Grand Tour of Southern India & Kerala

Direct flight to southern India

Holiday begins at London Heathrow. Meet the Tour Manager and fellow travellers, then board a direct flight to Bengaluru.

Arrival in Bengaluru

Plane lands in Bengaluru ('IT Capital of India', formerly Bangalore). Check in to five-star hotel, free time to explore, then welcome meeting and first dinner together. Stops include Tipu's Palace and Lalbagh Botanical Garden area.

Meals: Dinner

To Mysuru, a city of palaces

Walking tour of Bengaluru including Vidhana Soudha and Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, then visit Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace. Coach journey to Mysuru through lush countryside. Check in to Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Mysore.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Discovering ornate palaces and temples in Mysuru

Sightseeing tour with local guide: Mysore Palace, St Philomena's Church, Srirangapatna (temples and forts), Chamundi Hill and Sri Chamundeswari Temple, Nandi Hindu temple, local market. Free time for lunch.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

To Ooty, the 'Queen of the Hill Stations'

Travel south by coach through Bandipur National Park and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to Ooty in the Nilgiri Hills. Free afternoon for independent sightseeing. Hotel overlooks the Nilgiri Hills.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Exploring floral Ooty in the Nilgiri Mountains

Guided sightseeing tour: Botanical Garden (600+ varieties of flora), Doddabetta peak (second-highest in southern India), lunch at colonial-era hilltop hotel, St Stephen's Church (built 1830), local market.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway – Asia's steepest

Two rail journeys through the Nilgiri Mountains. Toy train from Ooty to Coonoor (through tunnels, bridges, misty mountains and tea plantations). Walking tour of Coonoor and tea factory visit. Lunch at local restaurant. Continue on steam-hauled Nilgiri Mountain Railway to Mettupalayam (steepest railway in Asia between Coonoor and Kallar). Coach to Coimbatore for overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Journey to the Malabar Coast by rail

Free morning in Coimbatore (optional Gedee Car Museum). Early afternoon board the Intercity Express with packed lunch to Kochi, Kerala. Five-star hotel beside Vembanad Lake. Dinner together.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Guided tour of Kochi, 'Queen of the Arabian Sea'

Guided sightseeing tour: Paradesi Synagogue (oldest active synagogue in India), Fort Kochi, St Francis' Church (oldest European church on the subcontinent, original burial site of Vasco da Gama), Chinese Fishing Nets, Mattancherry Palace, Hill Palace, Dhobi Khana. Free afternoon. Kathakali dance performance before dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Scenic cruise along Kerala's idyllic backwaters

Morning at leisure (pool, spa, harbour stroll). Coach to Alleppey to board luxury houseboat cruise through Kerala backwaters. Glide across Vembanad Lake and through canals and rivers to Kumarakom. Lunch, tea and coffee served on board. Check in to lakeside hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Uncovering the allures of Coconut Lagoon

Free morning at hotel (pool, Ayurveda Centre, Butterfly Garden, canoe/kayak rides – payable locally). Afternoon: Kumarakom Village guided walk. Shikhara boat ride to Manjira village to discover coconut tree climbing, coir-making and coconut leaf weaving. Taste coconut water and Kerala toddy. Return to hotel for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

On to the atmospheric spice village of Thekkady

Coach inland through Ghat Mountains to Thekkady, passing roadside stalls and spice plantations (cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric). Free time for lunch. Periyar Lake boat ride through wildlife sanctuary (elephants, bison, sambar deer, birds). Coach back to hotel (Spice Village) for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

A spiced journey to the ancient Tamil city of Madurai

Morning walking tour of Thekkady spice plantation with expert guide (garlic, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg). Opportunity to purchase spices. Coach descent of Ghat Mountains back into Tamil Nadu to Madurai. Check in to The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai (former country club, tropical modernism architecture). Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Touring Madurai, the 'City That Never Sleeps'

Sightseeing tour with local guide: Thirumalai Nayak Palace (17th century), Meenakshi Amman Temple (Dravidian-style, Thousand Pillar Hall, Golden Lotus Pond, 14 gopuram towers), Gandhi Memorial Museum. Free afternoon at leisure. Dinner at hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

A short flight to Chennai on the Bay of Bengal

Early morning to Madurai airport for internal flight to Chennai (formerly Madras), capital of Tamil Nadu. Sightseeing tour: Madras War Cemetery, Marina Beach (second-longest urban beach in the world), San Thome Cathedral Basilica, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, George Town flower market. Check in to five-star hotel. Dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Free day in Tamil Nadu and homeward bound

Day at leisure in Chennai. Optional excursion to Mamallapuram (UNESCO World Heritage site, 7th–8th century Hindu monuments – payable locally) or explore Chennai independently (Fort St George, St Mary's Church). Late afternoon depart hotel for airport, overnight journey home via Delhi.

Meals: Breakfast

Arrival in London

Fly in to London Heathrow via Dubai. Holiday comes to a close as we arrive back in London early this morning.