Planning a South India trip that covers both the great temples of Tamil Nadu and the hills and backwaters of Kerala? This 14 day private tour takes you from Chennai to Cochin on your own dates, with your own car and driver, through temple towns, Chettinad's mansions, Periyar's forests, Munnar's tea estates and a night on an Alleppey houseboat.
This Tamil Nadu and Kerala tour package spends its first week in the temple country of Tamil Nadu. From Chennai you drive down the coast to the rock-cut monuments of Mahabalipuram and the French quarter of Pondicherry, then inland to Thanjavur's Brihadeeswarar Temple and the Rock Fort Temple in Trichy, reached by about 400 steps. A night in Chettinad shows you the grand mansions of the Chettiar merchants before Madurai, where you return in the evening for the aarti ceremony at the Meenakshi Temple.
The second week crosses into Kerala. You spend two nights in Periyar for the wildlife sanctuary and Periyar Lake, two nights among the tea estates of Munnar, and a night on a houseboat in Alleppey with all meals on board, before a final evening in Cochin.
As a private tour, it runs on your own dates in a private air-conditioned sedan, so you can start whenever suits you.
Check out the major key stops in our 14 days Tamil Nadu itinerary along with Kerala:
Your first night. Our team meets you at the airport, and the rest of the day is free to rest after your flight.
One night by the sea. Visit the Five Rathas, Arjuna's Penance, the Mahishasura Mandapam cave temple and the 8th-century Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One night in the former French town. Visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the Pondicherry Museum, known for its Pallava and Chola bronzes, then walk along the seaside promenade.
One night in the old Chola capital. See the 11th-century Brihadeeswarar Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Thanjavur Palace of the Bhosle rulers, Sivaganga Fort and the art gallery.
One night. Climb about 400 steps to the 7th-century Rock Fort Temple for views over the city and the Cauvery River, then walk through Chinnar Bazaar and Gandhi Bazaar.
One night among the Chettiar merchant mansions, decorated with marble and Burma teak, with a visit to the Chettinad Museum.
One night. Visit the Meenakshi Temple and the Tiruparankundram and Palamuthircholai Murugan temples, then return to the Meenakshi Temple in the evening for the aarti ceremony.
Two nights in the Western Ghats. Explore the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, with a boat ride on Periyar Lake and views of the tea and coffee plantations around it.
Two nights in the tea hills. Visit Eravikulam National Park, home of the Nilgiri tahr, Mattupetty Dam, the tea gardens, a tea factory and the Tea Museum.
A night on a houseboat with all meals on board, cruising past paddy fields, coconut groves and village life.
Your last night. A half-day tour of Fort Kochi with the Chinese fishing nets, St. Francis Church, the Jewish Synagogue, the Dutch Palace and the spice market.
Below are the reasons why choosing our Tamilnadu tour packages is the right choice for tourists:
The best time to enjoy this amazing journey is from October to March. During this period, the weather stays cool and pleasant which makes it great for travel. It is also ideal for sightseeing, temple visits, beach walks and exploring hill stations. You can enjoy every destination without heat or discomfort. Places like Kerala backwaters, Tamil Nadu temples and hill stations look beautiful during these months. Summer months are hot and humid in many regions so it is better to avoid travel during this season.
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Arrive at the airport and meet our guide who will transfer you to your booked hotel. Rest of the day is for leisure. Overnight stay at Chennai.
Today after breakfast, drive to Mahabalipuram which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on a bank of Bay of Bengal. On arrival, check into the hotel and head for sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram where you will visit some of the popular attractions like Panch- the five rathas, Arjunas Penance which is a masterpiece carved out in the mid 17th century, witness the Mahasura Mandapam Which is a rock cut cave temple that dates back to the late 17th century, shore temple which is a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the 8th century. Overnight stay at Mahabalipuram.
Today after breakfast, drive to Pondicherry and on arrival, check into the hotel and rest for a while. Later head for sightseeing tour of Pondicherry where you will visit few places like Aurobindo Ashram which is a spiritual community founded by Sri Aurobindo, drive past the Seaside promenade which is a 1.5 km long stretch along the ocean. Head to visit Pondicherry Museum which is a treasure trove of rare bronze and stone sculptures from the Pallava and Chola dynasties. Evening will be at leisure and overnight stay at Pondicherry.
Enjoy your breakfast and drive to Thanjavur which was once the time capital of Chola Dynasty. On arrival, check into the hotel and rest for a while. Begin your sightseeing tour of Thanjavur where you will visit popular places like Brihadeshwara Temple which is a 11th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Next head to visit Thanjavur Palace which is locally called Aranmanai and is the residence of the Bhosle family that ruled Thanjavur from 1674-1855. Later visit Sivaganga Fort and the art gallery. Overnight stay at Thanjavur.
After breakfast, proceed to Trichy which is one of the popular landmarks in Tamil Nadu. On arrival, visit Rock Fort Temple which was built in the 7th century. Devotees arrive here barefoot after climbing 400 steps in order to capture the stunning views of the city of Trichy and River Cauvery. It boasts of two temples that is dedicated to Lord Ganesha and Lord Shiva. Later walk through Chinnar Bazaar, Gandhi Bazaar and side streets. Overnight stay at Trichy.
Today after breakfast, drive to Chettinad that is rich in cultural heritage, art and architecture. Chettinad is known for its houses that are embellished with marble and Burma teak. Later head to witness the glorious mansions of Chettiars and the Chettinad Museum. Overnight stay at Chettinad.
After breakfast, proceed to Madurai and later head for sightseeing tour of Madurai where you will visit popular attraction like Meenakshi Temple-one of the largest temple complex built between 16th and 18th centuries, Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple which is one of the 6 abodes or holy shrines of Lord Murugan, Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple- it is one of the 6 holiest Murugan shrines. Later in the evening, return back to Meenakshi Temple to witness the Aarti ceremony. Overnight stay at Madurai.
Enjoy your breakfast and drive to Periyar. On arrival, check into the hotel and rest for a while. Periyar is set amidst the Western Ghats in Kerala and is known for its rich biodiversity and natural vistas. Overnight stay at Periyar.
Have your breakfast and visit the famous Periyar wildlife sanctuary which is a reserve of Bengal tigers, wild boars, tigers, leopards etc. Enjoy the boat ride at the Periyar Lake and capture the glimpse of wildlife, tea and coffee plantation. Overnight stay at Periyar.
Have your breakfast and drive to Munnar which is a popular hill station in Kerala. Proceed for a full day sightseeing tour of Munnar. Munnar is one of the well known hill stations and is situated in the confluence of three mountain streams- Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. Visit the world’s highest tea plantations and Eravikulam National Park where you can see the Nilgiri Tahr. Rest of the day is for leisure. Overnight stay at Munnar.
Second day of munnar, you can visit Mattupetty dam which is built in the mountains of kerala, india to conserve water for hyderoelectricity. Later you can leave for Tea gardens and then Tea factory to see Tea making process. Then, visit Tea museum to know about its significance and other details. Evening return back to hotel for overnight stay.
Today after breakfast drive to Alleppey which is also known as the ‘Venice of the East’ and is situated in the Alapuzzha district of Kerala. On arrival, board the houseboat and enjoy a relaxing ride and witness the mesmerizing beauty of the region. Overnight stay at the houseboat.
Kick start your day with delicious breakfast and leave for Cochin. On arrival, check into the hotel and rest for a while. Proceed for half day sightseeing tour of the city. Head to visit the famous Chinese fishing nets, St.Francis Church, Jewish Synagogue, Dutch Palace, Mattancherry, Fort Kochi Area. Explore the spice market where you can find numerous samples of spices, out in the open. Overnight stay at Cochin
Your tour will come to an end with your departure to the airport from where you will board flight for your onward journey.
Tell our travel experts your preferred dates, hotel category and interests. We’ll tailor the journey and send you a personalised quote.
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TraEminent India crafted an unforgettable Kerala experience! T green landscpe, backwaters, beaches, and ayurveda - they nailed it 10. Highly recommended for a slice of paradise. December, 2025.
Kerala Tour Feedback – 11th to 19th September We had a wonderful Kerala tour from 11th to 19th September. Overall, we were happy with the tour package, and the hotels arranged for us were good and comfortable. We would like to thank the tour operator for organising the trip and providing a good package. We enjoyed the places we visited and the overall arrangements. we appreciate the arrangements and would like to thank the tour operator for making our Kerala trip enjoyable. September, 2026
Took a one week trip through Kerala. TraEminent did an excellent job coordinating our itinerary . Prachi was very responsive setting up our itinerary and was a pleasure to work with . Our driver, Linesh, was the best. He was helpful throughout our entire journey, told us details about each location and was mindful as to how he drove. as we had young children traveling with us. Munnar and the tea plantations were the highlight of our trip and we still miss our houseboat in Allepey . Simply a wonderful and memorable trip. January, 2026.
My 70th Birthday and my Spiritual Experience in the land of the Gods. Fantastic tour arrangements done by Jugmohan and his team. He arranged our trip itinerary for us. We arrived at Delhi airport were greeted with garlands by their representative who took us to our hotel all arranged by TraEminent Tours India. We traveled to Agra Rajasthan Punjab back to Delhi and then we traveled to Kerala and Bangalore. Right from the start tour guides taxi service with driver were exemplary. It was a wow factor for us thanks to Jugmohan and Mukesh who were there to help us out whenever there was a problem with anything and it dealt with amicably. We finished our tour in Delhi where we rested and went on shopping spree what a wonderful experience. Looking forward to booking our next trip with TraEminent India Tour next year. Thank you so much for organising this trip of life time for us Mukesh and Jugmohan. May, 2024.
We traveled for 20 days in India (Mumbai – Tamil Nadu – Kerala – return to Mumbai) with a private car and driver. Overall, the trip was well organized, the hotels were good and in line with our preferences, and we consider the total cost fair. The vehicle provided was a new, clean SUV, and our driver, Mr. Bijou, was outstanding: polite, discreet, punctual, always smiling, and a true professional. The local guides were also excellent, with strong knowledge of the country’s history and culture, good English skills, and great storytelling ability (in Munnar: Mr. Sujith; in Tanjavur: Mr. Thamilarassan; in Mumbai: Mr. Semeel; in Pondicherry: Mr. Sivaganesh; in Mahabalipuram: Mr. Arun; and in Madurai: Mr. Kesavan). However, we did encounter some serious issues. During a domestic flight with Indigo, a cancellation occurred due to a strike by the flight crew. The agency’s ground staff member assigned to us, Mr. Mukesh, did not answer our calls and only sent generic messages such as “don’t worry, you are in good hands, give me some time,” without providing any real assistance. Eventually, we contacted Ms. Shivani and Mr. Sunny, who acted promptly and did their best to help us by booking a new flight for the following day, unfortunately at our own expense. Additionally, in Allepey, where we had booked a one-night stay on a houseboat with one bedroom, we were informed on arrival that one of us would have to sleep on a mattress on the floor instead of having three proper beds as promised. We requested either a change of houseboat or a transfer to a hotel in Cochin. Although the agency acknowledged that this was their mistake, they asked us to cover the additional cost. As a result, almost the entire afternoon was wasted exchanging messages with the agency, without a satisfactory resolution. In conclusion, I would describe the agency as good and generally reliable, with solid organization and quality partners. However, our overall experience was negatively affected by inadequate support from specific ground staff and the handling of certain issues, which could and should have been managed more professionally. December, 2025.
Our India Tour. On this trip we visited Gujarat, Bengal, Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. They organised everything for us Whenever we visit India or Sri Lanka, we have used TraEminent Indian tours for their guidance and recommendations and meticulous eye for detail. They had also arranged all internal flights for us. October, 2024.
The whole trip went like clockwork, with no problems at all. Sebastian, our Kochin guide was very knowledgeable, spoke good English and took us to some really interesting places. HOTELS In all the hotels, the staff were very friendly and keen to please and all our rooms were spacious and well-appointed. At the Kumakorum Park Resort we were disappointed that we couldn't use the swimming pool and there there was no area outside to sit. However, It was our driver, Vincent, who made our trip such a success. He was more of a guide for us than just a driver. He was polite, friendly, punctual, helpful, kind and very well-informed. As he was Keralan, he knew all the routes and places of interest along the way. He planned our last day for us from leaving the houseboat at 9am until we took our sleeper train at 8.25pm- lighthouse, 2 beaches, Coir Museum, Maharajah's Palace, place for our final evening meal. He quickly picked up on things that interested us and suggested visits that always pleased us. We would recommend Tra-eminent to others as you tailored the trip to fit our interests perfectly. February, 2026.
Thank you, Shivani for helping me to arrange for a short sweet trip. Though short, we managed to enjoy the boat-house cruise and interesting sights in Cochin. A big thank you for getting me such good rates and deal at Marriott Kochi. World-class service. I highly recommend others get in touch with Shivani for their future holidays to India. Very professional and response to our queries are almost immediate. Well done Shivani and team. Date of Experience: September 2019
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