City, Culture, History
September - April
Choose your tier
Things to know
Eighteen days across the full arc of southern India at the highest register. The route runs from Chennai to Kochi through the complete Tamil Nadu temple belt, Chettinad, Kerala wildlife country, and the backwaters. Stays at Taj Coromandel in Chennai, Palais de Mahe in Pondicherry, Chidambara Vilas in the Chettinad mansion quarter, Heritage Madurai, The Elephant Court in Thekkady, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Raheem Residency in Alleppey, and CGH Earth Brunton Boatyard in Kochi. A senior Farbound trip lead escorts the full circuit. A full-day private houseboat cruise on the Alleppey canals, with lunch on board, closes the backwaters section. Most meals included throughout.
Trip Highlights
What’s Included
Curated sightseeing with private access throughout. Full-day private backwaters houseboat cruise with lunch on board. All tickets pre-purchased.
Iconic luxury and heritage hotels across the full route. Premier rooms by default.
Most meals included. Curated dining across the route. Lunch on board the houseboat.
Premium private vehicle. Fortuner or equivalent. Senior chauffeur. Business class internal flight included.
Senior Farbound trip lead throughout, with city specialists for deeper access.
Premier rooms by default. Upgrades on request.
Why Farbound
Curated for You
Trips designed around your interests, pace, and preferences
Comfort, scaled to Fit
Trips designed around your interests, pace, and preferences
Connections, Not Crowd
Trips designed around your interests, pace, and preferences
From
$8,300 per person
Signature tier — indicative pricing
Cultural
Solo
Adventure
Family
Couples
Day to Day Itineraries
Day 1 - Arrive Chennai
Fast-track airport arrival, escorted transfer, and a welcome dinner at the hotel.
- Fast-track airport handling and lounge access where available.
- Escorted private transfer to Taj Coromandel.
- Bespoke welcome at the hotel with gifting and your hardback itinerary book.
- Evening at leisure.
- Welcome dinner with your Farbound trip lead.
Dinner
Taj Coromandel or similar
Day 2 - Chennai Heritage
Private city exploration through Mylapore, Fort St George, and curated heritage layers.
- Mylapore walk through temple streets, local markets, and neighbourhood life with a specialist guide.
- Fort St George Museum for colonial-era context and city history.
- Government Museum for the Chola-era bronze collection, one of the finest in South India.
- Lunch at a curated Chennai table.
- Dinner at the hotel or a chosen city restaurant.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Taj Coromandel or similar
Day 3 - To Pondicherry via Mahabalipuram
Private transfer south with a private-access UNESCO monument visit at Mahabalipuram.
- Drive south along the Coromandel Coast.
- Mahabalipuram Shore Temple and key monument clusters with a private historian for Pallava-era context.
- Lunch at a curated coastal venue.
- Arrival at Palais de Mahe in Pondicherry for a heritage property welcome.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Palais de Mahe or similar
Day 4 - Pondicherry Heritage
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, private French Quarter walk, and Auroville.
- Sri Aurobindo Ashram visit with a specialist guide for context on the spiritual community.
- Private French Quarter heritage walk through colonial bungalows, boulevards, and the seafront promenade.
- Auroville visit: the experimental township and Matrimandir for its architectural and philosophical significance.
- Lunch at a chosen Pondicherry table.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Palais de Mahe or similar
Day 5 - Temples to Kumbakonam
Drive inland through the Chola temple belt with specialist-guided stops.
- Move inland with a specialist art historian for the Chola temple circuit.
- Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram: the most ornate of the Chola-era monuments, private-guided.
- Adi Kumbeswarar Temple and Srirangam for the full Chola circuit.
- Lunch included at a comfortable venue.
- Dinner at the property.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Indeco Swamimalai or similar
Day 6 - Thanjavur Palace and Brihadeeswarar
Maratha Palace and the great Chola temple at Thanjavur with a private historian.
- Maratha Palace and Art Gallery with private access to usually-restricted sections.
- Brihadeeswarar Temple with a private historian: the scale, the shadow mechanics, and the Chola-era engineering.
- Lunch at a curated Thanjavur table.
- Afternoon at leisure.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Sangam Hotel or similar
Day 7 - Into Chettinad
Drive to Chettinad with a private mansion visit and a curated cooking session.
- Drive to Chettinad with clean timing.
- Private mansion interior visit with a family member or curator where access allows.
- Chettinad cooking session for the spice-heavy cuisine specific to this merchant community.
- Lunch at a curated Chettinad table.
- Evening quiet at the heritage property.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Chidambara Vilas or similar
Day 8 - Madurai Temple City
Transfer to Madurai with Meenakshi Temple with a specialist and a curated food layer.
- Transfer to Madurai with comfortable buffers.
- Meenakshi Temple with a specialist guide: the 14 gopurams, inner sanctums, and the temple tank.
- Curated food layer with a local guide: Madurai's night food culture, jasmine market, and street-kitchen context.
- Lunch and dinner both included at curated venues.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Heritage Madurai or similar
Day 9 - Madurai in Depth
Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace, deeper temple access, and an afternoon at leisure.
- Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace with a private guide for the Nayak-period architecture and scale.
- Return to Meenakshi Temple for quieter early-morning access to the inner sanctums.
- Lunch at a curated venue.
- Afternoon at the hotel before crossing into Kerala.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Heritage Madurai or similar
Day 10 - Madurai to Thekkady
Drive from Madurai into the Cardamom Hills and check in at The Elephant Court.
- Drive from Madurai into the Cardamom Hills, with the landscape shifting from plains to forest.
- Comfort stops and curated lunch en route.
- Arrival at The Elephant Court with a property welcome.
- Naturalist briefing on the Periyar reserve and safari rhythm for the next morning.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Spice Village CGH Earth or similar
Day 11 - Periyar Tiger Reserve
Private Periyar safari, Periyar lake boat excursion, and a spice garden with a specialist.
- Private Periyar Tiger Reserve wildlife safari with a specialist naturalist.
- Periyar lake boat safari for the water-level view of the reserve ecosystem.
- Specialist spice garden visit for cardamom, black pepper, and vanilla in context.
- Lunch and dinner included at the property.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
The Elephant Court or similar
Day 12 - Thekkady to Kumarakom
Drive to the backwaters with a lake resort arrival on Vembanad Lake.
- Drive to the backwaters with a lake resort arrival on Vembanad Lake.Drive from Thekkady to Kumarakom as the landscape opens into the backwater delta.
- Check in at Kumarakom Lake Resort on Vembanad Lake.
- Afternoon at leisure: the lake-facing property, spa, or a gentle sunset boat glide.
- Dinner at the resort.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Kumarakom Lake Resort or similar
Day 13 - Alleppey Backwaters
Full-day private houseboat cruise through the Alleppey canals with lunch on board.
- Drive from Kumarakom to Alleppey and board a private houseboat for a full-day canal cruise.
- Move through the backwater network: rice paddies, toddy shops, village ghats, fishing nets, and bird life.
- Lunch on board, prepared by the boat crew.
- Disembark in Alleppey and check in at Raheem Residency, an 1868 heritage colonial mansion.
- Dinner at the residency.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
Raheem Residency or similar
Day 14 - Alleppey to Kochi
Drive to Kochi for the final city days at CGH Earth Brunton Boatyard.
- Drive from Alleppey to Kochi along the coastal belt.
- Check in at CGH Earth Brunton Boatyard, a converted 1909 warehouse on the waterfront.
- Fort Kochi first-layer walk in the late afternoon with your trip lead.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
CGH Earth Brunton Boatyard or similar
Day 15 - Kochi Heritage with Private Access
Private heritage walks through Mattancherry and Fort Kochi with a specialist guide.
- Private heritage walk through Mattancherry with a specialist guide: Dutch Palace murals, Paradesi Synagogue, and the Jew Town quarter.
- Fort Kochi lanes for the Portuguese-era church, Chinese fishing nets, and waterfront textures.
- Lunch at a curated Kochi table.
- Afternoon at leisure or an optional contemporary art gallery visit.
- Dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
CGH Earth Brunton Boatyard or similar
Day 16 - Kochi at Leisure
A final open day for rest, a longer art circuit, or a slow morning on the waterfront.
- Morning at leisure after a long and full circuit.
- Optional Kochi-Muziris Biennale permanent spaces for the contemporary art layer.
- Lunch at a curated Kochi table.
- Afternoon fully flexible for rest, the waterfront, or packing.
- Farewell dinner with your trip lead at a chosen Kochi restaurant.
Breakfast,
Lunch,
Dinner
CGH Earth Brunton Boatyard or similar
Day 17 - Departure
Fast-track airport handling for international or onward departure.
- Morning at leisure at the hotel.
- Fast-track airport handling and lounge access where available.
- Private transfer to Cochin International Airport.
Breakfast
FAQs
What is a Farbound tour director?
A tour director is a Farbound-appointed lead who are local experts, licensed by the ministry of tourism India, & responsible for coordination and issue resolution, either end-to-end or city-by-city.
Can I request a guide in a specific language?
Language-specific guides can be requested, subject to availability and routing.
Can I upgrade or downgrade hotels?
Yes, subject to availability and repricing.
Do you help with visas?
Visa guidance may be provided, but visa issuance remains the traveler’s responsibility.
Can I add nights or extensions?
Extensions can be added subject to availability and repricing.
Do you have minimum or maximum group sizes?
There is no fixed minimum or maximum. Group size depends on routing, vehicles, and accommodation.
How do internal transfers work across South India?
Transfers may include a mix of private drives and flights where explicitly stated. The final proposal confirms all included sectors.
Can we add beach or wellness downtime near the end?
Yes. Downtime extensions can be added subject to availability and routing.
Can you tailor this journey for food and local markets?
Yes. Food and market layers can be added where feasible without overloading the pace.
Travel with confidence
Private escorted travel, coordinated from first proposal to final departure.
Farbound Guarantee
Routes, stays, guides, and activities shaped around travellers’ interests.
Regional Teams
On-ground teams across India, Nepal, and Bhutan manage delivery in real time.
Dedicated Tour Director
A single lead overseeing your trip from arrival through departure.
South India Grand Tour: Chennai to Kochi - Signature
Suggested itineraries
Strong starting points for India, Nepal, and Bhutan—planned with local specialists.
South India Grand Tour: Chennai to Kochi - Signature
18 Days from
$8,300* per person
Based on double occupancy
Plan This Trip
South India Grand Tour: Chennai to Kochi - Signature
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