West / South India By Rail - II

Duration: 17 Nights / 18 Days
Destinations Covered: (Mumbai (Bombay) - Aurangabad - Hyderabad - Chennai (Madras) - Trichy, Madurai - Periyar - Cochin - Bangalore - Mysore - Bangalore - Mumbai

Day 01 Mumbai
Arrive Mumbai. Transfer to hotel. Overnight Mumbai.

Day 02 Mumbai / Aurangabad
Morning tour of Mumbai visiting Kamla Nehru Park, Hanging Gardens situated on the slopes of Malabar Hill offering a panoramic view of Marine drive, Chowpatty Beach, Prince of Wales Museum, Mani Bhawan, Dhobi Ghat, Gateway of India & drive through the Crawford Market, Marine Drive & Flora Fountain. Check-out at 1200 hrs. Evening transfer to railway-station for overnight journey to Aurangabad.

Day 03 Aurangabad
Morning arrive Aurangabad and transfer to hotel followed by breakfast. Full Day excursion tour of Ajanta Caves. Ajanta Caves are 106 kms from Aurangabad and date back to the 2nd century BC. The 30 rock hewn caves are adorned with Buddhist sculpture and the frescoes portray in epic form the religious and secular life through eight centuries. Overnight Aurangabad.

Day 04 Aurangabad
After breakfast, excursion visit to Ellora Caves (29 kms) encompassing 34 rock cut shrines representing Buddhist,Hindu & Jain art dating from the 4th to 9th century A.D. The most remarkable among them is the Kailash Temple, meant to be a replica of Lord Shivas celestial abode - Kailash is the best example of Rock cut architecture and an engineering marvel. Overnight Aurangabad.

Day 05 Aurangabad / Hyderabad
After breakfast, Day free. Check-out from the hotel 1200 hrs. Evening transfer to railway-station for overnight journey to Hyderabad.

Day 06 Hyderabad
Morning arrive Hyderabad and transfer to Hotel followed by breakfast.Afternoon tour of Hyderabad. Visit Charminar - Rectangular Four Arched Monumental Gate often described as the -The Arch of Triumph of the East, The Mecca Mosque & visit the Salar Jung Museum - one man collection of Manuscripts, ancient weapons, costumes & curios. Also visit the High Court building. Overnight Hyderabad.

Day 07 Hyderabad / Chennai
After breakfast, Day free or optional tour to Golconda. Check-out at 1200 hrs. Evening transfer to railway-station for overnight journey to Chennai.

Day 08 Chennai
Morning arrive Chennai. Transfer to hotel followed by breakfast. Afternoon city tour. Visit the Museum to see the Art and Bronze Gallery. Drive through the Flower and Fruit market, High court, Fort museum, Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral and snake park . Overnight Chennai.

Day 09 Chennai / Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram / Chennai
Full Day excursion tour of Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram. Late evening transfer to railway-station for overnight journey to Trichy.

Kanchipuram (64 kms from Chennai) is the ancient capital of the Pallavas famous as a city of 1000 Temples and still has 124 shrines. The first temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century and has paintings on the walls. Temples of Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also famous for its silks.
The city of Mahabalipuram is famous for the seven pagodas. Here on the seashore is an interesting group of ancient rock hewn temples which are the examples of Dravidian style of Architecture.

Day 10 Trichy
Morning arrive Trichy and transfer to hotel followed by breakfast. Afternoon tour of Trichy. Trichy was the citadel of the Chola dynasty in the medieval period. In the 18th century it witnessed the Carnatic wars fought between the French and the English. Lord Robert Clive's house is still there to see and so is the Danish Church. The Rock-Fort is the landmark of Trichy. A climb of 434 steps leads to the ancient temple of Ganapati on top and a further climb to a Shiva temple. Overnight Trichy.

Day 11 Trichy / Madurai
Morning drive to Madurai enroute visiting Tanjore, the beautiful Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara is capped by a monolithic cupola made of a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by the Egyptians for building pyramids. Its bronzes and handicrafts make Tanjore one of the highlights of a visit to South India. Overnight Madurai.

Day 12 Madurai
After breakfast, visit the great Meenakshi Temple dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva. Later, visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace - A gracious building in the Indo saracenic style, famous for the Stucco work on its domes & arches. Also visit the Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran Rock temple. Afternoon free. Overnight Madurai.

Day 13 Madurai / Periyar
After breakfast, drive to Periyar National Park. it extends to 777 square kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges, the Western Ghats. Wild life can be seen while cruising on Periyar Lake in a motor boat. Elephants, wild boar, sambar, tiger, leopard, wild dog, langur monkeys, etc. can be seen easily. Overnight Periyar.

Day 14 Periyar / Cochin
After breakfast, drive to Cochin. Arrive and transfer to hotel. Overnight Cochin.

Day 15 Cochin
After breakfast, city tour of Cochin. One of the finest natural harbours on the Arabian Sea coast, Kochi, earlier known as Cochin, has been a pot of call for foreign traders from early times. Cochin is the natural harbour created by the famed underwater Malabar mud-banks whose quality ensures that the rougher the seas are outside and the calmer waters are within the Harbour. Vasco-de-Gama placed it on the world map. It has a Jewish synagogue, Portuguese churches, mosques and Hindu temples. Watch the Chinese Fishing Nets. Checkout at 1200 hrs. Transfer to railway-station for overnight journey to Bangalore.

Day 16 Bangalore / Mysore
Morning arrive Bangalore railway station and drive to Mysore. Arrive and transfer to hotel. Overnight Mysore.

Day 17 Mysore
After breakfast, visit the palace of the Maharaja built in 1911 - 1912. The palace is of harmonious syntheses of the Hindu and saracenic styles of architecture with archways, domes, turrets, colonnades and sculptures which are magnificent. Visit the Art Gallery; drive upto Chamundi hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple and a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way back, see the Nandi Bull. Afternoon free. Overnight Mysore.

Day 18 Mysore / Bangalore / Mumbai or Delhi
After breakfast, drive to Bangalore airport in time to board the flight for Mumbai or Delhi. Arrive & drive to city centre. Evening transfer to international airport.