Summary
South India Temple Tour · 14 Nights / 15 Days · Ex-Chennai / Tirupati / Kanyakumari · Luxury · AC Volvo Coach & Tempo · ₹79,900/- per person (minimum 4 persons)
Fifteen days, two states and some of the holiest soil in India. Our South India Temple Tour begins in Chennai, linking Lord Vishnu’s Divya Desams with Lord Shiva’s Pancha Bhoota Sthalas, and then ascend the seven hills to Tirumala. From there down via the temple towns of the Kaveri delta, over the sea to Rameshwaram and finally on to Trivandrum.
We have observed too many groups rushing temples with hardly a minute at the sanctum. So we reverse engineered this South India pilgrimage tour. Expect darshan for three to five hours on most days, and drives of two to six hours. It allows for sitting quietly in a mandapam, having a dip in a theertham or staying back for the evening aarti.
Searching for South India temple tour packages? In one shot you get Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Srirangam, Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari and Trivandrum. Day 1 to Day 15. Same coach, same guide, same escort.
Most of the trip (twelve days to be precise) is a thorough Tamil Nadu temple tour. Then we head into Kerala for Sree Padmanabhaswamy and Attukal Bhagavathy and finish beside the Arabian Sea. If you want somebody else to take care of every transfer, hotel check-in and line then this South India temple tour is for you.
Why this South Indian temple tour is special
- Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala and the golden Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum at the other end of the journey
- Four of Shiva's five Pancha Bhoota Sthalas: Air at Sri Kalahasti, Earth at Ekambareswarar, Space at Chidambaram, Water at Jambukeswarar
- Two Chola temples on the UNESCO list (Brihadeeswarar at Thanjavur, Airavateeswarar at Darasuram)
- Bath in all 22 wells within the temple and Jyotirlinga of Rameshwaram
- Meenakshi Amman, Sree Rangam and Sunrise at Kanyakumari
- Good hotels, an AC Volvo and a tempo, guide and escort
- An easy pace for grandparents and children
Many excursions feature Vishnu's temples or Shiva's. It is more difficult to find the best South India temple tour packages that do justice to both in two weeks and that is what we set out to develop. The South India temple tour itinerary also has longer driving days mixed with lighter temple days, which makes a huge difference for elderly travellers.
Best suited for : Senior adults, families, Vaishnava and Shaiva followers, spiritual seekers and lovers of historic temple architecture. If you were looking for South India religious tour packages with a guide, an escort and excellent lodgings already chosen, stop here.
Taking your elderly parents on a trip? A Tamil Nadu temple tour can be taxing but we never do two long drives back to back. That's how simple this South Indian temple tour is on everyone.
South India Temple Tour Packages Price & Inclusion
| Description | Information |
|---|---|
| Cost per person | ₹79,900 (min 4 people) |
| Basis | Double sharing Quoted group price with 50-60 paying pax |
| Duration | 15 Days / 14 Nights |
| Transport | AC Volvo coach + tempo all around |
| Guide | 1 tour escort & 1 experienced guide |
| Meals | Room only; hotel kitchen and AC dining area provided (no prasadam) |
| GST | 5% on top of the bundle cost |
Prices are on double sharing per person and GST additional. Planning to do this South India pilgrimage tour as a private or family departure? Please contact us for a separate quote. One thing to mention, our South India temple tour packages have a guide and an escort – not something you often get on a Tamil Nadu temple tour of this duration.
What’s in the box
Our South India temple tour packages include:
- 14 nights at luxury hotels (dbl occupancy)
- AC Volvo bus for all touring, with competent driver
- A guide accompanying you during the journey
- Tour escort from Day 1 to Day 15
- parking, tolls, licenses, gasoline and driver allowances all included
- hotel kitchen & AC dining space if you wish to cook or eat together (no prasadam)
- Additional local transport if needed
What’s Not Included
- 5% GST
- Meals (all meals are on you, breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Domestic or international flight or train tickets
- Special admission / VIP darshan and puja costs
- Tips for the driver if you want to provide one
- Laundry, Telephone calls, Camera charges, Ropeway & Entry tickets
- Your own shopping (medical, travel, personal) and any insurance
- Additional fees due to bad weather, road closures or any other reason not specified above
Darshan expenses are not included in the price, like other South India religious tour packages. You just pay for the particular entries you need.
South India Temple Tour Itinerary – Quick View
We have planned the South India temple tour itinerary north to south so you don't have to double back. The stops on the South India Temple tour itinerary are an easy drive away. That is why we’d place it among the best South India temple tour packages for senior visitors.
| Day | Route | Highlights | Accommodation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Chennai | TTD Temple (T. Nagar), Sri Parthasarathy Temple | Chennai |
| 2 | Chennai | Kapaleeswarar, Ashtalakshmi, Nanganallur Anjaneyar | Chennai |
| 3 | Chennai → Sri Kalahasti → Tirupati | Sri Kalahasti, Padmavathi, Tirumala Balaji | Tirupati |
| 4 | Tirupati → Kanchipuram | Varadharaja, Kailasanathar, Kamakshi, Ekambareswarar | Kanchipuram |
| 5 | Kanchipuram → Chidambaram → Kumbakonam | Thillai Natarajar, Kasi Viswanathar, Chakrapani | Kumbakonam |
| 6 | Kumbakonam | Airavateeswarar Temple (Darasuram), Mahamaham Tank, Navagraha | Kumbakonam |
| 7 | Kumbakonam → Thanjavur → Trichy | Brihadeeswarar, Sri Ranganathaswamy, Jambukeswarar | Trichy |
| 8 | Trichy → Tirupattur → Trichy | Samayapuram, Brahmapureeswarar, Ucchi Pillayar | Trichy |
| 9 | Trichy → Rameshwaram | Pamban Bridge, 22 wells, Ramanathaswamy | Rameshwaram |
| 10 | Rameshwaram → Madurai | Meenakshi Amman, Thiruparankundram Murugan | Madurai |
| 11 | Madurai → Srivilliputhur → Tirunelveli | Andal Temple, Nava Tirupati | Tirunelveli |
| 12 | Tirunelveli → Kanyakumari | Kumari Amman, Vivekananda Rock, Thiruvalluvar Statue | Kanyakumari |
| 13 | Kanyakumari → Thiruvattar → Trivandrum | Adikesava Perumal, Sree Padmanabhaswamy | Trivandrum |
| 14 | Trivandrum | Attukal Bhagavathy, Napier Museum (optional) | Trivandrum |
| 15 | Departure | Continuation of voyage | - |
Hotels (indicative) Chennai (2N) – Ramada / Guindy Tirupati (1N) – Raj Park / Marasa Sarovar Kanchipuram (1N) – MM Legacy Kumbakonam (2N) – Chola Dynasty Trichy (2N) – Hotel Breeze Rameshwaram (1N) – Star Palace / SS Grand Madurai (1N) – Poppys Tirunelveli (1N) – GRT Regency Kanyakumari (1N) – Annai Resort Trivandrum (2N) – Hyacinth. Hotel names are confirmed at time of booking, subject to availability.
South India Temple Tour Day Wise Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Chennai
Arrival · Darshan approx. 4 hours · Overnight: Chennai
Your South India Temple Tour starts right there as a representative from our company will meet you in Chennai. Freshen up at the hotel and go to the TTD Temple in T. Nagar. Next is the Sri Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane, a Divya Desam where Krishna is revered as Arjuna’s charioteer.
- TTD Temple, T Nagar
- Sri Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane (Divyadesham)
- Free in the evening
Parthasarathy special entrance: Rs 100 per head
Meals: Not included · Accommodation: Chennai (Ramada or equivalent)
Day 2: Chennai's Holy Shrines
Approx 5 Hrs. Darshan · Overnight: Chennai
Day Two of the Tamil Nadu temple tour is still in Chennai. We start at Kapaleeswarar in Mylapore (see out that gopuram!), then go on to Gangadheeswarar and the Ashtalakshmi Temple by the sea. Final stop: Nanganallur Anjaneyar, where you will find one of the tallest Hanuman murtis.
- Mylapore Kapaleeswarar Temple
- Gangadheeswarar Temple in Purasawalkam
- Ashtalakshmi Temple
- Anjaneyar Temple, Nanganallur.
Special admission to Ashtalakshmi and Kapaleeswarar ₹100 each per person
Meals Not included Accommodation Chennai (Ramada or similar)
Day 3: Chennai – Srikalahasti – Tirupati
160 km · Approx. time 4 hrs · Stay Overnight: Tirupati
We continue north to Andhra Pradesh, pausing at Sri Kalahasti, the Vayu (Air) Lingam. First, darshan at Padmavathi Ammavari Temple, Tiruchanur, Tirupati. Then comes the one that people wait years for Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. For most of our guests this is the emotional high point of the entire South India pilgrimage tour. Queues at Tirumala can be long, so keep water and a little patience handy.
- Sri Kalahasti Temple (Air Linga)
- Tiruchanur: Padmavathi Ammavari Temple;
- Seven Hills Tirumala Balaji Temple
Tirumala special darshan : Rs.500/- per head
Meals: Not part of the package · Stay: Tirupati (Raj Park / Marasa Sarovar or similar)
Day 4: Kanchipuram - Tirupati
114 km · 3 hours · Overnight: Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram is one of India’s seven holiest cities and no South Indian temple tour is complete without it. Here you will visit Varadharaja Perumal and the 8th century Kailasanathar with its magnificent decorations, Kamakshi Amman . We finish up at the gigantic Ekambareswarar Temple, the Prithvi (Earth) Lingam. Today’s tour of temples in South India ends and we travel south to the Kaveri delta.
- Temple of Varadharaja Perumal
- Kailasanathar Temple (Pallava, 8th century AD)
- Kamakshi Amman Temple
- Ekambareswarar Temple (Earth-Lingam)
Ekambareswarar special entry Rs 100 per person
Meals: Not included · Hotel: Kanchipuram (MM Legacy or equivalent)
DAY 5: KANCHIPURAM TO CHIDAMBARAM TO KUMBAKONAM
276 km · ~ 6 hrs · Overnight: Kumbakonam
This is the longest drive on the South India pilgrimage tour so we break at Chidambaram. The Thillai Natarajar Temple here is the Akasa (Space) Lingam where Nataraja is performing his cosmic dance. By dusk we reach Kumbakonam for prayers at Kasi Viswanathar and Adi Kumbeswarar / Chakrapani Swamy temples.
- Chidambaram - Temple of Thillai Natarajar (Space Lingam)
- Thillai Kaali Amman Temple
- Kumbakonam Kasi Viswanathar Temple
- Temple of Chakrapani Swami
Meals: Not included Accommodation: Kumbakonam (Hotel Chola Dynasty or equivalent)
Day 6: Kumbakonam – Heart of Chola Country
4 hours darshan * Overnight : Kumbakonam
Kumbakonam is worth a whole day and the best South India temple tour packages always offer it one. Visit the Airavateeswarar Temple, Darasuram. It’s a UNESCO site and the Chola brickwork is amazing. The Mahamaham Tank is also there. If you want to visit them, the Navagraha temples are distributed across the town.
- Airavateeswarar Temple, Darasuram (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Mahamaham Kinaru
- Navagraha (Nine Planet) Temples
Meals: Not Included Accommodation: Kumbakonam – Hotel Chola Dynasty or equivalent
Day 7 : Kumbakonam – Thanjavur – Trichy
107 km | Time: 3 hrs | Overnight: Trichy
Architecturally this is the high point of the South Indian temple tour. UNESCO listed Raja Raja Chola built Thanjavur’s Brihadeeswarar Temple (Thanjai Periya Koil) is beyond huge. First is the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, the first of the 108 Divya Desams and then Jambukeswarar, the Appu (Water) Lingam. Shorter tours miss a lot of this, but the best South India temple tour packages do.
- Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam (biggest temple complex)
- Jambukeswarar Temple (Water Lingam)
Rs.100 per head for Ranganathaswamy special entrance
Meals: Excluded · Accommodation: Trichy (Hotel Breeze or equivalent)
Day 8 : Trichy - Tirupattur - Trichy
191 km · 3 hours approx. Overnight: Trichy
Today’s fifth part of the Tamil Nadu temple tour will take us to Samayapuram Mariamman and the Akkarapatti Baba Temple. Next, to Tirupattur, for Brahmapureeswarar, one of very few temples dedicated to Lord Brahma. There aren't many stops like it on a South Indian temple tour. In the evening we climb up to Ucchi Pillayar (Rockfort Ganesh) for a glimpse over the Kaveri.
- Samayapuram Mariamman Temple
- Akkarapatti Kovil
- Brahmapureeswarar Temple, Tirupattur
- Ucchi Pillayar Temple (Rockfort Ganesha), Trichy
Entry to Ucchi Pillayar : Rs.10/- per head
Meals: Not Included · Accommodation: Trichy (Hotel Breeze or equivalent)
Day 9: Trichy to Rameshwaram
234 km · 5 hours · Overnight: Rameshwaram
Today, the South India temple tour crosses the Pamban Bridge, to Rameshwaram island. Within the temple you will bathe in the 22 sacred theerthams after the darshan of Ramanathaswamy. It is a Jyotirlinga and one of the Char Dham with the longest pillared corridor in India. There are many families who book South India religious tour packages particularly for this day. Those who have taken a pilgrimage journey of South India would tell you: carry a change of clothes for the wells.
- Pamban Bridge
- 22 sacred theerthams (wells)
- Ramanathaswamy Temple (Jyotirlinga · Char Dham)
Meals: Not Included · Accommodation: Rameshwaram (Star Palace / SS Grand or equivalent)
Day 10 Madurai from Rameshwaram
173 km · approximately 3 hrs · Overnight in Madurai.
No South India temple tour itinerary is complete without the Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai. On the gopurams, the figures of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareswarar are sculpted. Later we visit one of the six Arupadai Veedu of Lord Murugan, Thiruparankundram. If there is a cultural heart to a Tamil Nadu temple tour, it is Madurai.
- Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
- Thiruparankundram Murugan Temple (Arupadai Veedu)
Meenakshi Amman special entrance: Rs 100 per head
Meals: Not Included · Accommodation: Madurai (Hotel Poppys or equivalent)
Day 11: Madurai to Srivilliputhur to Tirunelveli
161 km · ~4 hrs · Overnight at Tirunelveli
Not many South India religious tour packages take the trouble to include this section and that’s a shame. Srivilliputhur is the birthplace of the poet-saint Andal and the gopuram of her Rangamannar Temple is found on the symbol of Tamil Nadu. We have sunset darshan at the Nava Tirupati, the nine Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu in Tirunelveli. This is the most Vaishnavite day of the full South India temple tour.
- Andal Sametha Rangamannar Temple, Srivilliputtur
- Nava Tirupati Temples - Tirunelveli (9)
Meals: None · Accommodation: Tirunelveli (Hotel GRT Regency or equivalent)
Day 12: Tirunelveli to Kanyakumari
95 km · Approx. 2 hrs · Overnight Stay at Kanyakumari
Where three seas meet at the end of India, Kanyakumari. The South India pilgrimage tour is here today. The next is a ferry ride out to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar Statue in the sea. Hard to think of a better way to end a South Indian temple tour.
- Temple of Kumari Amman
- Vivekananda Rock Memorial (by boat ride)
- Statue of Thiruvalluvar
- Kanyakumari Beach – Confluence of three oceans
Meals: Not included · Accommodation: Kanyakumari (Hotel Annai Resort or similar)
Day 13: Kanyakumari to Thiruvattar to Trivandrum
96 km · Approx 4 hrs · Overnight : Trivandrum
Wake up early for the Kanyakumari sunrise, the final day of the Tamil Nadu temple tour. On our way to Kerala we stop at Sree Adikesava Perumal in Thiruvattar, a Divya Desam known as the older temple of Padmanabhaswamy. In the evening you will visit the golden Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and observe Lord Vishnu lying in Ananthasayanam.
- Kanyakumari Sunrise Point
- Thiruvattar (divya desam) – Adikesava Perumal Temple
- Thiruvananthapuram’s Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Padmanabhaswamy special entrance (with breakfast) : ₹180 per person · traditional dress code applies
Meals: Not included · Accommodation: Trivandrum (Hotel Hyacinth or equivalent)
Day 14 Trivandrum at leisure
Darshan Approx. 3 hrs. · Overnight at Trivandrum
Trivandrum for a lazy day. On the way we visit the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple (the Sabarimala of Women as it is called) and a few metropolitan attractions. Like history? Throw in the Napier museum. Unlike strict South India temple tour packages, we give the evening free for shopping or just resting. South India religious tour packages like this one have a peaceful finale with the Kerala shrines.
- Attukal Bhagavathy Devaswom
- City’s cultural icons
- Napier Museum (if time permits)
Napier Museum: Entry ₹10 per person
Meals: Not included Stay: Trivandrum (Hotel Hyacinth or equivalent)
Day 15: Leaving
End of tour after breakfast
Your South India Temple Tour Ends After Breakfast. We’ll help you with your transfer and you go home with the blessings of the holiest shrines in the south.
Meals: Not included
Important Notes for Your South India Pilgrimage Tour
Read these before booking any of our South India religious tour packages.
- The darshan timings for each temple change with the season, hence clock timings are only approximate.
- The order of visits may change if there is traffic or a temple is closed.
- Temple special-entrance, VIP darshan & puja costs are not included in the package. You have to pay separately.
- A 5% GST is added to the bundle price.
- Always have a photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or voter ID) issued by the government with you.
- Some temples are particular about dress and do not accept photography. Just go with it.
- Book refundable tickets for travel to Chennai and home from Trivandrum if you can.
- One more night is paid individually in case of an unanticipated delay.
- Group price is dependent on 50-60 paying guests. Private tours are also available.
Things to Bring
They match the entire South India temple tour itinerary from Tirumala to Trivandrum.
- Photo ID (Aadhar, passport or voter ID)
- Slip-off shoes, as you will be removing them at every temple
- Conservative, old-fashioned garb
- A dhoti or mundu (men) and a saree (women) for the stringent temples
- Your medications and a tiny first aid kit
- Re-usable water bottle, sunscreen and sunglasses
- Shal or dupatta light
- Coins and notes for offerings.
- A little towel for the theertham bath at Rameshwaram