Discover the Great Living Chola Temples — three UNESCO World Heritage Sites — on this temple tour of the Kaveri delta. See the massive Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur, the finely carved Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, and the towering gopurams of Srirangam.
- Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Route: Tiruchirappalli – Thanjavur – Darasuram – Kumbakonam – Gangaikonda Cholapuram – Tiruchirappalli
- Best time to visit: October to March
- Starts: Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) airport / railway station
- Ends: Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) airport / railway station
Tour Highlights
- Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam — one of the largest functioning temples in the world
- Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Trichy
- Brihadeeswarar (Big) Temple, Thanjavur
- Thanjavur Maratha Palace and Saraswathi Mahal Library
- Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram
- Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the bronze-casting village of Swamimalai
Itinerary
Day 1: ARRIVE TIRUCHIRAPPALLI (TRICHY)
- Arrive at Trichy airport or railway station and meet your driver
- Check in to the hotel
- Visit the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam with its 21 gopurams
- Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikaval
- Evening climb to the Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar Temple for sunset over the Kaveri
- Overnight stay in Trichy
Day 2: TRICHY – THANJAVUR (60 KMS / 1.5 HRS DRIVE)
- Breakfast and check out
- Drive to Thanjavur and check in to the hotel
- Visit the Brihadeeswarar Temple, built by Raja Raja Chola I over 1,000 years ago
- Thanjavur Maratha Palace, Saraswathi Mahal Library and the Art Gallery of Chola bronzes
- Return to the Big Temple in the evening to see it lit up
- Overnight stay in Thanjavur
Day 3: THANJAVUR – DARASURAM – KUMBAKONAM – GANGAIKONDA CHOLAPURAM
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, known for its stone chariot and miniature carvings
- Temples of Kumbakonam: Adi Kumbeswarar, Sarangapani and the Mahamaham tank
- Swamimalai, where artisans still cast bronze idols using the lost-wax method
- Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the capital built by Rajendra Chola I
- Return to Thanjavur for dinner and overnight stay
Day 4: THANJAVUR – TRICHY DEPARTURE (60 KMS)
- Breakfast and check out
- Shop for Thanjavur paintings and art plates
- Drop at Trichy airport / railway station for your onward journey
- Tour ends with sweet memories
Plan This Trip With Us
This itinerary is fully customisable — add a day, change hotel category, or turn it into a family, group or honeymoon trip. We can also help with flights or trains to the starting point. Prices depend on your travel dates, hotel choice and group size. Call or WhatsApp us on +91 98847 98483 or email info@adwaittours.com for a free quote.
Photo credits: Brihadisvara Temple during Maha Shivaratri-WUS03611 (edit) by Original: Rainer Halama Derivative work: UnpetitproleX (CC BY-SA 4.0); Rock Fortress – Tiruchirappalli – India by Adam Jones Adam63 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, in Srirangam, near Tiruchirappali (151) by Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (CC BY 2.0); Gangaikonda Cholapuram view by Saranya Chidambaram (CC BY-SA 4.0); Darasuram, Airavatesvara Temple, Mandapa at night 4, India by Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
