10 Days South India Tour Package
- 10 days / 9 nights
- Private tour
- Private guide and vehicle
- Reply within four hours, 9am–9pm IST
- Travellers who want temples and backwaters in one trip rather than choosing between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Best November to March across both states.
What’s included
- Private car and driver throughout
- One night on an Alleppey houseboat, all meals included on board
- Local guide at the major temple sites
- Daily breakfast
What’s not included
- Flights in and out
- Temple camera and special-entry fees
- Lunches and dinners except on the houseboat
- Travel insurance
Cancellation terms are confirmed with your written quote
- No payment is taken until you approve the itinerary.
Day 1
Arrive Chennai
- Met on arrival; Marina Beach and Kapaleeshwarar Temple.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Chennai
Day 2
Chennai to Mahabalipuram
- Shore Temple and the rock-cut monuments.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Mahabalipuram
Day 3
Mahabalipuram to Thanjavur
- Drive into the Chola heartland, about 4–5 hours.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Thanjavur
Day 4
Thanjavur temple, on to Madurai
- Brihadeeswarar Temple in the morning.
- Drive to Madurai, about 3 hours.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Madurai
Day 5
Madurai — Meenakshi Temple
- Full morning at the Meenakshi Amman Temple; afternoon markets.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Madurai
Day 6
Madurai to Munnar
- Long scenic drive over the Western Ghats, about 5–6 hours.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Munnar
Day 7
Munnar tea country
- Tea estate visit and a viewpoint over the plantations.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Munnar
Day 8
Munnar to Alleppey
- Drive down to the backwaters, about 4 hours.
- Board a houseboat for an overnight cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner (on houseboat) · Stay: Houseboat, Alleppey
Day 9
Backwaters at leisure, to Kochi
- Disembark after breakfast; drive to Kochi, about 1.5 hours.
- Afternoon walk through Fort Kochi.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Kochi
Day 10
Departure
- Transfer to Kochi airport for your onward flight.
Meals: Breakfast · Stay: Departure day
This ten-day South India tour combines Tamil Nadu's temple trail — Chennai, Mahabalipuram, the Chola heartland and Madurai — with a crossing into Kerala for the Munnar hills and Alleppey's backwaters, the classic way the two neighbouring states are combined into one trip.
Tamil Nadu's temples into Kerala's hills and water
Tamil Nadu's temples and Kerala's backwaters, hills and coast are next-door neighbours, and together they make the classic South India trip. This ten-day route runs the Tamil Nadu temple trail first, then crosses the Western Ghats into Kerala for Munnar and the backwaters.
Is this the same as the Tamil Nadu temple trail alone?
No — this ten-day version crosses into Kerala for Munnar and the backwaters after the Tamil Nadu temple stops, rather than adding Rameswaram and Kanyakumari as the ten-day Tamil-Nadu-only version does.
How do you cross from Tamil Nadu into Kerala on this route?
By road over the Western Ghats from Madurai to Munnar, about five to six hours on a scenic mountain road.
Can this trip end in Trivandrum instead of Kochi?
Yes, by adding a night in Varkala before departure; ask and we will re-quote.
Reviews
- 5 stars4
- 4 stars2
- 3 stars1
- 2 stars0
- 1 stars0
What our guests say
Elena F
Family · Verified trip
3/53 days agovia Google
Ravi C
Friends · Verified trip
4/51 month agoA lovely, well-organised trip. Only small gripe is that the morning pickup was fifteen minutes late on day one. Everything after that was punctual to the minute, so I suspect it was a one-off.
via Google
Isabella R
Solo · Verified trip
5/52 months agoHonest pricing with no surprises. What we were quoted is what we paid, entry tickets included, and the guide waved off the usual hangers-on at the monuments without any fuss.
via Tripadvisor
Meera N
Group · Verified trip
5/53 months agoOur guide grew up in the old town and it showed. We got the version of the city locals see, not the coach-tour one. He also found us a wonderful sweet shop that has ruined all other sweets for me.
via Google
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