Tour Name	South India Hill Stations Tour
Tour Duration	10 Days / 09 Nights
Destinations covered	Kochi- Ooty – Kodaikanal – Periyar – Munnar – Kochi
Tour Price	On Request

Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival at Kochi Hill Stationssin South India

On your arrival in Kochi on the first day of your South India hill stations tour, you will be received at the airport. You will be assisted during your check-in formalities at a comforting hotel in Kochi. We will visit the following attractions of Kochi during the day.

Fort Kochi Beach

This is the most spectacular and the most visited place in Kochi. Dotted with amazing Chinese fishing nets, the Fort Kochi beach offers you a mesmerizing sunrise and sunset view. You can also enjoy traditional cuisines at the beach that are made from freshly caught fishes.

St. Francis Church

Built in 1503, St. Francis Church is the oldest European church in India and has great historical significance. Vasco Da Gama, the Portuguese Explorer, who died in Kochi during his third visit to India, was originally buried in this church.

Apart from these tourist attractions, Kochi’s Marine Drive and back water lagoons are equally popular among the tourists. Vasco House, Dutch Palace, Palliport Fort, Mattancherry Palace, Marine Drive and St. Francis Church etc are other worthwhile attractions of Kochi. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at a resort in Kochi.

Day 02: Kochi – Ooty Hill Station / 310 km – 08 hrs drive

On day two of our South India hill stations tour, we will continue sightseeing of some more attractions of Kochi like:

Santa Cruz Basilica – This is not only one of the oldest churches in Kochi but in whole of India as well. Santa Cruz Basilica was originally built by the Portuguese and was later elevated to the status of Basilica by Pope Paul IV. The church is one of the must see places for every visitor to Kochi.

Poornathrayeesa Temple – Poornathrayeesa Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is one of the three most famous Vishnu temples of Kerala. The revered temple is believed to be built by Arjuna, one of the legendary five Pandavas. The most popular festival Athachamayam is celebrated in the temple once in a year with full devotion and ado.

Cherai Beach – This is one of the most visited beaches of Kerala. You can enjoy water-scooter and speed boat rides on the beach apart from other popular water sports.

In the evening we would be heading to Ooty hill station in Tamil Nadu, which is at a distance of 281 kilometers from Kochi and by road it takes around 8 hours to reach there. Ooty is one of the famous hill stations in South India. Have a nice sleep and be prepared to explore the beauty of Ooty the next day. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at a hotel in Ooty.

Day 03: Ooty Hill Station

After an early breakfast at the hotel we will start our exploration of Ooty hill station which is located in Tamil Nadu. Ooty has everything that a traveler may expect in a hill station – Lofty Mountains, Dense Forests, Beautiful Lakes, Tea Gardens and many more natural places that attract every traveler. Some of the must see places for tourists in Ooty are –

Rose Garden: The Rose Garden of Ooty is the biggest rose garden in India. It is located in the hill slopes at a height of 2200 meters. This garden boasts of more than 2,000 varieties of roses.

Botanical Garden: Maintained by Tamilnadu Government, the botanical garden was laid in the year 1847. The Botanical Garden of Ooty holds a Flower Show in the month of May that attracts thousands of visitors from the far and wide.

Ooty Lake: A major tourist attraction of Ooty, the lovely lake is spread over an area of 65 acres and offers boating facilities to the tourists. Boat races are organized in the lake during the month of May which is witnessed by thousands of passionate viewers.

Ooty has several other destinations that attract tourists round the year like Stone House, Toda Huts, St. Stephen’s church, Wax World, Golf Course and Tribal Museum. Your dinner and stay will be at a resort in Ooty.

Day 04: Ooty – Kodaikanal / 300 km – 07 hrs drive

After Ooty, our next destination will be Kodaikanal. Kodaikanal is a wonderful hill station in Tamil Nadu. After breakfast at hotel we will explore the natural beauty of this hill station and visit some of the most popular tourist sites in and around Kodaikanal. Kodaikanal is also one of the most important hill stations in South India.

Pillar Rocks – Pillar Rocks are about 400 feet high boulders which are three in number and are made of granite. These rocks are standing vertically that provide a spectacular view to the tourists. The beautiful forest that surrounds these rocks makes the place even more alluring to visit.

Bear Shola Falls – Bear Shola Falls is one of the most visited tourist spots in Kodaikanal and an ideal picnic spot as well. The fall got this name as in earlier days bears used to come to this fall to catch fishes and drink water.

Devil’s Kitchen – It is a deep and dangerous fall between the Green Valley and Pillar Rocks. Mostly the adventure lovers come to this place but it is better you come here with a guide who is fully aware of the terrain of the region.

We will be back to our hotel in the evening to take some rest as there is lot more to see in Kodaikanal that we will leave for the next day. Dinner and overnight stay will be at a resort in Kodaikanal.

Day 05: Kodaikanal Hill Station

On day five of our South India hill stations tour, we will again explore the beauty of Kodaikanal. Today we are going to visit some of the tourist spots mentioned below:

Green Valley View- Green Valley View is a beautiful place that is covered with all the natural beauty. It is also known as Suicide Point because it has a dangerous 5000 feet deep valley below.

Kurinji Andavar Temple – Kurinji means “a hilly area” and Andavar means “God” so Kurinji Andavar temple is basically a temple of god of hilly area. This temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan. The temple is not only visited by devotees but natures lovers also love to visit it as it is surrounded by spectacular natural beauty.

Kodai Lake – Kodai Lake is an artificial lake. It is a star shaped lake, spread over an area of 60 acres. While enjoying boating in the lake the tourists get mesmerized by the spectacular view of the surroundings of the lake. The pristine blue waters of Kodai Lake are surrounded by lush green forest.

Bryant Park, Silver cascade falls, Bison wells, Silent valley, Dolphin’s Nose, Subrahmanya Temple and Berijam Lake are some more places that we are going to visit today. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at a resort in Kodaikanal.

Day 06: Kodaikanal – Periyar / 160 Km – 4 hrs drive

After Kodaikanal, next destination to visit is Periyar in Kerala which is 160 km far from this hill station. The place is mainly known for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary but there are some other spots as well that we are going to visit during the day.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary- Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was formed with the building of a dam in 1895. This place has a picturesque lake in its center which is popular among the tourists for boating. While boating, you can watch the rare species of animals that come to the lake to drink water. This place is rich in flora & fauna and apart from elephants and tigers you can also spot Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Indian Wild Dog, Nilgiri Languor, Nilgiri Tahr and large varieties of birds and reptilians species. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is visited by the wildlife lovers from all over the world. Other possible activities that can be done here are boating in Periyar Lake, elephant activities, spice plantation tour etc. Dinner and overnight stay will be at a guest house in Periyar.

Day 07: Periyar – Munnar Hill Stations/ 140 km – 04 hrs drive

After the adventurous trip to Periyar we will move to Munnar on the day seventh of our South India hill stations tour. Munnar is a famous hill station of Kerala. The cool climate of this place is worth spending even a whole week here. Tea gardens, lush green forest, beautiful mountains and lot more is there that keep the tourists busy during the trip to Munnar. Apart from enjoying the beautiful and picturesque hill station we will also go and visit some popular tourist destinations in Munnar. Munnar hill station is known as one the famous hill stations in South India.

Anamudi – Anamudi is the highest peak in Southern India and has a height of about 2695 m. You can see this peak even from Munnar. This is a really good experience and no visit to Munnar is complete without paying a visit to Anamudi Peak.

The Christ Church – The Christ Church was built in 1910 by the British. It is built of stone and has beautiful glass windows. This church also has brass plaques in memory of tea planters.

There is still a lot more places to see in Munnar hill station which we will leave for next day’s sightseeing. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at resort in Munnar.

Day 08: Munnar Hill Station

On eighth day of our South India hill stations tour, we will explore this hill station a little more and visit the most amazing tourist destinations in Munnar like:

Eravikulam National Park – Eravikulam National Park is under consideration for selection as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO World Heritage Committee. It is rich in high altitude grass lands. Periyar River, Chalakudiyar River and Cauvery River confluence here and there is a beautiful waterfall called Lakkom Waterfalls in this region. The park has about twenty six species of mammals including Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Wild Dog, Dhole, Jungle Cat, Elephants etc., and 132 species of birds and 19 species of butterflies. The national park is equally rich in floral species.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary – Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary has a rich flora and fauna and unique thorny vegetation. The famous white bison of Manjampatti was recently spotted in the sanctuary and apart from this; Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary also has 225 species of birds and a rich reptilian population.

Mattupetty Dam – Mattupetty Dam is a concrete gravity dam which is built in the mountains of Munnar. People love to visit this dam as it offers not only a spectacular view of the nature around the dam but the water logging has also helped many species of animals, birds and plants flourish in the vicinity.

Overnight stay and dinner will be at the resort in Munnar Hill Station. Munnar Hill Station

Day 09: Munnar – Kochi / 145 Km – 04.5hrs drive

After having our breakfast in the resort, we will start for Kochi. Kochi attractions are: Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Chinese Fishing nets etc.

Museums of Kerala History – This is the museum where you can see many historical scenes related to history of Kerala portrayed in sculptures.

Enjoy the stroll on beaches and taste some local cuisines today in Kochi and shop for some curios. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at hotel in Kochi.

Day 10: Kochi – Departure

Tenth day will be the last day of your South India hill stations tour. Enjoy your sumptuous breakfast in the hotel. Our representatives will help you in checking out formalities and drop you at the Kochi International airport. Board in for your journey to home.

South India Hill Stations Tour ends with sweet memories!!