8 days, 7 nights ยท Chennai to Kanyakumari
Eight-day South India tour package: the temple line to the end of the peninsula
Eight days carries the circuit past Madurai to the two places that finish it properly: Rameswaram, on an island reached by a road bridge over the sea, with a temple whose corridors are the longest in India; and Kanyakumari, where the peninsula ends and three seas meet. It is the version that turns a temple tour into a journey with a destination.
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The extension
What the last two days add
Rameswaram is an island in the Palk Strait, about 170 kilometres east of Madurai, reached by the Pamban road bridge alongside the old rail bridge. The Ramanathaswamy temple there has the longest pillared corridors of any temple in India — over a kilometre of them — and the town sits about 25 kilometres from Sri Lanka at the narrowest point. Dhanushkodi, at the far tip, is a settlement destroyed by a cyclone in 1964 and left as it was.
Kanyakumari is the other kind of ending: the southernmost point of mainland India, where the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar statue stand on islets offshore, reached by ferry, and both sunrise and sunset can be watched over water from the same spot — which is rare enough to be the reason most people come.
Together they change the shape of the trip. The six-day circuit ends at a great temple in a working city; the eight-day one ends at the edge of the country. For a first visit to South India that will not be repeated soon, the difference is worth two charter days.
The two ends
Rameswaram and Kanyakumari, and what to expect
Both are pilgrimage places first and sights second, which shapes the experience.
Rameswaram and the Pamban bridge
The road bridge over the strait is itself worth the drive. The temple corridors are extraordinary; the 22 theerthams, where pilgrims are doused with water from each well in turn, are a spectacle. Dhanushkodi at the tip is bleak and unforgettable.
Kanyakumari
Sunrise and sunset over water from the same point, ferries to the Vivekananda Rock and the Thiruvalluvar statue, and the Gandhi memorial. It is crowded at dawn and dusk and quiet in between.
The road between them
About 300 km through Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli, with the Western Ghats appearing to the west. Roughly six hours, which is why this leg gets its own day rather than being tacked onto a temple morning.
The driving
Six legs, with the two longest in the south
About 1,100 kilometres from Chennai to Kanyakumari, still one-way with nothing driven twice.
- Chennai to Mamallapuram to Puducherry — about 160 km over two days The coastal opening, unchanged from the six-day circuit.
- Puducherry to Thanjavur — about 170 km, 3.5 hours Inland through Chidambaram into the delta.
- Thanjavur to Madurai — about 190 km, 3.5 hours Through Tiruchirappalli and Srirangam.
- Madurai to Rameswaram — about 170 km, 3.5 hours East to the coast and over the Pamban bridge onto the island.
- Rameswaram to Kanyakumari — about 300 km, 6 hours The long day: back over the bridge and south-west through Tirunelveli to the tip.
Onward
Where the circuit naturally continues
Kanyakumari sits about 90 kilometres from Trivandrum, which makes this circuit the most natural feed into Kerala of any route we publish. A traveller with a fortnight can run the temples down to the tip and then turn north up the Kerala coast — Kovalam, the backwaters, Munnar — finishing at Cochin. The same car and chauffeur carry on, and the seven-day Kerala circuit is the second half read in reverse.
The alternative continuation is west into the Ghats: Madurai to Munnar is about 160 kilometres and four hours, and Kodaikanal is closer still. Either turns the temple circuit into a temples-and-hills one without much extra driving.
For travellers going the other way, Chennai is about 350 kilometres from Bengaluru, which links this circuit to the Karnataka route. The charter builder prices any of these combinations on the same published card.
Booking
How to book the eight-day circuit
Book the transport direct on the booking page, fare fixed before payment. Flights out of Kanyakumari mean Trivandrum airport, about 90 kilometres away, or Madurai if you would rather double back; the desk prices both against your dates. For hotels, ferries, guides and entries included, ask through the contact page. Cancellation is free beyond 72 hours, then stepped at 10%, 50% and 100%.
Day by day
The eight-day itinerary, leg by leg
The six-day temple line with two days added at the southern end, still running one-way so nothing is driven twice.
| Day | Where | What the day covers | On the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Chennai to Mamallapuram | Met at Chennai airport and down the East Coast Road. The Shore Temple in the late light. | Chennai-Mamallapuram ~60 km, 1.5 hrs |
| Day 2 | Mamallapuram to Puducherry | Arjuna's Penance and the Five Rathas early, then the coast road south. The French quarter in the evening. | Mamallapuram-Puducherry ~100 km, 2.5 hrs |
| Day 3 | Puducherry to Thanjavur | The ashram and the quarter, then inland with a stop at Chidambaram. | Puducherry-Thanjavur ~170 km, 3.5 hrs |
| Day 4 | Thanjavur | Brihadisvara at opening, the palace and the bronze gallery, with Darasuram and Kumbakonam in the afternoon. | Darasuram ~35 km, Kumbakonam ~40 km |
| Day 5 | Thanjavur to Madurai | Through Tiruchirappalli for the Rockfort and Srirangam, then Madurai for the evening ceremony. | Thanjavur-Madurai ~190 km, 3.5 hrs |
| Day 6 | Madurai to Rameswaram | Meenakshi Amman at opening, then east over the Pamban bridge. The temple corridors in the afternoon and Dhanushkodi at the tip. | Madurai-Rameswaram ~170 km, 3.5 hrs |
| Day 7 | Rameswaram to Kanyakumari | The long leg south-west through Tirunelveli, arriving in time for sunset over the water. | Rameswaram-Kanyakumari ~300 km, 6 hrs |
| Day 8 | Kanyakumari | Sunrise from the point, the ferry to the Vivekananda Rock and the Thiruvalluvar statue, then Trivandrum airport or on into Kerala. | Kanyakumari-Trivandrum ~90 km, 2 hrs |
What it costs
The 8-day South India circuit: two ways to buy it
Eight charter days at the published rate, for the car rather than per person. Ferry tickets at Kanyakumari are a separate charge paid at the jetty and billed at cost.
Transport package — firm, published
Every kilometre of the 8-day circuit in a private chauffeured car: the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, and the driver's meals and accommodation on the road. Priced at the published charter-day rate × 8 days, the same figure as the rates page.
From $15,600 - $18,720 per car for the whole circuit
On the international card · Premium MPV · GST extra · tolls, parking and state entry taxes at cost
All-inclusive — stays, meals and entries
The same itinerary with hotels, breakfasts, monument entries and a licensed guide arranged for you. Because we contract stays per departure date and per hotel category, this tier is quoted on request rather than published — we will not print a per-person figure we cannot hold.
Send the dates and the hotel category you want (3-star, 4-star, heritage or palace) through the contact page and the desk returns a written quote, itemised, within one working day.
| Vehicle class | Cars | Per charter day 10 hours / 300 km | 8-day circuit International card, USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium MPV 6 passengers, 5 bags |
Toyota Innova Hycross & Kia Carnival | $1,950 - $2,340 | $15,600 - $18,720 |
| Executive sedan 3 passengers, 2 bags |
Mercedes-Benz E-Class & BMW 5 Series | $1,700 - $2,040 | $13,600 - $16,320 |
| Luxury SUV 5 passengers, 4 bags |
Toyota Fortuner, Land Cruiser & Mercedes-Benz GLS | $2,250 - $2,700 | $18,000 - $21,600 |
| Group van 12 passengers, 12 bags |
Force Urbania & Tempo Traveller (executive) | $3,200 - $3,840 | $25,600 - $30,720 |
What the transport package includes
- A private, air-conditioned vehicle of the class you book, held for the whole circuit — the same car from the first pickup to the last drop, never shared and never re-assigned.
- One professional chauffeur for the whole circuit, holding a commercial licence and a state transport badge, police-verified and background-checked, in uniform and speaking English and Hindi.
- Fuel, the chauffeur's own meals and accommodation on every outstation night, and the vehicle's permits, fitness certificate and insurance.
- All airport, railway-station and hotel transfers inside the itinerary, with the flight tracked on the arrival leg and 60 minutes of waiting included after landing.
- A named coordinator at the desk for the whole trip, reachable on one number, who holds the run sheet and moves a leg when a day runs long.
- A written confirmation before departure carrying the chauffeur's name and licence number and the vehicle registration, so a security office or a hotel can check it against the operator record.
What it does not include
- Hotels, meals and anything consumed off the road — those are the all-inclusive tier, quoted on request rather than published.
- Monument and museum entry fees, which differ for Indian, SAARC and foreign visitors and change by notification; the desk quotes the current figures with the itinerary.
- Licensed local guides, which we arrange city by city on request and bill at cost.
- Tolls, parking and state entry taxes, charged at cost against receipts rather than estimated into the fare.
- Air and rail tickets into and out of the circuit, which the travel desk books separately.
- GST, added to every figure at the applicable rate, and any night allowance where a leg runs between 10 pm and 6 am.
- Airport transfers include 60 minutes of waiting after landing and meet-and-greet at the arrivals exit.
- The charter day (10 hours, 300 km) includes fuel and the chauffeur's meals and accommodation on outstation nights.
- Night driving between 10 pm and 6 am carries the night allowance per night; a second chauffeur is added on days over 12 hours.
- Tolls, parking, state entry taxes and permits are charged at cost against receipts; monument and guide fees through the travel desk are itemised.
- No gratuity is expected. GST is shown separately on every invoice. Cancellation terms are on the cancellation policy page.
- Vintage cars and stretch limousines are quoted per event.
- GST at 5% on chauffeured hire (18% where input credit is claimed) is added to every figure. The full international card is on the rates page; the charter builder prices a circuit of any length live, and the booking page takes the payment direct.
- Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before the first pickup, then 10% inside 72 hours, 50% inside 48 hours and the full first day inside 24 hours or for a no-show — the schedule on the cancellation policy page.
Questions
The 8-day South India circuit: frequently asked
Is Rameswaram worth the detour?
It is not a detour — it is on the way south. The Pamban bridge over the sea, the kilometre of temple corridors and the ruins at Dhanushkodi make it one of the more memorable stops on the circuit.
Can you see sunrise and sunset at Kanyakumari?
Yes, over water from the same point, which is why people come. Both are crowded; the hours in between are surprisingly quiet.
Which airport do we fly out of?
Trivandrum, about 90 km and two hours from Kanyakumari, is the usual choice. Madurai works if you would rather double back. The desk prices both against your dates.
Can this connect into a Kerala trip?
Very naturally — Kanyakumari to Trivandrum is 90 km, so the temple circuit feeds straight into the Kerala coast. The same car and chauffeur continue and the charter builder prices the combined route.
How long is the longest driving day?
Rameswaram to Kanyakumari, about 300 km and six hours. It has its own day rather than being attached to a temple morning.
Is eight days too long for temples?
The last two days are not temple days — they are an island, a bridge and the end of the peninsula. That variety is exactly what stops the circuit becoming repetitive.
Same circuit, other lengths
The South India temple circuit in a different number of days
On the route
Chauffeur service in the cities this circuit runs through
Other circuits
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Book
Book the eight-day South India circuit direct
Eight charter days price live by vehicle class, fare fixed before payment. The circuit ends at Kanyakumari; Trivandrum is the usual departure airport.
Weddings, film units, multi-day chauffeur hire, outstation journeys and anything with more than one vehicle are quoted by a person: call (877) 860-3388 or send the outline and a coordinator replies with a written quote.
Offers through BookingWorldwide.net
Hotels and flights for this itinerary, through BookingWorldwide.net
The stays along this route are on BookingWorldwide.net; reserve them there or ask our desk for the all-inclusive quote, and the chauffeured legs are lined up against whichever you choose.
Flight + hotel packages
Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa and Kerala bundles for festival weeks, school holidays and long weekends, with the airport transfer added to the same itinerary.
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Delhi, Agra and Jaipur hotels on one booking, and the RUTZ.IN chauffeur for the whole circuit quoted beside it.
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Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Hyderabad palace hotels, chosen with the transfer distance from the airport in mind.
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Beach and backwater resorts for the weeks a chauffeur is only needed at each end of the stay, with Dabolim, Mopa or Cochin airport pickups timed to the flight.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Hill-station stays
Shimla, Manali, Mussoorie, Darjeeling, Ooty, Munnar and Coorg hotels, with the SUV from the gateway airport quoted on the same plan.
See current offers on BookingWorldwide.net →Wildlife and safari lodges
Ranthambore, Jim Corbett, Kaziranga, Periyar and Bandhavgarh lodges and safari permits reserved before the car is dispatched.
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Taj Mahal entry, Kerala houseboats, Jaipur hot-air balloons, city walks and festival tickets reserved ahead so the chauffeured day runs to the plan.
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Fares into every airport on the airports page, so the car is timed to a confirmed arrival rather than an estimate.
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For the middle days of a trip, returned to the airport where the RUTZ.IN chauffeur collects you again.
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See also, and where the facts come from
On RUTZ.IN: India tour packages · 6-day South India tour · 7-day Kerala tour · Chauffeur service in Chennai · Charter · Rates · City to City.
Official references used on this page:
- Incredible India: Chennai Ministry of Tourism guide to the city, the Marina and the temples a chauffeured day covers.
- Incredible India: Puducherry Ministry of Tourism page giving Puducherry as about 170 km from Chennai.
- TNRDC: East Coast Road toll rates The tolled stretch of the ECR used on Mahabalipuram and Puducherry runs.
- Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India Official destination guides and tourist statistics.