South india is a city where ancient art and architecture dwells , surrounded by indian ocean, bay of bengal and arabian sea, south india has enormous gift of nature and serene beauty. This complete package of 30 days will let you unveil the beauty and ancient architure of indian history.

Duration – 30 days
Destination covered – chennai, mahabalipuram, pondicherry, tanjore, trichy, chettinad, tranquebar, madurai, periyar, kumarakom, alleppey, cochin, vythiri, ooty, coonoor, mysore, hassan, bangalore.

Tour itinerary

Day 01 arrival at chennai:
Company representatives will receive you on arrival at the international airport in delhi. Transfer to your hotel. Relax.the first british warehouse came up in 1639 when the british acquired the sandy beach from the local nayakas on lease. It was called madraspatinam then. Later by 1654, the fort st. George was built. Still later the neighboring villages were included in the city which came either as grants or gifts. Triplicane was rented from the sultan of golconda in 1676. In 1744 robert clive worked as a writer from the fort, later to become a military man of british army. The fort house, which housed the governor and his council, were added in the 17th century, the assembly hall in 1910 and the secretariat in 1925.
Overnight will be at hotel.

Day 02 chennai:
Proceed for city tour of chennai in the morning after breakfast.santhome cathedral was built by the portuguese in the 14th and 15th century and is named after st. Thomas. Historically important, it is one of the pilgrimages for the christian community.
Fort st. George, one the first few bastions built by the east india company, marks the beginning of chennai as a modern city. It occupies a place of pride and prominence in chennai. kapaleeswarar temple is dedicated to lord shiva; kapaleeswarar temple has inscriptions from the 13th century a.d. The temple ‘gopuram’ (tower) is in the characteristic dravidian style of architecture. The walls and pillars of temple have very delicate and intricate carvings which depict the scenes from hindu mythology. Visit the beach and the museum.In the evening enjoy shopping at nalli sarees and then proceed for an evening of classical indiandance & dinner at the hotel.
Overnight will be at hotel.

Day 03 chennai – kanchipuram – mahabalipuram:
By road 150 km in 3 hr
After breakfast drive to kanchipuram – 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.drive to mamallapooram (mahabalipuram) and check in at hotel.
A few miles south of chennai, at mahabalipuram, on the sandy shores of the bay of bengal, a beautiful group of rock-cut monuments evokes the past. This ancient seaport was once the main harbor and naval base of the great pallava empire and is today the site of an enchanting seaside assemblage of temples and shrines. It was well known in the 1st century known to greek traders, and was the pallava’s second city. Though their power waned nearly 1200 years ago, they left a breathtaking legacy in four distinct kinds of sculpture, rathas (temple chariots), bas-relief sculptural panels, rock-cut caves, and free standing temples.
Overnight will be at hotel.

Day 04 mahabalipuram:
Breakfast will be at the hotel.s. The mahishasuramardhini cave, depicting the goddess fighting a demon on one side and lord vishnu’s cosmic sleep on the other, is a particularly remarkable one.
Krishna mandapam: a bas-relief, notable for its realistic representation. The panel relates to one of the stories of lord krishna.
Arjuna penance: this is the world’s largest bas relief measuring 27m x 9m. This huge whale-backed rock contains figures of gods, demigods, men, beasts, birds and almost all of the entire creation. And, this is easily the pride of mamallapooram.
The five rathas: there are the five monolithic temples, each created in a different style. They are also known as the pancha pandava rathas – and four out of the five rathas are supposed to have been carved out of a single rock.
The shore temple: this is one of the oldest temples. Unique about this temple is the fact that it houses shrines for both lord shiva and lord vishnu. This belongs to the early 8th century ad and it is a classic example of the first phase of structural temples constructed in pure dravidian style.
Relax in the afternoon. Overnight will be at the hotel.

Day 05 mahabalipuram – pondicherry:
By road 112km in 03hr
Breakfast will be at hotel. Proceed to pondicherry.
French dreams of an indian empire began and ended in pondicherry. But in the scattered territories of the union territory of pondicherry there remains what little there is left of the french influence in india and that makes the territory, especially its headquarters, pondicherry, unique, something quite different from the rest of india. The union territory of pondicherry comprises of 4 coastal regions of pondicherry, karaikal, mahe and yanam. Pondicherry is on the east coast about 162 km south of chennai (madras) located on the coromandel coast of the bay of bengal. This erstwhile french colony on the east coast of south india merged with the rest of the country in 1954. Legend says that pondicherry is the place where st. Agasthaya settled down.
Enjoy the old world town in the afternoon. Overnight stay will be at the heritage hotel.

Day 06 pondicherry – tanjore:

By road 160km in 04hr
Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Drive to visit aurbindo ashram which is also known as “the city of dawn”. The place is 10 km north of pondicherry. This ashram promotes shri aurbindo ideas in bringing about a synthesis of yoga and modern science, so as to unite the spirit and matter.
After lunch at local restaurant, drive to thanjavur enroute visiting the brass factory at kumbakonam. Tanjore once the capital of chola kings, has the brihadeeshwara temple(or the big temple of god).the temple tower rises to a height of 15mts from a square base of 29 mts and then tapers off, making a total of 66mts.
Overnight will be at tanjore.

Day 07 tanjore – trichy –tranquebar:

By road 160 km / 4 hr
After breakfast leave for trichy, short name of trichurapalli, situated on the banks of kaveri river is a blend of history and tradition as well as pilgrim centre. It is famous for ranganatha temple at srirangam.
Enjoy lunch and drive to the eastern coast town of tranquebar.
Danish forts, british bungalows, german missionaries, portuguese trade – clearly, this has to be india. This place is very different from any other place in india and has been overlooked by all in favor of the “tourist – itinerary” which is very common and does not let one discover india. Tranquebar (tarangambadi) is a coastal town 24km south of chidambaram, close to srikazhi. Interestingly this sleepy little town was an important danish settlement. The danish east india company purchased this piece of land from raghunatha nayaka in 1620 and it was transferred to king christian iv in 1624. Tranquebar continued to be the base for all danish commercial activities in south india, till the british gained control of the territory in 1807. Denmark finally regained control in 1814, but in the years to come tranquebar could not regain its former glory and faded into oblivion. The remarkably intact danesborg fort, which overlooks the sea, was built in 1620 by the first danish governor, ovo gedde. The fort has a small museum, which has an interesting collection of maps, documents, weapons and other artefacts. Tranquebar is also home to the new jerusalem church of the evangelical lutherans, which was associated with bartolomeus ziegenbalg, the first lutheran missionary in south india, who was responsible for the translation of the new testament into tamil. The danish church and the town gateway are the other reminders of the danish adventures in india. The beach here is clean and inviting.Check in at the bungalow on the beach – it is not a building constructed as some activity-laden resort for beach hoppers, but a building that was there organically as part of this small port’s heritage and has now been nicely restored from its state of dilapidation. It has fat round columns, large wooden doors, ventilators, pillared portico, wooden rafters holding up the ceiling and lot of charm.
Enjoy the hotel and the beach. Overnight will be at tranquebar

Day 08 tranquebar:

Enjoy breakfast and then the day at the peaceful destination
Visit the danish fort and the shore temple. It is best to feel the culture of the place and know of the history. Overnight will be at tranquebar.

Day 09 tranquebar – chettinad – madurai:

By road 280 km / 6 hr
Breakfast will be at hotel.
Start for chettinad
The traditional chettinad houses are made on an area of 2500 sq ft having around 60 to 70 rooms. They were built almost 100 years back. They were made of lime, sand and egg yolk especially imported from rangoon. The construction material, decor items and furnishings were mostly imported from east asia europe. The chandeliers and teak came from burma, crockery from indonesia, marble from italy, wall-to-wall mirrors from belgium and crystals from europe. French and other european destinations inspired the woodwork and stonework.
Walk around and enjoy the rickshaw ride through the streets.Sightseeing will include lord ganesh temple at pillayarpatti – this image of ganesha is bound to be familiar to anyone of tamil origin; however, little is known to many about the fact that this is an image of the rock cut karpaka vinayakar shrine at pillayarpatti near karaikkudi at one of the oldest cave temples (rock cut) temples of tamil nadu.
Madurai’s main attraction is the famous sri meenakshi amman temple a riotously baroque example of dravidian architecture with gopurams carved from top to bottom in a breathtaking profusion of multicolored images of gods. Tamil & greek documents record the existence of madurai from the 4th century bc the city was known to the greeks via magathenes their ambassador to the court of chandraguptha muriya this city was popular in trade especially in spices. It was also the site the sangam the academy of the tamil poets. And madurai is the centre of all the cities and madurai is famous for the cotton sungudi saris.
Overnight will be at madurai.

Day 10 madurai:

After breakfast go for city tour of madurai. The ancient city of madurai, some 2600 years old is laid out in the banks of river vaigai as a lotus flower with the meenakshi temple in the centre. After lunch city tour visiting – meenakshi temple, king tirumala’s palace, great tank and gandhi museum.Sri meenakshi amman temple: dated back to 2000 years back and designed in 1560 by vishwanatha nayaka and built during the reign of tirumalai nayaka. The temple occupies an area of six hectares. There are 12 temple towers (gopurams). The outer towers are the landmarks of madurai. They are:
Vandiyur mariamman teppakulam: vandiyur mariamman teppakulam is a huge temple tank about 5 km east of the meenakshi temple. The mandapam in the centre has an idol of vigneshwara (vinayaka). It is said to have been found when the earth was being dug out from here to build the thirumalai nayakkar mahal. So, the place attained sanctity and was converted into a teppakulam (tank). This enormous temple tank is fed by water brought from the vagai through an ingenious system of underground channels. King thirumalai nayak born in ‘poosa’ star. So in commemorating the birth of the king “ float festival” is conducted in tamil month ‘thai’ (jan/feb) in the tank in a colourful way, which attracts thousands of tourists.
Gandhi museum: the gandhi memorial museum is one of the distinct places to be visited in madurai. This museum is one of the rare living memorials of “the father of india”. The museum is set in relaxing grounds and has a clear historical account of india’s struggle for independence.
Thirumalai nayak palace: this palace was built in 1636 by king thirumalai nayak with the help of an italian architect. The building we see today was the main palace where the king lived. The original palace complex was four times bigger than the present structure. This palace consisted mainly of two parts, namely swargavilasa and rangavilasa. In these two parts, there are royal residence, theatre, shrine, apartments, armoury, palanquin place, royal bandstand, quarters, pond and garden. King thirumalai nayak celebrated festivals like scepter festival, navarathri, chithirai festival, masi festival and the float festival. He conducted daily dance and music performances in the palace. This palace was destroyed by his grandson chokkanatha nayak and the valuables were transferred to other places. During the british rule, in 1822, lord napier made several renovation works. Then the palace was utilized to house some officials of the judiciary and district administration. After independence, this palace was declared as a national monument and is now under the care of the tamilnadu archaeological department.
Overnight will be at madurai.

Day 11 madurai – periyar:

By road 133km in 04hr
Proceed for periyar after breakfast.
The river periyar is the longest river in kerala. This is the only perennial river in south india with clean water. The river occupies an important place in the history of kerala. In the sangam age tamil epics such as chilapathikaram, ‘akananuru’, ‘purananuru’ etc much has been said about this mighty river, formerly known as the ‘choorni nadi’ or ‘thamraparni nadi’ (sukasandesam –stanza 66). A land route existed in the sangam age from mussuris (present-day kodungalloor) to madurai, which passed near the banks of the river periyar. The capital of the old chera empire presumably existed on the banks of the river periyar. It is believed that there was a flood in the 4th century ad that severely damaged the areas along the periyar and the people living there had to escape to safer locations, abandoning their homes and livelihoods. The flood of ad 1341 resulted in the closing of kodungalloor port and the opening of a new port at kochi. The huge landslide that began in the high ranges as a result of the heavy downpours sent massive flows of mud and sand which created an island at the ‘azhimugham’ of the periyar which is now known as the vyppin islands.Proceed for enjoying a boat cruise in periyar lake with lunch break. The most enjoyable part of seeing the wildlife is going around the lake in a boat. From the safety of a boat you can witness herds of wild elephants coming down to water and swim. The other prominent fauna to be seen are tiger, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, nilgiri tahr, wild pigs, wild dogs, porcupine, lion-tailed macaque, malabar squirrel, flying squirrel, sloth bear, gaur and black langur (monkey). Tigers and leopards seldom come to the lakeside by day. Relax in the evening. Overnight will be at hotel in periyar.

Day 12 periyar:

Breakfast will be at the resort.
Enjoy the day taking a nature trek and then visit the spice plantations.In the evening visit the spice market and then take a short cooking class from the chef.
Overnight will be at the resort.

Day 13 periyar – munnar:

By road 138 km / 4 hr
Breakfast will be at hotel. Proceed to munnar.
Your eyes will have little time to rest while in munnar. Everywhere you look there is another natural wonder to behold. The luscious greens of the dense mountain foliage provide the perfect backdrop for the endless wonders that can be seen in the area. Waterfalls, local plantations and european architecture provide a textured sightseeing wonderland like few others.
Overnight will be at the resort.

Day 14 munnar:

After the breakfast enjoy the sightseeing tour.
Christ church: this curiously western-looking building was built in 1910 by the british settlers in munnar. The stained-glass windows are among the most interesting features, while plaques standing in memory of british tea planters offer an insight into the history of the town. Devikulam: this is arguably one of the most picturesque spots in the world. This tiny hill station located only 7kms from munnar is a paradise of flora and fauna, with spanning views of the picture perfect countryside. The crystal mineral waters of sita devi lake, teeming with freshwater trout, provide the perfect spot for an idyllic countryside picnic.
Kundale tea plantation: a fascinating insight into the production of one of the world’s most popular drinks can be discovered at the kundale tea plantation. Watch and learn the process of how tea is made starting from the plant you see covering the landscape all the way to the tea cup. Sundays the local planters gather together, making it an ideal time to visit. The lake located on the plantation is the perfect spot for an afternoon picnic and calming rest.Neelakurunji flowers: no special tour will need to be taken to see this munnar attraction. But if you are planning a trip solely to view the spectacular blue blooms, which cover the entire mountainside, you will have to wait until 2018 as the neelakurunji only blooms every 12 years.
Pothamedu: this is the location from where a number of the area’s plantations can be viewed from a single point. Coffee plantations, tea plants and cardamom fields are all here to behold. Trekking and hiking are also popular activities in the area, and with the surrounding views it is little wonder why.
Overnight will be at the resort.

Day 15 periyar – kumarakom:

By road 175km in 04hr
Breakfast will be at resort.
Proceed towards kumarakom enjoying the beauty of the traditional kerala houses. You will also pass through rolling tea gardens and rubber plantations. Stop at a tea factory to see the tea – making process.Reach kumarakom and check in at hotel. An enchanting backwater destination, kumarakom offers visitors many other leisure options. An unbelievably beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddy fields and coconut groves interspersed with enchanting waterways and canals adorned with while lilies – this is kumarakom.
Check into a traditional houseboat of kerala style and go on a leisurely backwater cruise along the lake on a thatched houseboat.
The backwaters act as a vital waterway for the transport of goods, people and their produce are often the only link between isolated villages and crowded towns. In kerala, the total expanse of backwater stretches over 1500 km, with a network of 44 rivers, lagoons and lakes from north to south. Alleppey which forms the main part of this network has the peculiar geographical feature of having the water in level with the land. This gives the advantage of getting a closer look at the village life on shore while on a backwater ride.
Talk to the crew and sip your tea while enjoying the backwaters and seeing life pass by. The meals and refreshments will be served on the boat.
Overnight will be at houseboat.

Day 16 alleppey – cochin:

By road 60 km in 01hr
Cruise through the villages after breakfast.
Disembark the boat at alleppey.Alleppey is one of the most important tourist centers in the state, with a large network of inland canals earning it the sobriquet “venice of the east”. These large networks of canals provide alleppey its lifeline. Alleppey was one of the busiest centers of trade in the past with one of the best known ports along the malabar coast. Even today it retains its charm as the centre for coir carpet industries and prawn farming. Alleppey the ideal headquarters for backwater tourism as well as for visits to the lovely church filled town of kottayam, and the town of aranmula, famous for its historic aranmula snake boat race which is an annual event. The eventful history of this city began when a major flood in ad 1341 threw open the estuary at kochi, till then a land locked region, turning it into one of the finest natural harbors in the world. Kochi thus became a haven for seafaring visitors from all over the world and became the first european town-ship in india when the portuguese settled here in the 15th century.
Enjoy the boat ride in the harbour watching the dolphins playing and enjoying the city from the water.
Overnight will be in hotel.

Day 17 cochin:

Breakfast will be at the resort.
Proceed for a sightseeing tour of fort cochin. A few interesting sites included in the tour are the chinese fishing nets along the vasco da gama square, santa cruz basilica, st. Francis church, voc gate, bastion bungalow, jewish synagogue, mattancherry palace, etc. Learn the operation of the interesting chinese fishing nets erected on teak wood and bamboo poles which work on the principle of balance. Records say they were first set up here between ad 1350 and 1450. Vasco da gama square, the narrow promenade that parallels the beach, is the best place to watch the nets being lowered and pulled out of the sea.Feel the essence of kerala in kathakali dance in evening. Overnight will be at cochin.
Overnight will be in cochin.

Day 18 cochin – wayanadu & vythiri:

By road 130 km in 03hr
Drive after breakfast to wayanadu & vythiri.
Reach by afternoon and check in at the eco friendly lodge in the middle of the forest. The day would be spent at leisure to enjoy the eco-friendly nature at its best. The hotel is situated close to the pookode lake, evergreen forests with perennial steams and stunning waterfalls.
Stay overnight at the resort.

Day 19 wayanadu & vythiri:

Breakfast will be at the resort.Walk through the nature treks and gushing streams. It is closest to heaven as kerala is also known as god’s own country.
Stay overnight at the hotel.

Day 20 vythiri – ooty:

By road 120 km in 02hr
Drive to ooty after breakfast.Ootacamund, ooty or more recently udhagamandalam, call it what you like, still translates to a little town set on the stepped slopes of the nilgiris, the oldest mountain range in india. Located 2240 meters, above sea level, the soothing clime and rustic setting gift ooty a charm of its own. The verdant tea gardens and the rolling hills exude a pleasantness that will calm the high-strung city dweller and soothe his senses with the fragrance of eucalyptus and sandalwood that hangs in the air. What’s more, the superb 300km drive from bangalore to the hill station takes the motorist through two dense wildlife sanctuaries. We’ve been there and done that and we’re about to tempt you to do the same.
Relax during the day and in the evening explore the small town.
Overnight will be in ooty.

Day 21 ooty & coonoor:

Breakfast will be at the hotel.Spend day at coonoor (hop on to the toy train) enjoying the scenery and the weather. Some of the beautiful must see spots are:
Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the nilgiris. It stands on a lower ridge of the main plateau at an altitude of 1839 meters. Its climate is milder than ooty. Surrounding the town are many picnic spots. In the heart of coonoor is “sims park”. It is a park cum botanical garden. Many species of trees and shrubs not found in ooty are grown here. It is at an elevation of 1880 meters and occupies 12 hectares of land.
Sim’s park the park is situated in a deep ravine on the northern side of coonoor railway station at an elevation of 1768 to 1798 mts. The park can be divided into eight major sections. The natural shola with winding footpaths all over the higher slopes of the park is the most distinctive and picturesque feature of this park. This apart a number of individual tree specimens planted in a scattered fashion all over the place, lend a special charm to the park specially when they bloom in different seasons throughout the year.
Pomological station this is one of the three experimental fruit gardens in the nilgiris maintained by the horticultural department. The other two are burliar and kallar on the coonoor – mettupalayam ghat road. Apples, plums, peaches, lemons, apricots and pomegranates are grown here for the purpose of research. Surplus fruits and fruit based jams are sold to the public.
Silk rearing station adjoining the pasteur institute there is a silk rearing station maintained by the central silk board. The sericulture experts at this station may be contacted for special assistance.
Laws falls the place is a beautiful picnic spot, situated at coonoor – mettupalayam road at the distance of 7 km from coonoor. The height of the falls is about 180 feet. It is a paradise for naturalists.
Lamb’s rock it is 8 km from coonoor on the way to dolphin’s nose. It commands a grand view of the coimbatore plains. It is a favorite place for tourists.
Lady canning’s seat from coonoor it is 9 km. It is marked by a small house and commands panoramic view of the tea estates and the plains.
Dolphin’s nose the view point is 10 km from the town. The nose is a unique rock of tremendous proportions which looks like a dolphin.
The droog this is also a picnic spot which is used by tipu sultan as an outpost. It is 15 km from coonoor and stands 6000 feet high overlooking the plains. Three kilometers of trekking has to be done to reach the point.
Return by the evening and overnight will be in ooty.

Day 22 ooty – madumalai:

By road 40 km in 01hr
Breakfast will be at the resort.Drive to madumalai national park. Madumalai is a paradise in the wild. The name itself suggests visions of bees and honey. However, it is much more than that. It is a virgin valley of fresh, crisp foliage and loafing tigers, gaurs, deer and elephants over acres of jungle. Tiny brooks and streams along with the kabini river form the nerve system of the sanctuary. Surrounded by the three ghats with the niligiris forming a sort of gulf below, bordering the kannads above, one finds here a potpourri of deciduous trees and shrubs of several rare species. Madumalai is an invigorating experience for those tired of the bustle of cities.Enjoy the safari of the park and stay at the tree house. It is more than 100 feet above the ground with attached bathroom and all amenities. This is a thrilling experience enjoying the animals from the top and is definitely not for the weak-hearted.
Overnight will be at the resort.

Day 23 madumalai:

Enjoy the day at the park.
All meals will be in the park.
Overnight will be at the resort.

Day 24 madumalai – mysore:

By road 110 km / 3 hr
Breakfast will be at the resort.
Drive to mysore.
Once you enter the bandipur wildlife sanctuary limit, the road is almost straight, flanked on both sides by a dense forest. Seven and a half kilometers after the bandipur reception centre, the road crosses over into tamil nadu and the madumalai wildlife sanctuary. Reach mysore and check in at hotel.
Overnight will be in mysore.

Day 25 mysore:

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
Visit chamundi hills – towering over the city, these hills are 13 km away from mysore. Halfway-up is the nandi bull, a 4.8 m monolith. Right on top is the 2000-year-old brindavan gardens 19 km northwest of mysore is the krs dam and the ornamental brindavan gardens. The musical fountains and colorful lights transform this palace into fairy land in the evenings.
Visit sir jayachamarajendra art gallery – housed in the jaganmohan palace, this gallery has a collection of exquisite paintings dating back to 1875, the russian svetoslav roerich and the traditional mysore gold leaf style of painting.
Overnight will be at mysore.

Day 26 mysore– hassan:

By road 125 km in 03 hr
Breakfast will be at hotel.Drive to hassan. Reach and check in at hotel.
The hassan city more fully and meaningfully known as the simhasana nagari originally, before the mutation of names made by foreign rulers is the administrative centre of the hassan district which is the invaluable crown of the karnataka state, whose glory is sung as being the dear offspring of the great mother bharata maataa. This district is rich with natural sceneries and too with cultural wealth. It happens to be the confluence of three verities of areas namely the mountainous, the semi mountainous and the open field areas (malenadu, are malenadu, bayalu seeme). The nandas, the mouryas, the kadambas, the calukyas, the hoysalas, the lords of vijaya nagar empire, the kings of belur, and the monarchs of mysore – thus several dynasties had their dominions over this land. Belur and halebeedu have revelled in history as the capitals of the hoysala reign. The very first written document of the kannada language has been exposed to the world by this district, in the form of halmidi saasana (halmidi inscription).
It was the gangas and the hoysalas who have contributed the immense treasure of sculptural art work to us to be handed over from generation to generation with proper care and protective measures. Empires and kingdoms have come and gone, but the sovereign state of the art of sculpture erected by them has remained immortal unto this day.Reach and check in at the hotel.
Overnight will be at the hassan.

Day 27 hassan:

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.
Proceed for sightseeing and an excursion to belur & halebid.
Belur: this quaint hamlet is located on the banks of the river yagachi. It was once the capital of the hoysala empire and today made unforgettable for its exquisite temples. The chennakeshava temple is one of the finest examples of hoysala architecture. It took 103 years to complete and you can see why. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. Elephants, episodes from the epics, sensuous dancers, etc. Adorn the walls. They are all awe-inspiring in their intricate workmanship. Inside are hand-lathe-turned filigreed pillars. The veeranarayana temple and the smaller shrines are well worth a visit.
Halebid: former dwarasamudra in hassan district is in belur taluk and 27 km away from hassan and was the capital of hoysala after belur. The hoysaleswara temple, dating back to the 12th century, is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. Yet no two facets of the temple are the same. This magnificent temple – guarded by a nandi bull – was never completed, despite 86 years of labor. The jain basadis nearby are equally rich in sculptural detail. Belur and halebid are 222 and 216 kms from bangalore, respectively. Channarayapatna, ramanathpur, gorur and manjarabad are the other places of interest around hassan.
Overnight will be at the hassan.

Day 28 hassan – bangalore:

By road 180 km / 4 hr.Breakfast will be at the hotel.
Start for bangalore later in the morning.On the way visit srirangapatnam – 16 km before mysore, this fort was the stronghold of tipu sultan, son of haider ali. Tipu made a last minute ditch against the british in 1799 before surrendering his kingdom. Among the many fort buildings still intact, are tipu’s airy summer palace and his tomb at the darya daulat bagh (garden). Here, is also the celebrated sri ranganatha temple.
Reach bangalore by evening. A major industrial and commercial center, with scientific and research activity, bangalore is multifaceted: modern marvels, historical monuments, bustling shopping plazas, a race course and golf courses. Called the silicon valley of india for its growing software industry, it is also known as the city of draught beer.
overnight will be in bangalore.

Day 29 bangalore:

Have a leisurely breakfast and proceed for sightseeing.
Lal bagh: hyder ali laid out this famous botanical garden and his son added horticultural wealth to them by importing trees and plants from several countries. The garden today houses over 1000 species of flora which include rare and enchanting collection of tropical plants, trees and herbs. The glass house, modelled along london’s crystal palace, is the center of attraction in this 2400-acre park. Bi-annual flower shows attracting participants from all over india is held in the glass house.
Cubbon park: this wooded and is flowered park was laid out in the heart of the cantonment in 1864. Since then, fairy fountains, an august bandstand and a wealth of amatory have been added. But the most important aspect of cubbon park is its newer buildings that have added beauty and cultural wealth. Lush green lawns, shady flowering trees, vibrant flower beds, make cubbon park an ideal place for morning joggers and alike.
Government museum: one of the important buildings, the government museum is one of the oldest in india (1886). A special attraction here is “the antiquities from mohenjodaro period”. Situated nearby the museum is visveswaraya industrial and technological museum named after the great engineer-statesman. Next to the vitm is the visveswaraya industrial trade center, the first of its kind in india. In addition to its trade promotional activities, the center has two exhibition floors housing a permanent display of all that is manufactured in karnataka.
Near the museum is the k. Venkatappa art gallery which has a permanent exhibition of the works of the great artist, k. Venkatappa. The gallery does much to encourage art in the state.
Also in the cubbon park are the seshadri iyer memorial hall, which houses the public library, the high court and the jawahar bal bhavan. The bhavan, with its toy train, fairgrounds and theatre, is a recreational, hobby and educational centre for children.
Gandhi bhavan: the gandhi smarak nidhi, housed in the gandhi bhavan, houses a comprehensive picture gallery and other exhibits of gandhiji which depict the life and times of gandhiji. The bhavan is open on weekdays (10:30 am to 5:00 pm).
Ulsoor lake: a picturesque lake with several tree-shaded islands in it, is an ideal picnic spot. You can go boating or go for a swim in the nearby swimming pool that is part of the recreational complex near the lake. You can also go to the nearby gurdhwar, the largest sikh shrine in bangalore.
Afternoon proceed for a half-day sightseeing. Visit bangalore palace, fort & vidhana soubha.
Vidhana soubha: this splendid neo-dravidian granite building that dominates the northern boundary of the cubbon park, is the home of the state legislature and the secretariat. The massive sandalwood door of the cabinet room is a spectacular feature of this imposing building. The vidhana soudha is bedecked in illuminated glory during special periods and is a sight worth viewin.
The bangalore palace & fort: the bangalore fort was built by kempe gowda and expanded by tippu sultan. Within its walls is the well preserved 16th century ganapathi temple. The bangalore palace was built by a wodeyar king in 1887. Inspired by the windsor castle, this palace was built in the tudor style, complete with gothic windows, the foiled windows, battlements and turrets resembling the daria daulat palace in srirangapatanam, this summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for it’s carving and paintings.
Overnight will be at bangalore.

Day 30 departure from bangalore:

Breakfast will be at hotel.Proceed to the international airport for the flight home.
End tour with sweet memories of india.

For More Info: http://www.compasssignaturetours.com/south-india-vacation/itinerary.html