Celebrity Millennium – India with a Difference
Small group tours with licensed guides
$85 Per Person
Small group excursion and Private tours with English speaking guides
COCHIN 7th & 8th Dec – MUMBAI 10th & 11th Dec 2023
Muziris Heritage – Day Tours offers three variety shore excursions in Cochin & Mumbai to fit your lifestyle and your visit to Our country, with these tour itinerary you can experience the lights and sound of Cochin & Mumbai in a short time.
This tailor made special tour for Constellation and enjoy the service of our friendly English speaking guides, committed to ensure your India tour runs smoothly in cochin & Mumbai
This tour includes:
• Air conditioned mini coach and English-speaking Licensed Tour guides
• Pick up and drop off at pier
• Small group tour
Choose between a private or small-group excursion. You will not have to form your own group and we will be happy to place you with other cruisers from your cruise ship.
Please note that we can get fully booked in the high season, especially if you are arriving with a cruise ship. If possible, please contact us as early as possible.
COCHIN HIGHLIGHTS WITH HARBOUR CRUISE AND HIGH TEA AT Forte Kochi Heritage Hotel – 7th Dec 2023
(2 PM to 6.30 PM)
Today you will experience the real local life of Cochin during an Ethnic tour
This 7 HOUR city tour combines both Mini coach travel and a relaxing cruise on the backwaters, meaning you get to see this amazing city from every angle – easily the best way to soak up the charms of gorgeous historic Cochin.
Start with the visit of the famous Chinese Fishing Nets of Cochin. The huge cantilevered Chinese fishing nets that droop towards the waters like over-sized hammocks have become a hallmark that represents Fort Kochi on every postcards,Afterwards, you will visit the Dutch Palace, which is also known as the Mattancherry Palace, and is home to Keralan murals, Hindu temple art, and exhibits of the Rajas of Cochin. This pretty landmark is built in a quadrangle, with a courtyard in the middle featuring a small temple dedicated to the protective gods of the Cochin royal family.
After you have explored this simple oasis, you will drive to Fort Cochin, to view the churches, and old-fashioned Tudor-style homes that were constructed by the English merchants who once lived here. Here, you will view St. Francis Church, a pretty white-washed religious center, which was built by Franciscan friars in 1503, before heading to the harbor At a nearby Resort, you will enjoy a cooling drink/High tea before boarding a boat for a cruise around the harbor, which was once bustling with foreign traders seeking wealth on the Malabar Coast. Your tranquil guided cruise will take you around the picturesque islets of Gundu, Bolghatty and Vallarpadam, During your cruise you will be able to view many villages, churches and landmarks. At Vallarpadam, you will see a church built in 1676 that houses a Portrait of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Traditional faith holds the picture has miraculous powers and has saved devotees several times from violent storms.
As you cruise around the harbor, you will also be able to glimpse the locals going about their daily lives. Your boat cruise will end at a Jetty close to the pier. A short transfer to your ship will be provided at the end of the tour. We will have a High Tea at Forte Kochi hotel situated on the Princess street
TOUR PRICE $70 PER PERSON
Tranquil Backwaters with Kerala Lunch on 8th Dec
- Cruise the scenic backwaters in Kerala, which stretch hundreds of miles.
- Observe daily life in the isolated villages along the rivers and canals.
- Linger over lunch at a resort.
- See landmarks such as Fort Cochin on the return drive.
Explore the tranquil, palm-fringed backwaters and byways of Kerala, which are often the only link between isolated villages and larger towns. The picturesque backwaters in Kerala include dozens of rivers, lagoons and lakes that stretch over more than 900 miles, so they are immensely important to the local lifestyle and culture. You will begin cruising the waters from Alleppey, the so-called Venice of the East. Along the way, you will pass coconut-frond thatched huts, colonial warehouses and tiny villages, where you will observe the locals going about their daily lives. It will be an enlightening glimpse into a world that most visitors to Cochin never see. Following the cruise, you will enjoy lunch at a waterfront resort before taking a scenic return route past Fort Cochin and the unusual cantilevered Chinese fishing nets that dot the shoreline.
HELPFUL HINTS
- Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
- Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.
PLEASE NOTE
This tour is not available to guests who utilize a wheelchair. Those guests with mobility concerns are cautioned to evaluate their personal level of ability and stamina. On port calls of less than 8½ hours, the tour will not pass Fort Cochin or stop at the fishing nets. The tour will then last up to 7 hours.
TOUR PRICE $85 PER PERSON
MUMBAI AS LOCAL ON 10th Dec 2023
Explore the unique local culture, industries and people in the frenetic sprawl known as Mumbai, the capital and economic engine of India, on this full day excursion.
The fastest growing, most affluent and industrialized city in India, Mumbai represents the ever-changing face of today’s India – the old coupled with the dynamic new. Begin with a drive along Marine Drive, a winding stretch of road with tall buildings on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. Due to its curved shape and many street lights, it was once called the Queen’s Necklace.
The first stop is a Jain Temple, built of white marble in 1904 and dedicated to Adinath, the first apostle of the Jain’s religion. On the first floor there is a striking black marble shrine dedicated to Parsvanath, and the ceiling is beautifully decorated with the different planets as personified in Hindu mythology.
Next, make a photo stop at colorful Dhobi Ghat, a once-in-a-lifetime sight where thousands of pieces of clothing are sent each day to be hand-laundered, dried and ironed by Mumbai’s dhobi wallahs or laundry men and women. Continue with a visit to Mani Bavan, the Gandhi Memorial. This famous house used to be the Mumbai residence of Mahatma Gandhi, and is where he was arrested in 1932. The memorial contains a reference library with over 2,000 books, memorabilia and a photo feature on the Mahatma’s life. Cross the city, with photo stops at the High Court, Churchgate Station, and the magnificent Victoria Terminus with its exquisite ornamentation and carvings of peacocks, gargoyles, monkeys, elephants and British lions mixed up among the buttresses. Spend time at the Colaba street your own
The last stop is the impressive Gateway of India. Another structure built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, the Gateway is considered the principal landmark of Mumbai. Standing over 85 feet high, the archway was built in the 16th-century Gujarat style, with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. Return to the pier following your photo stop at the Gateway and Taj Mahal Hotel.
In the full day tour you may choose to stop off at a local restaurant for lunch. Ask your Guide for suggestions. There are some world class restaurants serving a variety of cuisines so there is so much to choose from.
TOUR PRICE $85 PP
The caves of Elephanta ON 11th Dec 2023
Thieves Market & Slum Tour – Optional excursions
Highlights
Visit the unique Elephanta Caves in the Sea of Arabia
Cruise over to Elephanta Island
Enjoy round-trip transfers
See one of the best examples of Brahmanical rock-cut architecture
This 5-hour tour takes you from Mumbai cruise terminal to the rock art of the Elephanta Caves of Elephanta Island. You will be picked up from pier and taken to the Gateway of India at Mumbai. From here, cruise by boat to reach the Elephanta Caves. A panoramic boat ride takes you from Mumbai to this island of mystery and intrigue. Upon arrival, find yourself enveloped in a verdant green realm where monkeys scamper about and history looms overhead. Trek up the 124 steps leading to the Elephanta Caves to discover this extraordinary network of temples carved into the solid rock. Enter the enormous carved pillars of the main cave to find a remarkable sculpture of Shiva spanning some 18 feet and depicted the god in his three aspects, as Creator, Protector and Destroyer. Explore the temples before journeying back to Mumbai on a cruise that provides a stunning perspective of the Gateway to India and the city’s gleaming skyline – one more epic discovery to add to the day.
TOUR PRICE $85 PP
Drop at 2 Pm at pier
