Madurai & Tanjore women group tour - Heritage & History

Madurai & beyond – Heritage and history!

Tamil Nadu

5 Days

Moderate Walk/Climb (3-5 km/day)

Starts in 7 weeks

START DATE

24 JUN, Wed

END DATE

28 JUN, Sun

₹42,500*

on double sharing

* 5% GST extra

❮

Madurai & beyond – Heritage and history!

₹ 42,500 * 5% GST extra

START DATE

24 JUN, Wed

END DATE

28 JUN, Sun

₹ 42,500 * 5% GST extra

This June join our Madurai & Tanjore women group tour. Try authentic local food and revel in the sweet fragrance of the Jasmine flowers of Madurai. Experience what living in a mammoth luxurious mansion of the Chettinad region feels like. Interact with artisans making Chola-style bronze idols and Tanjore paintings. Allow the longest temple corridor in the world and the seaside ghost town to blow your mind. Unearth the secrets of an ancient civilization.

Come, join our all-women group tour to Tamil Nadu and explore this enchanting part of Tamil Nadu with F5.

Highlights

Experience spirituality at Meenakshi Amman and Rameswaram temples

Visit the ghost town of Dhanushkodi

Witness the craftsmanship behind saree weaving and tile making

Behold the majesty of the Tanjore Brihadisvara Temple (UNESCO site)

Important

This trip will have a lot of temple visits and require a fair bit of walking as all temple complexes are huge. We will also try to keep it as non-religious, and as story-oriented and culture oriented, as possible.

Getting there

Any doubts on arrival and departure guidelines?

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Arrive by 12 PM on 24 JUN

Madurai Airport (IXM)

Tamil Nadu

Return after 3 PM on 28 JUN

Madurai Airport (IXM)

Tamil Nadu

Itinerary

30°C - 38°C | Hot humid days, Warm nights

Chance of rain: Low-Medium

Note: This is a prediction. The weather may change

Day 1 : Arrive in Madurai. Meenakshi Amman Temple. Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal.

Arrivals

Walk: 2-3 hrs

Local sightseeing

Arrive and settle in Madurai. Set out to explore the city after lunch. Understand the city’s history and explore the attractions, including the Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, Meenakshi Amman Temple, and the shopping complexes. A plethora of sensory experiences await you. Overnight at Madurai.

This is a woman only group tour to Madurai, Tanjore and other cities. There will be a lot of temple visits and will require sufficient walking/climbing of stairs. Also, we will try keeping it as non-religious, and as story-oriented and culture oriented, as possible.

The end of June is the season of mild to hot weather (about 30-35 degree Celsius) in Madurai, but given that Madurai weather is ‘hot, hotter, hottest’ all through the year, brace yourself for some heat and humidity in the coastal region, with occasional showers.

Sujata Jadhao

The best part of traveling with F5 Escapes is their thoughtfully designed offbeat itineraries. They go beyond sightseeing — highlighting local art, artists, culture, and carefully chosen accommodations that reflect the soul of the place… It’s not just a tour — it’s a well-thought-out experience.

Day 2 : Tanjore Big Temple. Palace complex. Chola style bronze sculpting and Tanjore paintings.

Drive: 3-4 hrs

Walk: 2-3 hrs

Temple complex

After breakfast, proceed towards Tanjore. Today you will experience one of the most inspiring and imposing pieces of architecture – The 11th-century Brihadisvara Temple complex in Tanjore. It is the largest temple complex in India and one of the largest in the world, bearing testimony to the great Chola dynasty. We will also visit the Tanjore Palace complex, which presents the region’s rich Maratha and Tamil history. Also, get to understand some of the famed local arts and crafts. Overnight at Tanjore.

The Tanjore/Thanjavur Brihadeeswara Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its architectural brilliance, sculpture and Chola engineering precision.

Interior Tamil Nadu has a very scant number of people who can understand or communicate in Hindi. Our tour lead and guide will manage the language barrier.

FUN FACT!

Did you know? The Brihadisvar temple is known by many names. Its builder called it ‘Rajarajesvaram’ (meaning Lord of Rajaraja), while locally it's called ‘Peruvudaiyar Kovil’ (translating to Temple of the great lord), though most popularly it’s known as ‘Thanjai Periya Kovil’ or Thanjavur Big Temple.

Day 3 : Dhanushkodi. Rameshwaram Temple.

Drive: 4-5 hrs

Walk: 2-3 hrs

Local sightseeing

Proceed to Rameshwaram after an early breakfast. Visit the Pamban Bridge on the way. Check in and proceed to visit Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi is a ghost town that was declared unfit for living by the government post the disastrous 1964 cyclone. Did you know the story behind the train that disappeared into the sea? Know it all today. We will also visit the Rameswaram temple. Overnight at Rameshwaram.

In most places, we will get authentic Chettinad and Madurai/Tamil style food, which will include non-veg options. However, we cannot guarantee availability of non-vegetarian food in Rameshwaram.

The Ramanathaswamy Temple (or Rameswaram temple) is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. Please expect crowd at the temple.

Sucheta Chakraborty

We were given excellent local guides in both Thanjavur and Rameshwaram who led us through the heady temple experiences in both places with skill, knowledge and plenty of humour. The grand Chettinad mansion…was the cherry on the cake!

Day 4 : Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial. Saree Weaving. Tile making. Chettinad Mansions.

Drive: 3-4 hrs

Walk: 2-3 hrs

Special experiences

After an early breakfast, visit the wonderful Memorial built for our great missile man, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. If time permits, visit Devipattinam. Continue the journey onward to the Chettinad region. Have the local tour of the region with experiences of saree weaving and tile making added in. Explore the huge mansions of Chettinad, stay in a mansion, and enjoy your grand dinner. Stay in Kadiapatti.

Roopa P

This is my 4th Trip with F5, what stands as highlight is; Trip itinerary is well curated its executed as it is provided out on the website. Trip leads are coached well, lead travelers as one group. Tour communications, booking process is transparent, any other queries are addressed immediately.

Day 5 : Back to Madurai and take a train/bus/flight back home.

Drive: 2-3 hrs

Return flights

After breakfast, leave for Madurai, take a bus/train/flight to your respective destinations. Tour ends.

Please book your return flights/trains any time after 3 PM.

Anjali Pancholy

It was a very enjoyable trip. The itinerary was thoughtfully worked out...Of the places we visited were well curated and we got to see some unique places! The group was amazing and got along well, which is a very important part of group travel.

Important

Add ons

Single Occupancy Supplement: INR 17,500 + 5% GST

Children (5 years to 10 years): INR 39,000 + 5% GST

Adolescents (11 years to 17 years): INR 42,500 + 5% GST

Inclusions & exclusions

Inclusions

We want to enable you to travel wallet free. That’s why, when you sign-up for our only woman tour packages, we take care of most of your travelling expenses. Our trip includes:

All meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 5

Transport in an AC vehicle throughout the trip, as per the itinerary

All stay on double sharing basis for 4 nights

All entry, parking and permit charges

Guides at Madurai, Tanjore and Rameswaram temple

Temple special entry tickets

Guidance of an F5 tour lead all through the trip.

Exclusions

Some expenses (especially those of personal preferences) are excluded in our Madurai tour package and will have to be taken care of by the individual. Exclusions include:

Flight/bus/train tickets to Madurai from your city of residence and back.

Tips, shopping, personal expenses.

Camera charges to monuments.

Packaged drinking water.

Snacks and meals not mentioned in inclusions

Anything not included in inclusions.

Any cost arising due to natural calamities, personal flight delays and aspects beyond our control. We will definitely facilitate an alternative and handle the contingency, the cost being yours.

5% GST

Policy

Terms & Conditions

REFUNDS/CANCELLATION

15% of the trip cost if cancelled 90 days or more in advance.

25% of the trip cost if cancelled 89 – 60 days in advance.

50% of the trip cost if it is cancelled 59 to 16 days in advance.

Last 15 days – no show – the entire amount will be forfeited.

If you use our services to book flights, cancellation charges will apply

DISCLAIMER

F5 Escapes is in no way responsible for any untoward incident happening due to the ignorance/negligence of the guests, natural/man-made calamities, accidents or any other events that are out of human control during the trip.

All our trips are well-researched, including identifying access to medical facilities. In case of a medical emergency, F5 will assist the traveller in getting medical attention.

F5 reserves the right to cancel the trip under certain conditions – in such a case, the amount will be refunded in full.

FAQs

What type of accommodation will be provided?

We select accommodation based on their uniqueness/character, location, cleanliness and comfort, hospitality, food quality, and more. Hence, we work with a variety of stays - boutique hotels, heritage properties, well appointed standard hotels, premium homestays etc. You can download the pdf itinerary for more details on the stays used in our Madurai women group trip.

What type of food will be available?

We will arrange for authentic Chettinad and Madurai/Tamil style food, which will include non-vegetarian options. However, we cannot guarantee availability of non-vegetarian food in Rameshwaram. If you have any specific meal preferences / dietary requirements, please let us know beforehand.

What will Madurai/Tanjore weather be like in June?

The end of June is the season of mild to hot weather (about 30-35 degree Celsius) in Madurai, but given that Madurai weather is hot all through the year, brace yourself for some heat and humidity in the coastal region, with occasional showers. This however is a prediction and above information might be subject to change during your actual travel days.

Which places will be covered during F5's women-only tours to Madurai and Tanjore?

Our Madurai & Tanjore trip itinerary has been designed to offer travellers an experience into culture and heritage. We will be visiting places like Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Brihadisvara Temple complex in Tanjore, Pamban Bridge, Dhanushkodi, Chettinad mansions, and the Rameswaram temple. You can find more details in the day-wise itinerary or reach out to us.

As a solo-female traveller, can I join the Madurai-Tanjore group tour?

Absolutely! We design our women group tours to make it convenient, fun, and safe for women travellers. While solo travelling gives you the autonomy to pace your trip, travelling with a women travel group in India like ours, is hassle-free and without the mental load of planning and organising. You travel with a group of like-minded women, make new friends, and share experiences for a lifetime. Join our Madurai women only trip to experience the joy of travelling with your tribe.

Any other details I should know before signing up for the Madurai & Tanjore group trip?

This trip will have a lot of temple visits and will require a fair bit of walking. We will try to keep it as non-religious, and as story-and-culture oriented as possible.

What are the company policies on smoking/drinking?

Note on Smoking and Alcohol policy: Everyone joining is an adult and we realise that we cannot dictate the behaviour on how you should enjoy the trip. Alcohol is not readily available in shops in the region we are visiting and is usually frowned upon in the temple towns. If you smoke, please do so outside the room, even if the rooms have ashtray, as you would be sharing the room.

How does F5 Escapes promote responsible and sustainable tourism?

When we travel, we visit somebody’s home, be it a city, village or a place of stay. We treat them with utmost respect. We encourage all our guests to leave no trace, only footprints. We recommend carrying one's own steel water bottles. Most places of stay we partner with provide clean drinking water and water is available for refill. Small shift, big impact. We are mindful about our group not littering the destination. We try choosing vendors who make a conscious effort to employ locals, thereby enabling us to give back to the local economy. We encourage local handicrafts and on several trips we visit local artisans. We try to reduce overcrowding by travelling in small groups of maximum 12 people. We support women-led enterprises and seek them out on our travels. We work with local organisations across India involved in conservation, culture preservation and employment generation.

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Met amazing women doing great things

I did the Madurai-Dhanushkodi trip in June end 2023. I met some amazing women who are doing great things in their lives. I visited fabulous temples and F5 did a wonderful job of giving good explanations of the history of those places. The stay at each town was well organised. Hotels were clean and comfortable...We bonded beautifully and shared a lot of our stories.I am so glad I did this trip with F5.

- Anupama Vishnu