Highlights
- Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi
- Two nights in Munnar's tea estates
- Eravikulam National Park (April to January)
- Early boat ride on Periyar lake
- Spice plantation walk at Kumily
- A night on a private houseboat at Alleppey
This is the Kerala trip most people mean when they say Kerala: hills, spice country and backwaters, in an order that keeps the driving sensible. Munnar gets two nights because the ghat road up is tiring and one full day there is the minimum to see it. The houseboat comes last so you finish relaxed, a couple of hours from Kochi airport.
Day-wise itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Kochi, Fort Kochi in the evening
Pickup at Kochi airport or Ernakulam station. After check-in, drive to Fort Kochi for the Chinese fishing nets at sunset and a walk past St Francis Church. If you arrive early and it isn’t a Friday, add the Dutch Palace at Mattancherry and the Jew Town lanes.
Day 2: Kochi to Munnar
A morning start into the hills. The road climbs through rubber and then tea, with stops at the waterfalls on the way. Expect most of the morning in the car. Afternoon at leisure, or a walk through a tea estate near your hotel.
Day 3: Munnar sightseeing
Eravikulam National Park in the morning for the Nilgiri tahr and the grassland views (from April to January; it’s shut in February and March, when we swap in Top Station or a longer tea estate visit). Afternoon at the tea museum, Mattupetty dam and lake, and Echo Point.
Day 4: Munnar to Thekkady
A scenic drive south through cardamom country to Kumily, on the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In the afternoon, a guided spice plantation walk, and a Kathakali or Kalaripayattu show in the evening if you want one.
Day 5: Periyar boat ride, then the Alleppey houseboat
An early boat ride on Periyar lake, when animals are most often at the water’s edge. Then drive down to Alleppey and board your houseboat around noon. Lunch, tea and dinner are cooked on board as you cruise the canals and paddy fields. The boat ties up for the night by about 5:30 pm.
Day 6: Houseboat to Kochi, departure
Breakfast on board and disembark by about 9 am. Drive to Kochi airport or Ernakulam station, around two hours, for your onward flight or train.
Can we change the order?
Yes. If your flight lands in Thiruvananthapuram, we run the same route in reverse: houseboat first, then Thekkady and Munnar, out of Kochi. Travelling in February or March, we’ll suggest spending the second Munnar day on the tea estates and Top Station, since Eravikulam is closed for the tahr calving season. If anyone in your group finds boat steps hard, we can swap the houseboat for a lakeside resort at Kumarakom with a day cruise.
What's included and what isn't
Included
- Hotels for 4 nights (Kochi, Munnar 2, Thekkady) with breakfast
- One night on a private houseboat at Alleppey with lunch, evening tea, dinner and breakfast
- Private car with driver from Kochi to Kochi, all sightseeing as per the itinerary
- Pickup and drop at Kochi airport or Ernakulam station
- Booking help for Eravikulam and Periyar boat tickets
Not included
- Flights or train tickets to Kochi (quoted on request)
- Eravikulam, Periyar boat, museum and show tickets
- Lunches and dinners on hotel days
- Boat AC beyond the hours set by the operator
- Tips and personal expenses
Visa, costs, best time and travel tips: Kerala Tour Packages.
