South India Tour Packages – Page 14

South India tour package price guide (2026)

South India packages on this page start at ₹8,999 per person. Land costs are similar across the circuits; what changes the total is how many cities you cover (more inter-city drives mean more vehicle days) and the hotel category. Bands below are per person on twin sharing with hotels, breakfast, a private AC vehicle and sightseeing, excluding flights and trains from Ahmedabad.

Add for flights: Ahmedabad return fares to Chennai, Bengaluru or Kochi are usually ₹7,000–12,000 per person booked a month ahead; one-stop fares to Madurai, Tirupati or Trivandrum run ₹10,000–15,000. Usually extra on the ground: Tirupati special-entry darshan tickets, Rameshwaram theertham bath fee, Kanyakumari ferry to the Vivekananda Rock, Meenakshi temple special darshan, Mysore Palace and Hampi monument tickets, Eravikulam and Periyar entry, boat rides, Ayurvedic treatments and 5% GST. Every quote shows these separately.

Which South India circuit is right for you?

Most Ahmedabad families combine two: Kerala with Kanyakumari (7–8 nights), or Tirupati with the Madurai–Rameshwaram–Kanyakumari trail (7 nights). The full 9–10 night version that starts at Tirupati and ends in Kerala is the one grandparents ask for – it covers four of the most important South Indian shrines and the backwaters in one trip. Our separate Kerala page covers that state in detail.

How to reach South India from Ahmedabad

• Chennai (MAA): non-stop flights from Ahmedabad take about 2 h 15 min. Gateway for Tirupati (140 km, 3 h), Mahabalipuram (55 km, 1½ h) and Pondicherry (160 km, 3 h). The Navjivan Express runs Ahmedabad–Chennai in roughly 35 hours for those who prefer the train.
• Bengaluru (BLR): non-stop flights take about 2 hours. Gateway for Mysore (150 km, 3 h), Coorg (260 km, 6 h) and Hampi (350 km, 6–7 h, or the overnight train to Hosapete). Trains from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru take about 30–36 hours.
• Kochi (COK): non-stop flights take about 2½ h. Gateway for the Kerala circuit; for the Kerala-plus-Kanyakumari trip we fly you into Kochi and out of Thiruvananthapuram.
• Madurai (IXM), Tiruchirappalli and Thiruvananthapuram (TRV): one-stop connections via Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai. For the temple trail we usually fly into Madurai and out of Trivandrum (Kanyakumari is 90 km from Trivandrum) so you never backtrack.
• Tirupati: one-stop flights to Tirupati airport (Renigunta), or fly to Chennai and drive 3 hours. Trains from Ahmedabad also stop at Renigunta on some Chennai routes.
• Hyderabad (HYD): about 1 h 30 min from Ahmedabad; the gateway for a Hyderabad–Srisailam or Hyderabad–Tirupati variation.

Every package includes a private AC vehicle – Dzire or Etios for a couple, Innova Crysta for a family, Tempo Traveller for an extended family – with a driver who stays with you for the whole circuit.

South India itineraries by trip type

6 nights / 7 days – Tirupati, Madurai, Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari for parents

• Day 1: Fly Ahmedabad–Chennai, drive to Tirupati (3 h); evening at Tiruchanoor Padmavathi temple.
• Day 2: Early Tirumala darshan with pre-booked special-entry tickets; Kanipakam Vinayaka or Sri Kalahasti in the afternoon; overnight Tirupati.
• Day 3: Fly or take the train Tirupati/Chennai – Madurai; evening Meenakshi temple and the night ceremony.
• Day 4: Madurai – Rameshwaram (3½ h); Ramanathaswamy temple darshan, the 22 theertham baths for those who wish, Dhanushkodi drive at sunset.
• Day 5: Rameshwaram – Kanyakumari (6½ h) via Tiruchendur Murugan temple; sunset at the Triveni Sangam.
• Day 6: Sunrise at Kanyakumari, ferry to Vivekananda Rock and Thiruvalluvar statue, Bhagavathy Amman temple, Suchindram; drive to Trivandrum or Kovalam (2½ h); Padmanabhaswamy temple in the evening.
• Day 7: Fly Thiruvananthapuram–Ahmedabad (one stop).

7 nights / 8 days – Kerala and Kanyakumari for the family

• Days 1–2: Fly Ahmedabad–Kochi, drive to Munnar; tea estates, Eravikulam, Mattupetty.
• Day 3: Munnar – Thekkady; spice plantation, Periyar lake boat ride, Kathakali show.
• Day 4: Thekkady – Alleppey; board a private houseboat at noon, overnight on the backwaters with a Gujarati-style veg dinner.
• Day 5: Disembark, drive to Kovalam (4 h); beach evening.
• Day 6: Day trip to Kanyakumari (2½ h each way): Vivekananda Rock, Bhagavathy Amman, sunset; back to Kovalam.
• Day 7: Padmanabhaswamy temple, Kovalam lighthouse, Ayurvedic massage; free afternoon.
• Day 8: Fly Thiruvananthapuram–Ahmedabad.

5 nights / 6 days – Mysore, Coorg and Bengaluru for couples and friends

• Day 1: Fly Ahmedabad–Bengaluru, drive to Mysore (3 h); Chamundi hills sunset, palace illumination (Sundays and holidays).
• Day 2: Mysore Palace, Brindavan Gardens, Srirangapatna, Devaraja market.
• Day 3: Mysore – Coorg (3 h) via Bylakuppe Tibetan monastery; coffee-estate homestay or resort.
• Day 4: Abbey falls, Raja's Seat, Talacauvery, Dubare elephant camp or river rafting; plantation walk.
• Day 5: Coorg – Bengaluru (6 h); Lalbagh, Bangalore Palace, Commercial Street or UB City.
• Day 6: Fly home. Add two nights in Hampi (UNESCO ruins) or Ooty for an 8-night trip.

Buyer's guide: darshan logistics and pacing for senior travellers

Half the South India trips we plan are for parents and grandparents, and the difference between a tiring yatra and a joyful one is how the darshan days are organised. Here is what we do.

Tirupati Balaji

• Tickets: Sarva Darshan (free) queues can take many hours. Special Entry Darshan tickets (₹300 at recent rates) are released on the TTD portal with time slots and cut the wait substantially; they sell out weeks ahead for weekends, Brahmotsavam (usually September–October) and Vaikuntha Ekadashi. We book the slot for you and share the e-ticket; carry the same photo ID.
• Logistics: stay in Tirupati town (better hotels and veg restaurants) and drive up Tirumala early morning; the hill road has two ghat roads and takes about 45 minutes. Senior and differently-abled darshan lines exist at fixed times; we tell you where to report. Mobiles and cameras go into lockers. Dress code is traditional – saree, salwar or dhoti/kurta with trousers acceptable.
• Add-ons: Tiruchanoor Padmavathi temple (customary to visit after Balaji), Kanipakam, Sri Kalahasti (Rahu-Ketu puja) and Srikalahasti are each within an hour or two.

Rameshwaram

• The Ramanathaswamy temple's 22 theerthams (holy wells) are visited before the main darshan; bathing in all 22 takes about an hour, is done in wet clothes, and can be skipped or shortened by seniors – a sprinkle is accepted. A temple assistant guides you for a small fee and we pre-arrange one.
• Carry a change of clothes and a towel; the temple has changing rooms. Dhanushkodi, the ghost town at the tip, is a 45-minute drive and is best at sunset.
• Non-Hindus are welcome in the outer corridors; the inner sanctum is for Hindus only.

Kanyakumari and Madurai

• Kanyakumari's sunrise is the event – be at the viewpoint by 5:45 am in winter. The ferry to the Vivekananda Rock runs from about 8 am and queues build by 10; we go early and keep the Bhagavathy Amman darshan for after.
• Madurai's Meenakshi temple is vast; allow two hours with a guide, and attend the night ceremony around 9 pm if you can stay awake. Shirts for men may need to be removed in some inner areas; carry a shawl.

Pacing rules we follow for seniors

• One temple per day where possible, with darshan in the cool early morning and the drive after lunch.
• Hotels with lifts and close to the temple town rather than on the highway; wheelchair assistance arranged at Tirupati and Rameshwaram when needed.
• No drive longer than 6½ hours (Rameshwaram–Kanyakumari is the longest; we break it at Tiruchendur).
• Pure-veg Gujarati-style meals pre-arranged so nobody is hunting for food after a long darshan.

Best time to visit South India – month by month

For Gujarati families: the Diwali break works for Kerala, Mysore–Coorg and Tirupati; the May vacation is best spent in Munnar, Thekkady, Coorg or Ooty with Kanyakumari as an early-morning stop; and the Madurai–Rameshwaram–Kanyakumari trail is at its best from December to February, which is also when most of our senior groups travel.

Places to visit in South India

• Tirupati – Tirumala: Sri Venkateswara temple, the most visited shrine in the world, with Tiruchanoor and Sri Kalahasti nearby.
• Madurai: Meenakshi Amman temple with its painted gopurams, Thirumalai Nayak palace and the night ceremony.
• Rameshwaram: Ramanathaswamy temple, the 22 theerthams, the Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi.
• Kanyakumari: sunrise over three seas, Vivekananda Rock, the Thiruvalluvar statue, Bhagavathy Amman temple, Suchindram.
• Munnar, Thekkady and Alleppey: tea estates, Periyar lake and the houseboat night that defines a Kerala trip.
• Kovalam and Thiruvananthapuram: beaches, Ayurveda and the Padmanabhaswamy temple.
• Mysore: the illuminated palace, Chamundi hills, Brindavan Gardens and Srirangapatna.
• Coorg: coffee estates, Abbey falls, Talacauvery, Dubare elephant camp and misty homestays.
• Hampi: UNESCO ruins of Vijayanagara – Virupaksha temple, the stone chariot, boulder landscapes.
• Ooty and Kodaikanal: Tamil Nadu's hill stations – the toy train, botanical gardens, lakes and pine forests.
• Pondicherry and Auroville: the French quarter, Promenade beach, Aurobindo Ashram and the Matrimandir.
• Mahabalipuram: UNESCO Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas and Arjuna's Penance on the way from Chennai.
• Hyderabad and Srisailam: Charminar, Golconda, Ramoji Film City and the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga for a Telangana–Andhra variation.

Food, hotels and tips for Gujarati travellers

• Vegetarian and Jain food: South India is the easiest region of the country for vegetarians – idli, dosa, uttapam, sambar, rasam, curd rice and full-meals thalis are everywhere, and temple towns like Tirupati, Rameshwaram, Madurai and Kanyakumari are almost entirely vegetarian around the shrines. Gujarati thali is available in Chennai (Sowcarpet area), Bengaluru, Kochi, Munnar, Rameshwaram and Madurai, where Gujarati and Marwari bhojanalays serve yatris. Jain food (no onion, garlic, roots) is understood in temple towns and arranged in advance at hotels and the houseboat; South Indian coffee and filter coffee are a bonus for everyone.
• Hotel categories: Tirupati, Madurai and Rameshwaram have good 3-star hotels near the temples and a handful of 4-star options; Kanyakumari hotels are simple but sea-facing rooms are worth it for the sunrise; Kerala, Mysore, Coorg and Pondicherry have everything up to luxury resorts and heritage stays.
• Pack: traditional clothing for temple visits (saree or salwar, dhoti or kurta-trousers), a towel and change of clothes for Rameshwaram, light cottons for the plains, a jacket for Munnar, Coorg and Ooty evenings, and photocopies of ID for darshan tickets.
• Money and connectivity: UPI works everywhere including temple prasadam counters; carry small cash for temple assistants and lockers. Network is good except on the backwaters and in parts of Coorg.
• Timings: Tirumala special-entry slots are fixed – do not be late; Meenakshi temple closes in the afternoon (roughly 12:30 to 4 pm); Rameshwaram theertham baths finish before noon; Mysore Palace lights up only on Sundays and public holidays; Eravikulam in Munnar closes for calving usually February to early April.

Why book your South India package with Vibrant Holidays

• 11 years, C G Road office: plan at our Ahmedabad office (Monday to Saturday) or on WhatsApp; your consultant has sent hundreds of Gujarati families on the temple trail and knows the darshan timings by heart. IATA-accredited; member of TAAI, TAFI, ADTOI and IATO; recognised by the Ministry of Tourism.
• Live prices, no bait: the starting price on this page is a package on sale today with hotels and inclusions listed, not a USD figure or a headline that changes at checkout.
• Private, customised trips only: your own car and driver, your own dates and pace; extended families and friend groups travel together as a private group in a Tempo Traveller.
• Pure-veg and Jain meals confirmed in writing at every hotel and on the houseboat, with Gujarati bhojanalay stops on the temple trail.
• Flights from Ahmedabad booked with the package, including open-jaw routings (into Madurai, out of Trivandrum) so you never backtrack, and darshan tickets booked the day they open.
• 24×7 on-tour support from Ahmedabad and our ground partners in Chennai, Madurai, Kochi and Bengaluru.