South India temple trail · 12 days · Chennai → Madurai → Thanjavur → Mysore
Dravidian gopurams, Chola bronzes, and coastal Chettinad food.
The Tamil Nadu + Karnataka spine, with two temples a day and enough coffee stops in between.
Day by day
- DAY 01ChennaiArrival + Marina
Beach walk, dinner at Peshawri or Southern Spice.
- DAY 02ChennaiKapaleeswarar + Government Museum
Mylapore temple morning, museum afternoon, Fort St George evening.
- DAY 03MahabalipuramChennai → Mahabalipuram
Shore Temple + rock-cut caves. Fresh catch dinner at Water's Edge.
- DAY 04ThanjavurMahabalipuram → Thanjavur
Drive (~5 hrs). Brihadeeswarar Temple at dusk.
- DAY 05ThanjavurBig Temple + Chola bronzes
Sunrise Brihadeeswarar, palace museum after — the world's best Chola bronze collection.
- DAY 06ChettinadChettinad villages
Mansions, sun-baked lime-and-plaster architecture, Chettinad seafood.
- DAY 07MaduraiChettinad → Madurai
Drive (~3 hrs). Meenakshi Temple after dark — the closing ceremony is the highlight.
- DAY 08MaduraiMeenakshi + Tirumalai Nayakkar palace
Full temple day; palace after lunch; night market for hand-woven cotton.
- DAY 09MysoreMadurai → Mysore (via train)
Overnight train. Mysore Palace evening lights (Sunday only, 7-8 pm).
- DAY 10MysorePalace + Chamundi Hill
Palace interior + Chamundeshwari Temple + Devaraja Market.
- DAY 11MysoreSomnathpur + Srirangapatna
Somnathpur Keshava Temple + Tipu Sultan's summer palace.
- DAY 12BengaluruMysore → Bengaluru → fly
3-hour drive + airport.
Pack this
- Modest clothing (temples are strict)
- Sarong for temple visits
- Sturdy sandals — you'll be barefoot a lot
- Sunhat + factor-30
- Small notebook for the Chola bronzes