Holy India Travels

Places to Visit  :  Chennai – Tirupati – Puttaparthi – Bangalore – Srirangapatnam -  Mysore – Ooty –Madurai –Thekkady  – Munnar - Alleppey – Cochin

Duration of Tour Package  :    16 Nights | 17 Days

Day 01| Arrival at Chennai |

Afternoon/evening arrive at Chennai airport. Overnight stay at hotel in Chennai.

Day 02| Chennai |

Breakfast at hotel. Today Chennai city tour visit Kalakshetra– A school of art and music that encourages exponents of Bharatnatyam, Carnatic music, traditional weaving and designing.

Fort St. George– Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India, founded in 1644. The modern city of Chennai.

St. Mary's Church– The oldest Anglican Church in India with its premises. Sri Parthasarathy Temple– Built by the Pallavas in the 8th century AD.

Kapaleeswarar Temple– Mylapore also an eighth century Pallava Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. San Thomas Cathedral Basilica rebuilt in 1606 as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica.

Evening free to visit Marina Beach &  local markets/bazaar for shopping. Overnight stay at hotel in Chennai.

Day 03| Chennai - Tirupati (135 Kms/ 4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Tirupati. “Tirupati”– Tirupati is a major pilgrimage and cultural city in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the richest pilgrimage cities of any religious faith in the world. Tirupati is famous for Venkateswara Swamy temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara.

On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel visit Sri Venkateswara Temple– Sri Venkateswara Temple is one of the ancient and holy temples, which is located at the 7th peak of the Venkata Tirumala Hill. The temple houses an idol of Lord Venkateswara, which is about 8 ft in height. The idol stands under the gold gilded dome, which is known as Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana. The eyes of this idol are covered with a tilak of camphor and are ornamented with some of the precious and semi-precious stones. Overnight stay at hotel in Tirupati. 

Day 04| Tirupati - Puttaparthi (220 Kms/ 5-6 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Puttaparthi. Ashram of Sri Satya Sai Baba. On arrival check in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Puttaparthi.

Day 05| Puttaparthi  |

Breakfast at hotel. Day free to visit Sri Satya Sai Baba Ashram. Overnight stay at hotel in Puttaparthi.

Day 06| Puttaparthi - Bangalore (150 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Bangalore, on arrival check in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Bangalore.

Day 07 | Bangalore  |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning start sightseeing tour of Bangalore city.

Visit The Bangalore Fort and Palace– The Fort of Bangalore was built by Kempe Gowda and was later expanded by the legendary king Tipu Sultan. This summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for its carving and paintings.

Vidhana Soubha– This splendid building is a marvel of modern architecture and is a perfect amalgamation of traditional neo-Dravidian and modern styles. It is the home of the State Legislature and the Secretariat and dominates the northern boundary of the Cubbon Park.

The Bull Temple– Kempe Gowda built this temple. The center of reverence is a magnificent Nandi, which is 15 feet tall and over 20 feet long.

Lalbagh - Surrounding one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore, is the 240 acre landscaped Lal Bagh gardens. Haider Ali, the warrior-king of Mysore, decided to create this garden in 1740 on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were popular during his time. The park has some rare species of plants brought from Persia, Afghanistan and France.  Overnight stay at hotel in Bangalore.

Day 08| Bangalore -  Srirangapatnam - Mysore (181 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Mysore. On the way visit Srirangapatnam. Further drive to Mysore. “Mysore”– The city of Mysore is known as the 'City Of Palaces'. There are number of buildings built by the Royal family and are exquisite examples of Dravidian architecture.

On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel start sightseeing tour of Mysore City.

Visit Royal Palace (Mysore Palace)– Also know as Amba Vilas Palace. It is the official residence of the Wodeyars the erstwhile royal family of Mysore. The Palace is a three-storied building built of grey granite and pink marble domes. The illuminated Mysore Palace against the dark black sky is one of the most spectacular and iconic images of Mysore.

Chamundi Hills– The hills average elevation is 1000 meters. The famous Chamundeswari temple is situated on the topof this hill. A panaromic view of the city can be seen from this hill.

Brindavan Gardens– The Brindavan Gardens are located adjoining the Krishnaraja sagara dam built across the river Kaveri. These gardens are primarily symmetrically laid out terrace gardens extending over 60 acres. The Brindavan Gardens are famous for the illuminated musical and dancing fountains that attracts a large number of visitors. Overnight stay at hotel in Mysore.

Day 09| Mysore - Ooty (120 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Ooty.  On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel start sightseeing tour of Ooty City.

Ooty Lake– It was built in 1825 and is about 2.5 km long. Visitors to this lake can go for boating on the lake or enjoy their favorite outdoor activity of fishing.

Botanical Garden– The picturesque gardens that are maintained by the Horticulture department of the state, cover an area of about 22 hectares. 

Rest of the day free for leisure. Overnight stay at hotel in Ooty.

Day 10 | Ooty |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning enjoy  Toy Train ride from Ooty to Coonoor.  

Toy Train : Travelling at a maximum speed of 33 Km per hour, this 'toy train' to Ooty in Tamilnadu, chugs across plains, plantation and forest clad hills. The 16 tunnels and tall girder bridges on the way, along with the breathtaking view, make this journey to Ooty really memorable. The Nilgiri Railway is a unique feat of Engineering in South.

Further return back to hotel and rest of the day free to relax. Overnight stay at hotel in Ooty.

Day 11 | Ooty - Madurai (300 Kms/7-8  hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Madurai. “Madurai”– Madurai known as “Athens of the East”.

On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel visit  Meenakshi Temple– The Temple has almost become synonymous with the place. This is Madurai's most famous landmark. This 17th century temple has two sanctum Sanctorums: one dedicated to Lord Shiva as Sundareswar ("Lord of Beauty") and the other to Meenakshi, his wife. Meenakshi holds a parrot and bouquet. Meenakshi in Sanskrit means "one who has eyes like a fish".

Thirumalainayak Palace &  Gandhi Memorial Museum, established in 1959, is a memorial museum for Gandhi located in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. Known as Gandhi Museum, it is now one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas in the country.

Also enjoy wedding ceremony at Meenakshi temple. Overnight stay at hotel in Madurai.

Day 12 | Madurai  - Thekkady (Periyar National Park) (140 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Thekkady. Thekkady (Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary)– Periyar, spread over an area of 777 sq km, has about 35 tigers and leopards. The park encompasses a 26 sq km artificial lake and is the home of sambars, wild boars, elephants and antelopes which can be occasionally seen on the banks of the river during a boat cruise.

On arrival check-in at hotel. In the afternoon enjoy Boat safari on Lake Periyar to view wildlife. This is best way to see wild animals in Periyar wild Park.

Later visit the Sprawling Spice Gardens in Periyar amidst the Eucalyptus trees. Spice tour of Periyar is the best way to explore the land known for its different aroma of spices. One can find people letting out all kind of yell just to

reciprocate the echo getting reflected from surrounding hills. Overnight stay at hotel in Thekkady.

Day 13 | Thekkady - Munnar (100 Kms/ 2.5 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Munnar. On the way you will visit Tea Plantations - The lush greenery and the soothing cold wind with a mild aroma of tea leaves totally rejuvenates you

Munnar– Breathtakingly beautiful a haven of peace and tranquility - the idyllic tourist destination in God's own country. Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district, Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days.

On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel start sightseeing tour of Munnar city.

Visit Mattupetty dam– Mattupetty dam and its reservoir  is  located 13 km away from Munnar.  This concrete gravity dam is built between the hill ranges and it is used mainly for water storage for hydroelectric projects. Its reservoir is an idyllic place to enjoy the serene nature.

Echo Point - Go there and scream as loud as you can and wait for a minute. You can hear your echo back! Its quite interesting. If you have kids with you they will love it. They can experience this natural phenomenon firsthand.

Tea Museum– This tea museum is first of its kind in India. It is located at KDHP’s Nullatanni estate in Munnar. The aim of this museum according to its founders is to showcase the growth of more-than-a-century-old tea plantations in this region. Anyone visiting this museum will get a clear  picture of how laborious this tea processing really is.  Overnight stay at hotel in Munnar.

Day 14| Munnar |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning visit Lakkam Waterfalls– The waterfall is surrounded by ‘Vaga trees’. The waterfall

originates from the Eravikulam Plateau. Though the stream creates lots of cascades, most of them are inaccessible. But, due to its visual treat, this destination is one of the most preferable destinations for the tourists. Near the hill  station of Munnar is located at a distance of 9 kms from the town. It is an idyllic picnic spot surrounded by verdant rolling hills. A favorite location for trekkers. It is one of the most attractive scenes that you can look at during your

stay at Munnar.

Eravikulam Park– It is an ideal place for seeing the biodiversity of high elevation shola-grassland ecosystem. A sanctuary for the endangered mountain goat of South India, the Nilgiri Thar (Hemitragus hylocrious), the Eravikulam National Park stands out for the stark beauty of its rolling grasslands and sholas, spread over 97 sq km in the Kannan devan hills.

Evening visit at studio to watch Kerala’s famous traditional Kathakali Dances show. Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world.  The Kathakali dance is presented in a group, the themes of which are based on Hindu Mythologies - particularly on epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata. Overnight stay at hotel in Munnar.

Day 15 | Munnar -Alleppey  (160 Kms/3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Alleppey. On arrival embark on deluxe Houseboat local people called Kettuvallam.

A house boat is around 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet.  The materials that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The house boats have fully furnished single, double rooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and western toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room for the crew. The cuisine is traditional Kerala flavour with the local specialities, delicious fish and prawns.

You will enjoy an overnight leisure stay in a houseboat also enjoy lavish Lunch & Dinner at houseboat. Overnight stay at houseboat in Alleppey.

Day 16| Alleppey - Cochin (55 Kms/1.5 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Cochin, on arrival check in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel start sightseeing tour of Cochin city.

Dutch Palace– The Palace is located at Mattancherry and incorporates fine collection of mural paintings depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Santa Cruz Basilica–St.Francis Church, Kochi In 1503, the then Rajah of Kochi permitted Alphonso Alburquerque to build this fort. Within this fort, Alburquerque erected a wooden church and dedicated it to St. Bartholomew.

Fort Kochi Beach– The beach is a wonderful experience during sunsets with the silhouettes of Chinese fishing nets and ships forming its background which makes the experience a memorable one. Mouth watering fresh seafood is available at the stalls near the beach.

Chinese Fishing Nets– Chinese fishing Nets one of the most popular tourist spots in Cochin is the Chinese Fishing nets at Fort Kochi. Set up on bamboo and teak poles, these fishing nets which are of 10 meters in height and spread over 20 meters over the water body is a very unique way of fishing.

Marine Drive– This is a picturesque promenade in Kochi. It is built facing the backwaters, and is a popular hangout for the local populace. It is also an economically thriving part of the city of Kochi with several shopping malls it is as an important centre of shopping activity in Kochi. The view of the setting and rising sun over the sea mouth. 

Evening free to visit local market for shopping. Overnight stay at hotel in Cochin.

Day 17 | Cochin/ Departure |

Breakfast at hotel and drop at Cochin airport to board on flight for onward destination.

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