The Golden Chariot – Southern Splendor India Tours

Day 1: Bangalore

04.00 pm: Check-In at Taj West End
04.30 pm: Hi-Tea
05.30 pm: Presentation on The Golden Chariot tour
Taj West End: 2 and ½ hrs (Registration / Nature Walk / Hi-Tea / Presentation / Cultural Program)
06.00 pm: Cultural Show
06.30 pm: Visit the ISKCON Temple (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness)
ISKCON Temple: 1 hour (Temple visit / Krishna movie)
08.15 pm: Arrive at Yeshwanthpur Railway Station to a Traditional Indian Welcome
Dinner onboard The Golden Chariot
9.00 pm: Depart to Chennai
Dress Code: Formals / Semi Formals
Note: Comfortable foot wear to be worn, you have to remove the shoes / footwear at ISKCON temple. We would be providing you with temple socks
Cameras, both still and video not allowed inside the temple, to be deposited at the temple counter. Photography allowed outside the temple premises only.
Train Movement : The train would move from Yeshwanthpur Railway Station at 9.00pm and would reach Chennai Egmore Station by 9.00am. While we board the coach to do the sights visits the train would leave to Villupuram Station.

Day 2: Chennai - Mahabalipuram

08:00 am: Breakfast onboard The Golden Chariot
09:00 am: Arrive at Chennai Egmore Railway Station
09:30 am: De-board the train and proceed to Luxury Coach
10:30 am: Arrive at San Thome Basilica (Church visit and Museum visit)
11.00 am: Depart to Cholamandalam Artists Village
12.00 noon: Reach Cholamandalam Artists Village (Tour of the village)
01.00 pm: Start to our Luxury partner Resort for Lunch
01.30 pm: Lunch at the Luxury Resort
Drive to San Thome Church, Artists Village and to Mahabalipuram: 2 and ½ hour (Coach Drive)
02.30 pm: Drive to Mahabalipuram by Coach
03.00 pm: Reach Mahabalipuram and sight visits
(2 ½ Hrs Drive – Tour of Arjuna’s Penance / Krishna’s Butter Ball / Ganesha Temple / Five Ratha’s Temple / Shiva Shore Temple)
06:00 pm: Drive to Villupuram Railway Station by Coach
07.30 pm: Arrive at Villupuram Station / board The Golden Chariot and refresh
08:30 pm: Dinner on board the Golden Chariot
Dress Code: Formals / Semi Formals
Note: Comfortable foot wear to be worn, you have to walk long distances at the sights. No need to remove shoes / footwear at any of above sight as all of them are monuments and not live temples.
Cameras, both still and video are allowed at all the sights.
Train Movement: The train would move from Chennai Egmore Railway Station to Villupuram, the sightseeing and drive to Villupuram is done by a Luxury Coach. The train is stable at the Villupuram Railway Station.

Day 3: Pondicherry

08:00 am: Breakfast onboard The Golden Chariot
09:30 am: Board the Coach and depart to Puducherry
Drive to Auroville: 1 hour and 30 mins (Coach Drive)
10.30 am: Reach Puducherry and a tour through Auroville ashram and Matrimandir (visit from outside)
Auroville: 2 and half hours (Movie on Auroville / See the Matrimandir meditation centre from outside / shopping at the Auroville Emporium)
01:00 pm: Return back to The Golden Chariot for Lunch and rest
04:30 pm: Drive to Puducherry and a visit to the Aurobindo ashram in the French town, Shopping and /or stroll on the Promenade Beach
Puducherry: 3 hrs (visit Aurobindo Ashram / French Town / Ganesha Temple / Street Shopping / Stroll by the Promenade Beach)
07.30 pm: Reach our partner Luxury Hotel for Dinner
09:00 pm: Return back to Villupuram Station and board The Golden Chariot
Drive to Villupuram Railway Station: 45 mins (Coach Drive
10.45 pm: Depart to Tanjavur
Dress Code: Formals / Semi Formals
Note : Comfortable footwear to be worn, as you have to take off your footwear / shoes & also walk distances at the sights. We provide temple socks.
We recommend wearing hats or caps & sun screen lotion to stay protected from the sun.
We recommend wearing light clothing as the weather here would be sticky & sultry.
We advise to avoid street hawkers while shopping as they are not genuine & are deceiving.
Train Movement: The train would be stable at the Villupuram Railway Station and depart at 10.45pm to reach Tanjavur at 7.30am on Day 4.

Day 4: Tanjavur - Trichy

07:30 am: Arrive at Tanjavur Railway Station
07:30 am: Breakfast onboard The Golden Chariot
10.00 am: Visit to Brihadeeswarar Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Brihadeeswarar temple: 1 and ½ hours (Visit the Brihadeeswarar temple most popular for its 1000 Shiva Lingas)
11.30 am: Visit to Tanjavur Maratha Palace or Serfoji Maratha Palace
Tanjavur Maratha Palace: 30 minutes (Visit the Palace which also includes climbing four floors of about 20 wooden steps in each floor)
12 noon: Shopping at CIE Saga
02.00 pm: Lunch at off board Resort
04.00 pm: Drive to Trichy by Luxury Coach
Drive to Trichy: 1 and ½ hour (Coach Drive)
06.00 pm: Visit Sri Rangam temple – India’s largest temple complex dedicated to Lord Vishnu
Sri Rangam temple: 1 hour (Visit the temple premises & sanctum sanctorum, but please note as this is a living & worshipping temple, non-Hindus are not permitted in the sanctum sanctorum)
07.30 pm: Board The Golden Chariot and refresh
08:00 pm: Dinner onboard The Golden Chariot
12.15 am: Depart to Madurai
Dress Code: Semi Formals / Casuals
Note : Comfortable footwear to be worn, as you would have to take off your footwear at Brihadeeswarar temple and at Sri Rangam temple. We provide you with temple socks.
We recommend wearing hats or caps & sun screen lotion to stay protected from the sun.
Kindly avoid wearing shorts & sleeveless tops as you would be visiting temples
Train Movement: The train would move to the Trichy Railway Station and we go to the sights visit in a Luxury Coach, the train is stable at the Trichy Railway Station and would depart a little past midnight at 12.30am to reach Madurai at 5.15am on Day 5.

Day 5: Madurai

05.15am: Arrive at Madurai Railway Station
08:00 am: Breakfast onboard The Golden Chariot
10:00 am: Visit to the famous Meenakshi Temple.
Meenakshi Temple: 2 hrs (Visit the temple premises & sanctum sanctorum, but please note as this is a living & worshipping temple non-Hindus are not permitted in the sanctum sanctorum)
01:00 pm: Lunch onboard The Golden Chariot and brief rest
05:00 pm: Visit Gandhi Museum (Rani Mangammal Palace)
Mahatma Gandhi Museum: 45 minutes (Life history of Mahatma Gandhi)
06:00 pm: Visit the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal for Sound & Light show
Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal: 1 hour (Sound & Light show about the Nayakar Dynasty)
07:30 pm: Dinner onboard The Golden Chariot
11:15 pm: Depart to Kanya Kumari
Dress Code: Semi Formals / Casuals
Note : Comfortable footwear to be worn, as you would have to take off your footwear at the Meenakshi temple. Please note temple socks are also not permitted here.
We recommend wearing hats or caps & sun screen lotion to stay protected from the sun.
Kindly avoid wearing shorts & sleeveless tops as you would be visiting the living temples
Absolute silence to be maintained in the Mahatma Gandhi museum.
Please note that the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal is infested with mosquitoes. We provide the required repellents.
Cameras are allowed inside though photography inside the sanctum sanctorum is not permitted.
As Madurai Meenakshi temple is a living and worshipping temple, non-Hindus are not permitted inside the sanctum sanctorum.
Train Movement: The train is stable at Madurai Railway Station and we visit the sights in a Luxury Coach, the train would depart from Madurai at 11.15pm to reach Kanya Kumari at 4.30am on Day 6.

Day 6: Kanyakumari - Kovalam

04.30 am: Arrive at Kanya Kumari Railway Station
05:30 am: Depart to Kanya Kumari by Coach, Sunrise view
Kanya kumari: 1 hour (View the Sunrise – Subject to clear weather)
07.30 am: Return back to The Golden Chariot and Breakfast on board
09:30 am: Visit the famous Padmanabhapuram Wooden Palace
Drive to Padmanabhapuram Wooden Palace: 1 hr (Coach Drive)
Padmanabhapuram Wooden Palace: 1 and ½ hours (Visit the Palace)
01.00 pm: Return back to The Golden Chariot and Lunch on board
02:00 pm: Depart to Kocchuveli
04:00 pm: Arrive at Kocchuveli Railway Station
04:30 pm: Drive to our partner Resort by coach and once reached stroll on Kovalam beach with hi tea.
07:30 pm: Musical / Dance performance followed by Dinner at the Resort, Kovalam.
Kovalam: 5 hrs (Hi-tea by the beach / Cultural show / Dinner)
10.30 pm: Back on board The Golden Chariot and overnight in the train
Dress Code: Casuals / Beach Wear
Note : Comfortable footwear to be worn, as you have to take off your footwear at Padmanabhapuram Palace. We would provide you with temple socks.
We recommend wearing hats or caps & sun screen lotion to stay protected from the sun.
Train Movement The train would reach Kanya Kumari Station and is stationed till the sights visits are done. Departure from Kanya Kumari Station at 2.00pm on current day and reach Kocchuveli Railway Station at 4.00pm current day, the train would be stable at Kocchuveli Railway Station till 4.30am of Day 7, departs to Alleppey from Kocchuveli on Day 7 at 4.30am.

Day 7: Alleppey - Cochin

04:30 am: Depart to Alleppey
08:00 am: Breakfast onboard The Golden Chariot
08:30 am: Arrive at Alleppey Railway Station
10:00 am: Depart for a Luxury Houseboat Cruise on the backwaters
10.30am: Arrive at the Jetty to board the Luxury House Boat
ON BOARD THE LUXURY HOUSE BOAT:
Welcome Drink, Tea/Coffee with Snacks, Viewing the Kerala Rice Boat or The Snake Boat that is 110 feet long, Visit to the 400 year old Church and the Chavara Bhavan – The Chavara Bhavan is an old wooden house where the blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born. Sumptuous lunch served on board Luxury House Boat.
Houseboat Cruise: 5 hrs (Cruise in a Luxury Houseboat, with sights visits and lunch on the house boat)
02:30 pm: Disembark the House Boat and depart to Kochi by road
Drive to Kochi Railway Station: 1 and ½ hours (Coach Drive)
03:45 pm: Visit to the Chinese Fishing Nets and a walk around the Jew Town and the market.
06.30 pm: Back onboard The Golden Chariot
07:30 pm: Depart to Bangalore, overnight on the train
08:00 pm: Dinner onboard The Golden Chariot
Dress Code: Casuals / Beach Wear
Note: Beach wear with a combination of floral or fancy shirts recommended here to blend into the spirit of Kovalam Beach
We recommend wearing hats or caps & sun screen lotion to stay protected from the sun.
Train Movement: The train would be moved to Kochi Railway Station from Alleppey and the sightseeing is done in the Luxury Coach / Houseboat. The train is stable at Kochi Railway Station from where we board the train to reach the final destination, Yeshwanthpur at 7am on Day 8.

Day 8: Bangalore

08:00 am: Breakfast on board The Golden Chariot
11:00 am: Reach Yeshwanthpur Railway Station, Bangalore
Farewell by the entire crew.