Southern India

Arrive in Kochi, formerly known as Cochin. Transfer to our hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure to relax and rest from travel.

Observe the ingenious cantilevered Chinese fishing nets that grace the shore near Fort Kochi on our way to St. Francis Church, one of India’s oldest European-built churches and the original burial place of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Admire the murals that line the walls of the 16th-century Mattancherry Palace, commonly known as the Dutch Palace. After lunch, explore Kochi’s old Jewish quarter with its spice stalls and curio shops, stopping at the 16th-century Paradesi Synagogue, whose interior is graced with Belgian glass chandeliers and a hand-painted Chinese porcelain-tiled floor. This evening, we attend a private performance of Kerala Nadanam, a popular dance/art form that merges music, classical Kathakali dance moves, and stylized acting.

After breakfast, drive to the coastal town of Alappuzha for a leisurely cruise through the Kerala backwaters, a maze of canals and lagoons known as the Venice of the East. Observe locals going about their daily lives—saree-clad women bringing laundry to the water’s edge, uniformed schoolchildren walking to and from classes, and dhoti-wearing farmers tending their fields. Enjoy lunch onboard, returning to Kochi in the late afternoon.

Enjoy a morning at leisure, then transfer to the airport for our flight to Mysore. From 1399 until India’s independence in 1947, Mysore was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, which built numerous palaces throughout the city.  Drive along handsome, tree-lined boulevards past grand buildings and lush gardens en route to our hotel.

Tour Amba Vilas, designed by British architect Henry Irwin as the home of the Wodeyar royal family in 1912 and now known as the Mysore Palace. Explore its rooms, filled with historical paintings and exquisitely carved wood-and-silver trimmed stained glass mirrors. Continue to the private home of a local Brahmin family for a delicious lunch served on banana leaves and accompanied by Carnatic singing, one of Southern India’s classical music forms. After lunch, stroll past fruit, spice, and flower stalls at the city’s colorful Devaraja Market.

This morning, embark on a boat tour of Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. Designed by the Indian government as a preserve in 1940, this vast area on the banks of the Kaveri River is a haven for migrating birds and other wildlife. Many species of birds, including white ibis and painted storks, as well as animals such as marsh crocodiles, otters, and flying foxes inhabit the islets and river areas of the preserve. Following lunch at a local restaurant, drive to the airport and fly to Chennai, formerly known as Madras.

Drive along the Bay of Bengal to Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), an important port in ancient times and the site of an impressive collection of rock-hewn sanctuaries dating from the 7th and 8th centuries. After lunch, continue to the Kapaleeshwarar Temple with its Dravidian architecture. Return to Chennai to learn about its colonial history with a visit to the San Thome Cathedral. Built in the 16th century by Portuguese voyagers, this Roman Catholic cathedral is said to stand over the tomb of St. Thomas the apostle.

Fly to the city of Tiruchirappalli (colloquially known as Trichy), from where we drive to Thanjavur, capital of the Chola Empire. Visit Brihadisvara Temple, one of India’s largest temples and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built by the Chola king Rajaraja I at the beginning of the 11th century, the temple stands amid fortified walls that were later added in the 16th century. Its central tower stands over 200 feet high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world.

Admire Thanjavur’s small but impressive Rajaraja Chola Museum, home to some of the world’s finest Chola bronzes, then learn how these sculptures are traditionally made with a stop at a bronze factory. Also visit the Saraswathi Mahal Library, containing rare manuscripts made of palm leaves. Continue to Madurai, passing through the “land of the Chettiars” and learning about this merchant caste’s trading throughout the region and into Southeast Asia. Stop en route in the village of Kadiyapatti to admire the famous carved wooden doors of the local Raja’s home and in Pudukkottai to view the vibrantly painted clay horses and riders of the Aiyanyar grove, built in the 18th century.

Today we partake in a full-day exploration of fascinating Madurai. Take a cycle rickshaw to the Madurai Flower Market, where approximately ten tons of flowers are bought and sold each day. Next, explore the enormous temple complex of Meenakshi Amman. The temple’s soaring towers are covered in elaborate stucco figures of deities, mythical creatures, and monsters, all painted in vividly bright colors. In the afternoon, visit the grand 17th-century Thirumalai Nayak Palace.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and board our flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival, check in to our airport hotel, have lunch, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before tomorrow’s early start.

Early this morning, take a short flight to Aurangabad. Upon arrival, head to the Ellora Caves, a complex of 34 rock-hewn temples and monasteries that commemorate three Indian religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Filled with sculptures and frescoes that are more than 2,000 years old, the caves have been compared to the pyramids for their amazing construction and wealth of artifacts.

Today, venture to Ajanta, where 30 monasteries and temples were excavated out of a cliff overlooking the Waghora River. Ajanta was a key north-south trade route in India, and merchants and local kings donated funds to sponsor Ajanta’s artists. Today the site forms the largest body of early Indian wall painting in the country with its collection of very rare, elaborate carvings.

Fly back to Mumbai this morning and drive across the Bandra Worli Sea Link Bridge to the city center. Stop at Mani Bhavan, the building in which Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917 to 1934, then ride along Marine Drive, a two-mile promenade bordering Back Bay on one side and a row of art deco buildings on the other, to Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum. Built to commemorate King George V’s first visit to India in 1905, the museum is home to a fine collection of painting and sculpture. After lunch at a local restaurant, check in to our hotel located across from the iconic Gateway of India. Later this afternoon, tour Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple, one of Mumbai’s most popular temples, built to honor Ganesha.

Visit Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, one of the world’s largest open-air laundromats, then witness and learn about Mumbai’s world-renowned door-to-door lunch delivery system through which thousands of dabbawalas deliver homemade lunches to more than 160,000 Mumbaikers daily. Drive through Kala Ghoda, Mumbai’s art district, to admire the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture that was emblematic of British rule in the late 19th century. See Mumbai University with its famous 19th-century clock tower, the Mumbai High Court, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before gathering to celebrate our journey at a farewell reception and dinner.

After breakfast, transfer to Mumbai airport for flights home.