SOUTH INDIA · INDIA
South India’s best days out.
The 15 most popular guided tours in South India, gathered on one page. What each one is really like on the day, how long it runs, what it costs and who you book it through.
Private Kochi tuk-tuk tour with hotel pickup, Fort Kochi sights, spice market, Dutch Palace, and churches plus a local guide.
Most Popular“We enjoyed the tour of Cochin with Sabir and Riyas. Both showed us the hot spots of the city. I will definitely hire them again.”
See old and modern Bengaluru in one packed day with a small group, hotel pickup, temple and market stops, and a traditional MTR lunch.
“The guide kept sneaking photos of everyone on the tour. This happened at every single stop, and he never asked permission either. My group and the other traveler were doing our best to turn our backs when this was happening. This made us feel incredibly uncomfortable, as if we were zoo animals.”
Bengaluru in one day with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, a private car, included lunch, and key temples and palaces.
“Divakar was punctual, helpful and patient when guiding me through each site. I was travelling solo and felt very comfortable with him as my tour guide for the day. I got to see the top attractions in Bangalore all in the allocated time. It Read more”
Chennai in a day by private car with an English guide: Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Ramakrishna Math, San Thome, Fort St George, Marina Beach, and lunch.
“The tour guide was punctual and very knowledgeable. He went extra mile to accommodate us. Highly recommend him as a guide!”
Fort Kochi and Mattancherry heritage walk with Chinese fishing nets, churches, Dutch cemetery, palace, Jewish sites, and spice market.
“Biju is a very competent local guide, clearly proud (and rightly so!) of his home town. Very generous with his knowledge and his time (our tour overran, as we were enjoying it so much!)”
Kochi highlights in one day: Kochi Castle, Makino Botanical Garden, Hirome Ichiba and Chikurinji Temple with a local English guide.
“Not knowing anything about Kochi City, we left our day's tour agenda up to Miyo, our guide. She took us to the botanical garden, where we spent several hours exploring the native plants and learning about the life of Dr. Tomitaro Makino. It was very interesting and enjoyable. She took us to Obiyamachi shopping street…”
Private Chennai-to-Mahabalipuram day trip by car with guide, included entrances, and lunch, covering Pallava rock temples and Shore Temple.
“We had a wonderful day in a pretty amazing place. All the tour guides were knowledgeable, professional, and great company.”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk tour with cruise pickup for Chinese fishing nets, churches, Dutch cemetery, spice stops, and synagogues in 4–5 hours.
“I am really impressed with the efficiency of the whole process. I was kept informed of the tour at every stage. The ability to contact the tour operator directly was a bonus. The tour was an authentic experience and all the visitors in the group thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Bangalore to Mysore in 12 hours: Mysore Palace, Tipu’s Summer Palace, Bailey Dungeon, lunch and guide, with optional Somnathpur temple.
“I was on a work trip in Bangalore and decided to book this tour since I had an extra day before my flight home. My guide Manjunath was wonderful. During our drive to Mysore he pointed out interesting things along the road. The local guides at Somanathapura and Mysore palace were very knowledgeable and informative.…”
2-hour guided walking tour in Trivandrum’s fort area, from East Fort to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and royal museums for $14.
“This was an absolute gem of a tour.! Gokul our guide was wonderful explaining everything and giving plenty of time for questions. Highly recommend doing the evening tour as you get to see all the lovely coloured lights. A real highlight of our trip!”
A 2-hour Chennai walking tour starting at Kapaleeshwarar Temple, mixing temples, church, coffee, and sea views with English/Hindi guides.
“Fantastic experience. Nethaji guided us through the temples with clear explanations and helped us appreciate the history. The relaxed pace and local treats made it even better. Great value for first-time visitors.”
A 2-hour Sowcarpet street food walk in Chennai with a guide, from murukku sandwiches and Kesar lassi to jalebi and vada pav.
“Great experience on this tour. Although I’m very familiar with Indian food, this tour gave me an opportunity to try a lot of previously unknown foods. Everything was delicious, and no one had any stomach problems afterwards.”
Private Chennai sights by car with guide and meals: Marina Beach, Fort St. George, temples, St Thomas relics, breakfast, and lunch.
“I have been traveling around India and this was the least inspiring experience. The temples were the highlight but other places on the tour were just added in just to increase the day.”
Private Fort Kochi tuk-tuk tour with a local guide, quick stops at major landmarks, good photo help, and admissions covered for many sites.
“Jalish took me around Kumbalangi and Mattancherry and was extremely kind! He took me around, explained things and also gave great suggestions for Fort Kochi and around. When you're in Fort Kochi, give Jalish a chance to take you around and you won't regret it!”
Private Kochi to Munnar day tour with hotel pickup, AC comfort, waterfalls, spice and tea stops, plus free-entry sights.
“Our driver and guide Mibin picked us up very early in the morning at our hostel in Fort Kochi. On the way to Munnar he explained a lot of things we passed and offered to stop to take pictures or do some activities. Regarding the meals he was very flexible and offered to have breakfast…”
Every corner of the region, and every way to see it.
