Discover South India — Self-Launched
14 days · South India
Exodus charges £3,300
No-markup version: ~£595 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Exodus's 14-day South India Superior tour, travelling independently through Karnataka, Coorg, Wayanad, the Nilgiris and the Kerala backwaters. Same destinations and experiences — Mysore Palace, a Coorg coffee estate, a Kodava cooking session, the Nilgiri toy train, Fort Kochi's heritage streets and an overnight Alleppey houseboat — but booked yourself using trains, buses and shared taxis, staying in guesthouses, homestays and budget heritage hotels instead of premium resorts. All figures are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Bangalore to Mysore — illuminated palace and welcome dinner
Mysore
Fly into Bangalore (Kempegowda International). Skip the private transfer: take the Vayu Vajra KIAS-9 airport bus to Majestic (~£2, 1hr), then the Shatabdi or a KSRTC Airavat Volvo coach to Mysore (~£4-6, 3hr). Check into a guesthouse near Sayyaji Rao Road. Around 6pm head to Mysore Palace for the Sunday/public-holiday illumination (over 100,000 bulbs) — free to view from outside, ~£2-3 to enter. Dinner at a local eatery: Mysore masala dosa and filter coffee for under £3.
🚌KIAS-9 airport bus + KSRTC Volvo coach Bangalore–Mysore, ~£7 total
🛏Guesthouse near Sayyaji Rao Road, Mysore (approx £12/night)
- →Mysore Palace night illumination
- →Welcome dinner of Mysore dosa
- →Majestic bus stand orientation walk
Mysore city sightseeing
Mysore
Full day of self-guided Mysore. Enter Mysore Palace with the audio guide slot (~£3). Walk or take an auto to St Philomena's Cathedral (free), then climb Chamundi Hill for the golden Chamundeshwari Temple and the 350-year-old Nandi bull statue (~£1 by bus, free entry). Afternoon at Rajendra Art Gallery inside Jaganmohan Palace (~£1). Budget about £2-4 in autos for the day and £6 on food.
🚌Local city bus + shared autos, ~£4
🛏Guesthouse near Sayyaji Rao Road, Mysore (approx £12/night)
- →Mysore Palace interior tour
- →St Philomena's Cathedral
- →Chamundeshwari Temple & Nandi statue
- →Rajendra Art Gallery, Jaganmohan Palace
Mysore to Coorg via Bylakuppe Golden Temple
Coorg (Madikeri)
KSRTC buses run Mysore–Madikeri (~£2.50, 3-4hr) — ask the driver to drop you at Bylakuppe or Kushtagi for the Tibetan settlement. The Namdroling Golden Temple at Bylakuppe is free to enter and easily worth an hour. Continue to Madikeri and settle into a homestay or estate guesthouse. In the afternoon join a coffee and spice plantation walk — many estates (e.g. around Madikeri and Siddapur) run 2-hour walks for ~£5-8 including tasting; alternatively book through GetYourGuide.
🚌KSRTC bus Mysore–Madikeri, ~£2.50; local bus/auto to Bylakuppe
🛏Homestay or estate guesthouse, Madikeri area (approx £18/night)
- →Bylakuppe Golden Temple (Namdroling Monastery)
- →Coffee and spice plantation walk with tasting
Kodava cooking session and Coorg sightseeing
Coorg (Madikeri)
Start early with a free birding walk (350+ species in Coorg) from your homestay's grounds or book a naturalist-guided walk (~£8). Mid-morning, arrange a Kodava home cooking experience — several Madikeri families host travellers for pandi curry (pork slow-cooked with kachampuli) on a wood-fired stove, plus home-brewed wine; expect ~£15-20 per person including lunch. Book direct via your homestay or through Klook/GetYourGuide. Afternoon: Madikeri Fort (~£1) and the Raja's Seat viewpoint (free).
🚌Autos and walking, ~£5
🛏Homestay or estate guesthouse, Madikeri area (approx £18/night)
- →Kodava family pandi curry cooking session with lunch
- →Birding walk with naturalist
- →Madikeri Fort
- →Raja's Seat viewpoint
Coorg to Wayanad — free afternoon
Wayanad
The 6-hour drive in the original itinerary is doable on public transport: KSRTC bus Madikeri–Kalpetta via Mananthavady (~£3, with one change). Check into a budget guesthouse or homestay near Kalpetta or Vythiri. The afternoon is free — hire a bicycle locally (~£4/day) and ride the rural lanes past pepper and coffee smallholdings, or relax and take a local cooking demonstration if offered by your homestay.
🚌KSRTC buses with change at Mananthavady, ~£3
🛏Homestay or guesthouse near Kalpetta/Vythiri, Wayanad (approx £15/night)
- →Bicycle hire through Kalpetta countryside
- →Optional homestay cooking demonstration
Sugandhagiri tea estate walk
Wayanad
Follow the original itinerary's 5km Sugandhagiri range walk on your own — the trail runs straight through tea estates with views of the Sugandhagiri hills, then along the forest edge and into coffee plantations, excellent for birding. No permit needed; take an auto to the trailhead (~£5 return) and carry water. Afternoon free back at the guesthouse, or join a hotel/estate naturalist for a rainforest and spice-plantation walk (~£8).
🚌Auto to Sugandhagiri trailhead and back, ~£5
🛏Homestay or guesthouse near Kalpetta/Vythiri, Wayanad (approx £15/night)
- →Sugandhagiri tea estate and coffee plantation walk (5km)
- →Optional naturalist-guided rainforest walk
Wayanad to Ooty — colonial Nilgiri hill station
Ooty
Travel Kalpetta–Ooty by KSRTC bus via Gudalur (~4hr, ~£3). Ooty is cooler and greener than Wayanad — the old British summer retreat, full of tea gardens and colonial buildings. Afternoon: St Stephen's Church (19th century, built for King George IV's birthday, free), and browse the municipal vegetable market. Stay in a budget heritage guesthouse or hostel near Charing Cross.
🚌KSRTC bus Kalpetta–Ooty via Gudalur, ~£3
🛏Budget heritage guesthouse/hostel, Ooty (approx £14/night)
- →St Stephen's Church
- →Ooty municipal vegetable market
Nilgiri Mountain Railway 'toy train' and Toda village
Ooty
The highlight of the hill section: ride the UNESCO-listed Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Ooty to Coonoor. Book a first-class or second-class unreserved ticket at Ooty station or on IRCTC (~£1.50-4; first class sells out, so book early). The 1-hour steam/diesel-hauled climb through forested slopes and tea estates is unmissable. Return to Ooty and visit the Government Botanical Garden (~£1). Later, take an auto to a Toda village near Ooty where you can meet the community, see their barrel-vaulted dogles homes and watch a pukhoor shawl-making demonstration — go with a local guide (~£10) to ensure respectful, arranged access.
🚌Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train Ooty–Coonoor, ~£3 return; autos ~£5
🛏Budget heritage guesthouse/hostel, Ooty (approx £14/night)
- →Nilgiri Mountain Railway 'toy train' ride
- →Government Botanical Garden
- →Toda village visit with shawl-making demonstration
Coimbatore to Kochi by train
Kochi (Fort Kochi)
Bus or shared taxi Ooty–Coimbatore (~3hr, ~£2.50 bus). From Coimbatore Junction take an overnight or daytime train to Ernakulam (Kochi) — the Jan Shatabdi and Intercity express both make the run in about 4-5 hours for ~£3-6 in sleeper/chair car. Book on IRCTC in advance. From Ernakulam Junction, a ferry across to Fort Kochi (~£0.20) is the cheapest and most atmospheric arrival. Check into a guesthouse in Fort Kochi.
🚌Bus Ooty–Coimbatore ~£2.50; train Coimbatore–Ernakulam ~£5; Ernakulam–Fort Kochi ferry ~£0.20
🛏Guesthouse in Fort Kochi (approx £16/night)
- →Train journey through Kerala villages
- →Ernakulam–Fort Kochi ferry crossing
- →Evening walk along the Fort Kochi waterfront
Fort Kochi and Mattancherry heritage day
Kochi (Fort Kochi)
Self-guided walking tour of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. See St Francis Church (Vasco da Gama's original burial place), Santa Cruz Cathedral, and the Chinese fishing nets at the harbour entrance. Cross to Mattancherry for the Dutch Palace (~£1) and Jew Town's antique shops — visit Little Queen Embroidery in Jew Town to see bobbin lace work if it's open. Food-wise, try Kerala fish curry, appam and a Syrian-Christian beef fry. In the late afternoon, catch a Kathakali/Mohiniyattam/Bharatanatyam and Kalaripayattu performance at one of the Fort Kochi arts centres (~£4-6, book via GetYourGuide or at the door).
🚌Walking and the Fort Kochi–Mattancherry ferry, ~£1
🛏Guesthouse in Fort Kochi (approx £16/night)
- →Fort Kochi heritage walk (St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Cathedral, Chinese fishing nets)
- →Mattancherry Palace and Jew Town
- →Kathakali and Kalaripayattu evening performance
Alleppey, coir museum and overnight backwater houseboat
Alleppey (houseboat)
Bus or train Kochi–Alleppey (~1.5-2hr, ~£1-2). Drop your bag, visit the Coir Museum (~£1) to see the coconut-fibre industry, and wander the town and market. At midday board a traditional anjili-wood houseboat for a backwater cruise — book a shared or private budget houseboat in advance via GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with an Alleppey operator. Expect ~£45-70 per person for a boat with an onboard cook, all meals and an overnight berth; sharing brings it down. Cruise the canals and paddy-lined backwaters, eat freshly cooked Kerala meals, and sleep on the water.
🚌Bus/train Kochi–Alleppey ~£2
🛏Traditional Kerala houseboat (included in boat price, approx £50/person)
- →Coir Museum
- →Alleppey town and market walk
- →Overnight backwater houseboat cruise with meals
Alleppey to Kumarakom — Manjira village walk
Kumarakom
Disembark after breakfast and continue south to Kumarakom, either by bus via Kottayam (~£1.50) or by a short ferry/boat across Vembanad Lake. Kumarakom sits on the eastern shore of Vembanad, a quiet bird sanctuary and backwater village region. In the afternoon, walk through the local village lanes and paddy fields around Manjira — ask your guesthouse to point out the path. Stay in a budget homestay or guesthouse fronting the backwaters.
🚌Bus Alleppey–Kottayam–Kumarakom and/or lake ferry, ~£2
🛏Homestay or guesthouse in Kumarakom (approx £16/night)
- →Vembanad Lake crossing
- →Manjira village and paddy-field walk
Kottayam heritage trail and free afternoon
Kumarakom
Optional morning heritage trail in Kottayam (~£6-8 with a local guide, or free self-guided): the 16th-century churches, the Syrian Christian seminary and the old market streets are all walkable. Back in Kumarakom, the afternoon is at leisure — kayak the backwaters (~£8), visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary (~£1), or simply watch the toddy-tappers and fishermen at work. A farewell Kerala dinner of karimeen (pearl spot) and appam is the right way to end.
🚌Local buses and autos, ~£3
🛏Homestay or guesthouse in Kumarakom (approx £16/night)
- →Kottayam heritage trail
- →Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
- →Optional backwater kayaking
Trip ends in Kumarakom
Kumarakom
Trip ends after breakfast. To fly home, travel Kumarakom–Kochi (bus to Kottayam then train or bus to Ernakulam, ~2hr, ~£2) for Cochin International Airport. If you have time, a final Kerala breakfast of puttu and kadala curry costs about £1. Add a buffer day or two if your flight is tight — Indian buses and trains reward patience.
🚌Bus Kumarakom–Kottayam ~£0.50, then train/bus to Ernakulam ~£1.50
🛏—
- →Departure transfer to Kochi
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£595 | £3,300 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,705 per person (82%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£595
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Discover South India — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £595 per person for 14 days in South India. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £3,300 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £595 — a saving of roughly £2,705 (82%) per person.
How long is the South India trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through South India.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, slow-travel trip through South India, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.