12 Day Cultures of South India Premium Guided Motorbike Tour

Day 1: Arrival at Bangalore

Welcome, riders, to the IT city of Bangalore. The representative welcomes you and ensures your safe transfer to the hotel. In the evening, you will gather for orientation and group meet up. Learn all about the road trip in the orientation: the roadmap, riding etiquette, pitfalls, and rules followed by motorcycle allocation. Inform the team of any issues on the motorbike, followed by welcome dinner.

• Transfers: Group transfer from airport to hotel
• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Dinner

Day 2: Bangalore - Mysore (150 kilometers / 93 miles)

Let's Go! You are leaving for Mysore, known as Garden City and the Coty of Palaces. You will ride on the state highway 17 (SH-17) between the two cities through a well maintained and extremely popular highway. This route is truly a treat if you are a fan of exploring the numerous facets of rural India including its art, tradition, culture, and cuisine. When you arrive at Mysore, visit the Chamundi Temple and the Maharaja Mysore Palace, rebuilt in 1912 after the ravages of 1897 fire, arguably the most beautiful in India, mastered by Henry Irwin, a British architect; blending several styles (the Indo-Muslim, Oriental, and Dravidian).

• Accommodation: 4-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 3: Mysore - Ooty (130 kilometers / 81 miles)

It is the day when we ride to Ooty, a small mountain resort located on the Nilgiris mountain range, leaving Kerala through a winding road of Coonoor Ghat is one of the most scenic in South India. It offers you a superb view of the plains & splendid forests of palm trees & other trees. After 3 hours of ride, you arrive in Ooty. Enjoy this small mountain resort.

• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 4: Ooty - Coonoor - Ooty (50 kilometers / 31 miles)

After a good breakfast, it's time to explore Nilgiri Mountain Railway and experience one of the highlights of your tour; boarding a train to Coonoor through the mountains. The remarkable journey is packed with splendid breathtaking views which include the dense shola forests, a myriad of birds, varied species of plants, forested hills, gushing waterfalls, meandering rivers, and mist-clad mountains. You can also visit the town. Later, you return to Ooty and visit Dodabetta Peak. It offers a scenic view of the valley around it. Enjoy the hot cup of Ooty Tea in the clouds.

• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 5: Ooty - Palakkad (165 kilometers / 103 miles)

Today, you drive to Palakkad, the gateway to God's own land due to the gap between the western ghats which connects Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The district is known for its granary, forests, mountain streams, and dams. Palakkad Fort is famous for its rich history from the Zomorian rule to Mysore Sultans and eventually by the British; for which it is featured in all tours. You will visit the Kalapathy Temple, the Garden Malamphuzha Rock, and Palakkad Fort. The main highlight of today is the stay as you will be staying at Kandath Tharavad, the ancestral home of the Kandath family set on the edges of rice paddy fields in rural Kerala. The house is over 200-year old and a gem in terms of domestic architecture and is constructed primarily of mud and teak.

• Accommodation: Kandath Tharavad (premium homestay)
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 6: Palakkad - Munnar (165 kilometers / 103 miles)

The ride begins in the countryside to riding in national park to the jungles of Kerala; the route is flanked by mountains on both sides. Ride through the magical lands of Tamil Nadu and enter into Kerala again to enjoy the coffee and tea gardens of Munnar. Enjoy the beautiful views of spice plantation and drive in the magical landscapes of Kerala.

• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 7: Munnar

After a good breakfast, you explore the spice markets of Munnar. Kerala has an excellent mix of spices and other Ayurvedic products for shopping. Later, visit Mattupetty, which is famous for its highly specialized dairy farm, the Indo-Swiss livestock project. After, visit Pothamedu, which offers an excellent view of the tea, coffee, and cardamom plantations in Munnar and the Tea Museum.

• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 8: Munnar - Periyar (100 kilometers / 62 miles)

You take the road to Periyar, through some truly spectacular scenery. You pass through the rice paddies before starting the ascent through the rubber and tea plantations of the Cardamom Hills and Southern Ghats until you reach the Periyar. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and relax. Later, take a walk in the market and do some spice shopping and enjoy the resort.

• Accommodation: 4-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 9: Periyar - Alleppey (165 kilometers / 99 miles)

After breakfast, you leave the green lands of elephants towards the famous backwaters of Kerala. The ride isn't the most scenic of the lot as it passes through lots of busy towns and chaotic villages. Upon arrival, check-in at the houseboat and relax. It will be a unique and exclusive experience in your lifetime You will be cruising along the village sides and paddy fields witnessing the core life of the Kerala villages.

• Accommodation: House boat
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 10: Alleppey - Cochin (70 kilometers / 43 miles)

Start your day and ride to Cochin through a scenic fisherman village and also enjoy a motorbike ride along the sea. After checking in to a hotel, visit the Church of St. Francis and the Basilica Santa Cruz. You will discover the Fort Kochi area to visit the huge Chinese fishing nets hanging.

• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 11: Cochin

After breakfast, you leave for the visit of Mattancherry's Palace, also called 'Dutch Palace', built in 1555 by the Portuguese and gifted to the King of Cochin, Veera Kerala Varma. Despite its western origins, the palace is built in the Indo-Kerala style, with beautiful wrought ironwork, magnificent coffered ceilings, and roofs reminiscent of Chinese pagodas. In the afternoon, you will visit the Kochi Synagogue, the oldest by age.

• Accommodation: 3-star hotel
• Included meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 12: Cochin

You mark the end of the fabulous journey with a great breakfast. Soon after, you will check out to go back to your lives.

• Transfer: Group transfer hotel to airport
• Included meals: Breakfast

Skill level

Beginner:

• can ride for 2-3 hours
• minimal riding experience
• assistance required
• comfortable with curves and leans
• basic experience with unsurfaced roads
• short distance ascents and descents

This tour will cover various destinations in India including Bengaluru, Mysore, Ooty, Coonoor, Palakkad, Munnar, Periyar, Alleppey, and Cochin.

+−

Daily breakfast and dinner are included in the package. You would find continental breakfast along with Indian cuisines: Paratha, Poha, Jalebi, etc. Expect a change of flavor with Indian spices! You will be served with chapatis, curry, and rice for dinner along with your routine taste.

• Visits to local markets
• Enjoy an Ayurvedic massage in Thekkady
• Take away Kerala’s famous souvenirs

The spa is available in most places.

• Royal Enfield 500 cc motorcycle for the tour
• 11 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast and dinner
• Experienced road captain
• Experienced mechanic
• One spare rider for an emergency
• Basic medical amenities
• Support vehicle for carrying luggage and other essentials
• Group pick up and drop - Cochin International Airport (COK)
• All tolls
• Activities and visits to make the experience truly memorable

• Applicable government GST tax
• Your two-way travel to Bangalore International Airport (BLR) and from Cochin Airport Cochin International Airport (COK)
• Lunch on all days
• Fuel for the ride
• Personal travel insurance
• Alcoholic beverages
• Indian visa
• Spa / Ayurvedic massage treatments
• Personal expenses (snacks, bottled water, juice, porter, etc.)
• Any spares consumed during the ride
• Monument entry charges and safari charges
• 10,000 INR refundable security deposit for the motorcycle
• Upgrade to a Royal Enfield Himalayan - 8,000 INR per motorcycle
• Optional rental for the helmet, knee guards, and jacket
• Anything not mentioned in inclusions
• Any hotel, subsistence, or other cost incurred prior to the official start date of the tour and after the official end date of the tour

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.