Madurai Rameswaram Kanyakumari Trivandrum Tour Package5N/6D South India Temple & Coastal Tour Covering Meenakshi Temple, Dhanushkodi, Vivekananda Rock and Kovalam Beach

Day-1 Arrival Madurai – Meenakshi Amman Temple

Spiritual awakening at the Meenakshi Amman Temple

Arrive at Madurai Airport or Railway Station, where your driver will meet you and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. In the late afternoon, visit the spectacular Meenakshi Amman Temple. Arriving at this time helps you avoid the heaviest night-time crowds. Spend time in the newly restored 1,000-pillar hall, then explore the busy bazaars around the temple. Try a glass of Jigarthanda, Madurai's famous cold drink made with almond gum, and local street food such as Kothu Parotta. Overnight stay in Madurai.

Day-2 Madurai – Rameswaram – Dhanushkodi | 175 km, 3.5 Hrs

Pamban Bridge, Dhanushkodi and the edge of India

After breakfast, check out and drive from Madurai to Rameswaram, about 175 km and 3.5 hours. On the way you cross the famous Pamban Bridge, with wide views of the sea. Check in to your hotel in Rameswaram, then continue to Dhanushkodi, the abandoned "ghost town" at the tip of the island. Stand at Arichal Munai, where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean, just a few kilometres from Sri Lanka. Return to visit the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, and walk its pillared corridor, the longest in the world, as the evening lamps come on. Overnight stay in Rameswaram.

Note : If you wish to take the traditional 22 holy wells bath (Theertham), do it at 5:00 AM the next morning, before leaving for Kanyakumari. It is cooler and much quieter at that hour.

Day-3 Rameswaram – Kanyakumari Coastal Drive | 310 km, 6 Hrs

A scenic East Coast drive to India's southern tip

After breakfast, check out and set off on the scenic drive from Rameswaram to Kanyakumari, about 310 km and 5.5 to 6 hours. The route runs along the Tamil Nadu coastline, past salt pans and wind farms. On arrival in Kanyakumari, check in to your sea-view hotel. In the evening, head to Kanyakumari Beach or the Sunset View Point and watch the sun go down over the Laccadive Sea. Overnight stay in Kanyakumari.

Day-4 Kanyakumari Sightseeing – Vivekananda Rock & Thiruvalluvar Statue

Sunrise at Triveni Sangam and a ferry to Vivekananda Rock

Start the day with the sunrise from the viewing tower, then visit the Triveni Sangam, where three seas meet. After an early breakfast, reach the Poompuhar Ferry Terminal by 7:45 AM to avoid the 2-hour queue for the boat to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the 133-foot Thiruvalluvar Statue next to it. From the jetty, walk to the 3,000-year-old Bhagavathy Amman Temple (Kumari Amman Temple) to see the goddess's famous diamond nose ring. Then visit the Gandhi Memorial and Kamarajar Memorial by the beach. In the afternoon, take a 15-minute drive north to the 18th-century granite Vattakottai Fort for wide views of the coast. Back in town, photograph the white Our Lady of Ransom Church, then spend the evening shopping on Beach Road for sea-shell crafts and local spices. Return to the hotel for your overnight stay in Kanyakumari.

Day-5 Kanyakumari – Kovalam – Trivandrum | 85 km, 2.5 Hrs

Kovalam Beach and the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

After breakfast, check out and drive across the state border into Kerala towards Kovalam, about 85 km and 2.5 hours. On the way, stop at the giant Gangadhareshwara Shiva Statue at the Aazhimala Shiva Temple. At Kovalam Beach, relax under the coconut palms on Lighthouse Beach or visit the red-and-white striped Vizhinjam Lighthouse. Have a fresh seafood or traditional Kerala lunch at a beachside café and try some water sports. After hotel check-in, drive 30 minutes into Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) to visit the Napier Museum, the Sree Chitra Art Gallery and the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, where the 18-foot reclining idol of Lord Vishnu is seen through three separate doors. The temple has a strict traditional dress code, so come prepared. Return to the hotel for your overnight stay.

Day-6 Trivandrum – Departure from Trivandrum Airport

A Kerala breakfast and some last-minute shopping before your flight

Enjoy a classic Kerala breakfast of Idiyappam or Puttu. Depending on your flight time, do some last-minute shopping for local spices, banana chips or traditional Kasavu handloom sarees. Check out and take the short drive to Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) for your flight home.

Note : Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple dress code: men must wear a dhoti (mundu) without a shirt, and women must wear a saree or long skirt with a blouse. Dhotis can be hired near the temple entrance.