12 days
The pilgrim road of the south
Tirupati to Rameswaram, following the pilgrims rather than the tour buses.
All journeys
The great temples of the south, seen as the people who come to worship there see them.
The route follows the pilgrimage line: Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Kanyakumari at the tip of India, and Rameswaram on its island. It is a full and demanding twelve days, and a very different India from the one in most brochures.
- How long
- 12 days
- Where
- Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh
- Kind of journey
- Tamil Nadu
The route
11 stops
- Chennai
- Tirupati
- Vellore
- Kanchipuram
- Madurai
- Kanyakumari
- Rameswaram
- Chettinad
- Trichy
- Pondicherry
- Mahabalipuram
Highlights
Along the way
- 01Tirupati, and the number of pilgrims who arrive there every day
- 02The golden temple at Vellore, and the temples of Kanchipuram
- 03Madurai twice: once by day and once for the night ceremony
- 04Kanyakumari, at the southern tip of India
- 05The Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram and its long pillared corridors
- 06Srirangam at Trichy, a temple with a town inside its walls
Day by day
The plan
- Day 1Arrive in Chennai and go straight up to Tirupati.
- Day 2Tirupati early in the morning, the best time for it.
- Day 3Down to Vellore and the golden temple.
- Day 4Kanchipuram on the way south, then the long drive to Madurai.
- Day 5Madurai: the temple in the morning and again at night.
- Day 6South to Kanyakumari for the point and the sunset.
- Day 7Across to Rameswaram.
- Day 8Rameswaram: the temple, the corridors, and Dhanushkodi at the end of the island.
- Day 9North through Chettinad to Trichy.
- Day 10Srirangam and the Rock Fort, then up the coast to Pondicherry.
- Day 11Pondicherry in the morning, Mahabalipuram in the afternoon, Chennai by evening.
- Day 12Depart from Chennai.
Tell us about your journey
Since 1997
Our team has been in tourism since 1997. Scenic Escapes India Private Limited is a private company registered in Kerala and based in Karunagappally, Kollam. Its registration details are published for anyone to check.
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