Tamil Nadu tour packages

• Duration: 2 to 19 days; most travellers take 4 or 5.
• Price: from ₹5,599 per person, stays, local travel and the sightseeing listed on each trip page.
• Places: Madurai's Meenakshi temple, Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, Thanjavur's Big Temple, Kanyakumari, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Auroville, Ooty and Coonoor, Kodaikanal, Srirangam, Kanchipuram, and Tirupati just across the Andhra Pradesh border.
• Travel: Every private trip starts where its page says: Chennai for most temple, Tirupati and coast plans, Madurai for the Rameswaram and Kanyakumari circuits, Coimbatore, Mysore or Bengaluru for Ooty and Kodaikanal, and a Bengaluru pick-up for some Pondicherry and Madurai plans. The one group trip, a Kodaikanal weekend, leaves Bengaluru on Friday night. Flights and trains to the start city are not part of the package.
• Stay: hotels in the category you pick in each town, 3-star as standard and 4-star on the higher tier, hotels and resorts in Ooty and Kodaikanal, and a hotel on twin or triple sharing on the Kodaikanal group weekend; each trip page lists its own.
• Best time: Mid-December to February is the season for the temple towns and the coast, at 20 to 30°C with dry days.
• Weather: Tamil Nadu is hot for most of the year.
• Trip type: 1 fixed-date group departure and private trips on your own dates.

2 Days Kodaikanal Weekend Getaway from Bangalore2D/1N · ₹5,5992 Days Tirupati Yatra from Chennai2D/1N · ₹10,4993 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore3D/2N · ₹10,999

Three days covers one corner: Madurai with Rameswaram, Ooty with Coonoor, Pondicherry with Mahabalipuram, or Tirupati and Kanchipuram from Chennai. Four or five days joins two: Ooty and Kodaikanal, Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, or Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Madurai. Six to eight days is a temple circuit through Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota temples; nine days and more go on to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram or join Kerala.

3 days / 2 nights, from ₹10,999 per person: 3 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Tirupati Darshan from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999).

4 days / 3 nights, from ₹11,499 per person: 4 Days Chidambaram Kumbakonam Thanjavur Trichy Yatra (4D/3N, from ₹11,499); 4 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra (4D/3N, from ₹11,499); 4 Days Ooty Mysore Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹11,500).

5 days / 4 nights, from ₹11,999 per person: 5 Days Tamil Nadu Temples Pichavaram Bliss (5D/4N, from ₹11,999); 5 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Yatra (5D/4N, from ₹13,499); 5 Days Wayanad Ooty Hills Escape (5D/4N, from ₹13,999).

6 days / 5 nights, from ₹16,499 per person: 6 Days Mysore Wayanad Ooty Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹16,499); 6 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹30,050); 6 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Honeymoon (6D/5N, from ₹32,050).

7 days / 6 nights, from ₹18,999 per person: 7 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Madurai Yatra (7D/6N, from ₹18,999); 7 Days Tamil Nadu Kodaikanal Rameshwaram Escape (7D/6N, from ₹18,999); 7 Days Kerala Kovalam Kanyakumari Escape (7D/6N, from ₹22,500).

8 days / 7 nights, from ₹16,186 per person: 8 Days Tamil Nadu Temple Circuit Yatra (8D/7N, from ₹16,186); 8 Days Madurai Tanjore Pondicherry Tirupati Yatra (8D/7N, from ₹47,090).

9 days and longer, from ₹24,299: 11 Days South India Temple Trail Grand Yatra (11D/10N, from ₹24,299); 9 Days Tamil Nadu Grand Temple Yatra (9D/8N, from ₹24,499); 10 Days Kerala Madurai Rameswaram Yatra (10D/9N, from ₹34,350).

3 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore3D/2N · ₹10,9994 Days Chidambaram Kumbakonam Thanjavur Trichy Yatra4D/3N · ₹11,4994 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra4D/3N · ₹11,4995 Days Tamil Nadu Temples Pichavaram Bliss5D/4N · ₹11,9995 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Yatra5D/4N · ₹13,4996 Days Mysore Wayanad Ooty Bliss6D/5N · ₹16,4996 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Bliss6D/5N · ₹30,0507 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Madurai Yatra7D/6N · ₹18,9997 Days Tamil Nadu Kodaikanal Rameshwaram Escape7D/6N · ₹18,9998 Days Tamil Nadu Temple Circuit Yatra8D/7N · ₹16,1868 Days Madurai Tanjore Pondicherry Tirupati Yatra8D/7N · ₹47,090

3 days / 2 nights from ₹10,999 per person. an early start from Chennai for the long drive south to Madurai, about 460 km; the Meenakshi temple in the evening, with Koodal Alagar temple and the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal. Then to Rameswaram over the Pamban bridge: the sea dip at Agniteertham, darshan at Ramanathaswamy and the drive out to Dhanushkodi, then north to Thanjavur for the night. Then the Brihadeeswarar temple, the Thanjavur palace and its gallery of Chola bronzes, then the drive back to Chennai, arriving late in the evening.

11 plans: 3 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Tirupati Darshan from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Ooty Isha Yatra from Coimbatore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999).

3 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Tirupati Darshan from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Ooty Isha Yatra from Coimbatore3D/2N · ₹10,999

4 days / 3 nights from ₹11,499 per person. Three days covers one corner: Madurai with Rameswaram, Ooty with Coonoor, Pondicherry with Mahabalipuram, or Tirupati and Kanchipuram from Chennai. Four or five days joins two: Ooty and Kodaikanal, Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, or Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Madurai. Six to eight days is a temple circuit through Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota temples; nine days and more go on to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram or join Kerala.

9 plans: 4 Days Chidambaram Kumbakonam Thanjavur Trichy Yatra (4D/3N, from ₹11,499); 4 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra (4D/3N, from ₹11,499); 4 Days Ooty Mysore Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹11,500); 4 Days Ooty with Isha Adiyogi Bliss (4D/3N, from ₹11,500).

4 Days Chidambaram Kumbakonam Thanjavur Trichy Yatra4D/3N · ₹11,4994 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra4D/3N · ₹11,4994 Days Ooty Mysore Bliss4D/3N · ₹11,5004 Days Ooty with Isha Adiyogi Bliss4D/3N · ₹11,500

5 days / 4 nights from ₹11,999 per person. Three days covers one corner: Madurai with Rameswaram, Ooty with Coonoor, Pondicherry with Mahabalipuram, or Tirupati and Kanchipuram from Chennai. Four or five days joins two: Ooty and Kodaikanal, Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, or Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Madurai. Six to eight days is a temple circuit through Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota temples; nine days and more go on to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram or join Kerala.

15 plans: 5 Days Tamil Nadu Temples Pichavaram Bliss (5D/4N, from ₹11,999); 5 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Yatra (5D/4N, from ₹13,499); 5 Days Wayanad Ooty Hills Escape (5D/4N, from ₹13,999); 5 Days Chidambaram Madurai Rameshwaram Yatra (5D/4N, from ₹14,700).

5 Days Tamil Nadu Temples Pichavaram Bliss5D/4N · ₹11,9995 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Yatra5D/4N · ₹13,4995 Days Wayanad Ooty Hills Escape5D/4N · ₹13,9995 Days Chidambaram Madurai Rameshwaram Yatra5D/4N · ₹14,700

6 days / 5 nights from ₹16,499 per person. Three days covers one corner: Madurai with Rameswaram, Ooty with Coonoor, Pondicherry with Mahabalipuram, or Tirupati and Kanchipuram from Chennai. Four or five days joins two: Ooty and Kodaikanal, Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, or Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Madurai. Six to eight days is a temple circuit through Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota temples; nine days and more go on to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram or join Kerala.

4 plans: 6 Days Mysore Wayanad Ooty Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹16,499); 6 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Bliss (6D/5N, from ₹30,050); 6 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Honeymoon (6D/5N, from ₹32,050); 6 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra (6D/5N, from ₹41,300).

6 Days Mysore Wayanad Ooty Bliss6D/5N · ₹16,4996 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Bliss6D/5N · ₹30,0506 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Honeymoon6D/5N · ₹32,0506 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra6D/5N · ₹41,300

7 days / 6 nights from ₹18,999 per person. Three days covers one corner: Madurai with Rameswaram, Ooty with Coonoor, Pondicherry with Mahabalipuram, or Tirupati and Kanchipuram from Chennai. Four or five days joins two: Ooty and Kodaikanal, Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, or Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Madurai. Six to eight days is a temple circuit through Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota temples; nine days and more go on to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram or join Kerala.

3 plans: 7 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Madurai Yatra (7D/6N, from ₹18,999); 7 Days Tamil Nadu Kodaikanal Rameshwaram Escape (7D/6N, from ₹18,999); 7 Days Kerala Kovalam Kanyakumari Escape (7D/6N, from ₹22,500).

7 Days Pancha Bhoota Sthalam Madurai Yatra7D/6N · ₹18,9997 Days Tamil Nadu Kodaikanal Rameshwaram Escape7D/6N · ₹18,9997 Days Kerala Kovalam Kanyakumari Escape7D/6N · ₹22,500

8 days / 7 nights from ₹16,186 per person. Three days covers one corner: Madurai with Rameswaram, Ooty with Coonoor, Pondicherry with Mahabalipuram, or Tirupati and Kanchipuram from Chennai. Four or five days joins two: Ooty and Kodaikanal, Madurai, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, or Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Madurai. Six to eight days is a temple circuit through Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota temples; nine days and more go on to Kanyakumari and Rameswaram or join Kerala.

2 plans: 8 Days Tamil Nadu Temple Circuit Yatra (8D/7N, from ₹16,186); 8 Days Madurai Tanjore Pondicherry Tirupati Yatra (8D/7N, from ₹47,090).

8 Days Tamil Nadu Temple Circuit Yatra8D/7N · ₹16,1868 Days Madurai Tanjore Pondicherry Tirupati Yatra8D/7N · ₹47,090

These are the places Tamil Nadu trips are built from. Each trip page lists exactly which of them it covers, and a private trip can swap one for another.

• Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai: The temple of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar in the heart of the old city, with its painted gopurams, the hall of a thousand pillars and the golden lotus tank; the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal palace and Koodal Alagar temple are a short drive away.
• Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi: The island temple of Ramanathaswamy, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, with its long pillared corridors, the sea dip at Agniteertham and the baths at the temple wells, reached over the Pamban bridge; Dhanushkodi, the town a cyclone left in ruins in 1964, is at the island's tip.
• Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur: The Big Temple built by Raja Raja Chola I and finished in 1010, a UNESCO site, with the Maratha palace and its gallery of Chola bronzes in the same town.
• Kanyakumari: The southern tip of India, where the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet: the ferry to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, the Thiruvalluvar statue, the Kumari Amman temple and the sunset from the shore.
• Mahabalipuram: The Pallava monuments on the sea about 60 km south of Chennai: the Shore Temple, the five Rathas, Arjuna's Penance carved on a rock face and Krishna's Butter Ball, together a UNESCO site.
• Pondicherry and Auroville: The French quarter's yellow streets, Promenade Beach, the Aurobindo Ashram and the Basilica, the boat to Paradise Beach from Chunnambar, and Auroville's Matrimandir outside town; Pondicherry is a union territory on the Tamil Nadu coast.
• Ooty and Coonoor: The Nilgiri hill station at about 2,200 m: the Botanical Garden, Doddabetta peak, Ooty lake, Pykara falls and the tea and chocolate factories, with Coonoor's Sim's Park, Dolphin's Nose and Lamb's Rock and the toy train between them; some plans add the Adiyogi statue at the Isha centre near Coimbatore.
• Kodaikanal: The Palani hills at about 2,100 m: the star-shaped lake, Coaker's Walk, Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves, Bryant Park, Green Valley View and the Silver Cascade falls on the road up.
• Srirangam and the Rock Fort, Trichy: The Ranganathaswamy temple on its river island, one of the largest working temple complexes in the world, the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikoil next door, and the climb to the Ucchi Pillayar shrine on the Rock Fort.
• Chidambaram, Kumbakonam and Darasuram: The Nataraja temple of the dancing Shiva at Chidambaram, Kumbakonam's temples and the Mahamaham tank, and the Chola temples at Darasuram and Gangaikonda Cholapuram, both UNESCO sites; the Pichavaram mangroves are a boat ride near Chidambaram.
• Kanchipuram and Tiruvannamalai: The temple city of Kamakshi Amman, Ekambareswarar, Kailasanathar and Varadaraja Perumal, known as well for its silk saris, and the Arunachaleswarar temple at the foot of Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai.
• Tirupati and Tirumala: The hill temple of Lord Venkateswara on the seven hills, about 140 km from Chennai in Andhra Pradesh, with the Padmavathi temple at Tiruchanur and Srikalahasti nearby; darshan is booked separately through TTD.

Opening hours and tickets

Most big temples close in the afternoon. The hours our trip pages plan around are usually about 5 am to 12:30 pm and 4 to 9:30 pm for the Meenakshi temple in Madurai, 5 am to 1 pm and 3 to 9 pm for Ramanathaswamy in Rameswaram, and 7 am to noon and 4 to 8:30 pm for the Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur; festival days change them. The ferry to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari runs from about 8 am to 4 pm and stops when the sea is rough, and Dhanushkodi is visited in daylight. Phones are not allowed inside the Meenakshi temple and some others; counters at the gates keep them. Entry, special darshan and camera tickets are paid at the gate, and the Tirumala darshan is booked separately with TTD.

What to eat

Idli, dosa, pongal and vada with sambar and chutney for breakfast, filter coffee everywhere, and a vegetarian meal on a banana leaf at lunch in every temple town. Madurai is known for kothu parotta, its mutton dishes and jigarthanda, a cold drink of milk, almond gum and ice cream; Chettinad cooking from around Karaikudi is peppery and rich; Pondicherry adds French bakeries and Creole cooking in the White Town. Tirunelveli halwa, Srivilliputhur palkova and Ooty's tea and home-made chocolate are the things to carry home. Most plans include only breakfast, so lunch and dinner are wherever the day takes you.

A private trip runs the same plan at your own pace; a group departure follows it to the minute.

• Day 1: an early start from Chennai for the long drive south to Madurai, about 460 km; the Meenakshi temple in the evening, with Koodal Alagar temple and the Thirumalai Nayak Mahal.
• Day 2: to Rameswaram over the Pamban bridge: the sea dip at Agniteertham, darshan at Ramanathaswamy and the drive out to Dhanushkodi, then north to Thanjavur for the night.
• Day 3: the Brihadeeswarar temple, the Thanjavur palace and its gallery of Chola bronzes, then the drive back to Chennai, arriving late in the evening.

Tamil Nadu packages start at ₹5,599 per person: ₹10,999 for 3 days, ₹11,499 for 4 days, ₹11,999 for 5 days, ₹16,499 for 6 days, ₹18,999 for 7 days and ₹16,186 for 8 days. That covers the stays, a private AC cab with a driver for every drive with tolls and driver allowance, and the sightseeing each trip page lists. Most plans include breakfast; the Tirupati plans include no meals. Flights or trains to the start city are not included, and temple entry, darshan and camera tickets, boat rides and the Ooty toy train are paid on the spot or booked separately.

What moves the price is the hotel category, the size of the cab, the season and how many of you share the car and the rooms. December and January, the Pongal week and the summer holidays in Ooty and Kodaikanal are the busiest and dearest; the hot months on the plains cost least. Temple and darshan tickets, meals not named on the trip page and anything else not listed stay out of the fare, and 5% GST is added to the package price.

The temple heart of the state: Madurai's Meenakshi temple, Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, and Kanyakumari at the tip, with the longer plans adding the Chola temples of Chidambaram, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur, Srirangam at Trichy, or all five Pancha Bhoota shrines. Every one runs in a private cab from Chennai, Madurai or Bengaluru, and the Kanyakumari plans finish at Thiruvananthapuram.

16 trips on this page, from ₹10,999 per person: 3 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Trichy Yatra (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Thanjavur Yatra (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 4 Days Chidambaram Kumbakonam Thanjavur Trichy Yatra (4D/3N, from ₹11,499); 4 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra (4D/3N, from ₹11,499).

3 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Trichy Yatra3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Thanjavur Yatra3D/2N · ₹10,9994 Days Chidambaram Kumbakonam Thanjavur Trichy Yatra4D/3N · ₹11,4994 Days Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Yatra4D/3N · ₹11,499

Tirupati is about 140 km from Chennai, just across the border in Andhra Pradesh, and these plans start and end in Chennai, most with a night pick-up that reaches Tirupati by morning. The longer ones add Kanchipuram, Tiruttani, the Vellore Golden Temple and Arunachalam at Tiruvannamalai. The Tirumala darshan is booked separately with TTD.

10 trips on this page, from ₹10,499 per person: 2 Days Tirupati Yatra from Chennai (2D/1N, from ₹10,499); 3 Days Tirupati Darshan from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Tirupati Kanchipuram Yatra from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Tirupati Vellore Golden Temple Yatra from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999).

2 Days Tirupati Yatra from Chennai2D/1N · ₹10,4993 Days Tirupati Darshan from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Tirupati Kanchipuram Yatra from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Tirupati Vellore Golden Temple Yatra from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,999

The hill stations: Ooty and Coonoor in the Nilgiris, reached from Coimbatore, Mysore or Bengaluru, and Kodaikanal in the Palani hills, about six hours on from Ooty or three from Madurai. Some plans add the Adiyogi statue at the Isha centre near Coimbatore, and the group weekend goes to Kodaikanal from Bengaluru on Friday night.

18 trips on this page, from ₹5,599 per person: 2 Days Kodaikanal Weekend Getaway from Bangalore (2D/1N, from ₹5,599); 3 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Ooty Isha Yatra from Coimbatore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Coimbatore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999).

2 Days Kodaikanal Weekend Getaway from Bangalore2D/1N · ₹5,5993 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Bangalore3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Ooty Isha Yatra from Coimbatore3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Ooty Coonoor Bliss from Coimbatore3D/2N · ₹10,999

The coast south of Chennai: Mahabalipuram's Pallava monuments about 60 km down the East Coast Road and Pondicherry's French quarter and Auroville about 160 km, from Chennai or with a pick-up in Bengaluru. The longer plans carry on to Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Madurai, and one is a honeymoon trip with a candlelight dinner.

9 trips on this page, from ₹10,999 per person: 3 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 3 Days Best of Pondicherry Bliss from Bangalore (3D/2N, from ₹10,999); 5 Days Tirupati Mahabalipuram Kanchipuram Yatra (5D/4N, from ₹15,499); 5 Days Pondicherry Chidambaram Bliss from Bangalore (5D/4N, from ₹18,200).

3 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Bliss from Chennai3D/2N · ₹10,9993 Days Best of Pondicherry Bliss from Bangalore3D/2N · ₹10,9995 Days Tirupati Mahabalipuram Kanchipuram Yatra5D/4N · ₹15,4995 Days Pondicherry Chidambaram Bliss from Bangalore5D/4N · ₹18,200

Friends and solo travellers: 1 fixed-date group trip from ₹5,599, the travel from Bengaluru and back, stays on twin or triple sharing, breakfast on both days and a trip captain included, rooms shared by gender: 2 Days Kodaikanal Weekend Getaway from Bangalore (2D/1N, from ₹5,599).

Couples: 2 plans with the quieter stays and private transfers, from ₹17,500: 5 Days Ooty Coorg Honeymoon (5D/4N, from ₹17,500); 6 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Honeymoon (6D/5N, from ₹32,050).

Families and couples take the private trips: the same places at your own pace, with the room category and the car chosen for your group.

2 Days Kodaikanal Weekend Getaway from Bangalore2D/1N · ₹5,5995 Days Ooty Coorg Honeymoon5D/4N · ₹17,5006 Days Pondicherry Mahabalipuram Madurai Honeymoon6D/5N · ₹32,050

Best time

Mid-December to February is the season for the temple towns and the coast, at 20 to 30°C with dry days. October to early December is the north-east monsoon, the wettest time on the coast from Chennai to Rameswaram. March to June is hot on the plains, near 40°C at Madurai, and the high season in Ooty and Kodaikanal; July to September is warm and mostly dry on the plains while the Nilgiris get the south-west monsoon rain.

• Mid-December to February, 20 to 30°C plains, 5 to 20°C hills: The season for the temple towns and the coast: dry, sunny days and comfortable evenings. Pongal falls in mid-January; Ooty and Kodaikanal are cold at night.
• March to June, 28 to 40°C plains, 12 to 25°C hills: Hot on the plains, so temple days start early and rest through the afternoon. This is the high season in Ooty and Kodaikanal, when the plains escape to the hills.
• July to September, 26 to 36°C plains, 12 to 22°C hills: Warm and mostly dry on the plains and the east coast, which the south-west monsoon largely passes by; wet and misty in the Nilgiris. Quieter and good value for temple circuits.
• October to early December, 22 to 32°C: The north-east monsoon: heavy rain on Chennai, Pondicherry and the coast down to Rameswaram, with the odd cyclone warning in November. The temples stay open; the Rameswaram ferry and Dhanushkodi road can be stopped by the weather.

What to pack

Light cotton for the plains in any month, with a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and a sweater or jacket for Ooty and Kodaikanal, where December and January nights get cold. Temples expect clothes that cover the shoulders and knees, and footwear is left at the gate, so slip-on sandals save time. Carry a change of clothes for Rameswaram, where the dip at Agniteertham and the temple-well baths leave you soaked, and an umbrella from October to December. The Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, where the Kanyakumari plans end, usually asks men to wear a dhoti without a shirt and women a saree or long skirt.

Getting there

From Hyderabad, fly or take the train to the city your trip starts in. Chennai is a little over an hour by air or an overnight train of about 13 hours, and Madurai and Coimbatore have flights too, direct on some days or through Chennai or Bengaluru. Every trip starts at the airport or station with a private cab; the journey from Hyderabad is not part of the package.

The Kodaikanal group weekend leaves Bengaluru on Friday night, reaches the hills by morning and travels back on Sunday; Kodaikanal is about 460 km away. The private trips drive from Bengaluru too: Ooty is about 270 km and seven hours through Mysore and the Bandipur forest, Pondicherry about 320 km and six hours, and Madurai about 440 km. Chennai is a one-hour flight or a five-hour day train for the plans that start there.

Most temple, Tirupati and coast plans start in Chennai with a pick-up in the city. Mahabalipuram is about 60 km down the East Coast Road and Pondicherry about 160 km, three to four hours; Tirupati is about 140 km, three to four hours. Madurai is about 460 km, seven to eight hours by road or a day or overnight train, which is why the southern circuits start at Madurai. For Ooty, take a train or flight to Coimbatore and drive up about 90 km.

Permits and fees

No permit is needed for Indian travellers anywhere on these routes. Two things are booked separately: darshan at Tirumala, which the temple trust (TTD) sells online in each pilgrim's name and which our Tirupati trip pages leave out of the price, and the Ooty toy train, which sells out and is booked by you online. The road to Dhanushkodi is usually open in daylight only and can close in rough weather. Rules change, so confirm before you book.

Tamil Nadu or Kerala? The two share the southern tip and many trips cross between them. Kerala is green and slow: Munnar's tea, a houseboat night at Alleppey and the beaches at Varkala and Kovalam. Tamil Nadu is temple country, with the gopurams of Madurai, Rameswaram and Thanjavur, plus the hills at Ooty and Kodaikanal and Pondicherry on the coast. Pick Kerala for nature and a houseboat and Tamil Nadu for temples and history; the Kanyakumari plans end at Thiruvananthapuram, so one trip can do both.

Tamil Nadu or Karnataka? Karnataka has Coorg, Chikmagalur, Mysore and Hampi; Tamil Nadu has Ooty and Kodaikanal in the hills and the temple towns on the plains. They meet at Ooty: several plans here start in Mysore or Bengaluru and drive up through Bandipur, and Coorg pairs with Ooty on the same trip.