RACV Logo
Holidays
Things to do
Getting around
Holiday planning
Conference & events
Members save more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide
Unlock savings
Unlock member discounts
Unlock exclusive discounts and inclusions
Members only pricing
Bonus hand-picked inclusions
Find my member number
Continue as guest
Your member number is located on your membership card, membership renewal notice, club account statement or payment advice.

Southern India

package saved
click to save
Operated by Intrepid Travel
Tripcode: HHSS
Overview
Destination:
India, 
Duration:15 days
Type:Group tour (max 12)
Style:
Adventure,
Explorer,
Rail,
Travel Period
September 2026 - December 2028
Explore southern India on this 15-day adventure through lush lands and small villages. Beneath the green shade of a coastal paradise, you’ll meet with locals in their fishing villages and join them in bazaars, on buses and boats and for a home-cooked meal with a host family in Kerala. Watch the landscape transform from coast and tea country to the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats. Visit cultural sites like the Maharaja's Palace in Mysore, witness a traditional performance of Kathakali in Kochi and explore French-influenced Puducherry and the vast landscape of Periyar. Southern India's spirituality, national parks and the warm people make it a fascinating and enriching place to explore.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement exclude Day 7 (Sleeper Train) and Day 13 (Homestay) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. Please provide your full name exactly as it appears on your passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport. Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases, you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
3. The government of India has prohibited the use of mobile/cell phones in the core zones of select National Parks. This strict guideline is aimed at minimising disturbance with wildlife. Under the new regulations, visitors are not allowed to carry mobile phones while on safari. Photography will continue to be permitted using cameras only. Please see the Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.

Highlights:
  • 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement exclude Day 7 (Sleeper Train) and Day 13 (Homestay) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 2. Please provide your full name exactly as it appears on your passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport. Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases, you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket. 3. The government of India has prohibited the use of mobile/cell phones in the core zones of select National Parks. This strict guideline is aimed at minimising disturbance with wildlife. Under the new regulations, visitors are not allowed to carry mobile phones while on safari. Photography will continue to be permitted using cameras only. Please see the Packing section of the Essential Trip Information for more details.
Standard inclusions
  • Meals: Meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners.
  • Transport: Auto rickshaw, Boat, Bus, Cycle rickshaw, Overnight sleeper train, Private vehicle.
  • Accommodation: Homestay (1 night), Hotel (12 nights), Overnight sleeper train (1 night).
  • Kochi - Leader-led Fort Kochi walking tour.
  • Kochi - Dutch Palace.
  • Kochi - Kathakali performance.
  • Ooty - Nilgiri Mountain Railway & Tea Plantation visit.
  • Bandipur - National Park Safari.
  • Mysore - Home cooked lunch & family visit.
  • Mysore - Maharaja's Palace.
  • Mysore - Leader-led walking tour.
  • Mysore - Keshava Temple.
  • Mysore - Chamundi Hill & Temple.
  • Mamallapuram - Shore Temples guided tour.
  • Puducherry - Leader-led French Quarter walking tour.
  • Madurai - Sri Meenakshi Temple.
  • Periyar - Spice plantation visit.
  • Periyar - Home cooked meal.
  • Periyar - National Park.
  • Periyar - Guided nature walk.
  • Kerala Backwaters - Pole boat ride.
  • Kerala Backwaters - Village walk.
Already with RACV?
Tell us your Member details to unlock discounts.
Unlock
Learn more about membership
Itinerary
Expand all Collapse all
Day 1: Kochi
Namaste! Welcome to India. Your adventure begins in Kochi with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, there’s plenty to see and do. You might like to wander down to the shore and seek out the huge Chinese fishing nets dotted along the coast of Fort Kochi or head to Princess Street and kick back with a cup of coffee. Tonight, maybe head to dinner to get to know your group and try some delicious local dishes like kappa biryani (made with tapioca, roasted coconut and meat or veggies) or appam (thin pancakes typically served with stew).
Day 2: Kochi
This morning, get to know Kochi on a leader-led orientation walk and city tour. Take a tuk-tuk to Mattancherry and drop by the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century before it was renovated and presented to the Rajas of Cochin by the Dutch. Next, wander around the spice bazaars and antique stores of Fort Kochi. You can also opt to visit the Paradesi Synagogue – the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth and home to many rare antiques. In the evening, you’ll watch a traditional performance of Kathakali – this Keralan dance is an ornately costumed display of storytelling, requiring complete control of the body.
Day 3: Conoor
Buckle up, because most of today will be spent travelling. Catch a train to Coimbatore, then travel by private vehicle to Coonoor – known for its tea estates in the surrounding Nilgiri Hills. Watch the lush scenery pass you by, get stuck into a good book or play road trip games with your fellow travellers. When you arrive in Coonoor, join your group for dinner at your accommodation.
Day 4: Conoor
Spend the morning on an orientation walk in Coonoor and visit a tea plantation to learn about the history of tea production. Later, board Ooty’s famous toy train for a ride along the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Be sure to get a window seat for great views over the open countryside. Spend the rest of the day exploring Ooty’s Botanical Gardens, which are home to more than 650 species of plants and trees. There’s also the option to go for a boat ride on the lake.
Day 5: Bandipur National Park
Make the short drive to hilltop town of Bandipur today. Here, you’ll visit Mudumalai National Park – set against the backdrop of the Nilgiri Hills, this park was once the Mysore Maharaja's private hunting ground. In 1974, it was protected under Project Tiger and it’s now one of the best sanctuaries in India to observe wildlife in close proximity. Embark on a short safari in search of tigers, leopards, elephants, sloth bears, sambars and spotted deer. There's also a variety of birdlife to spot – you might even see the critically endangered white-rumped vulture or long-billed vulture.
Day 6: Mysore
Travel by private vehicle across the scenic Karnataka plains to Mysore – an easy-going town with a pleasant climate, perfect for exploring on foot. When you arrive, you’ll head to local family’s home for a home-cooked lunch of traditional favourites. Get to know the family, who will show you how they make incense – one of the traditional crafts from Mysore. Once you see how it’s made, maybe even have a go yourself! Then, head out on an orientation walk around the town to get your bearings. No visit to Mysore is complete without a look around Mysore Palace – one of the most ornate palaces in India, its interior is full of colour, mosaics and mirrors.
Day 7: Mysore
This morning, you’ll climb Chamundi Hill to the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. After, continue to the Keshava Temple in the small town of Somanathapura – an excellent example of Hoysala architecture. You’ll also have some time to visit Tipu Sultan’s mausoleum in Srirangapatna. You can also opt to return to Mysore for a palm reading or catch a film at the local cinema. Tonight, board an overnight sleeper train to Chennai.
Day 8: Mamallapuram
Arrive in Chennai and take a private vehicle along the scenic East Coast Road to Mamallapuram. Explore this ancient seaport town by tuk-tuk, paying a visit to the 7th-century Shore Temple and the enormous bas-relief rock carving known as Arjuna's Penance. You’ll also have time to check out the town’s numerous mandapams (pillared temple pavilions), watch local stonemasons at work or simply kick back and relax at a beachside restaurant.
Day 9: Pondicherry
Travel by private vehicle today through palm trees and rice paddies to Puducherry (Pondicherry). When you arrive, head out with your group and leader on a walking tour to see local temples, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the French Quarter. Once a French colony, you’ll see the evidence of French influence in Puducherry's architecture, its wide town squares and even in the police uniforms!
Day 10: Madurai
Drive to the temple city of Madurai today. Madurai’s Tamil roots stretch back 2500 years, making it one of the oldest cities in India. Wander the lamp-lit labyrinth of the Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and the goddess Meenakshi.
Day 11: Periyar
This morning, travel by private vehicle along a winding road to Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. High in the ranges of the Western Ghats, the park is set among stunning scenery and is the most popular wildlife sanctuary in southern India. For the next two days, you’ll get to explore the national park on foot and see firsthand why this spot is so renowned. Go on a tour of a local spice plantation, then join your local family hosts for a meal where you’ll try some of the authentic home-cooked flavours of southern India.
Day 12: Periyar
Venture back into Periyar National Park today for a nature walk led by local guides who have lived in the area for generations and are very knowledgeable about the area’s flora and fauna. Encounters with animals in the wild are never guaranteed, and this is more of a jungle walk to see the beautiful natural scenery than an animal spotting tour, but do look out for tiger tracks, spotted deer, Indian elephants or gaur – the world's largest species of buffalo. In the afternoon, unwind with an optional ayurvedic massage at your accommodation or just relax and soak up your surroundings with a drink in hand.
Day 13: Kerala Backwaters Homestay
Today, drive through tea, rubber and coffee plantations on the way to the backwaters of Kerala. When you arrive, you’ll board a motorboat to cross to the island village where you’ll stay with a local family tonight. In the late afternoon, explore the island with your homestay host. This is a great chance to meet locals and learn more about their unique way of life. Take a leisurely punt boat ride around the waterways and take in the scenery. Tonight, share stories over a traditional home-cooked Keralan meal with your host family.
Day 14: Kochi
Rise early this morning before crossing the backwaters by private boat, headed to Alleppey. From here, you’ll take a bus back to Kochi. The rest of the day is free for you to choose your own adventure. You might like to stroll down Princess Street for a spot of shopping or book yourself into a southern Indian cooking class – your group leader will have more great recommendations, so be sure to ask them to help you plan your day. Tonight, why not gather with your group for a night out at a local restaurant and maybe try some pazham pori (fried banana or plantain fritters).
Day 15: Kochi
With no activities planned for today, your adventure comes to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay in Kochi, just reach out to your booking agent ahead of time.
Dates

Select a date or submit general enquiry

Enquire now

Travellers

Operator
Intrepid Travel

Intrepid is a small group tour travel company with humble beginnings that now sends over 100,000 travellers a year on grassroots and responsible travel tours.

Important Information
expand all
*Terms and conditions
Please note: We are proud to be an independent agent to travel providers of hotels, flights and other related services. We are not a tour operator. Details and information on the offer are provided by 3rd party businesses and although we do our best to verify the information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy on all occasions. These offers are not available in conjunction with any other offer unless otherwise stated. Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice. For more information, please see Terms of Use
Book now
Need help?
Price from
$1,855 $1,763 *
Member price from
$1,763*
per person twin share
14 nights
Check departures
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Get in touch with our friendly Travel Consultants.
Enquire now
Call 1800 850 888
Speak to one of our friendly consultants, available during business hours.
Mon to Fri · 9am - 5pm AEST
Speak to an expert in-store
Prefer to plan in person? Make an appointment at our Travel Store to speak with one of our experts
Make appointment
You might also like
2e287ee2a450791caa9a18a079b4fd46
1178
Tour