Best of Southern India — Plus (Self-Launched)
14 days · Southern India
G Adventures charges £1,350
No-markup version: ~£422 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 14-day loop around Southern India from Kochi back to Kochi, covering Kerala's backwaters and spice hills, the Wayanad forests, royal Mysore, the temple towns of Tamil Nadu (Mamallapuram, Puducherry, Madurai) and a Thekkady wildlife stop. You'll travel by train, bus, auto-rickshaw and country boat, staying in budget hotels, guesthouses and a Kerala homestay, and booking the same headline experiences — nature walks, palace visits, temple tours, spice plantation tours, a cycle-rickshaw city tour and a Kathakali performance — independently. Costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP and assume budget/backpacker-style travel with a mix of dorms, private budget rooms and homestays.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Kochi (Fort Kochi)
Kochi
Land at Cochin International Airport and make your way to Fort Kochi by prepaid taxi (~£8-10) or the airport bus to Aluva then metro/bus. Settle into a budget guesthouse in Fort Kochi and spend the evening wandering the Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church and the colonial lanes. Grab a cheap Keralan thali for dinner.
🚌Airport taxi or bus to Fort Kochi (~£4-10)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Fort Kochi (~£10-14)
- →Self-guided walk of Fort Kochi
- →Chinese fishing nets at sunset
- →Keralan dinner
Kochi to Kalpetta (Wayanad)
Kalpetta
Take a morning train or bus from Ernakulam to Kozhikode (Calicut), then a local bus up into the Wayanad hills to Kalpetta. It's a long but scenic travel day through plantations and ghats. Check into a homestay or budget hotel and eat at a local mess.
🚌Train Ernakulam–Kozhikode (~£2-3) + bus to Kalpetta (~£2)
🛏Homestay/budget hotel in Kalpetta (~£10-15)
- →Scenic hill drive into Wayanad
- →Evening stroll in Kalpetta town
Wayanad Nature Walk & Wildlife Drive
Kalpetta
Book a local forest guide or join a self-arranged Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Muthanga/Tholpetty) jeep safari to look for elephants, gaur and deer. Walk nature trails through the forested areas of the district. Entrance and safari can be arranged on arrival at the sanctuary gate or via your homestay.
🚌Local jeep/auto for safari transfers (~£8-12 shared)
🛏Homestay/budget hotel in Kalpetta (~£10-15)
- →Guided nature walk in Wayanad
- →Wildlife jeep safari (elephants, bison, deer)
Kalpetta to Mysore
Mysore
Travel by bus or a combination of bus and train down to Mysore in Karnataka. On arrival check into a budget hotel near the palace and explore the Devaraja Market in the evening.
🚌Bus/train Kalpetta–Mysore (~£4-6)
🛏Budget hotel in Mysore (~£12-16)
- →Devaraja Market wander
- →Mysore evening streets
Mysore Palace & Chamundi Temple
Mysore
Visit the magnificent Mysore Palace (entry ~£1-2 for foreigners plus optional audio guide) and climb/walk up Chamundi Hill to the Chamundeshwari Temple for city views. Afternoon free for a yoga class or more market browsing.
🚌Auto-rickshaw around the city (~£3-5)
🛏Budget hotel in Mysore (~£12-16)
- →Mysore Palace visit
- →Chamundi Temple
- →Optional yoga class
- →Devaraja Market
Mysore to Mamallapuram
Mamallapuram
An early start for the long journey to the Tamil Nadu coast. Take a train to Chennai (or a sleeper train) and continue by local bus or taxi to Mamallapuram. Visit the 7th-century Shore Temple (UNESCO site) in the late afternoon light.
🚌Train Mysore–Chennai (~£4-6) + bus/taxi to Mamallapuram (~£2-4)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Mamallapuram (~£10-15)
- →Shore Temple (UNESCO)
- →Beach sunset at Mamallapuram
Mamallapuram Free Day
Mamallapuram
Free day to explore the rock-cut caves, the Pancha Rathas and Arjuna's Penance bas-relief, and the lighthouse. Book a surf lesson or simply relax on the beach. Hire a bicycle to get around cheaply.
🚌Bicycle hire (~£2)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Mamallapuram (~£10-15)
- →Pancha Rathas & Arjuna's Penance
- →Bicycle hire
- →Optional surf lesson
Mamallapuram to Puducherry
Puducherry
Bus or taxi along the coast to Puducherry (Pondicherry). Explore the French Quarter's mustard-yellow streets, the Promenade, and visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram to learn about its history. Book a sunset boat trip on the backwater if time allows.
🚌Bus Mamallapuram–Puducherry (~£2-3)
🛏Budget guesthouse in White Town or nearby (~£12-18)
- →French Quarter walk
- →Sri Aurobindo Ashram visit
- →Promenade sunset
Puducherry to Madurai
Madurai
Travel inland by train or bus to Madurai, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Arrive by evening and eat at a local eatery near the temple.
🚌Train/bus Puducherry–Madurai (~£4-6)
🛏Budget hotel in Madurai (~£10-14)
- →Train/bus day
- →Evening around Meenakshi Temple
Madurai Cycle-Rickshaw Tour & Meenakshi Temple
Madurai
Take an eco-friendly cycle-rickshaw tour of the city (arrange directly with a rickshaw wallah, ~£4-6 for an hour or two) and visit the extraordinary Meenakshi Amman Temple with its towering gopurams. Optionally book a temple-food walk via GetYourGuide.
🚌Cycle-rickshaw (~£4-6)
🛏Budget hotel in Madurai (~£10-14)
- →Cycle-rickshaw city tour
- →Meenakshi Temple visit
- →Optional temple food walk
Madurai to Thekkady (Spice Plantations)
Thekkady
Travel by bus over the Cardamom Hills to Thekkady (Kumily), on the edge of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Join a guided spice plantation tour on foot (~£5-8) to see cardamom, pepper and vanilla growing. Optional evening boat trip on Periyar Lake.
🚌Bus Madurai–Thekkady (~£3-4)
🛏Budget homestay/guesthouse in Kumily (~£10-15)
- →Spice plantation guided tour
- →Periyar Lake boat trip (optional)
Thekkady to Alleppey (Kerala Backwaters Homestay)
Alleppey (Alappuzha)
Travel to Alleppey and check into a local homestay. In the afternoon take a shared country boat or canoe on the backwaters to see village life up close — a cheaper alternative to an overnight houseboat. Enjoy a home-cooked Kerala dinner with your host family.
🚌Bus Thekkady–Alleppey (~£3-4) + boat (~£5)
🛏Kerala homestay in Alleppey (~£12-18)
- →Backwaters country boat/canoe trip
- →Kerala homestay dinner
Alleppey to Kochi: Kathakali & Women's Lunch
Kochi
Return to Kochi by bus or train. In the afternoon, book a Kathakali performance in Fort Kochi (~£5-8 with make-up demonstration). Enjoy a Keralan lunch with the Theruvarom women's cooperative (book direct, ~£5) to support the local empowerment project.
🚌Bus/train Alleppey–Kochi (~£1-3)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Fort Kochi (~£10-14)
- →Kathakali dance performance
- →Lunch at Theruvarom Women Empowerment Project
- →Fort Kochi sights
Depart Kochi
Kochi
Depending on your flight time, do a final walk along the Fort Kochi waterfront or pick up souvenirs, then transfer to the airport for departure.
🚌Taxi/bus to airport (~£4-10)
🛏N/A (departure)
- →Final Fort Kochi walk
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£422 | £1,350 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £928 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£422
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Southern India — Plus (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £422 per person for 14 days in Southern 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,350 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £422 — a saving of roughly £928 (69%) per person.
How long is the Southern India trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Southern 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, budget trip through Southern 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?
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