Day 1 : Cochin
You are welcomed at Cochin airport by our local agency representative or your French-speaking guide. They will assist you with the transfer to the hotel we have reserved for you for the next two nights.
In the afternoon, you will visit St. Francis Church and Santa Cruz Basilica.
In the evening, you will explore the Fort Kochi neighborhood to visit the large suspended Chinese fishing nets.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 : Cochin
After breakfast, visit Mattancherry Palace.
Also known as the "Dutch Palace," this palace was built in 1555 by the Portuguese (the first Westerners to arrive in the region) as a gift for the Raja of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma. Its nickname comes from the restoration undertaken by the Dutch in 1663. Despite its Western origins, the palace is built in the Indo-Keralan style, with beautifully crafted wooden structures, magnificent painted coffered ceilings, and roofs reminiscent of Chinese pagodas.
In the afternoon, visit the Kochi Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth (closed on Fridays and Saturdays), and the Jewish Quarter.
In the evening, attend a Kathakali dance show.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 3 : Cochin / Alleppey (70 km / 2h)
After breakfast, depart for Alleppey.
Arrive and check into your houseboat.
Then, take a short cruise on the backwater canals to explore the surrounding villages.
Dinner and overnight on the houseboat.
Day 4 : Alleppey / Periyar (200 km / 4h30)
After breakfast, depart for Thekkady, a small village near the Periyar Reserve and many spice plantations.
Arrival and check-in at the hotel.
In the late afternoon, visit the spice plantations of Kumily, which include cardamom, pepper, ginger, and turmeric plants.
In the evening, attend a Kalaripayattu performance.
Kalaripayattu is a martial art derived from battlefield combat techniques of the 11th and 12th centuries. Performed by skilled and trained artists, this show highlights their combat skills with bare hands and weapons such as swords, spears, shields, and more.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 5 : Periyar / Munnar (98 kms / 3h20)
After breakfast, depart for Munnar.
Arrival and check-in at the hotel.
Later, visit the Tata Tea Museum and its magnificent tea plantations (closed on Mondays).
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 6 : Munnar
After breakfast, embark on various visits in the city of Munnar, including the Eravikulam National Park, which spans 97 km² and is a UNESCO World Heritage site within the Western Ghats mountain range.
The Rajamala Hills, also part of the Western Ghats, are famous for housing the Nilgiri Tahr, a wild goat, and offer picturesque landscapes, tea plantations, and hiking trails near Munnar.
Visit the Mattupetty Dam, a concrete gravity dam constructed in the mountains of Kerala.
Next, visit Echo Point, popular for its natural echo phenomenon, located about 200 meters above sea level, offering lush green landscapes due to tea plantations.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 7 : Munnar / Coonoor (224 km / 6h20) / Ooty (19 km / 1h30)
After breakfast, depart for Ooty, a small hill station located in the Nilgiri mountain range, via a winding road.
The journey to Coonoor Ghat is one of the most scenic in South India, offering a superb view of the plains and splendid forests of palm and other trees.
Visit the town of Coonoor, then board the Toy Train to Ooty, passing through mountains and numerous tea and coffee plantations.
Arrive and check into the hotel.
Your evening is free to fully enjoy this small hill station.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 8 : Ooty
After breakfast, visit the town of Ooty, "the queen of hill stations in the south," which has long been a refuge for British officials and tea planters in South India. Located at an altitude of 2,286 meters, the winter climate is much cooler than the plains, and the evenings can be quite chilly.
Take a pleasant walk to Snowdon Peak (2,500 m) through a varied flora (eucalyptus, conifers, Shola).
Then, return to town to discover the Botanical Garden, which contains over 650 varieties of plants, shrubs, and trees (such as orchids, ferns, and other alpine plants, all gathered amid beautiful lawns) and spans 22 hectares.
In the late afternoon, stroll through the town's bazaars where you can taste the local chocolate.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 : Ooty / Bangalore (273 km / 6h)
After breakfast, depart for Bangalore.
Arrival and check-in at the hotel.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Legislative Assembly and the city's Botanical Garden (LalBagh), which houses the largest collection of tropical plants, a public aquarium, and two lakes.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 10 : Bangalore / Mysore (145 kms / 3h)
After breakfast, depart for Mysore.
Arrive and check into the hotel, then visit the Chamundeshwari Temple and the Mysore Palace.
Rebuilt in 1912 after a devastating fire in 1897, the Maharaja's palace in Mysore is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in India. The work was directed by a British architect, Henry Irwin, and several styles were blended (notably Indo-Muslim, Oriental, and Dravidian arts).
Note : On Sunday evenings, the Mysore Palace is illuminated from 7 pm to 8 pm.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 11 : Mysore / Halebid / Belur / Hassan (150 km / 3h)
Early in the morning, visit the ancient temples of Somnathpur.
After breakfast, on the way to Hassan, visit Shravanabelagola, a major Jain pilgrimage site in Karnataka. Admire the colossal and monolithic statue of Bahubali, a saint in Jain mythology dating from the late 10th century.
Continue towards Halebid and Belur, famous for their temples, masterpieces of 12th-century Hoysala sculptors.
Arrive and check into the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 12 : Hassan / Hospet (330 km / 7h)
After breakfast, a long day of travel awaits you in Karnataka across the arid Deccan plateaus.
Arrive and check into the hotel in Hospet, located near the splendid site of Hampi, the former capital of the last Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 13 : Hospet / Hampi / Hospet
After breakfast, set out to explore the site of Hampi.
Discover the Virupaksha Temple, dedicated to the god Shiva, and the Vittala Temple with its chariot and its mandapam, a dance hall with beautifully sculpted pillars.
In the royal enclosure, you will see the Lotus Palace, the Queen's Baths, and other architectural marvels. This city, which was once larger than Rome, fascinated European and Persian travelers who visited.
Return to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 14 : Hospet / Badami (180 km / 4h)
After breakfast, depart for Badami.
On the way, visit the sites of Aihole and Pattadakal, the religious capital of the Chalukya dynasty. The temples, built between the 6th and 8th centuries, are renowned for their beauty and original purity. They feature new styles for the time, experimented with by builders and sculptors.
Arrive and check into the hotel.
In the afternoon, visit rock-cut caves overlooking the magnificent Agastya Tirtha Lake before settling into the hotel upon arrival.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 15 : Badami / Hubli (110 km / 2h) / Goa (220 km / 4/5h)
After breakfast, depart for Goa.
On the way, make a stop in Hubli to visit some ruins.
In the afternoon, you arrive in Goa, a former Portuguese enclave and historical hub of the spice trade. Upon arrival, get a glimpse of Goa, a small state with an ideal climate. Here, you will find fabulous beaches, charming people, delicious food, hilltop fortresses, small whitewashed churches, and imposing cathedrals dating from the Portuguese era.
Check into the hotel, then relax and enjoy the beach for the rest of the day.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 16 : Goa / Flight back
After breakfast, spend the morning visiting the old town and its churches.
You are then free until your departure to fully enjoy your last moments of relaxation on the fabulous beaches.
Transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule.