenakshi temple is Hall of a "Thousand Pillars", built in the 16th C which is as great a work of structural engineering as it is of art. Also visit the palace of Tirumala Nayak which is an example of the architectural mastery of the Nayaks - a blend of Hindu and Saracen architecture. It's enormous roofed arcade supported by 48 foot high stoned pillar still stands.
Return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast drive to Thekkady.
Arrive Thekkady and check in at the hotel.
Early morning boatcruise on the Lake of the famous Periyar wildlife sanctuary to see wild life. Periyar - an artificial lake or reservoir created by a dam on Periyar River is the heart of the Wildlife Sanctuary wild elephants, Asiatic Deer, Black Buck and even Tigers come to shores of the lake for a drink. Return to hotel for breakfast After breakfast a guided walk around the Spice Village to see the various spices grown in the resort garden.
Later drive through the winding "Ghats" lined with prosperous tea plantations & then arrive the fascinating countryside of low-lying palms and paddy fields to Kumarakom (190 kms) enroute visit the tea estates. Kumarakom - is a beautiful backwater village on the shores of the enchanting Vembanad Lake, criss crossed with meandering waterways and ancient cottages. A holiday in Coconut Lagoon promises to be different from any other. Every "tarawad" or cottage you stay in is at least a century old, reconstructed piece by piece in accordance with ancient rites of carpentry. Relax at the waterfront, with the occasional native row boat gliding silently by, and the air so calm, you can reach out and touch the sky with your finger tips.
Overnight at hotel

Day 08 : Kumarakom - Houseboat
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning at leisure at Coconut Lagoon, taking a cruise on the backwaters in traditional country canoes called "vanjis" to see the agricultural activities of the local people living on the back waters. Visit also the beautiful bird sanctuary. Lunch at the hotel Afternoon board the traditional rice boats - "Ketuvallam" and begin your journey through the picturesque backwaters and small lakes relaxing in the tranquillity of Kerala's beautiful scenery. Experience the way of life and activity of the local people, the one bedroom house with a lounge is exclusively for you, meals will be served with freshly bought produce from the local markets and cooked on board. Overnight on board

Day 09 : Houseboat -Mararikulam
Marari: Breakfast on board. Sail to Alleppey & disembark at Puthenagady Jetty. On arrival proceed directly to Mararikulam (30 kms) Mararikulam - is one of the picturesque fishing villages that dot the lovely coast line of Kerala. This private, shallow beach is fringed with unending lines of coconut palms. Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 : Marari
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure.
Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11: Marari - Cochin
Breakfast at the hotel.
Leave Marari for Cochin by road.

Cochin - Popularly known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Cochin is the oldest European settlement in India. Frilled with backwaters and rich with old world charm, this city has lured many a great voyager to its shores. Arrive Cochin & check into hotel Tour of Cochin or "Kochi"- the palm green, commercial captial of Kerala is known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea". From time immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British & Portuguese seafarers followed the sea route to Kochi & left their impression on the town. Modern Kochi is thus a splendid mosaic of these myriad influences. Visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue, the Church of St. Francis, the Bolghatty Palace & the famous Chinese fishing nets. Afternoon, Harbour cruise - Cochin has one of the finest natural harbours. The backwaters extending to the east & south from the harbour are dotted with tiny islands, formed naturally by alluvial deposits from the rivers. Evening witness the Kathakali dance performance + make up demonstration - Kathkali is a unique dance which has a 2000 year old history with more than 100 different 'mudras' or gesture depicting deities, demons, heroes, heroines and kings - each based on episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the two epic Indian myths.
Overnight at hotel

Day 12 : Cochin - Bombay
Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to the airport in time to connect flight for Bombay or Delhi.
Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer to International airport to connect flight for your onward journey.