Iconic South India

DAY 1 | CHENNAI | 1 NIGHT

Arrive in Chennai and transfer to your hotel where you have the remainder of the evening at leisure to relax, enjoy a cuppa, and prepare for the fortnight ahead.

Accommodation: The Leela Palace – 1 night including breakfast

DAY 2 | PONDICHERRY | 2 NIGHTS

Our journey begins in Chennai, where we explore San Thome Cathedral and St Thomas Mount — two sites intimately connected with the arrival of Christianity in India and the legacy of St Thomas the Apostle. Continue to Fort St George and St Mary’s Church, before visiting the Fort Museum, whose artefacts and exhibits bring the city’s colonial history vividly to life.

From here, we travel south along the coast to Mahabalipuram, where intricately carved rock-cut temples, the Shore Temple and the balancing granite boulder known as Krishna’s Butterball showcase the remarkable artistry of the Pallava dynasty.

Continue onwards to Pondicherry, where the atmosphere becomes noticeably more relaxed and the town’s faded French elegance gradually begins to emerge. After time to settle in, we’ll gather this evening for a Welcome Dinner at Maison Restaurant.

Accommodation: Maison Perumal – 2 nights including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 3 | PONDICHERRY

This morning, we step into the gentle rhythm of Pondicherry, where broad leafy streets, pastel façades and wrought-iron balconies hint at the town’s long French colonial past. Walking through the atmospheric French Quarter, we’ll discover a place where European influences sit quietly layered over the textures, colours and spirit of southern India. Visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, whose calm and contemplative atmosphere offers a striking contrast to the bustle found elsewhere in India, before spending time at the museum to better understand the philosophy and legacy behind the community.

Later, continue to nearby Auroville — an experimental township founded on ideals of human unity and conscious living. Auroville was envisioned as an international community free of government, money, religion and strife, and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Here we will have the opportunity to engage with local artisans as they work, and you have the option visit a pre-school in Mohanam run by an Auroville NGO. Thought-provoking, unconventional and unlike anywhere else in the country, it is often one of the journey’s most memorable and surprising experiences.

DAY 4 | KUMBAKONAM | 1 NIGHT

Leaving the coast behind, we travel inland today into the temple heartland of Tamil Nadu, where spirituality, artistry and history intertwine at every turn. Arriving in Kumbakonam, we visit the extraordinary Airavatesvara Temple, one of the great masterpieces of Chola architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every surface seems intricately carved, with stone figures, pillars, and reliefs revealing stories of mythology, devotion, and daily life. This is where the journey begins to deepen — moving beyond the layers of colonialism into the rich artistic and spiritual traditions of southern India.

Continue to Mantra Koodam, where there is time to relax with a swim in the pool before enjoying a dinner of Tamil cuisine this evening.

Accommodation: Mantra Koodam– 1 night including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 5 | CHETTINAD | 1 NIGHT

This morning there is the option to begin the day with a yoga class before continuing south via Trichy. En route, we stop at the dramatic Rock Fort Temple, perched high above the city on an ancient granite outcrop and rewarded by sweeping views for those who make the climb. Continue onwards to the immense Sri Ranganathswamy Temple, one of the most important and atmospheric temple complexes in South India, where layers of shrines, towering gopurams and vibrant rituals create an experience that feels both deeply spiritual and intensely alive.

Later, arrive in Chettinad, a region renowned for its opulent heritage mansions built by wealthy merchant families whose trade networks once stretched across Asia. Spend time wandering and absorbing the character of this quietly elegant region before dinner this evening at the beautifully atmospheric 86 Pillars.

Accommodation: The Lotus Palace – 1 night including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 6 | PERIYAR | 2 NIGHTS

Today, our journey crosses into Kerala, and the change in atmosphere feels almost immediate. The landscape becomes softer, greener and unmistakably tropical as we travel into the Cardamom Hills, where misty slopes, dense forests and spice plantations replace the drier plains of Tamil Nadu.

Arriving in Periyar, the air feels cooler and the pace noticeably calmer. After time to settle in, join a guided walk through a spice garden to discover the ingredients that form the foundations of Kerala cuisine — cardamom, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg filling the air with fragrance. Later, enjoy a hands-on cooking class followed by dinner, offering a delicious introduction to the region’s flavours.

Accommodation: Spice Village – 2 nights including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 7 | PERIYAR

An early start this morning takes us onto the tranquil waters of Lake Periyar. In the soft morning light, wildlife gathers quietly along the shoreline, with elephants often appearing at the water’s edge to drink, bathe or move silently through the forest.

Later, visit a working spice plantation where we’ll walk among cardamom, pepper vines, cinnamon, vanilla and countless other aromatic crops that made Kerala one of the world’s great trading regions for centuries. The experience is wonderfully sensory and offers a fascinating insight into the spice routes that once connected India to Europe and the Middle East.

This evening, enjoy a traditional dance performance before dinner at the 500 Mile Restaurant, where every ingredient is sourced from within 500 miles.

DAY 8 | KUMARAKOM | 2 NIGHTS

Descending from the hills today, we travel into the lush backwaters of Kerala, arriving in Kumarakom on the shores of the vast Lake Vembanad. Fringed by palms and threaded with quiet canals, this region has an entirely different rhythm. Village life unfolds quietly along the banks while fishing boats drift between narrow waterways, and rice paddies stretch towards the horizon.

The afternoon is left free to relax and absorb the peaceful surroundings before dinner at Ettukettu Restaurant this evening.

Accommodation: Coconut Lagoon – 1 night including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 9 | KUMARAKOM | HOUSEBOAT

Today we take to the water for one of Kerala’s most quietly memorable experiences — an overnight journey aboard a traditional houseboat through the backwaters. Drifting slowly along narrow canals, open lakes and palm-lined waterways, we’ll pass village life unfolding at the water’s edge, from children waving from riverbanks to fishermen casting their nets in the shallows. The experience feels immersive and unhurried, offering a rare glimpse into a way of life that remains deeply connected to the landscape and seasons. As evening falls and the waterways grow still, settle in for a peaceful night onboard your houseboat [Each houseboat has three bedrooms so we will ‘raft up’ in the evening to enjoy dinner together]

Accommodation: CGH Earth Houseboat – 1 night including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 10 | KOCHI | 2 NIGHTS

Disembarking this morning, continue onwards to Kochi (formerly Cochin) one of India’s great historic port cities. For centuries, traders from across the Arab world, Europe and Asia arrived here carrying spices, silk and stories, shaping a city layered with different cultures, religions and architectural styles.

This evening, we experience a traditional Kathakali performance, where elaborate costumes, dramatic make-up and highly expressive storytelling combine to create one of Kerala’s most distinctive cultural traditions. Unlike anything else on the journey, it offers a fascinating insight into the region’s artistic heritage.

Accommodation: Brunton Boatyard – 2 nights including breakfast, light lunch & dinner

DAY 11 | KOCHI

Today explore the richly layered history of Kochi, a city where Portuguese, Dutch, British, Jewish and Indian influences still coexist in remarkable harmony. Visit the Dutch Palace, the historic Jewish Synagogue and St Francis Church — believed to be India’s oldest European church — before continuing to the famous Chinese fishing nets that have become an enduring symbol of the city.

The afternoon is left at leisure to wander the atmospheric streets, revisit favourite corners or simply soak up the atmosphere before a sunset harbour cruise and a final alfresco dinner this evening at the Terrace Grill.

DAY 12 | END OF ITINERARY

Your final morning in Kochi begins with an early breakfast before transferring to the airport for your journey home or to continue with your onward adventures.

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