DAY01:

CHENNAI
Arrive Chennai by international flight. The capital of Tamil Nadu state was formerly called Madras. It has been a busy trading port and cultural hub for hundreds of years. It is currently India’s fourth largest city. Spend the night in Chennai.

DAY02:

CHENNAI - MAHABALIPURAM
Depart for a city tour of Chennai. Visit Old Madras where French and British colonial era companies vied to buy Indian produce such as cotton and tea. Cross the city and the waterfront dominated by the Fort of St. George. Visit the San Thome Church and learn about Saint Thomas spreading Christianity to Asia. After lunch, explore the National Museum and the gallery of antique bronzes, where the famous statue of lord Shiva Nataraja is located. Then depart for a two hour journey to the Coromandel Coast and the port of Mahabalipuram. Spend the night in Mahabalipuram.

DAY03:

MAHABALIPURAM - PONDICHÉRY
Mahabalipuram was established as a commercial port in the seventh century and has acted as a trade link between India and Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Visit one of the cultural highlights of the area, Arjuna Penance, a rock carving 27 metres long and 9 metres high showing an episode from the Mahabharata, the epic Hindu legend. Nearby is the Sea Shore Temple. Built in the seventh century, it is a symbol of the birth of Indian architecture and an early example of masonry construction. Depart for the two hour trip to Pondicherry. Walk or take a rickshaw through the former French colony. You will visit some beautiful churches, including Our Lady of Angels, where Mass is still celebrated in French. See beautiful colonial buildings, the waterfront and the Muslim neighborhood on the opposite side of the canal. Spend the night in Pondicherry.

DAY04:

PONDICHÉRY - CHIDAMBARAM - SWAMIMALAI
Travel through the countryside of Tamil Nadu to Chidambaram. You will visit a remarkable temple complex characteristic of Dravidian culture: the Shiva Temple of Nataraja. Then continue through villages to Gangaikonda Cholapuram where Raja Rajendra I, a powerful Chola King, founded his new capital and built a magnificent temple for Lord Shiva. In the afternoon, visit the village of Darasuram which houses the wonderful Airavatesvara Temple. This UNESCO World Heritage site, also built by a Chola king, has remarkable carvings of horses and chariots and paintings. Spend the night in Swamimalai.

DAY05:

SWAMIMALAI – TANJORE - CHETTINAD
Depart for Tanjore, the city favoured by many Chola kings. Discover Brihadeshvara Temple, the second World Heritage listed site in the Great Living Chola Temple category. At Saraswati Mahal, see a superb collection of Chola bronze statues, including some of the most beautiful representations of Shiva in India. Stop at a workshop where artisans still practise the ancient art of cast bronze work. They make statues, oil lamps, and many objects of worship. Drive through the countryside to Chettinad, the land of the Chettiar epople. They are former merchants who made fortunes during the colonial era and built small palaces. Spend the night in Chettinad.

DAY06:

CHETTINAD - MADURAI
Travel through the heart of Tamil country to Madurai. Visit the Meenakshi Temple and its most stunning feature, the magnificent Hall of Thousand Pillars. In the evening, you can join hundreds of pilgrims and visit the temple for the ceremony of Lord Shiva at Sunset. Spend the night in Madurai.

DAY07:

MADURAI - CHENNAI
Take an early morning stroll through the Flower Market. The city is famous for Malligi flowers that produce the scent of jasmine, which is used as a base for perfumes all over the world. Discover the city of Madurai, which sits amongst rice fields and flower meadows. In the afternoon, visit the Gandhi Museum within the former palace of Rani Tamukkam Mangammal built in 1670. The museum aims to be a living institution that aims to teach young people learn about Dharma (the duty of a human being), Ahimsa (non-violence), Satyagraha (peaceful resistance), as well as the work and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Then visit Thirumalai Nayak Palace, the home of a seventeenth century king who was a great patron of the arts. It is built in the style of the Indo-Islamic style with an Italian influence. Transfer to Madurai airport for your flight to Chennai. Then transfer to an international flight to your next destination.

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