Welcome to an exclusive and absolutely fantastic journey covering South India, touching the States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The journey begins at Bangalore and takes you to the historical Temple cities of Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur and Madurai. The beaches of Kovalam await you with their sandy shores. You will glide by boat through the palm fringed and silent canals of the Backwaters to Kochi, the lively port city on the Arabian sea. You will experience historical sights and finally return to the journey’s starting point at Bangalore.

Tour Program: “Splendor of the South” – 8 Days / 7 Nights

Day 1 – Monday – Bangalore- Chennai
Meeting point at the Leela Palace in Bangalore at 12.00.
After lunch, depart for sightseeing of the metropolitan city of Bangalore. In the evening, check in at the Bangalore Railway Station on your hotel train „The Golden Chariot“: your comfortable home for the week.
Departure for Chennai at: 22.00 p.m

Day 2 – Tuesday – Mamallapuram & Chennai
Arrival at Chennai: 06.00 a.m
Start with an excursion to Mamallapuram, an ancient coastal port south of Chennai, 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 consisting of sculptures in living rock, Monolithic shrines scooped out, caverns magnificently sculpted within and the world’s biggest Bas relief in rock, are truly wonderful 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.

Lunch at Mamallapuram. After lunch, we proceed to visit the city of Chennai.

Chennai – India’s fourth largest city – is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai was the site of the East India Company’s first settlement founded in 1639, on land given by the Raja of Chandragiri - the last representative of the Vijaynagar rulers of Hampi. The East India Company was an English trading establishment and thus was the forerunner to the British Empire, which came into political prominence towards the end of the 17th Century. Chennai is a conglomerate of over-grown villages and, being a major port, today it is also known as the gateway to the South.
Proceed for a sightseeing tour of Chennai. The tour begins from the ‘St. Mary’s Church’, built in 1678 – 80, the first English Church in Chennai. The Saint Thomas Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Church built in 1504, then re-built in neo - gothic style in 1893, is said to house the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle. Also visit the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, an ancient Shiva Temple, constructed in pure Dravidian style and The Sri Parathasarathy Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, built in 8th century during the reign of the Pallavas. Other attractions include the National Art Gallery and Museum, which house some beautiful temple friezes, the bronze gallery, archeological sections. Drive past the High Court Building, Fort St. George and the famous film studios.
Towards the evening, return to the train and dinner onboard.
Departure for Pondicherry after the dinner.

Day 3 – Wednesday – Pondicherry
Arrival at Pondicherry: 08:00 a.m
Pondicherry: Pondicherry is located in the Northern Tamil Nadu region, in contrast to it's temple heritage. 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!
Sightseeing tour of Pondicherry is followed by visiting Auroville. Conceived as a tribute to Sri Aurobindo, Auroville is an entirely new concept in education and urban living. The Aurobindo Ashram is known to the world over as the "Centre of Integral Yoga". Sri Aurobindo, Indian philosopher around 1920, founded it.
After dinner, the train continues to Tiruchirapalli at around: 22:00 p.m.

Day 4 – Thursday – Tiruchirapalli & Thanjavur
Arrival in Tiruchirapalli early in the morning.
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.
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 finally to the British. The most famous landmark is the Brihadeshwara temple , which is now a world heritage site.

Day 5 – Friday – Madurai
Arrival in Madurai: 08:00 a.m.
Madurai – an animated city packed with pilgrims, vendors, businessmen, 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 centuries.
Proceed for a sightseeing tour of Madurai – The primary interest is the Meenakshi Temple, where you can experience Dravidian temple architecture at it's finest. It's Hall, containing a thousand Pillars, is fabulous and is full of worshippers at all hours of the day. The tour also includes a visit to the – Thirumalai Nayak Palace & Thiruparangundram temple.

Day 6 – Saturday – Thiruvananthapuram
The tour begins at “The Padamanabhaswami Temple”, which was constructed in the Dravidian style by the Maharaja of Travancore in 1733. Only Hindus are allowed inside this temple. It has a 7 storey high tower with a curious pagoda – Shaped Peak. Later, visit the Napier Museum, housed in a bizarrely attractive, decaying Indo-Saracenic building dating back to 1880. The museum has a good collection of historical and contemporary bronze ornaments, temple carts, ivory carvings and life size figures of kathakali dancers in full regalia. The tour also includes a visit to the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, which houses paintings of the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools. It is renowned for its collection of art from Tibet, China and Japan, as well as from North and South India.


Day 7 – Sunday – Backwaters & Kochi
Arrival in Allepey: 09:00 a.m
From Alappuzha, enjoy the bewitching Vembanad lake, 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. The green shores throbbing with vigour and beauty will never tire 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.
On reaching Kumarakom, you enter another world of wonders. 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.
Lunch at Kumarakom is followed by a drive to 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. Other attractions include the traditional fishing hamlets and the fisher folk in their colorful costumes. The tour also includes a visit to the seaside where one can still see the nearly-a-century-old Chinese fishing nets still in use.
In the evening, traditional Kathakali dance and dinner.
Departure at 22 p.m. for Bangalore

Day 8 – Monday - Bangalore
Arrival at Bangalore in the Morning. After breakfast, departure to your next destination.

Information about the train

The train has 13 passenger cars accommodating with either king-size or twin bed cabins. The coaches are divided into 4 compartments (8.7m²) and offer a choice of king-size beds (150 X 202 cm) or twin beds (85 X 202cm). Each compartment has its own shower and lavatory. The train is air conditioned and each room has a TV, Wardrobe and writing desk.

Each coach has its own Butler who looks after the well-being of the guest. Each passenger coach sports a cozy corner to chat, play cards, read and relax. There is also a business centre with Internet, PC, printer, fax and telephone.
The meals are served in the 2 restaurant cars. The cozy bar invites people for a nightcap and a glass of fine Indian wine. The train even sports a spa, where you can enjoy a steam bath, an ayurvedic massage or a workout in the well-equipped gym.

Departure Dates:

Splendor of The South Tour Tariff:

Note: 10% Surcharge shall be levied on departures during Christmas / New Year.

Booking Policy

In case of FITs:
• 50% of ticket value at the time of confirming the booking.
• Remaining 50% of ticket value 35 days prior to departure.

In case of Group:
• 50% of ticket value at the time of confirming the booking.
• Remaining 50% of ticket value 65 days prior to departure.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellation must be advised by Fax/E-mail/Letter to The Luxury Trains. On cancellation, refund will be made. Certain amount of the ticket value will be deducted as follows.

In case of FITs
• 5% of ticket value 60 days prior to departure.
• 20% of ticket value 30-59 days prior to departure
• 50% of the ticket value if cancellation is made between 15-29 days prior to departure.
• 100% of ticket value between less than 14 days prior to departure.

In case of Group
• 10% of ticket value 60 days prior to departure.
• 25% of the ticket value if cancellation is made between 30-59 days prior to departure.
• 75% of the ticket value if cancellation is made between 15-29 days prior to departure.
• 100% of ticket value if the cancellation is made 14 days prior to departure.