After breakfast, attend a Welcome & Programme Orientation followed by another session: South India - Land & People with a tea/coffee break in between. Later visit with our guide the ancient Kapaleeshwarer Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. After lunch at a restaurant, driving past the Marina Beach, we visit Fort St George + Museum - the first British Fort in India and St Mary's Church - the first English church in Chennai. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we visit Kalakshetra Art Village founded in 1936, to revive Indian classical dance and music. Here we spend half a day attending classes on South Indian Classical Dance, and observing others. On the way back visit with our guide the Government Museum housing some rare bronzes. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast, we check-out and drive to Cholamandal Artists Village at Injambalkkam, founded in 1966 by some struggling artists and now run as a self-sufficient village for artists and musicians. Here we observe artists at work, painting and pursuing music, and visit the Art Galleries. We then continue to Dakshinchitra - a cultural center, displaying traditional arts & crafts from all 4 South Indian States viz Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala & Andhra Pradesh. Here, we see silk-weavers' houses, potters' sheds and merchants' homes. We also attend Interactive Demonstrations of pottery, basket weaving, puppet making and palm-leaf decorations. Proceed to Mahabalipuram & check in at the Resort for dinner & overnight.

After breakfast, attend a classroom session: Temple Art & Architecture. Later, visit Arjuna's Penance - a low relief carving on living rock, as well as the Pandavs' Raths - a magnificent example of rock-cut architecture. On the return, we observe stone-carvers working on Granite. After lunch, proceed to Kanchipuram to visit the Kailashnath Temple built in 700AD, and attend a Demonstration of the famous Kanchipuram Silk weaving. Return to Mahabalipuram and enjoy the evening at the beach on the Bay of Bengal. Dinner and overnight at the Resort.

After breakfast, visit the magnificent Shore Temple in its solitary splendour, also built around 700AD - a double sided temple open from land as well as to the sea. We then drive to Pondicherry, once a French colonial stronghold. We check in at the Hotel, and later take a Heritage Walk through the French Quarter. Dinner & overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast, we drive to Thanjavur and check in at our Hotel. Proceed with our guide to the Brihadeshwara Temple built c.1000AD, and the Royal Palace built in 1550AD as well as the Art Gallery. Dinner & overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast, we visit Gandhi Museum - housing some rare artifacts pertaining to Mahatma Gandhi. Later we proceed to the hill resort of Thekkady nestled in the Nilgiri Hills, and check in at our Resort. Evening free to walk the bazaar on the high street of Thekkady and imbibe local colour. Dinner and overnight at our resort.

Early morning, we take a BOAT SAFARI on Lake Periyar to view the wild life of Periyar, where we might see herds of wild elephants and bison. After breakfast at our hotel, we check out and proceed to Kumarakom, visiting en route a Spice Plantation to learn about the various spices that are grown here. At Kumarakom, we check in at our Resort on the shores of Lake Vembanad, deep in the backwaters of Kerala. Evening at leisure. If you so desire, take a sunset cruise on the lake or an Ayurvedic Oil Massage on your own. Dinner and overnight at our resort.

After breakfast, we check out and take the fabled Backwaters Cruise of Kerala for 3 hours on a motorboat chartered specially for you. On arrival at Alleppey, we board the coach and drive to Cochin, where we check in at our Hotel. After lunch, we visit with our guide, Mattancherry Palace, a Dutch gift to the Maharaja of Cochin; the Pardesi Synagogue & Fort Cochin area. In the evening attend a Kathakali Performance - the classical dance form of Kerala, including the backstage preparations e.g. application of make-up, narration of the plot etc. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast, visit with our guide St Francis Church, where the remains of Vasco Da Gama were interred for a while, and the Chinese Fishing Nets - brought to India by traders from the court of Kublai Khan. Return to the hotel to check out. Later, we visit Kerala Art & History Museum. After lunch we transfer to the airport to connect the flight to Mumbai to connect your international flight home.