Arrival in Chennai, Airport Transfer, and Coast Evening

Your flight from Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, or Venice Marco Polo lands at Chennai International Airport, typically after a Gulf-hub layover of two to three hours in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha. Immigration for e-Visa holders runs at a dedicated counter and is usually quick. Our representative meets you past customs with a nameboard and escorts you to an air-conditioned SUV for the 20-kilometre transfer to your Nungambakkam or Egmore hotel. Most guests take a slow lunch, rest, and step out for a coastal evening at Marina Beach around sunset. Dinner at hotel.

Chennai City, Kapaleeswarar Temple, and Drive to Mahabalipuram

After breakfast, a licensed city guide leads a half-day tour: Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, the San Thome Basilica (of particular interest to Italian travellers because it holds the tomb of Saint Thomas), and a walk through the Government Museum’s bronze gallery. By early afternoon, drive south along the East Coast Road, a 60-kilometre coastal stretch that takes roughly 90 minutes with a stop at DakshinaChitra for a look at South Indian craft traditions. Reach Mahabalipuram by evening, check into a beach-side property, and end the day with a quiet seafood dinner.

Mahabalipuram UNESCO Circuit and Drive to Pondicherry

Morning begins at 8:30 with a guided walking tour of the Mahabalipuram monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage cluster that includes the Shore Temple, the Five Rathas, Arjuna’s Penance, and Krishna’s Butterball. The seventh-century Pallava sculpture here is what most Italian guests remember longest, in part because the granite work bears comparison with early European stone traditions. By 12:30 return to the hotel for a coastal lunch, then drive 100 kilometres south to Pondicherry, arriving by 4:30. Check-in at a French-Quarter heritage hotel, followed by a short walking loop around Rue Romain Rolland and the Promenade at sunset.

Pondicherry French Quarter, Auroville, and a Slow Day

The morning is a slow one, deliberately. After breakfast, walk the White Town grid: Rue Suffren, Rue Dumas, and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram exterior. By late morning we drive 12 kilometres to Auroville for the Matrimandir viewing and a look at the international township that Roger Anger designed. Lunch at a French-Tamil bistro back in Pondicherry, where the menu often reads as a small point of familiarity for Italian travellers. The afternoon is unstructured: some guests choose an Ayurveda massage, others sit at Le Cafe on the seafront, and honeymooners often book a private sunset walk along the Promenade.

Drive to Thanjavur via Chidambaram and Gangaikondacholapuram

This is a longer road day, roughly 190 kilometres and six hours including two temple stops. Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, the Shiva-as-cosmic-dancer temple, is a 90-minute stop after breakfast, with your guide explaining the Chola-era iconography. Lunch at a heritage property near Gangaikondacholapuram, whose eleventh-century temple sees far fewer visitors than Thanjavur and rewards the detour. Reach Thanjavur by 5:30 pm and check into a heritage hotel converted from a former royal residence. The evening is quiet, deliberately, to conserve energy for the following morning.

Brihadeeswara Temple, Palace Museum, and Drive to Madurai

The Brihadeeswara Temple, another UNESCO site, opens early, and we begin at 8:00 to see the 66-metre vimana before the tour groups arrive. Your guide walks you through the Chola bronzes and the palace museum’s Nayak-era gallery. By 11:30 depart for Madurai, a 200-kilometre drive that takes about four and a half hours with a lunch stop at a highway restaurant known for Chettinad thali. Arrival in Madurai by 5:00 pm, check-in, and a short rest before the evening temple ceremony. The Meenakshi Amman Temple night ceremony at 9:00 pm is a compulsory attendance.

Meenakshi Temple, Gandhi Museum, and Drive to Periyar

The Meenakshi Amman Temple gets a full guided morning: the fourteen gopurams, the thousand-pillar hall, and the temple tank. Italian travellers often stay longer here than the schedule allows, so we build in flexibility. A brief stop at the Gandhi Memorial Museum, which holds the blood-stained dhoti worn at his assassination, is a sober but frequently requested addition. By 1:30 pm drive 140 kilometres west into Kerala, climbing into the Western Ghats. Arrival at Thekkady near Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary by 5:30 pm, followed by a Kalaripayattu demonstration and a Kathakali performance.

Periyar Spice Plantation, Boat Ride, and Drive to Alleppey

Morning boat ride on Periyar Lake at 7:30, one of the better places in South India to spot wild elephants along the shore. Return to the hotel for breakfast. The mid-morning is a guided walk through a working cardamom, pepper, and clove plantation, an easy 90 minutes with a resident naturalist. By 12:30 pm drive 150 kilometres to Alleppey, arriving at the houseboat jetty by 5:00 pm. The private Kettuvallam houseboat, with two air-conditioned bedrooms, an onboard chef, and a crew of three, sails through the Vembanad backwaters until sunset before mooring. Kerala-style dinner onboard.

Alleppey Backwaters, Drive to Kochi, and Fort Kochi Walk

The houseboat wakes early to catch the backwater morning light, one of the quietest and most cinematic hours of the entire trip. Breakfast onboard, disembark by 9:30, and drive 60 kilometres to Kochi, arriving by 11:30. Check-in at a Fort Kochi heritage hotel, followed by a walking tour of the old Portuguese quarter: the Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church (where Vasco da Gama was originally buried), the Dutch Palace, and the Paradesi Synagogue in Jew Town. Evening features a Kathakali performance at the Kerala Kathakali Centre, with make-up sequences from 5:00 pm and the performance from 6:00 pm.

Kochi at Leisure or Ayurveda Session, and Departure

The final day is intentionally soft, structured around your Rome, Milan, or Venice departure timing. Morning options include an Ayurveda consultation and treatment at a registered clinic, a spice-market walk through Mattancherry, or a private cooking class with a Kerala home chef. For families, the Cochin Marine Drive and shopping at Lulu Mall is often the preferred choice. Airport transfer to Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery is timed three and a half hours before your flight, typically an evening or late-night Emirates, Etihad, or Qatar departure with a Gulf-hub connection back to Italy. This closes the ten-night route without a rushed final morning.