Discover Deccan Tailor-made

Itinerary View Map

Aircraft in the sky Airbus British Airways

Day 1 : To Bangalore

Fly from Heathrow to Bangalore on British Airways flight.

Day 2 : To Mysore via Srirangapatna

Arrive Bangalore early morning. Relax for a few hours at The Goldfinch Retreat. Afternoon drive to Mysore, via Srirangapatna Island Fortress on the River Cauvery. High walls enclose the many Temples, Palaces and the great Mosque. The legendary Tipu Sultan - Tiger of Mysore – lived there until he was killed after being betrayed by a confidant. Two nights at Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel.

Day 3 : Mysore

Morning excursion to the outstanding Temple at Somnathpur built to extol Hoysala craftsmanship. Afternoon sightseeing tour of the delightful green city of Mysore – includes the hilltop Sri Chamundeswari Temple, the vast monolithic Nandi, Mysore Palace and the bustling Devraja market.

Day 4 : To Hassan via Shravanabelagola

Morning drive to Hassan en route visiting Shravanabelagola one of the most sacred Jain centres. See the superb 57-foot tall statue of Lord Bahubali Gomateshwara. Two nights at the Hoysala Village Resort.

Day 5 : Full day excursion to Belur and Halebid

The 12th C. Hoysala Temples are masterpieces; the ornate filigree stonework is unsurpassed. The marvelous star shaped Shiva Temple, in Halebid is breathtaking – fantastic frieze cover the entire exterior with exquisitely carved elephants, horses and mythical beasts. The Chennakesava Temple at Belur built 900 years ago, is yet another prime example of the Hoysala art.

Day 6 : To Hospet

Drive to Hospet. The magical Deccan; wild and evocative, strewn with monolithic granite boulders, is a fitting backdrop for the World Heritage site of this great Vijayanagar ruined city. The sightseeing can only give a mere hint of the glorious past of Hampi: a wonder of architecture and incredible carvings. Two nights at Hampi’s Boulders.

Day 7 : Full day Hampi sightseeing

Visit the many Temples including the spectacular Vittala, with its 56 musical pillars and the Hazara Ramaswami Temple with scenes from the Ramayana carved on two inside walls. Also visit the Queen’s swimming pool and King’s balance scale, where the King was said to be weighed, perhaps against grain or gold, the proceeds would be distributed among the poor.

Day 8 : To Badami via Aihole and Pattadakal

Drive to Badami en route visiting Aihole and Pattadakal. Virupaksha is the main Temple at Pattadakal with lifelike statues of subjects from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Aihole is considered to be the birthplace of Hindu architecture. The site is said to be developed over 600 years. Afternoon visit the four astounding caves of Badami with their wonderful paintings going back to 578AD. One of the finest depicting a stunning 18 armed dancing Nataraja, striking 81 dance poses. Overnight at Badami Court.

Day 9 : To Bijapur

Morning drive to Bijapur. Afternoon sightseeing includes- the Gol Gumbaz, the Tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah and the world’s largest medieval cannon “The Mailk-e-Maidan”. It took over 400 oxen, 10 elephants and countless men to bring the 55 ton war trophy to Bijapur. Overnight at Hotel Madhuvan International.

Day 10 : To Gulbarga

Morning drive to Gulbarga. Afternoon visit the Jama Masjid Mosque built on similar lines to the Cathedral/Mosque of Cordoba in Spain - uniquely it has no minarets, but has a huge dome complemented by smaller ones. Also visit some of the imposing Royal Tombs built for Bahmani Kings. Overnight at Hotel Aditya.

Day 11 : To Hyderabad via Bidar

Drive to Hyderabad en route visiting Bidar with its magnificent Fort - considered in its heyday to be one of India’s most formidable with 3 miles of walls fortified by 37 bastions! Two nights at the Taj Banjara.

Day 12 : Hyderabad

Morning sightseeing of the impressive 13th C. Fortress of Golconda. Later visit the beautiful Charminar built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah between 1591 and 1612. Other visits include the Salar Jung Museum and famous Laad Bazaar.