India :
USA :
UAE :
Splendor of the South - The Golden Chariot
Splendor of the South, the new itinerary of Golden Chariot Train covers the temple heritage of cities of Tamil Nadu such as Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur and Madurai. Guests will also experience backwater cruise in Alleppey, and set out sightseeing tour in Kochi, the Queen of Arabian Sea.
Tour Duration : 7 Nights / 8 Days
Destinations : Bangalore » Chennai » Mamallapuram » Pondicherry » Tiruchirapalli & Thanjavur » Madurai » Thiruvananthapuram & Poovar » Backwaters & Kochi » Bangalore
Day - 01 - Bangalore - Chennai (Monday)
Arrive in Bangalore early in the morning. Our representative welcomes you at the airport and before 12 he will take you to the five stars deluxe hotel Leela. Meet all the groups of the travelers who will be your friends for one week. Lunch will be served to you at the theme restaurant of the Hotel Leela. In the evening transfer to the Bangalore Railway Station to board the train Golden Chariot.
Meeting point at the Leela Palace in Bangalore at 12.00 hrs
Departure for Chennai at: 22.00 hrs
Day - 02 - Mamallapuram & Chennai (Tuesday)
Early in the morning you will arrive in Chennai Railway Station. Post breakfast, excursion tour to Mamallapuram, a world heritage site located on the south of Chennai famous for its shore temple. Once it was the sea port of the Pallava rulers of Kanchipuram.
Mamallapuram is famous for its rock cut temples, the sculptures of the temples made out of rock. The main attractions are the temple Rathas, the Penance of Bhagirath, the Shore Temple and the eight Mandapams.
Have Lunch at Mamallapuram. After lunch, sightseeing tour in Chennai city. Chennai, the fourth largest metropolis of India and the gateway to south is home to various heritage attractions. Chennai sightseeing includes visit to St. Mary’s Church, Saint Thomas Cathedral, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, an ancient Shiva Temple, Sri Parathasarathy Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, National Art Gallery and Museum.
- Visit to Mammalapuram to explore the monolithic temples
- Chennai sightseeing tour
Return to the train and onboard dinner. Departure for Pondicherry, the administrative hub of Pondicherry Union Territory.
Day - 03 - Pondicherry (Wednesday)
Arrive in Pondicherry. This Union Territory of India is located to the north of Tamil Nadu region. Once a French colony Pondicherry houses some French heritage. Still French is widely spoken and the roads have signboards written in French language. The main attraction is the Auroville village designed in a concept of a peace village. The Aurobindo Ashram is a centre for yoga and meditation. It was founded by the revolutionary Indian philosopher Aurobindo around 1920.
Guests will have lunch at a restaurant in Pondicherry. After sightseeing in Pondicherry all will return to Golden Chariot. After diner, the train departs to Tiruchirapalli.
Arrival at Pondicherry : 08:00 hrs
Departure to Tiruchirapalli at around : 22:00 p.m.
Day - 04 - Tiruchirapalli & Thanjavur (Thursday)
India royal train Golden Chariot will arrive in Tiruchirapalli early in the morning. Trichy was once a Chola citadel and the Nayaks of Madurai built the Rockfort temple which is the main attraction of the city. Located on a rock outcrop, the Rockfort temple of Trichy rises above the plain of the city. The temple has three levels--the middle level houses a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and the top houses a Ganesh temple.
Then proceed to Tanjore. The main attraction is Brihadeshwara temple, a world heritage site. Explore the Thanjuvar paintings housed in the museum of the Palace.
- Sightseeing of Trichy Rockfort Temple
- Sightseeing of Brihadeshwara temple and Thanjuvar Paintings
After dinner, the train will depart to Madurai.
Day - 05 - Madurai (Friday)
Golden Chariot Train will arrive in Madurai. This city has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Post breakfast, head towards the Meenakshi temple of Madurai which is one of the masterpieces of Dravidian architecture. One will be surprised to see the ethereal beauty of the Hall of a thousand pillars. Also explore the Thirumalai Nayak Palace & Thiruparangundram temple.
Arrival in Madurai: 08:00 hrs
Departure to Thiruvananthapuram
Day - 06 - Thiruvananthapuram and Poovar (Saturday)
Post breakfast, sightseeing in Thiruvananthapuram will start. The main attractions covered by the tour are Padmanabhaswamy Temple (Only Hindus are allowed inside this temple), Napier Museum which houses historical and contemporary bronze ornaments, temple carts, ivory carvings and life size figures of Kathakali dancers in full regalia. Guests will also explore the painting collection in the Sri Chitra Art Gallery. The collection comprises paintings of Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools.
Then drive to Poovar Island for lunch. Post lunch explore the scenic beauty of Poovar island and explore the beaches. In the evening a Gala dinner waits for you.
- Sightseeing in Thiruvananthapuram
- Leisure Safari at Poovar Island
- Gala dinner with music and dance
Day - 07 - Backwaters of Alleppey & Kochi (Sunday)
Golden Chariot will arrive in Alleppey at 9 o clock in the morning. Post breakfast; enjoy a backcruise cruise through the backwaters of Vembanad Lake. The backwater cruising on Vembanad Lake will sure to be thrilling to you. While cruising on the scenic backwaters of Kerala explore the greeneries, paddy fields.
Then the guests will be taken to Kumarakom, the scenic backwater destination in Kerala. Have lunch at a backwater resort in Kumarakom. After lunch, proceed to Kochi. Then sightseeing tour in Kochi city, the Queen of Arabian Sea. Kochi was a fishing village and developed into a city during the British Raj. The sightseeing in Kochi covers the Dutch Palace; Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays & Saturdays), St. Francis Church (closed on Sundays). Also explore the Chinese Fishing Nets and the fishing hamlets in Kochi.
In the evening Kathakali dance show and dinner at a hotel in Kochi. Return to Golden Chariot and the train will depart to Bangalore.
- Backwater cruise in a traditional Houseboat of Kerala
- Lunch at a Kumarakom backwater resort
- Kochi Sightseeing
- Kathakali dance show and dinner
Arrival in Alleppey : 09:00 hrs
Departure at 22:00 hrs for Bangalore
Day - 08 - Bangalore (Monday)
Ending its 8 days journey Golden Chariot Train will arrive in Bangalore in the morning. Post breakfast, disembark.