12 days Tour

Cochin - Munnar - Madurai - Rameswaram - Kanyakumari - Kovalam -Trivandrum - Mararikulam - Alleppey - Cochin

Tamil Nadu is the true birthplace of the Dravidian civilization. 

Its official language is Tamil, one of the most ancient languages in the world.

Visiting it is a journey through architecture and culture to the discovery of huge colorful temples designed a lot like the Sri Meenakshi temple in Madurai. 

A Kerala trip is perfect to start discovering India ! This small state that is surrounded by water and subtropical mountains is often the travelers’ favorites. This can be explained by its gorgeous mountain landscapes, spice and tea plantations, the Periyar wildlife sanctuary, beautiful tropical beaches, and canoe rides on quiet backwaters canals. The cities are small, the gastronomy is fresh and tasty, the hospitality is kind and caring.

Day 1 :  COCHIN AIRPORT - FORT COCHIN     40 km - 1 h 30 

Your driver will be welcome you at your arrival at Cochin airport and will drive you to your hotel in the Fort Cochin neighborhood. Depending on your arrival time, you will let him know the program that would suit you best. 

Overnight in Fort Cochin. 

Day 2 : COCHIN

Visit the old neighborhoods, The Paradesi Synagogue,  The Church of Saint-Francis, The Folklore Museum in Ernakulam,  The Mattancherry Palace, The Dutch palace Paliam.
The Chinese fishing nets (Cheenavala) can be visited in the late afternoon before a meal by the seaside.
In the evening Kathakali spectacle.
Overnight in Fort Cochin.

Day 3 :  COCHIN - MUNNAR   130 km - 5h

Depart after breakfast, the bustling city is replaced by Kerala’s winding roads and green hills, rice, pineapple and rubber plantations.
Small visit to Munnar city center.
Overnight in Munnar.

Day 4 : MUNNAR 

Small mountain resort perched at an altitude of 5000 feet (1524 meters), Munnar is located in the most spectacular mountainous landscape of Southern India. 

Munnar is the quiet part of Kerala. It is a place to unwind and hike. 

We can book a guide for a walk through the tea plantations (guide required)

• Trekking 12 km - 1/2 day -  7:30 am to 1 pm with breakfast.
• Trekking 24 km - Full day - 7:30 am  to 5 pm with breakfast and lunch.

In the evening, ayurvedic massages and Kathakali performance, an art between dance and theater.  

Overnight in Munnar.

Day 5 :  MUNNAR - MADURAI     153 km - 5h

Depart to Madurai for an exceptional journey through the Western Ghats to the Tamil Nadu Valley - the view is absolutely gorgeous. 

Overnight in Madurai.

Day 6 : MADURAI

In the morning, you can stroll in the Madurai flower market to enjoy the fragrances and the variety of colors, each one more beautiful than the last.

Madurai is one of the most ancient Southern Indian cities, a pilgrimage site for centuries and the birthplace of Tamil culture.

Sri Meenakshi temple, a city in the city with its continuous flow of pilgrims, is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating Indian temples with its 50 meters tall carved and colorful gates. A real maze where you can witness the devotion of the faithul Hindu priests where you will understand the importance of religion in an atmosphere of spiritual fervor.

Visit to Ghandi Memorial Museum to discover the history of the independence of India and Gandhi’s life.

Overnight in Madurai .

Day 7 :   MADURAI - RAMESWARAM        172 km  - 4h

Depart to Rameswaram in the late morning. 

Rameswaram is located on an island connected to the mainland by two bridges: 

- The big Indira Gandhi road bridge. 

- A railway line. The train seems to fly over the sea, the tracks being just over the water. 

A pilgrimage city with a major sacred site of Hinduism, one of the Indian holy cities. Religious devotion is very important in Rameswaram, much like in Varanasi, the northern holy city where Hindus come to get purified in the Ganges, sacred river. Pilgrims go from well to well in order to receive holy water and get purified from their sins.

According to the Hindu story of Ramayana, it is in Rameswaram that Rama has built a bridge to Lanka Island in order to save his wife Sita, who was captivated by the evil Ravana. After he went back to Ceylan, with his brother Lakshmana and his wife Sita, Rama built a worship space to honor Shiva and expiate the murder of King Ravana. To do this, he asked his loyal friend Hanuman to bring him two lingams from Mount Kailash. According to a later version of the legend, Sita, who could not wait Hanuman’s return, made herself a first lingam from sand near the shore, which would be one of the two lingams located in the temple sanctuary.

Ramanathaswamy temple is devoted to Shiva. But the city and its temple are considered pilgrimage sites by both Shaivits - Shiva’s worshippers - and Vaishnavits - Vishnu’s worshippers. 

We will take you to the end of the world, at Dhanushkodi Beach, located at the end of Rameswaram. It's on this beach that the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet.

Dhanushkodi was a large and lively town. The 1964 tsunami has destroyed everything on its path, leaving only ruins and a few dilapidated fishermen houses.

Overnight in Rameswaram.  

Day 8 :  RAMESWARAM - KANYAKUMARI        310 km - 6 h

After breakfast, you will depart to Kanyakumari. 

Kanyakumari, the most southern Indian city, is where three seas meet: Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean.

You will take a ferry to go to the memorial of Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902). It is built on a stone, 500 meter off Kanyakumari. 

Right next to it, on another rock, is the huge terracotta statue of Thiruvalluvar, an important Tamil poet and philosopher. It is a 40.5 meters high tribute to his Thirukkuṟaḷ work.

Possibility to visit Bhagavathy Kumari temple or stroll along the shore to enjoy the view and street vendors. 

Overnight in Kanyakumari. 

Day 9 : KANYAKUMARI - KOVALAM       80 km - 2h30

Depart after breakfast.

You will enjoy the beaches of Kovalam, a nice seaside resort of Kerala located at 17 km from Trivandrum. 

Overnight in Kovalam.  

Day 10 : KOVALAM - TRIVANDRUM - MARARIKULAM       160 km - 4h

Depart to Alleppey after breakfast.

On the road, visit to the See Padmanabhaswany temple at Trivandrum, but non-Hindus are not allowed inside.

Local market Chalai Bazaar, located in front of See Padmanabhaswamy temple. This is one of the most ancient shopping streets in Kerala. This lively neighborhood deserves a visit; its streets are full of small stalls of all kinds. You can find fruits, vegetables, spices, kitchen utensils, clothes, cheap toys, and many other things. You can also eat cheap local specialties. 

Overnight in Mararikulam

Day 11 : MARARIKULAM  - ALLEPPEY   15 km - 30 min

In the morning, while strolling on the beach, you can enjoy the sight of fishermen coming back home.

It is possible to go on several tours around the place :
Bhagavathy temple with its colorful sculptures in the small town of Cherthala.
Saint Andrew church of Arthunkal, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century. 

Discover the intertwined canals between sea and land. We offer you a night in a Houseboat, an unforgettable experience from 12 pm to 9am the next morning. We can book this private boat for you with Lunch - Dinner - Cruise - Breakfast

Canals and night on the Vembanad Lake Kumarakom 

Night on the Houseboat 

Day 12 :  ALLEPPEY - COCHIN airport     70 km - 2 h

9 am end of the cruise

Last shopping time and transfer to Cochin international airport for your return flight. It might be interesting to do this at LULU MARKET mall. This is a huge mall where you will find everything with various ranges of price.