Bangalore

1500: Meeting point at the Taj West End at 15.00 hrs

1600: Nature Walk in the heritage Gardens of the Taj

1700: Hi-Tea

1730: Presentation and Orientation on The Golden Chariot tour followed by cultural performance

1845: Visit the ISKCON Temple (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness)

2015: Evening check in at the Bangalore Railway Station on your train "The Golden Chariot – Splendor of The South”, your comfortable home for the next week.

  Depart to Chennai

Towards the evening check In at the Bangalore Railway Station on your hotel train "The Golden Chariot – Splendor of The South“ you comfortable home for the next week.

Explore Chennai and Mamallapuram

0730: Arrive at Chennai central railway station.

0800: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot

1000: Departure to Mamallapuram

1130: Arrive at Mamallapuram

Sight Seeing – Krishna’s Butter Ball, Arjuna’s Penance, Ganesha Temple and Caves and Five Rathas Temple

1330: Lunch at Radisson Blu Temple Bay Hotel.

1630: Post Hi-Tea, Sight Seeing

Sight Seeing – Shore Shiva Temple

1730: Departure to Puducherry

Mamallapuram: World famous for its shore temple, Mamallapuram was the second capital and sea port of the Pallava Kings of Kanchipuram, the first Tamil dynasty after the fall of the Gupta Empire. The whole of Mamallapuram is a fabulous open-air museum of sculptures in living rock, Monolithic shrines scooped out caverns magnificently sculpted within and the world’s biggest Bas relief in rock, are truly wondrous examples of the sculptor’s art. The famous temples of the Rathas, the Penance of Bhagirath, the Shore Temple and the eight Mandapams. (Shallow, rock cut halls) are also located at the beach.

Puducherry

0630: Arrive Pondicherry.

0800: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot

1000: Departure to Auroville Ashram

Sight Seeing – Screening on Auroville Ashram, tour of Auroville Asharam, Matra Mandir and shopping in the Ashram

1330: Lunch at The Sarovar Promenade Hotel

1500: Back on board The Golden Chariot

1700: Visit the Aurobindo Ashram and Ganesha Temple

1700: Back on board The Golden Chariot

Dinner on Board

Pondicherry: In the Northern Tamil Nadu region, quite a contrast to the temple heritage, is located Pondicherry. Formerly a French colony settled early in the 18th century, Pondicherry became part of the Indian Union in the early 50’s when the French voluntarily relinquished control. French is still widely spoken, and seaside villas and cobbled streets are more reminiscent of the South of France than the South of India!

Tanjavur - Trichy

0730: Arrive at Tanjavur railway station.

0800: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot

1000: Visit the famous Brihadeshwara Temple (UNESCO World Heritage site)

Shopping at the emporium

1400: Lunch at Ideal River View Resort

1600: Departure to Trichy

1800: Visit the famous Sri Rangam Temple in Trichy

1930: Back on board The Golden Chariot in Trichy

Dinner on board The Golden Chariot

Tanjore (Thanjavur) - Proceed for a sightseeing tour of Tanjore where you will visit temples built during the 10th and 14th centuries. These later became a part of the Vijaynagar Kingdom, which subsequently passed into the hands of the Marathas and went to the British. The most famous landmark is the Brihadeshwara temple, which is now a world heritage site.

Trichy (Tiruchirapalli) - Situated on the banks of the River Kaveri, just 320 kms from Chennai, Trichy was a Chola Citadel during the Sangam Age when the Pandyas and Pallavas held sway over this region for short periods. The Nayaks of Madurai built the town and the historic Rock Fort, which played a vital role in the Carnatic wars in the 18th century. The most famous landmark is ‘The Rock Fort Temple’, a spectacular monument perched on a rock outcrop which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. At the first level are the remnants of a huge hall blasted into ruins in 1772. The next storey is the Mathrubhuteshwar Shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Finally at the top of the hill, is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil – A Lord Ganesh Temple, offering a commanding view of the city.

Madurai

0800: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot.

1000: Visit the famous Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple

1130: Visit the 1000 pillar temple and the museum

1300: Back on board The Golden Chariot

Lunch on board The Golden Chariot

1500: Visit the Gandhi Museum (Rani Mangammal Palace)

1600: Return back to The Golden Chariot

Rest and Relax on board The Golden Chariot

1800: Visit the Thirumalai Nayak Palace for sound and light show

1930: Back on board The Golden Chariot

Madurai – is an animated city packed with pilgrims, vendors, business people, bullock carts and legions of under employed rickshaw pullers. It is one of the Southern India’s oldest cities and has been a center of learning and pilgrimage for cent. The primary interest of Madurai is the Meenakshi Temple, where Dravidian temple architecture may be considered to be at its best. Its Hall of a thousand Pillars is fabulous and is filled with worshippers at all hours of the day. The tour also includes a visit to the – Thirumalai Nayak Palace & Thiruparangundram temple.

Kanyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram & Kovalam

0500: Departure to Kanyakumari for Sunrise view.

0730: Back on board The Golden Chariot

Breakfast on board

0930: Depart to Padmanabhapuram Wooden Palace

1300: Return on board The Golden Chariot

Lunch on board

1530: Reach Kocchuveli station

1600: Depart to Vivanta by Taj, Kovalam

Hi-Tea by the beach, Cultural show followed by dinner at the hotel

2230: Back on board The Golden Chariot

Kanyakumari – Kanyakumari is southern most district of Tamilnadu state. It is bound by Tirunelveli district on the North and the East. The South Eastern boundary of this district is formed by the Gulf of Mannar. The district of Kanyakumari was a part of the erstwhile Travancore state. The South and Southwest boundaries are formed by Indian Ocean and The Arabian Sea. The Western and and Northwestern boundaries are formed by Kerala

Alappuzha - Kochi

0800: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot.

1000: Depart to Alleppey Jetty and board House Boat

Cruise on Punnamada Lake

1300: Reach Punnamada Lake Resort for Lunch

1430: Depart to fort Kochi

1530: Arrival in fort Kochi

Seeing – Chinese fishing Nets, Shopping in Mattancherry

Shopping in Jews Town

1800: Depart to board The Golden Chariot at Ernakulum South railway Station

1930: Departure to Bangalore

Alapphuzza – From Alappuzha enjoy the bewitching Vembanad lake on Houseboats, the largest backwater stretch in Kerala, cruising along in a traditional boat. We will take you to Kumarakom, one of the prime tourist attractions of Kerala. This small backwater village, which is a cluster of islands, has a life of its own, with a slow, serene rhythm. The sights, sounds and fragrances will simply captivate you.The soft sunlight lends the calm water a new enchantment as the palms on both shores welcome you with a gentle whisper in the wind. Your mind will assure you that this scene will remain within you, to relieve you during all your busiest hours.

Kochi – The tour of Kochi begins from “The Dutch Palace also known as Mattancherry Palace, built by Portuguese in 1555, which is famous for its murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana and the puranic legends. Adjacent to the palace is the Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays & Saturdays) built in 1568. Also visit the St. Francis Church (closed on Sundays), established by the Portuguese Franciscan friars in 1503. Vasco Da-Gama was buried in the courtyard of this European church built in India.

Bangalore

BANGALORE: Reach Yeswanthpur railway station (Bangalore), where you bid farewell to the Golden Chariot after breakfast on board.

0800: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot.

1000: Arrive at Yeshwanthpur Railway Station, Bangalore