Ancient Caves Architecture Hill and Backwater (17 Days)

Ancient Caves Architecture Hill and Backwater (17 Days)

The tour will begin in Mumbai a city famous as the heart of the Bollywood film industry. Fly to Aurangabad and explore the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. Fly to Hyderabad and visit Golconda Fort that was once the Qutb Shahi dynastic capital. Fly to Vidyanagar and begin the driving tour till Cochin exploring the the architecture wonder of Hampi, Halebedu, Belur, Shravanabelagola & Mysore, the hills of Ooty & Munnar, the spice plantation of Thekkady and the the backwater of Alleppey.

Itinerary

Day 1: Mumbai

Pass By: Mumbai, Mumbai, Maharashtra
On arrival at Mumbai airport meet with our office executive assistance and transfer to hotel (hotels check in time 1200hr afternoon, early check in subject to rooms availability). Rest time free for personal activities relax.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 2: Mumbai

Stop At: Elephanta Caves, Mumbai India
Breakfast at hotel. Excursion to Elephanta Island located 10kms away from the Gateway of India. Motorboats take passengers from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island. These caves house rock cut temples dating back to the 5th century BC.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, DN Road Mumbai CST Area, Mumbai 400001 India
Later Mumbai city tour. Visit the Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (museum). Marine Drive which runs along the shoreline, starting at Nariman Point and up to Malabar Hill. Hanging Gardens laid out in 1881 these formally laid out gardens have a notable collection of hedges shaped like animals.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 3: Mumbai - Aurangabad (flight)

Stop At: Aurangabad, Aurangabad, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
Breakfast at hotel. As per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for Aurangabad.
On arrival at airport assistance and transfer to hotel.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bibi Ka Maqbara, Begumpura Gulistan-e-Jauhar KARACHI, Aurangabad 431004 India
Later city tour of Aurangabad, visit the Aurangabad Caves, which are artificial caves that were dug out of soft rock during the 6th and 7th century. Then, visit the Bibi Ka Maqbara - the burial place of Aurangzeb's first wife. Also visit a small archeological museum nearby.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Aurangabad - Ajanja - Aurangabad (104kms/ 2hrs approx one way)

Stop At: Ajanta Caves Road, Ajanta 431001 India
Breakfast at hotel.Full day excursion to Ajanta Caves (Monday closed). The Buddhist Caves of Ajanta were discovered by the British officers in 1819 while tiger hunting. Ajanta Caves were first mentioned in the writings of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang who visited India between A.D 629 and 645. The Caves at Ajanta are older than those at Ellora , which date from about 200 B.C to 650 A.D. Thirty beautiful Buddhist Caves with mesmerizing sculptures and paintings depicting Buddha's life as well the lives of the Buddha in his previous births. Five of these Caves are Chaityas (Place of worship) while the other twenty-five are Viharas (monasteries). Ajanta Caves are divided in two categories based on two schools of Buddhist thought - Hinayana Caves and Mahayana Caves.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Evening back to hotel in Aurangabad for overnight stay.



Day 5: Aurangabad - Hyderabad (flight)

Stop At: Ellora Caves, Ellora Cave Rd Ahead of Hiranya Reosrts, Aurangabad 431005 India
Breakfast at hotel.Excursion to visit the Ellora Caves (Tuesday closed), a UNESCO World Heritage Site from about 200 B.C. to 650 A.D. There are a total of 34 monasteries and temples at Ellora, belonging to the three different religions, namely - Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Grishneshwar, Ellora Nr. Ellora Caves, Aurangabad India
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana. The temple is an important pilgrimage site in Shaivism tradition of Hinduism, which considers it as the last or twelfth Jyotirlinga (linga of light).

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Daulatabad Fort, Daulatabad, Daulatabad India
On way back visit Daulatabad Fort one of the most powerful forts of the medieval Deccan. The defence system that made Daulatabad virtually impregnable comprises fortifications with double and even triple rows of massive walls.
Later transfer to airport to board flight for Hyderabad.


Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Hyderabad District, Telangana
On arrival at Hyderabad airport meet with our office executive assistance and transfer to hotel (hotels check in time 1200hr afternoon, early check in subject to rooms availability). Rest time free for personal activities relax.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 6: Hyderabad

Stop At: Charkaman, Charminar, Hyderabad 500082 India
Breakfast at hotel, explore this wondrous capital, a 400 year-old metropolitan city teeming with bustling-bazaars and Muslim monuments. Visit to Golconda Fort, Qutub Shahi tombs, Salar Jung Museum, Hussain Sagar, Charminar, Grand Mecca Masjid.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 7: Hyderabad - Vidyanagar/ Hampi (flight)

Pass By: Vallabh Vidyanagar, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand, Anand District, Gujarat
Breakfast at hotel. As per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for Vidyanagar.On arrival at Vidyanagar airport assistance and transfer to hotel in Hampi (35km).Rest time free and easy to relax.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 8: Hampi

Stop At: Tungabhadra River, Vijayanagara Ruins, Hampi India
Breakfast at hotel. Full day guided city tour of Hospet and Hampi monuments UNESCO world Heritage sites. Evening free to relax. Optionally you can visit Tungabhadra Dam with your driver.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 9: Hampi - Hassan (330kms/ 7hrs approx)

Stop At: Belur, Belur, Hassan District, Karnataka
Breakfast at hotel drive to Hassan. Visit Halebedu & Belur temple an excelent example of Hoysala architecture developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries. Large and small temples built during this era remain as examples of the Hoysala architectural style, including the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebidu, and the Kesava Temple at Somanathapura.Check in at hotel.


Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 10: Hassan - Shravanabelagola - Srirangapatna - Mysore (140kms/ 3hrs approx)

Stop At: Sri Adiranganatha Swami Temple, Sri Ranganatha Temple Street, Gopal Gowda Extension, Shivamogga, Karnataka 577205, India
Breakfast at hotel drive to Hassan via visiting Shravanabelagola Jain temple. On arrival check in at hotel. Later city tour visit Mysore Palace & Srirangapatnam Fort & Ranganthaswamy temple.


Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 11: Mysore - Ooty (120kms/ 3hrs approx)

Stop At: Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Ooty (Udhagamandalam), The Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu
Breakfast at hotel drive to Ooty check in at hotel. Ooty is a hill station it has built up a fame as the all-seasons hill resort and the queen of hill stations' at an elevation of 7216 ft above sea-level. Surrounded by trees, central Ooty Lake is a huge artificial expanse of water with beautiful boats. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train is the highlight of visit to this popular hill station. It was established in the early 19th century by the British as the summer headquarters of the Chennai government. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 12: Ooty – Munnar (240kms/ 6hrs approx)

Stop At: Munnar, Munnar, Idukki District, Kerala
Afternoon drive to Munnar which offer colorful landscape, breathtaking sights and mesmerizing view. The journey to Munnar is beautiful as the road stretches along the waterfalls. Arrive Munnar check in at hotel.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 13: Munnar

Stop At: Rajamalai (Eravikulam) National Park, Munnar India
Breakfast at hotel, Explore Munnar by visiting the Eravikulam National Park, which is a famous habitat of the rare mountain goats called the Nilgiri Tahr. Visit Tea Estate and delight in the sweet aroma of different types of tea grown here walk through the narrow pathways separating these beautiful fields from each other. Also visit Mattupetty Dam and Echo Point from where you can see the lustrous green carpet of the tea garden.

Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.


Day 14: Munnar - Periyar (Thekkady) (110kms/ 2hrs approx.)

Pass By: Periyar, Kerala, India
Breakfast at hotel drive to Periyar check in at hotel.
Late afternoon spice plantation tour and village visit.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 15: Periyar (Thekkady)

Stop At: Periyar National Park, Banks Of Artificial Periyar Lake, Thekkady India
Breakfast at hotel explore the park by boat. The special animals in this region include wild elephants, nilgiri langur monkeys, sambar deer, wild bison, and colorful birds.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at hotel.

Day 16: Thekaddy – Alleppey (135kms/ 3hrs approx)

Stop At: Alleppey Backwaters, Alappuzha India
Breakfast at hotel drive to Alleppey. Board a houseboat from here and glide over the enchanting backwaters of Kerala. Houseboat stay includes lunch & dinner on board.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Houseboat stay

Day 17: Alleppey – Cochin (60kms/ 1.5hrs approx)

Stop At: Mattancherry Palace, Palace Road, Kochi (Cochin) India
After breakfast disembark houseboat and drive to Cochin.
City tour of Cochin - one of few places in India that has managed to preserve the remnants of its colonial past with utmost care. Visit Te Chinese fishing nets, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Jewish Synagogue and the Mattancherry Palace.
Duration: 4 hours

Pass By: Kochi (Cochin), Kochi (Cochin), Ernakulam District, Kerala
Later in evening/ night board flight for onward destination.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.