Best of Southern India — Self-Launched

Land at Cochin International (COK), take a pre-paid taxi or the Kochi Metro + bus combo into Fort Kochi (taxi ~£12-15, 1-1.5 hrs). Check into a Fort Kochi guesthouse and spend the late afternoon wandering the colonial lanes: St Francis Church, the Dutch Cemetery and the Santa Cruz Basilica. Walk to the harbour for sunset over the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, then eat a Kerala fish thali or meen pollichathu at a local joint on Princess Street. Buy a local SIM/Airtel eSIM and set up UPI or carry cash — ATMs in Fort Kochi are reliable.

🚌Airport taxi ~£12-15

🛏Fort Kochi guesthouse/hostel dorm (~£10-15)

• →Fort Kochi orientation walk
• →Chinese fishing nets at sunset
• →Kerala seafood dinner

Free morning — optional Kathakali face-painting demo, the Mattancherry Palace (₹5-10 entry) and Jew Town's spice shops are all walkable. Check out, do a self-guided walk along Fort Kochi's cobbled streets and the beach, then take an auto to Ernakulam Junction station. Book the overnight train to KSR Bengaluru (SBC) on IRCTC — AC 3-tier runs roughly ₹1,000-1,400 (~£10-14), sleeper class cheaper. Bring a padlock for your bag and download the Where Is My Train app.

🚌Auto to station ~£2; overnight train Kochi–Bengaluru ~£11-14

🛏Overnight train, AC 3-tier

• →Mattancherry Palace
• →Jew Town spice markets
• →Fort Kochi beach walk

Arrive early, grab a masala dosa and filter coffee near Majestic bus stand (₹60-100). Drop bags at a hostel in MG Road/Indiranagar, then visit Lal Bagh Botanical Garden (free-₹30) and its glasshouse. Afternoon optional: Bangalore Palace (₹450) or the Iskcon temple. In the evening walk the MG Road/Brigade Road strip and eat at Vidyarthi Bhavan or MTR for classic South Indian. Book tomorrow's train to Mysore on IRCTC or plan a KSRTC bus.

🚌Metro/auto ~£3

🛏Bangalore hostel dorm (~£10-14)

• →Lal Bagh Botanical Garden
• →Bangalore orientation walk
• →Optional Bangalore Palace

Take the morning Shatabdi or a KSRTC Airavat bus to Mysore (train ~₹150-400/~£2-4, 2-3 hrs; bus similar). Break the journey at Srirangapatna: Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tipu Sultan's tomb (Gumbaz) and the Daria Daulat Bagh — autos between sites cost ₹100-200. Continue to Mysore, check in, then wander Devaraja Market for incense, flowers and sandalwood. Evening optional group-style dinner at a local Thali place.

🚌Train or KSRTC bus ~£3; autos at Srirangapatna ~£3

🛏Mysore guesthouse/budget hotel (~£12-16)

• →Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
• →Tipu Sultan's Gumbaz and Daria Daulat Bagh
• →Devaraja Market walk

Early auto up Chamundi Hills for the Chamundeshwari Temple and city views (auto return ~₹400, ~£4). Come down to Mysore Palace (entry ₹200, audio guide extra, ~£2) — go early to beat the crowds. Afterwards St Philomena's Cathedral (free) and, if time, the Mysore Rail Museum or a sandalwood oil stop. Evening: Devaraja Market snacks and a rooftop dinner. Trains toward Chennai run overnight — book sleeper or AC3 on IRCTC.

🚌Autos ~£5

🛏Mysore guesthouse/budget hotel (~£12-16)

• →Chamundeshwari Temple at sunrise
• →Mysore Palace
• →St Philomena's Cathedral

An overnight or early-morning train takes you to Chennai Central/Moore Market Complex (AC3 ~₹1,200-1,600, ~£12-16; ~9-10 hrs). From Chennai, catch the suburban EMU train to Chengalpattu and change for Mamallapuram, or hop a direct ECR bus from Koyambedu / Tambaram (₹40-80, ~1.5 hrs) or a shared taxi (~₹800 split). Arrive Mamallapuram by afternoon, check in near Othavadai Street, and use the free afternoon on the beach or booking a yoga class.

🚌Train Chennai ~£14; bus to Mamallapuram ~£1

🛏Mamallapuram guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Othavadai Street wander
• →Beach time
• →Optional yoga class

Get up before dawn and walk to the Shore Temple (entry ₹250-600 depending on ticket combo, ~£3-6) for sunrise over the Bay of Bengal — it's one of India's oldest stone temples and quietest at this hour. Continue on foot to the Five Rathas and Arjuna's Penance bas-relief, then head to Mamallapuram beach or book a beginner surf lesson (roughly ₹1,200-1,800). Afternoon free: yoga, seafood lunch, or browse the stone-carving workshops.

🚌Walking/cycle hire ~£2

🛏Mamallapuram guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Sunrise Shore Temple visit
• →Five Rathas and Arjuna's Penance
• →Optional surf lesson or yoga

Bus or shared taxi back to Chennai, then a train to Thanjavur (Thanjavur Junction) — roughly 6-7 hrs, ~₹400-900 AC chair/AC3 (~£4-9). Check into a guesthouse, then visit the UNESCO-listed Brihadeeswarar Temple (free entry to the main courtyard) at golden hour — the 200ft vimana is best seen late afternoon. Wander the bronze-casting workshops (Swamimalai is a short auto away) and the evening market streets.

🚌Train ~£7; bus to Chennai ~£1

🛏Thanjavur guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Brihadeeswarar Temple
• →Bronze casting workshops
• →Thanjavur market walk

Take a morning bus or shared taxi to Kanadukathan in the Chettinad region (2-3 hrs, ~£2-4). Hire a cycle or auto to see the opulent Chettiar mansions with their Belgian tiles and teak columns — the Kanadukathan Palace and Athangudi tile factory are highlights; entry to several houses is ₹100-300 (~£1-3). Eat a proper Chettinad lunch (pepper chicken, kandarappam). Late afternoon bus/train onward to Madurai (2-3 hrs, ~£2-4), check in near the temple.

🚌Bus/shared taxi ~£5; onward bus/train ~£3

🛏Madurai guesthouse near Meenakshi Temple (~£10-15)

• →Chettinad mansion visits
• →Athangudi tile workshop
• →Chettinad lunch

Start early at Meenakshi Amman Temple — go at opening to watch the morning rituals and see the gopurams without the crush (free, camera fee ~₹50). Then Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace (₹50, ~£0.50) and a cycle-rickshaw loop of the old town (~₹300, ~£3). Afternoon free to nap or visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum. Evening: self-guided food crawl — Jigarthanda at the famous corner shop, kari dosa, parotta with salna, and banana-leaf meals at Murugan Idli Shop.

🚌Cycle-rickshaw and autos ~£4

🛏Madurai guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Meenakshi Amman Temple
• →Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace
• →Cycle-rickshaw old town loop
• →Madurai street-food crawl

Morning bus to Thekkady/Kumily from Madurai's Periyar bus stand (3-4 hrs, ~₹150-200, ~£2). Check into a homestay near Periyar National Park, then join a spice plantation walk in the Cardamom Hills — bookable directly at homestays or via GetYourGuide (~₹500-800, ~£5-8), covering cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and vanilla. Late afternoon option: the Periyar Lake boat ride (₹1,050 booking through the Kerala Forest Dept, ~£10) or an ayurvedic massage (₹1,000-1,500).

🚌Bus ~£2

🛏Thekkady homestay (~£12-18)

• →Cardamom Hills spice plantation tour
• →Optional Periyar Lake boat ride
• →Optional ayurvedic massage

Bus via Kottayam to Alleppey (4-5 hrs, ~£3). Catch a public ferry or shared boat across to a backwater village for a homestay (book direct through Booking.com or a local homestay network; ~£15-22 with dinner). Afternoon: cycle or walk the island paths and chat with locals about coir-making and toddy tapping. Just before sunset, hire a small country boat (₹1,000-1,500 shared, ~£8-10) and drift along the narrow canals as the fishermen come in.

🚌Bus ~£3; country boat ~£8

🛏Backwater village homestay, shared room, dinner included (~£15-20)

• →Public ferry to backwater village
• →Island village walk
• →Country boat sunset canal ride

Boat back to Alleppey town, then consider the Theruvarom Women Empowerment Project lunch near Champakulam — a Kerala sadya cooked and served by a local women's cooperative (~₹400-600, ~£4-6, book by phone/directly through your homestay host). Spend the afternoon on Alleppey beach and the lighthouse, then catch an evening Kathakali performance at the Kerala Kathakali Centre (tickets ~₹300-500, ~£3-5, book on Klook or walk-in) — arrive early to watch the make-up ritual. Overnight in Alleppey town.

🚌Auto and ferry ~£4

🛏Alleppey guesthouse (~£10-16)

• →Theruvarom women's co-op lunch
• →Alleppey beach and pier
• →Kathakali performance with make-up session

Morning train or bus back to Ernakulam (1-1.5 hrs, ~£1-2), then continue to Cochin International Airport by metro + airport bus or taxi (~£8-12). If your flight is later, squeeze in a final Fort Kochi breakfast at Kashi Art Café and last-minute spice shopping in Jew Town. Trip ends in Kochi.

🚌Train/bus to Ernakulam ~£2; airport transfer ~£10

🛏—

• →Final Kerala breakfast
• →Spice shopping in Jew Town