Day-wise plan
Every day runs on a private cab - the order and pace are yours to change.
1Day 1 - Trip begins at Chennai - Chennai to Chidambaram
- Leave Chennai around 6 AM; about 145 km, 3.5 hours
- Two hours at the Thillai Nataraja Temple, the space-element Pancha Bhoota shrine of the dancing Shiva, a Chola landmark; open 6 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:45 to 9 PM
- Drive 27 km to Vaitheeswaran Koil, Shiva as the divine healer, a Mars Navagraha shrine on the Cauvery's north bank
- Meals, check-in and leisure
- Night in Chidambaram
2Day 2 - Kumbakonam temple town to Thanjavur
- 8 AM start; Chidambaram to Kumbakonam is about 45 km, then 34 km on to Thanjavur
- Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, the town's chief Shiva shrine, the 26th Paadal Petra Sthalam
- Ramaswamy Temple, a 16th century Rama shrine tied to the 12-yearly Mahamaham festival
- Sarangapani Temple, sixth of the 108 Divya Desams and a Pancha Ranga Kshetra of the Kaveri
- Mahamaham Tank, a 6.2 acre stepped tank ringed by 16 mandapams with 21 wells
- Darasuram Airavatheswar Temple 8 km away, a UNESCO Great Living Chola Temple
- Dhenupureeswarar Temple at Patteeswaram, a 9th to 11th century Chola build
- Night in Thanjavur
3Day 3 - A full day in Thanjavur
- Relaxed 8 AM start, all sights local
- Two hours at Brihadeeswarar Temple, the Big Temple, UNESCO listed and among India's largest
- Thanjavur Palace, the Maratha seat from 1674 to 1855 begun by the Nayaks around 1550
- The Art Gallery inside the palace, dense with Chola bronzes of the 9th to 13th centuries
- Drive 13 km to Thiruvaiyaru, town of five rivers and of saint Thyagaraja, host of the January music festival
- Night in Thanjavur
4Day 4 - South to Madurai
- Depart 8 AM; about 130 km, 3 hours to Madurai
- Two to three hours at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, where Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism meet under one roof; a New Seven Wonders shortlist entry
- Thirumalai Nayak Mahal, the 1636 Indo-Saracenic palace by an Italian architect, light show at 6:45 and 8:15 PM
- Koodal Alagar Temple, the older-than-Meenakshi Vishnu shrine with three postures of the deity
- Night in Madurai
5Day 5 - Land's end at Kanyakumari
- 8 AM departure; about 250 km, 5.5 hours south
- Boat across to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial of 1970, where the monk meditated; open 8 AM to 4 PM
- The 133 foot Thiruvalluvar Statue beside it honouring the Tamil poet-saint; ferry ticket about Rs 20
- Kumariamman (Bhagavathi) Temple, a Shakti Peetha of the virgin goddess; open 4:30 AM to 12:15 PM and 4 to 8:15 PM
- Gandhi Memorial of 1956, built so the October 2 midday sun strikes the spot where the ashes rested; free entry
- Night in Kanyakumari
6Day 6 - Coast road to Rameswaram
- Leave 8 AM; roughly 4 to 5 hours to Rameswaram island
- Sacred bath at Agniteertham on the Bay of Bengal, 100 m from the temple's east gate
- Ramanatha Swamy Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a Char Dham of India; open 5 AM to 1 PM and 3 to 9 PM
- Sunset run 18 km to Dhanushkodi, the town the 1964 cyclone left as a ruin, with only the Kodanda Rama shrine standing
- Night in Rameswaram
7Day 7 - Inland to Trichy and Srirangam
- 8:30 AM start; about 165 km, 4 hours to Trichy
- Climb the Rock Fort on its ancient outcrop for the Ucchi Pillayar and Thayumanavar temples
- Two to three hours at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, the foremost Divya Desam and the largest active temple complex in the world
- Jambukeshwar Temple at Thiruvanaikoil next door, the water-element Pancha Bhoota shrine with its underground spring
- Night in Trichy
8Day 8 - Long haul to Mahabalipuram shore
- 8:30 AM start; about 210 km, 5 hours to the coast
- Shore Temple, the 7th century Pallava sea-front shrine, among India's most photographed monuments, UNESCO listed
- Sculpture Museum with over 3000 pieces in wood, metal and stone
- Arjuna's Penance, the 96 by 43 foot open-air bas relief also read as the Descent of the Ganga
- The 14 rock-cut mandapams including Krishna, Mahishasuramardhini and Varaha caves
- Ganesha Ratha and the gravity-defying Krishna's Butter Ball boulder
- Pancha Rathas, five monolith chariots named for the Pandavas and Draupadi
- Evening stroll on Mahabalipuram Beach by the Shore Temple
- Night in Mahabalipuram
9Day 9 - Trip ends at Chennai - Kanchipuram temples, return to Chennai
- 8 AM start; 45 km to Kanchipuram, then 50 km home
- Kamakshi Amman Temple, Shakti Peetha and seat of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
- Sri Ekambarnathar Temple, the earth-element Pancha Bhoota shrine of Shiva
- Kailasanathar Temple, the Pallava build of 685 to 705 AD that set the template for southern temples
- Varadarajaswami Temple, fourth Divya Desam and a Perumal Koil of Ramanuja's tradition
- Vaikunta Perumal Temple, a Divya Desam rivalling Kailasanathar in finish
- Reach Chennai around 6 to 7 PM; tour ends
About this plan
Every great shrine from the Cholas to land’s end, one sweep. Fully private · after you enquire, a planner fine-tunes stays, pace and extras around you.
Private cab & driverHandpicked staysYour dates, your pace24×7 WhatsApp desk
What's in, what's not
No fine print later - the quote you get matches this list exactly.
Included in 9D / 8N
- Hotel in the chosen category
- Breakfast during the stay unless a hotel notes otherwise
- Private cab per the full itinerary
- Parking, tolls and driver allowance
- Inter-state entry tax
- Pickup and drop within Chennai city limits
- GST
Not included
- Airfare
- Lunch, dinner, snacks and beverages
- Entry fees and local guide charges
- Activity and adventure fees
- Early check-in or late check-out
- Compulsory festive gala dinners
Sightseeing on this plan
01Nataraja Temple02Brihadeeswara Temple03Meenakshi Temple04Kanyakumari Sunrise05Ramanathaswamy TempleShore Temple
