South India Self-Launched: Chennai to Goa via Temples, Periyar & Backwaters

Land at Chennai (MAA), take the suburban train or an Ola/Uber from the airport into the city (~£3-5). Check into a guesthouse in Mylapore or Egmore. In the afternoon walk the Mylapore temple circuit yourself — Kapaleeshwarar Temple and Parthasarathy Temple are free to enter (dress modestly, shoes off). Continue to Fort St George Church and the Government Museum & National Art Gallery (₹250-500 entry). Catch sunset at Marina Beach and finish with an evening wander through the George Town spice market — utterly free and the best sensory introduction to the trip.

🚌Airport to city: suburban train ~£0.5 or Ola/Uber ~£3-5. Local autos £1-2 per hop.

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Mylapore or Egmore (private room ~£14-20)

• →Kapaleeshwarar Temple
• →Parthasarathy Temple
• →Fort St George Church & museum
• →Marina Beach sunset
• →George Town spice market walk

Take an early suburban train or bus to Kanchipuram (~2 hrs, £1-2). Kanchipuram is one of India's seven sacred cities — see Kailasanathar Temple (the oldest, 8th century), Ekambareswarar Temple with its 1,000-pillar hall, and Vaikuntha Perumal and Varadaraja temples. All free; consider a local guide at the gate for ₹500-800. Buses run Kanchipuram to Mahabalipuram (~2 hrs, £1). Arrive late afternoon and see the Shore Temple at golden hour (₹600 for foreigners; combined ticket covers the Five Rathas). Sleep in Mahabalipuram village.

🚌Chennai–Kanchipuram suburban train ~£0.8; Kanchipuram–Mahabalipuram state bus ~£1; local autos £2-3.

🛏Guesthouse in Mahabalipuram (~£15-22)

• →Kailasanathar Temple
• →Ekambareswarar Temple
• →Vaikuntha Perumal Temple
• →Varadaraja Temple
• →Shore Temple at sunset

Morning at the Pancha Rathas and Arjuna's Penance bas-relief, plus a walk on the beach. Afternoon: catch a bus to Chengalpattu or Chennai and take an overnight train or sleeper bus toward Thanjavur (Thanjavur/Thiruvarur-bound). A/C sleeper bus from Chennai is roughly £8-12 and takes 8-9 hrs; the Rockfort Express train in AC 3-tier is similar. Alternatively stop at Puducherry en route on a bus (2 hrs from Mahabalipuram) for the French Quarter, Auroville and Sri Aurobindo Ashram — the original tour lists these as optional, and they're easy to add yourself.

🚌Mahabalipuram–Chennai bus ~£1; Chennai–Thanjavur A/C sleeper bus or train ~£8-12.

🛏Overnight bus/train, or guesthouse in Puducherry if you break the journey (~£15)

• →Pancha Rathas
• →Arjuna's Penance
• →Mahabalipuram beach
• →Optional: Puducherry French Quarter & Auroville

Arrive early and check in. Thanjavur's UNESCO-listed Brihadeeswarar Temple (Big Temple) is free and best seen in the early morning light — the 1,000-year-old Chola granite vimana is staggering. Visit the Saraswathi Mahal Library and the Thanjavur Art Gallery with its Chola bronze collection (₹200-400). Browse the Thanjavur painting workshops around South Main Street and the flower/vegetable markets. Evening: catch a Bharatanatyam performance at the South Zone Cultural Centre if one is on (₹200-500) — ask at your guesthouse.

🚌Local autos and cycle rickshaws £1-2 per ride.

🛏Guesthouse/budget hotel, Thanjavur (~£12-18)

• →Brihadeeswarar Temple
• →Thanjavur Art Gallery (Chola bronzes)
• →Thanjavur painting workshops
• →Thanjavur markets

Bus or train to Trichy (~1.5 hrs, £1). Climb the Rock Fort Temple — 437 steps cut into the rock, free entry, huge views. Take a local bus to Srirangam island for the vast Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple (free), India's largest working temple complex. Then catch an afternoon train or bus to Madurai (~2-3 hrs, £1-3). Arrive in time for the evening 'putting the deity to bed' ceremony at Meenakshi Amman Temple — free, and one of the most atmospheric things you can do in India.

🚌Thanjavur–Trichy bus ~£1; Trichy–Madurai train/bus ~£1-3; local buses to Srirangam £0.3.

🛏Guesthouse near Meenakshi Temple, Madurai (~£12-18)

• →Rock Fort Temple & Ucchi Pillayar shrine
• →Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple
• →Madurai night ceremony at Meenakshi Temple

Full day in Madurai. Morning at Meenakshi Amman Temple's Hall of a Thousand Pillars (free; cameras charged), then Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal (₹50) with its light-and-sound show in the evening if timing works. Visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum (free, closed Fridays). Eat at the legendary Murugan Idli Shop for breakfast and try jigarthanda from a street stall. Overnight train or bus to Kumily/Thekkady (Periyar) — the Madurai–Kumily bus takes ~4 hrs and costs £2-3; there's also an overnight option.

🚌Madurai–Kumily bus ~£2-3 (or overnight). Local autos £1-2.

🛏Overnight bus to Kumily, or guesthouse in Madurai (~£14)

• →Meenakshi Amman Temple & Hall of Pillars
• →Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal
• →Gandhi Memorial Museum
• →Murugan Idli Shop breakfast

Base yourself in Kumily/Thekkady. Book the KTDC Periyar Lake boat safari directly at the Periyar Tiger Reserve booking counter (or online in advance) — the 2-hr morning cruise is ~₹500-800 (£5-8) and the best chance of seeing elephants, gaur and deer at the water's edge. In the afternoon take a guided nature walk or bamboo rafting with the reserve's eco-development committee (₹1,000-2,000, book at the counter). Walk to a spice garden in Kumily (₹200-300 entry with a tour) to see cardamom, pepper, vanilla and cinnamon growing — cheaper and less staged than the big commercial plantations.

🚌Everything walkable; auto to the reserve gate £1-2.

🛏Guesthouse/homestay in Kumily (~£12-18)

• →Periyar Lake boat safari
• →Bamboo rafting / nature walk
• →Kumily spice garden tour
• →Periyar Tiger Reserve

Bus from Kumily to Kottayam (~3 hrs, £1.5) and change for Kumarakom. Shared houseboat cruises from Kumarakom to Alleppey are the budget version of the original's private rice boat — book through your guesthouse or a Kumarakom jetty operator; a shared day cruise runs £25-45pp including lunch, while an overnight houseboat shared between 2-4 people comes to £40-70pp with all meals. Drift past paddy fields, toddy tappers and village life, disembark in Alleppey, and stay near the beach or Punnamada.

🚌Kumily–Kottayam bus ~£1.5; Kottayam–Kumarakom bus/auto ~£1; shared houseboat Kumarakom–Alleppey.

🛏Guesthouse in Alleppey (~£14-20), or overnight houseboat (~£40-70pp)

• →Kumarakom backwaters
• →Shared rice-boat houseboat cruise
• →Alleppey beach evening

Take the scenic local ferry or a bus/train up to Ernakulam and on to Fort Kochi (~2 hrs, £1-2). Fort Kochi is entirely walkable: St Francis' Church (where Vasco da Gama was buried), the Dutch Palace/Mattancherry Palace (₹50-200), Jew Town and the Paradesi Synagogue (₹50), and the spice warehouses and antique shops of Jew Street. Finish at the Chinese fishing nets on Vasco da Gama Square at sunset, then catch a Kathakali performance at the Kerala Kathakali Centre (₹400-800) — book same-day or online.

🚌Alleppey–Ernakulam train/bus ~£1; Ernakulam–Fort Kochi ferry £0.5.

🛏Hostel or heritage guesthouse, Fort Kochi (~£12-22)

• →St Francis' Church
• →Dutch Palace
• →Jew Town & Paradesi Synagogue
• →Chinese fishing nets at sunset
• →Kathakali performance

Morning in Kochi's Mattancherry spice market, then fly Kochi–Goa (IndiGo/Air India Express, one-way from ~£35-55 if booked a few weeks out — far faster than the 14-hr train). Land at Dabolim or Mopa and take the shuttle/Kadamba bus to Calangute or Anjuna (£2-4). Afternoon: explore Old Goa — Basilica of Bom Jesus (free), Se Cathedral (free) and the Archaeological Museum (₹10) — then Fort Aguada (₹50) for sunset over the Arabian Sea.

🚌Kochi–Goa flight ~£35-55; airport to North Goa shuttle/bus £2-4; scooter hire ₹300-500/day (£3-5).

• →Fort Kochi spice market
• →Basilica of Bom Jesus
• →Se Cathedral
• →Archaeological Museum
• →Fort Aguada sunset

Hire a scooter (£3-5/day plus fuel) and do your own North Goa circuit: Candolim, Baga, Anjuna and cliffside Vagator, with a stop at the Anjuna flea market if it's Wednesday. Optional water sports at Baga (parasailing/jet ski from ₹800-1,500, negotiable). Visit Sri Mangeshi Temple inland, or Dona Paula and Miramar Beach if you head through Panaji. Eat Goan fish curry and xacuti at a beach shack (mains ₹200-400), then watch the sunset at a Baga or Anjuna shack with live music.

🚌Scooter rental £3-5/day plus ~£2 fuel; local buses £0.3-0.5.

🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Calangute or Anjuna (~£12-20)

• →Candolim, Baga, Anjuna & Vagator beaches
• →Anjuna flea market
• →Sri Mangeshi Temple
• →Dona Paula & Miramar Beach
• →Baga water sports
• →Goan fish curry & beach-shack sunset

Slow breakfast at a Calangute or Anjuna café, a last swim, and a browse through the Tibetan market for souvenirs. Take a Kadamba bus or Ola/Uber to Dabolim or Mopa airport for your onward flight (or the Konkan Railway to Mumbai if you're continuing north — the Mandovi Express is ~11 hrs and about £8 in sleeper class, £20 in AC chair).

🚌Calangute–airport bus/auto £2-5; or Konkan Railway sleeper to Mumbai ~£8.

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Tibetan market shopping
• →Last beach morning