Discover the Secrets of South India
This seven-day South India tour is markedly different from other group tours. The tour includes attractions such as the Ajanta and Ellora Caves and Hampi. It will take you deep down the cultural and religious history of South India.
Days
7
Price
from US$1,656 p/p
Best For
Discovery-seekers
Best Time
Oct. to Mar.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Excellent Encapsulation/Set of Experiences across China
It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.) More
Ryan Farnan, Mar 2024
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Only way to see Beijing
From the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic. More
John S, Mar 2024
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The tour was of The Greta Wall of China
The tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history More
Alice W, Mar 2024
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Chengdu at it`s best
We made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen. More
peter, Feb 2024
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Best Tour Ever
Other highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing, More
Liz Hickson, Feb 2024
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Chengdu and Volunteer program Panda base
Our day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China. More
Eliaquim, Feb 2024
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Chengdu at it`s best
We had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen. More
Peter, Feb 2024
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Shanghai tour with Kris
We traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great. More
Maria C, Feb 2024
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Guilin 2024
We visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise. More
Explore, Feb 2024
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Excellent service
Amazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping! More
JJC, Feb 2024
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We had an amazing to China
We had an amazing to China. Our tour guide Martin in Shanghai was super knowledgeable, caring and very flexible with our itinerary. When my wife got sick in the Shanghai, he was able to arrange an English-speaking doctor on the spot and took us to the clinic. On top of the that, Martin and the driver stayed with us at the clinic for the whole duration and drove us back to the hotel afterwards. His genuine concern for our welfare and willingness to go the extra mile did not go unnoticed, and we were deeply touched by his kindness and compassion. More
Ray Luan, Feb 2024
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Amazing trip to China
We had an amazing to China. Our tour guide Martin in Shanghai was super knowledgeable, caring and very flexible with our itinerary. When my wife got sick in the Shanghai, he was able to arrange an English-speaking doctor on the spot and took us to the clinic. On top of the that, Martin and the driver stayed with us at the clinic for the whole duration and drove us back to the hotel afterwards. His genuine concern for our welfare and willingness to go the extra mile did not go unnoticed, and we were deeply touched by his kindness and compassion. More
Ray L., Feb 2024
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Beautiful Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful guide, whose praises we can not sing loudly enough, was compassionate, caring, and overall endearing! His sense of ease and familiarity with each sight, which were unfamiliar wonders to us, provided a sense of peacefulness that facilitated full enjoyment - helped too by his punctuality and attention to detail. More
apisn2023, Feb 2024
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The Highlights and High Life of Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful tour guide, made our entire trip an absolute joy for us as he was extraordinarily caring, considerate, and generous. Having had the pleasure of taking in the sights of Beijing previously with another lovely guide, Angela, it was spectacular not only to show the family how fantastic the city is but also how high the quality of services provided by China Highlights are. Each day unveiled a new treasure, helpfully detailed by Ethan, and punctuated by delicious and varied local food. Our driver, Mr. Chen, was also a delight, and was equally as key to the overall experience as he was both attentive and almost mystically punctual! More
Apis, Feb 2024
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Shanghai 2024
We had an amazing to China. Our tour guide Martin in Shanghai was super knowledgeable, caring and very flexible with our itinerary. When my wife got sick in the Shanghai, he was able to arrange an English-speaking doctor on the spot and took us to the clinic. On top of the that, Martin and the driver stayed with us at the clinic for the whole duration and drove us back to the hotel afterwards. His genuine concern for our welfare and willingness to go the extra mile did not go unnoticed, and we were deeply touched by his kindness and compassion. More
Venture33530492375, Feb 2024
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Beautiful Yangshuo
Guilin, but mostly Yangshuo was at the tail end of our China adventure so there was a lot to live up to. Having a guide like Gary Wei meant that our trip ended on a high! We arrived in Guilin very late from an 11 hour train journey. Gary met us with gifts of fruit, sweet bread and cakes which was so unexpected and thoughtful.Gary's knowledge of the area was exceptional and his attention to us the same. He really took our children under his wing - even tuning in to annoying sibling rivalry and managing to keep the peace very well! Gary was our personal photographer at times and even our Taiji instructor, making a beautiful video of us all doing Taiji in a scenic setting :)The cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo is definitely worth taking and we enjoyed our few nights in the area, riding bikes along the river, doing a cooking class and enjoying the scenery More
JenB, Feb 2024
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Vincent was a fantastic guide !
Vincent was a fantastic guide !Vincent is a wonderful & warm guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and his explanations are excellent. He showed us around Guilin & Yangshuo. He attended to all of our needs and really made the tour very special More
David, Feb 2024
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Great Time in Beijing
Our 4-day experience in Beijing was unforgettable. Our guide, Selinda, opened the doors to the city's millennia-old history and culture with her knowledge, kindness, and courtesy. We discovered magnificent places, tasted delicious food, and stayed in clean hotels, all accompanied by safe and reliable transportation service. We recommend traveling with China Highlights. More
Nicola B, Feb 2024
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Alice was a fantastic tour guide
Alice was a fantastic tour guide. She took us to many places in and around Lijiang including Jade Dragon Snow mountain and the old town. She is knowledgeable and very warm & friendly and very helpful with everything More
文文, Feb 2024
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Thank you, Shannon. Thank you, Xi,an.
We met our tour guide Shannon in Xi,an and we enjoyed very much our stay. Her good English level and her knowledge of the history of the city made our jorney very memorable. Kind, flexible and patient, she attended all our wishes. We will always be grateful for her work. More
Man B, Feb 2024
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Tour Highlights
Itinerary Details
The itinerary as below is only suggested for your reference. You can choose to explore India in your own way. Just tell your travel advisor about your interests, requirements, and budget.
Your local guide and driver will escort you from the airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is for you to spend as you wish.
Today, you will start your day by visiting the ancient Indian Buddhist art site — the Ajanta Caves. The drive will take about 2½–3 hours from Aurangabad. The Ajanta Caves are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, facing Godavari River. The caves are famous for their mural art and represent one of India's unique artistic traditions known as rock-cut temples. Ajanta consists of 30 caves, filled with sculptures, wall murals, and ceiling paintings — all dedicated to the life of the Buddha.
In the morning, your guide will accompany you to the Ellora Caves — one of the best rock-cut temple cave complexes in the world. The temples were cut from basaltic cliffs and have elaborate facades and interior walls. The most famous among these is the Kailasa Temple in Cave 16. Unlike other temples at the site, which were first delved horizontally into the rock face, the Kailasa complex was excavated downward from a basaltic slope and is therefore largely exposed to sunlight.
You will take a flight to Mumbai in the afternoon, where your new guide will take you around the city.
Don't forget to visit the top tourist attraction in Mumbai — the Gateway of India. A prominent landmark in the city, the Gateway of India is a favorite gathering place for tourists and locals, bustling with photographers, tea vendors, and local food stalls.
Next, head off to the Prince of Wales Museum (now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya), which was built following a visit by the Prince of Wales to India in 1905. As you pass by Marine Drive, you will see Flora Fountain, which is a representative architecture of Mumbai.
Later, visit the Dhobi Ghat (Indian laundry), where you can see hundreds of people beat the dirt out of thousands of kilograms of soiled Mumbai clothes and linen in 1026 open-air troughs.
In the afternoon, you will visit Bollywood, or the center of Hindi cinema. It is one of the largest film production bases in the world. You will visit the Bollywood Museum, watch a dance show, see actors' makeup rooms, etc. If you are lucky, you may even see some live shoots and take pictures with stars.
Take a flight from Mumbai to Hubli in the morning, where you will meet your new driver who will transfer you to Hampi in about four hours. Once you reach Hampi, relax in the hotel.
Proceed to dig Indian treasure at Hampi — one of the most beautiful cities of the medieval world. There are two parts to Hampi: the Sacred Center and the Royal Center.
First, you will explore its Sacred Center, or, as it is popularly called, the Hampi Bazaar. Move on to visit Virupaksha Temple. The sculpture of Lord Shiva carved out of stone is the predominant feature of this spectacular temple. Built under the ruler Deva Raya II of the great Vijayanagara Empire, the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Next, visit Hemakuta Hill, where you can enjoy the panorama of Virupaksha Temple. Don't miss the Vittala Temple for its unique architecture. Next, head off to Sule Bazaar, which was the most significant business center in ancient Hampi.
Next, discover Hampi's Royal Center. Enjoy the stunning carvings and a full view of the temple group in Mahanavami-diiba. Then head out to Zenana Enclosure, where you will see the Lotus Mahal. Climb up to the top to have a panoramic view of the 11 grand Elephant Stables. The most famous one is Queen's Bath, which will leave a lasting impact on you with its rich history and artistic carvings.
Your driver and guide will see you off at Hubli airport. Have a safe trip to your home.
Price Includes
Price from: $1,656 (Tour code: gh-ah-in-79)
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