Karnataka – Andhra Pradesh Tour

1

Day : BANGALORE

Arrival at Bangalore airport and transfer to hotel.

Start city tour visiting Lalbagh – 240 acres of beautifully sculpted gardens, flowers abound, rare collection of tropical and sub-tropical plants.

Also visit Vidhana Soubha which houses legislative assembly of the state is one of the most impressive modern buildings not only in Bangalore city but in entire India. It is spread in 60 acres. Although its architecture is based on Dravidian style but it has modern designs.

Later return to hotel for overnight stay.

 

2

Day : BANGALORE – MYSORE (140 KM, 3 HOURS)

After breakfast proceed to Mysore. Known for its magnificent palaces and majestic buildings, sprawling gardens and tree lined boulevards, shimmering silks and sandalwood, the ‘City Royale’ always figures in the tourist’s itinerary.

Stop en-route to visit Srirangapatna – Island fortress of Tippu Sultan. It was the historic capital of Tippu Sultan known for his struggle against British Empire. This island comprises of various religious and historic monuments. The spiritual sanctity of its religious landscape mixes well with the nostalgic air of its valor past.

Continue drive to Mysore and check in at hotel.

In the evening visit Chamundi Hill – perched atop a hill – the 4.8m tall monolith of Nandi and the gigantic Mahishasura statue are great attractions of this place.

Return to hotel for overnight stay.

 

3

Day : MYSORE

After breakfast proceed for full day sight-seeing of Mysore.

Visit Maharaja Palace – the palace is a splendid structure in the Indo-Saracenic Style. It has many attractions and most notable among those are a magnificent gold throne displayed during the Dasara celebrations and an art gallery which houses an excellent collection of ceramics, sandalwood, ivory, stone, antique furniture and ancient musical instruments.

Also visit St. Philomena’s Church – this imposing Gothic structure with beautiful stained glass windows and lofty towers is a must see.

Later on in the evening visit Brindavan Gardens after sundown, when musical fountains and colored lights transform this place into a magical fairyland.

The famous Gardens are located just a level below the dam. These are undoubtedly best example of illuminated terrace gardens in the country. It displays an orientation of Mughal patterns-with garden paths and a shimmering necklace of fountains.

Overnight stay.

 

4

Day : MYSORE – HASSAN (120 KM, 3 HOURS)

Morning breakfast, check out and proceed to Hassan,

En-route visit Shravanabelagola which is world famous for the monolithic naked statue of Lord Gomateshwara, the 75 feet tall standing atop one of the hills. Gommateshwara Mahabali is magnificient both in form and valour.and munificiet in prayer and deed. The statue was carved out of the black granite and is a picture of serenity and composure.

Then drive to Hassan and check in at hotel.

Afternoon tour of Belur which was the early capital of Hoysala empire and visit Chennakeshava Temple which houses sculptures showcasing variety of ornaments, the doorways, the ceilings. The birds, the animals, dancers and other figures are fully decorated as if they are full of life and vigour with lot of action and movements.

Then visit Halebid, the ancient capital of the Hoysalas, formerly known as Dwarasamudram (Gateway to the seas). The temples here represent one of the most artistically excited periods of Hindu cultural development. Shiva Temple is the best example, nearly complete in 1142, although construction continued for many more generations. On the southern entrances of the temple, are two small Nandi ( bulls ) shrines. These are elaborately carved, sporting jewellery and garlands.

Overnight stay.

 

5

Day : HASSAN – HOSPET ( HAMPI ) (360 KM, 7 HOURS)

Early morning breakfast, checkout and proceed to Hospet, a satellite town built during the reign of Krishnadevaraja. This is a typical town of Karnataka situated 13 km from Hampi.

Overnight stay at hotel.

 

6

Day : HAMPI

After breakfast drive to Hampi. It is located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River with a backdrop of majestic rock boulders and was the capital of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.

Visit 15th century Chandramauleshwar Temple is centrally located in Hampi and is one of the site’s most prominent architectural buildings.

Vithala Temple is noted for its extraordinary pillars with the animated carvings on it. A set of pillars, known as ‘musical pillars’ resonates when tapped.

Also visit Virupaksha Temple, Lotus Mahal, Sule Bazaar, Achutaraya Temple, Queen’s bath and Elephant Stables.

Return to Hospet for overnight stay.

 

7

Day : HAMPI – BADAMI (165 KM, 4 HOURS)

After breakfast proceed to Badami. Upon arrival check in at hotel.

Afternoon visit Badami Caves – Picturesquely situated at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills, the exquisite sculptures and the rust red sandstone cliffs of Badami tell many a tale of yore, North Fort – This is the largest enclosure, including two major platform structures, an underground chamber which must have served as a treasury or private audience hall, several other platforms, Banashankari – is a quaint hamlet taking its name from the goddess Banashankari. Built in the Dravidian style, the temple is dedicated to Banashankari, a form of Parvati.

Overnight stay.

 

8

Day : BADAMI

Morning breakfast and proceed for a day excursion to Aihole and Pattadakal.

Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas and is famous as the Cradle of Indian Temple Architecture. The temples here date back to as early as 6th century. It has over125 temples which are all intricately carved and rich in detail. The famous among these are LadKhan Temple, Drug (fort) Temple, Ravalphadi Cave Temple, Konti Temple Complex, Jain Meguthi Temple which are few not to be missed.

Pattadakal – A World Heritage center has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture. It represent high point of a diverse art as here is a display of harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty. An impressive series of nine Hindu temples, as well as a Jain sanctuary, can be seen there. One masterpiece which clearly stands out is the Temple of Virupaksha, built by Queen Lokamahadevi to celebrate her husband’s victory over the kings from the South.

Return to Badami for overnight.stay.

 

9

Day : BADAMI – BIJAPUR (135 KM, 4 HOURS)

Morning departure for Bijapur and upon arrival check in at hotel.

Afternoon go for city tour of Bijapur which is known for its medieval monuments and for their architectural excellence, including the world famous Gol Gumbaz. Most of the monuments of Bijapur are built by the Adil Shahi rulers between 15th and 17th century.

Visit the much visited dome of Gol Gumbaz which is second in size only to St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. It was built by Muhammad Adil Shah in the year 1656 for the singular purpose of burying his mortal remains. It is considered to be an architectural feat as the dome stands unsupported by pillars. Its most remarkable feature is the ‘Whispering Gallery’ because even the finest whisper or sound made in it is heard from side to side and even a single loud clap is distinctly echoed over ten times.

Overnight stay.

 

10

Day : BIJAPUR – GULBARGA (145 KM, 4 HOURS)

Morning drive to Gulbarga to visit Khwaja Bande Nawaz Durgah, the tomb of the great Sufi saint Syed Mohammad Gesu Daraz (1320-1422), one of South India’s holiest Muslim shrines, the Durgah is a unique example of communal harmony. The annual urus held at the Durgah is attended by thousands of devotees including both Muslims and Hindus. The dargah library contains nearly 10,000 books in Urdu, Persian and Arabic on subjects ranging from history and philosophy to religion and literature.

Also visit Gulbarga Fort which was originally built by Raja Gulchand, a feudatory of the Orangal Kakatiyas. Today, it is in a dilapidated state, but it has a number of historical buildings inside including the Jama Masjid, reputed to have been built during the late 14th or early 15th century and it imitates the great mosque in Cordoba, Spain.

Overnight stay.

 

11

Day : GULBARGA – BIDAR –HYDERABAD (235 KM, 6 HOURS)

Morning leave for Hyderabad.

En-route visit Bidar fort which was built in the 8th century and later renovated again in the 14th century. You can still see the ruins of the bastions and gates, royal baths and kitchens, audience halls, and pleasure pavilions.

Among the congregation of royal palaces here, the Rangin Mahal stands out for its sheer elegance and exquisite carvings,fascinating glazed tile mosaics and mother-of-pearl decorations which bear the hallmarks of Persian architecture. Used as the royal residence, this magnificent palace was built by Ali Shah Barid in the 16th century

Also visit Solah Khamba Mosque, built in 1327, which is another prominent structure inside the fort.

Later proceed to Hyderabad and after arrival check in at hotel for overnight stay.

Today, Hyderabad is the capital of the new born Indian state of Telangana as well as de jure capital of Andhra Pradesh. The City of Nizams as Hyderabad is also known reflects a perfect blend of old and new, the traditional and modern. Here skyscrapers are alongside heritage monuments. Once known for pearl and diamond trade, it is now grown as one of majoe IT hubs.

 

12

Day : HYDERABAD

Morning city tour of Hyderbad.

Start sight-seeing tour by first visiting Charminar, built by Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah in 1591, it was said to be the centre around which Hyderabad was once built. The Charminar is a squarish structure with its four towers facing all the four directions, each measuring 20 meters in length. The first floor was used as a madarsa and a mosque.

Also visit Salar Jung Museum which has the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world, exhibiting over 35,000 objects of art such as Chinese Porcelain, Aurangazeb’s Sword, Sculpture, Indian paintings and Persian carpets.

Later visit mighty Golconda Fort, a majestic monument on the outskirts of Hyderabad city, speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years. The fort is famous for its military architecture, built to withstand enemy attacks of any kind. In fact, it is not one structure but actually four forts are linked together. The commanding structure consists of a number of gigantic gateways. The fateh darwaza or victory gate is well known for its acoustics properties. Here even a slight sound can be heard as far as the Balahisar Baraderi. This acted as a danger sign for the local people in case of an enemy attack during in that period. A climb of 380 steps takes you to the top of the fort from where you can enjoy breathtaking view of the surroundings.

Evening transfer to airport to catch flight for onwards destination.