South India,
ten days, two states.

Ten days is the minimum honest itinerary for a first visit to South India. Less, and you are choosing between Hampi and Brihadeeswara; more, and you can add Kerala. Ten is the right floor for two states and the four serious heritage clusters — Mysore, Hampi, the Chola circuit and the Pallava coast.

This is the version we book most often for international travellers with one trip to give the south. It starts in Bangalore, ends in Chennai, runs at a deliberate pace, and stays in heritage properties at every overnight. Private car, scholar guide for the four Chola days, local guides everywhere else.

The ten-day shape.

Karnataka — days 1 to 4.

Day 1 · Bangalore arrival. Quiet first night at the Taj West End or the Oberoi. Brief evening walk through Cubbon Park.

Day 2 · Mysore. Drive 145 km south-west. Afternoon at Mysore Palace — Indo-Saracenic, opulent, busiest on Sunday evenings when it is lit. Overnight at the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel.

Day 3 · Mysore to Hampi. Fly Mysore to Hubli (short hop), drive 145 km to Hampi. Check-in at the Evolve Back Hampi or the Hyatt Place. Evening light at the Virupaksha Temple.

Day 4 · Hampi. A full day at the Vijayanagara ruins — the Vittala temple with its stone chariot, the Hazara Rama, the Lotus Mahal, the elephant stables. Hampi is eight square kilometres and a single day is the bare minimum.

Tamil Nadu — days 5 to 10.

Day 5 · Hampi to Thanjavur. Fly Hubli to Trichy. Drive to Thanjavur. Heritage check-in at Svatma. Brief evening walk to Brihadeeswara — first view at golden hour.

Day 6 · Brihadeeswara. Dawn at the temple. Three hours with the scholar. Maratha palace and Saraswathi Mahal in the afternoon. Bronze gallery before dinner.

Day 7 · Gangaikonda + Darasuram. The two-temple Chola day. Drive north to Gangaikonda Cholapuram in the morning, Airavatesvara at Darasuram after lunch. Overnight in Kumbakonam at Mantra Veppathur.

Day 8 · Chidambaram + Pondicherry. Drive north via the Nataraja temple at Chidambaram — one hour at the dancing Shiva. Continue to Pondicherry, overnight at La Villa or the Promenade.

Day 9 · Mahabalipuram. Drive north on the East Coast Road. Lunch at Mahabalipuram. Three hours at the Pallava monuments — the Shore Temple, the Five Rathas, the Descent of the Ganges relief. Continue to Chennai.

Day 10 · Chennai. Half-day in Chennai — Kapaleeshwarar, the Government Museum, the bronze gallery. Evening flight home.

How you move.

One private car with driver from Bangalore to Chennai, two short internal flights (Mysore–Hubli, Hubli–Trichy), and a final international transfer from Chennai. The car stays with you for nine days — the driver is the same throughout, which matters more than most travellers expect. We use Innovas as standard; small group SUVs on request.

Scholar guide option.

Local guides at each site come as standard. The scholar upgrade — one Chola-history specialist travelling with you for the four Tamil Nadu temple days — adds depth and a useful through-line. The same scholar guides the British Museum's South India tours and is excellent at pacing for Western audiences. Worth the upgrade for repeat visitors.

Where you sleep.

• Bangalore — Taj West End or Oberoi. From ₹14,000.
• Mysore — Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel (the maharaja's guest palace). From ₹12,800.
• Hampi — Evolve Back Hampi or Hyatt Place. From ₹16,000.
• Thanjavur — Svatma Heritage. From ₹14,000.
• Kumbakonam — Mantra Veppathur. From ₹7,200.
• Pondicherry — La Villa or the Promenade. From ₹11,400.
• Chennai — ITC Grand Chola or Taj Coromandel. From ₹13,600.

Common questions

Can I do this without the Karnataka half? Yes — see our six-day Tamil Nadu tour.

What if I want Kerala instead of Hampi? A two-week itinerary can include both. Contact us for the longer version.

Are non-Hindus allowed in the sanctums? At every temple on the itinerary except Srirangam (not on the standard route) and parts of Rameshwaram (optional add-on), yes.