South India: 21-Day Private Heritage, Hills & Backwaters Tour
About this experience
Take a slower private journey through Tamil Nadu and Kerala, with room for crafts, food and smaller-town settings alongside major landmarks. The route includes coastal heritage, Chola temples, Chettinad, Madurai and two hill regions before a backwater finish. It is a regional South India itinerary, not a claim to cover every southern state in three weeks.
This itinerary is a starting point for a private holiday quotation. Daily sightseeing can be adjusted before confirmation to reflect arrival times, driving distances and the type of accommodation you prefer. Your quotation should identify the included rooms, meals, guiding days and activities so that each part of the journey is clear.
Experience highlights
- 21 days / 20 nights with a day-by-day proposed route
- Private road travel across Tamil Nadu & Kerala
- Accommodation, guiding and meals clearly itemised before confirmation
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day 1: Arrive Chennai. Stay Chennai.
- Day 2: Explore Chennai and Mylapore. Stay Chennai.
- Day 3: Take a planned Kanchipuram temple and weaving day; return Chennai. Stay Chennai.
- Day 4: Travel to Mahabalipuram and explore selected monuments. Stay Mahabalipuram.
- Day 5: Continue to Pondicherry and explore the French Quarter. Stay Pondicherry.
- Day 6: Visit Auroville public visitor areas and enjoy a relaxed afternoon. Stay Pondicherry.
- Day 7: Travel towards Kumbakonam with agreed en-route stops. Stay Kumbakonam.
- Day 8: Visit Darasuram and Gangaikonda Cholapuram as a planned circuit. Stay Kumbakonam.
- Day 9: Continue to Thanjavur for the Brihadeeswarar Temple and an artisan visit. Stay Thanjavur.
- Day 10: Travel via Srirangam to the Chettinad area. Stay Chettinad.
- Day 11: Explore agreed Chettinad heritage sites and enjoy a confirmed local meal. Stay Chettinad.
- Day 12: Travel to Madurai and settle in before any confirmed evening activity. Stay Madurai.
- Day 13: Enjoy a Madurai heritage route and a cooking or kolam experience. Stay Madurai.
- Day 14: Travel to Kodaikanal. Stay Kodaikanal.
- Day 15: Spend a flexible day on Kodaikanal’s lake and scenic stops. Stay Kodaikanal.
- Day 16: Travel to Thekkady. Stay Thekkady.
- Day 17: Enjoy a confirmed spice or food experience. Stay Thekkady.
- Day 18: Continue to Munnar and enjoy an easy afternoon. Stay Munnar.
- Day 19: Explore the agreed Munnar tea route. Stay Munnar.
- Day 20: Transfer to Alleppey for the confirmed overnight houseboat. Stay aboard.
- Day 21: Disembark and transfer to Kochi for departure.
Good to know
Confirm accommodation standards and the twenty-night plan. The Munnar-to-Alleppey day needs an early departure. Wildlife activities, restricted access and rail journeys are optional and require separate confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a confirmed booking?
No. Send an enquiry with your date and group size. JSAN Holidays will confirm availability, the final price and the applicable terms before you pay.
What is included in the price?
Proposed basis: private vehicle with driver for the agreed route, accommodation and activities only as itemised in the final quotation. Only the final written quotation confirms inclusions.
What should I check before travelling?
Confirm accommodation standards and the twenty-night plan. The Munnar-to-Alleppey day needs an early departure. Wildlife activities, restricted access and rail journeys are optional and require separate confirmation.
Photo credits & image information
Real destination or representative cultural photographs. These do not depict your specific host, vehicle, room or booked vessel unless separately confirmed.
- File:MGR Memorial, Marina Beach.jpg — Dey.sandip — CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified downloaded Wikimedia thumbnail; CSS cropping may apply on the website.
- File:Kanadukathan-WUS04199.jpg — Rainer Halama — CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified downloaded Wikimedia thumbnail; CSS cropping may apply on the website.
- File:Munnar Tea Plantations-WUS07343-Pano.jpg — Rainer Halama — CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified downloaded Wikimedia thumbnail; CSS cropping may apply on the website.
- File:Experience Luxury on an Alappuzha Houseboat with Exotica Cruises.jpg — Exotica489 — CC0. Unmodified downloaded Wikimedia thumbnail; CSS cropping may apply on the website.
More experiences in this destination
What is included
- Proposed basis: private vehicle with driver for the agreed route, accommodation and activities only as itemised in the final quotation
Not included
- Anything not expressly included in the confirmed quotation; personal purchases; gratuities; optional activities; special-access tickets or permits unless stated.
Meeting point & pickup
Exact meeting point and pickup coverage are confirmed in your written quotation.
Before you go
Confirm accommodation standards and the twenty-night plan. The Munnar-to-Alleppey day needs an early departure. Wildlife activities, restricted access and rail journeys are optional and require separate confirmation.
Cancellation policy
Cancellation conditions, supplier charges and any non-refundable items will be provided with your quotation before payment. No free-cancellation promise is made on this enquiry listing.