South india; jAnuary 24 - February 7, 2026 (15 days/14 nights)

 Upon arrival at the Chennai International Airport (MAA), you will be met by a representative of Better Adventures in the arrivals hall for the transfer to the hotel.

Join your fellow travelers for a delicious welcome dinner.

A full American-style breakfast will be served each morning during your stay in India.

Excursion: Temples of Mahabalipuram

Start your day by visiting the Shore temple, built with blocks of granite, dating back to the 8th century AD. From here proceed to discover the famous set of temples located at the edge of the Bay of Bengal. Observe the thousands of sculptures to Shiva's glory and the gigantic bas-relief of the "Ganges Descent". You continue with the visit of the famous Fives Rathas, five temples shaped like floats in procession, each carved from a single rock of granite, and the Arujuna Penance, an open-air rock relief carved on two monolithic rock boulders. The tour ends with a visit of the 7th century Cave Temples. This UNESCO World Heritage site has been cut and decorated with panels in the Mamalla style of the Pallava period.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Excursion: DakshinChitra Museum

DakshinaChitra serves as a vibrant cross-cultural living museum that showcases the art, architecture, lifestyles, crafts, and performing arts of South India. Its primary mission is to exhibit, promote, and preserve the diverse cultural elements of the various states. Established by the Madras Craft foundation, a non-governmental organization, the DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum features a collection of 18 authentic historical houses, each accompanied by contextual exhibitions. 

Dinner is at leisure. The Tour Manager will have restaurant recommendations for you.

Excursion: SnakalpTaru’s Agriforestry

Learn about the afforestation, ecosystem restoration, and water conservation initiatives of the SnakalpTaru Foundation. This nonprofit organization leverages their technological and ecological knowledge to combat climate change, striving to cultivate a more sustainable planet that is shaped by the community for the community.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

We check in to our next accommodation, an eco-village. Enjoy the remainder of the day exploring this unique property, its private beach and infinity pool, and dinner at one of its restaurants.

Optional Excursion: Auroville

Founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, "The Mother", as an idealist’s model of community life, Auroville covers an area of 8 square miles, has around 3,000 inhabitants from over 50 countries. Start at the Visitors' Centre, where you can watch a short film about this experimental city. Then head for the heart of Auroville, the Matrimandir, a huge globe covered in gold leaf. There are a number of craft shops, ideal for souvenir shopping. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Excursion: Puducherry Walking Tour

Explore this former French trading post better known as Pondicherry on a walking & cycle rickshaw tour. The city retains its colonial past and boasts tree-lined streets, mustard-colored colonial era villas, chic boutiques, and a seafront promenade along the Bay of Bengal with several statues, including the four-meter-high Gandhi memorial.

Dinner is at leisure.

Excursion: Shiva Nataraja Temple

Discover the beautiful Shiva Nataraja temple "The King of dance", one of the jewels of Dravidian architecture, dedicated to Shiva as a cosmic dancer. This temple was built by the people of the Chola dynasty in 1035. 

After lunch at a local restaurant, transfer to the capital of the Chola Empire from the 9th to 11th centuries, Thanjavur. The city remained important even into the British period and still has some magnificent sites such as the Brihadishvara Chola Temple (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Vijayanagar fort, Sarfoji Palace, and Sarasvati Mahal Library.

Join the group for dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel.

xcursion: Thanjavur

This morning, visit the Brihadeshwara Temple, a beautiful Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. From there we take the road to Trichy, where you visit the Rock Fort, home to several temples. Enjoy the magnificent view of the sacred island of Srirangam. At the center of the island stands the Ranganathaswami temple, dedicated to Ranganatha, the resting form of Vishnu. This is one of the largest temple complexes and one of the holiest places of pilgrimage in southern India. 

Excursion: Karaikudi

Following lunch at a local restaurant, transfer to Chettinad. Along the way, visit Karaikudi, home to several temples, including the Pillaiyarpati Temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh, built in the 7th century. You will also discover the beautiful, richly ornate mansions that are the ancestral homes of the Chettiars, the wealthy Tamil trading community that originated in the region. Visit the sumptuous Chettinad palace, the imposing Tirumayam fortress, and the Sri Gokarneshwara temple. The craft tradition is still very much alive in this region, where you can visit wood, silver and textile workshops.

Dinner is at leisure.

Excursion: Chettinad

Today, explore the Chettinad region with its Tamil architecture mansions, Thirumayam Fortress, and Chettinad palace. We will also stop at a workshop of bronze statues and a tiling factory. 

After lunch, you're off to visit the village of Kanadukathan and the Chettinad houses.

Excursion: Village of Kanadukathan

Visit the “Raja” palace, built for S. RM. M. Annamalai Chettiar, an industrialist, banker, and leader of the Chettiar community. He was made Raja by the British Empire in 1929. Like all Chettinad villages, Kanadukathan's palaces are lined up along wide, chequered streets. The “Raja” palace is not open to visitors, but several houses are. For instance, the V.V.R. house, which was built in the 1870s by a Colombo-based merchant.

Private transport from Chettinad to Madurai, the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and an important site in Hinduism. Madurai is one of the oldest cities in South India and one of the holiest.

Dinner is at leisure.

Excursion: Clay Artisans

Just outside Madurai we will stop in a village of potters. They transfer the clay from simple everyday utensils to impressive statues linked to the divine.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Excursion: Temple of Meenakshi & Thirumalai Nayak Palace

Discover the extraordinary temple of Meenakshi, an important place of Hindu faith. Walk along the 900 sculpted columns beneath the meticulously painted ceilings. The temples are places of life; pilgrims and other visitors come here for their rituals and to spend a day with family or friends. Visit Thirumalai Nayak Palace and admire its unique blend of Dravidian and Islamic styles.

Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy the scenic drive from Madurai to Munnar. This hill station was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picturesque towns, winding lanes and vacation homes make this a popular resort town. Munnar also has the highest mountain peak in South India, Anamudi (8,842 ft).

Excursion: Tea Plantations & Tata Tea Museum

Enjoy a walk in the heart of the plantations and visit the Tata Tea Museum. Learn about the history of the tea plantation industry in India, as well as the process of processing tea leaves.

Dinner is on your own.

Optional Excursion: Lockhart Tea Trek

Enjoy the sprawling landscape on a guided hike through the tea plantations and visit a well-maintained tea factory from the British era. This blast from the past experience ends of course with a tea tasting. 

Dinner is at leisure.

After breakfast, we bid Munnar farewell and travel to Kumarakom, a small village located on the shores of Vembanad Lake. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and the views of the Palai Plain with its beautiful rice fields and the tall coconut trees.

Optional Excursions Option 1: Electric Bike Ride

Explore Kumarakom and its surroundings by electric bike, where fishing, agriculture and tourism are the main economic activities, and where you will be immersed in a unique ecosystem of mangroves, rice fields and coconut groves.

Optional Excursions Option 2: Kayak Tour

Accompanied by a local English-speaking guide, you set off on a kayak tour to explore the picturesque backwaters of Kerala at your own pace. Enjoy hot snacks and tea during a break, while you enjoy the sunset.

Enjoy dinner at a restaurant of your choosing.

Excursion: Viakom Village Experience

Surrounded by Lake Vembanad, Vaikom captivates travelers with its scenic landscape and serene village life. We visit a local project that lets visitors get a first-hand experience of the villagers' way of life and we can participate in activities such as making Toddy (palm wine), fishing, and pottery.

Enjoy a traditional lunch served on a banana leaf.

Excursion: Cruise on Vembanad Lake

After a warm welcome on board by the captain, cook and cabin boy, we set out on a traditional houseboat. We explore the canals, lagoons, and Lake Vembanad and enjoy the serenity of these peaceful waters. Imagine yourself in a tropical Venice, where waterways are the roads. Boats are constantly coming and going, propelled by the boatmen who push off with long bamboo poles. On the banks you will see old houses made of teak, mahogany and rosewood, and villages bright with hibiscus and bougainvillea, not to mention shimmering paddy fields and endless coconut trees. Dinner is included on board the boat.

After breakfast, we transfer from Kumarakom to Cochin, also known as Kochi. This city is the economic capital of Kerala and has been an important port for Arab, Chinese, and European traders. Sites reflecting these influences include Fort Kochi, the old colonial quarter, and various places of worship. Chinese cantilevered fishing nets, typical of Kochi, have been used for centuries and are still in use today. 

Excursion: Fort Kochi

Following lunch, tour the old town of Fort Kochi and its monuments. Occupied by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British, Kochi offers architectural diversity and places of interest such as the Paradesi Synagogue, the Holy Cross Cathedral, the Dutch Raja Palace, a 16th century synagogue, and a palace built by the Portuguese. 

Dinner is on your own.

Excursion: Kathakali Performance

In the evening, enjoy a Kathakali performance, an ancient art form that is a seductive combination of dance and theater.

Optional Excursion: Chendamangalam 

Enjoy your last day in India on your own or take the opportunity to visit the small town of Chendamangalam and its unique collection of sights: One of the oldest temples in the region, as well as churches, mosques, and synagogues, known for their remarkable architecture that is typical of Kerala. It is a symbolically powerful meeting place for cultural diversity, reflecting the tolerance and communal harmony that have always prevailed in Kerala: Jews, Christians, Muslims, and several distinct Hindu castes have lived here in harmony. The excursion includes lunch at a local restaurant.

In the evening, meet the group for a scrumptious farewell dinner at a local restaurant near the hotel.

Check-out of your hotel and be transferred to the Cochin International Airport for your travels home.