Private, on your own dates · Kerala & South India, India
Soul of Kerala Tour
An 8-day Kerala journey from the colonial harbour at Kochi up into the Munnar tea hills, on to the Periyar spice country and down to a night on the Alleppey backwaters.
The journey
4 cities.
Starts Cochin International Airport, ends Cochin International Airport. The representative waits outside the arrivals hall with a name board for the transfer to the hotel.
The soul of Kerala is not in any one place but in how quickly the state changes character — from a harbour town with five hundred years of foreign trade in its architecture, up into tea country at 1,600 metres, across to a spice reserve where elephants come down to the water, and finally to a network of canals where the road runs out and a boat becomes the only sensible way to travel. This eight-day route takes those four in the order the geography suggests.
It begins in Kochi, where Portuguese, Dutch and British rule left a compact old quarter you can walk in an afternoon: Chinese fishing nets still worked by hand at the harbour mouth, the church where Vasco da Gama was first buried, a Dutch palace of Kerala murals, and a synagogue on a lane of spice warehouses that still smells of ginger and cardamom. An evening Kathakali performance, with the hour of make-up beforehand shown to the audience, gives the classical half of the picture.
The road then climbs. Munnar's tea gardens cover the hillsides in clipped green terraces that were planted by Scottish planters in the 1880s and are still picked by hand, and the high grassland above them at Eravikulam holds the largest surviving population of the Nilgiri tahr. From there the route crosses to Thekkady on the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, where a boat on the lake is the standard way of watching wildlife, and where the surrounding hills are planted with cardamom, pepper, nutmeg and clove that you can walk through with a grower.
The last stretch drops to sea level at Alleppey, where you board a private houseboat — a converted rice barge with bedrooms, a deck and a cook — and spend a night moving through the backwaters, past villages that face the water rather than any road, before disembarking for the transfer back to Kochi. Travel between the four bases is by private air-conditioned vehicle with the same driver throughout, and local guides join for the sightseeing in Kochi, Munnar and Thekkady. It suits travellers who would rather see one state properly than cross three.
- 01A walking morning through Fort Kochi and the spice lanes of Mattancherry
- 02An evening Kathakali performance with the make-up done in front of the audience
- 03Hand-picked tea gardens and the plantation history museum at Munnar
- 04Nilgiri tahr on the high grassland at Eravikulam National Park
- 05A lake boat ride inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve at Thekkady
- 06A guided walk through a working cardamom and pepper plantation
- 07An overnight on a private houseboat in the Alleppey backwaters
- 08Private air-conditioned vehicle with the same driver for all eight days
Day by day
Open a day for the written plan, then switch to the hour-by-hour breakdown.
Arrive at Cochin International Airport, where a representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel. The airport sits at Nedumbassery, about 30 kilometres north-east of the city, and the drive takes around an hour depending on whether you are staying on the mainland or across the water in Fort Kochi.
The day is left free. Kochi is humid at almost every time of year, and the itinerary assumes an arrival day is better spent settling in than sightseeing. If you have energy in the evening, the seafront promenade at Fort Kochi is a short walk from most of the heritage hotels there.
- Airport meet-and-greet and private transfer to the hotel
- Evening free to settle in before the city tour
Fort Kochi and the mainland are two quite different places to stay; the transfer time differs by around 30 minutes.
What the fare covers
And what it does not. Read the right-hand column before you budget.
- Hotels6 nights' hotel accommodation in the chosen category on twin-sharing basis
- Hotels1 night on a private air-conditioned houseboat in Alleppey
- MealsDaily breakfast at the hotel
- MealsLunch, evening tea, dinner and next-day breakfast on the houseboat
- TransfersPrivate air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver throughout
- TransfersArrival and departure airport transfers at Kochi
- GuidesLicensed local guides in Kochi, Munnar and Thekkady
- SightseeingShared boat ride on Periyar Lake and a guided spice plantation walk
- SightseeingReserved seats at an evening Kathakali performance in Kochi
- TaxesAll road tolls, parking, fuel and driver allowance
- MealsTwo bottles of mineral water in the vehicle each day
- FlightsInternational air travel is not part of this fare. The record lists no air component.
- EntrancesMonument, museum and national park entrance charges
- MealsLunches and dinners other than those served on the houseboat
- VisaIndian visa and any consular processing
- InsuranceTravel and medical insurance
- Personal ExpensesAyurvedic treatments and spa sessions at the hotels
- Personal ExpensesCamera permits levied at parks and monuments
- TipsGratuities for guides, drivers, boat crew and hotel staff
Hotels are named on your confirmation — all are of the stated category.
The representative waits outside the arrivals hall with a name board for the transfer to the hotel.
Want this trip a little different?
Tell Tulli what you'd change — hotels, dates, an extra city — and she'll price it with our team and come back to you.
Where you go in
Not every landmark on the list is one you walk into — this separates them.
When to Go
Weather by month for the places this trip actually visits.
India
Oct–Mar is the golden season across most of India. Monsoon (Jun–Sep) transforms Kerala and the Northeast.
Before you go
The essentials first — they are also the ones that can stop a booking.
Passport and Indian visa
- A valid passport and an Indian visa or e-visa arranged before travel are the traveller's own responsibility.
- Kerala hotels and houseboat operators both register passport details at check-in, so carry the document itself.
- Entry requirements change without notice; confirm the current rules for your nationality before booking flights.
Travel insurance is mandatory
- Comprehensive travel insurance covering medical treatment, evacuation and baggage is required before departure.
- Check that the policy covers boat travel and overnight stays on water, which some insurers list separately.
The houseboat night
- The houseboat is a converted timber barge, not a hotel; cabins are compact and the deck is the main living space.
- Air conditioning normally runs on a fixed schedule overnight while the generator is on.
- Boats moor before sunset and remain moored until morning, as required by state regulations.
- Meals on board are cooked fresh by the crew, and dietary preferences should be given the morning you board.
Coastal humidity and hill cold
- The coast is humid all year; light cotton clothing and more water than usual are both necessary.
- Munnar and Thekkady are cool in the evening and cold from December to February — bring a jacket.
- Rain is possible in any month and heavy from June to September; a light waterproof is worth packing.
Insects, leeches and water
- Mosquito repellent is needed on the backwaters, particularly from late afternoon.
- Leeches are common on plantation and forest paths in and after the monsoon; closed shoes help.
- Drink sealed bottled or filtered water only, including on the houseboat where it is supplied.
Temples, churches and dress
- Several Kerala temples admit only Hindus to the inner areas, which the guide will explain at each site.
- Shoes are removed at temples and at the synagogue, and shoulders and knees should be covered.
- Photography is not permitted inside Mattancherry Palace or the Paradesi Synagogue.
Hill roads and journey times
- The Kochi-Munnar and Munnar-Thekkady stages are winding mountain roads taking around four hours each.
- Journey times are set by road conditions rather than distance, and the driver plans departures accordingly.
- The same driver stays with you for the full itinerary and the vehicle carries drinking water.
Activities booked on the ground
- Periyar nature walks and bamboo rafting are issued by the forest department on the day and are limited in number.
- The Kalaripayattu demonstration and Ayurvedic treatments are arranged locally and are not part of the package.
Is the houseboat private or shared with other travellers?
The houseboat is booked for your party alone, with its own crew of three including a cook. Only the size of the boat changes with the number of travellers, from a one-bedroom barge upwards.
Does the houseboat travel through the night?
No. State rules require houseboats to moor before sunset and stay moored until the following morning, so the cruising happens in the afternoon and again briefly after breakfast on the last day.
Will I see wildlife on the Periyar boat ride?
Elephant, gaur, sambar, wild boar and a long list of birds are all regularly seen along the shoreline, especially in the dry months from February to May. Tigers are present in the reserve but very rarely seen from the boat.
When is the best time of year for this route?
October to March is the most comfortable, with lower humidity and clear hill weather. June to September is monsoon season, which is beautiful in the hills and popular for Ayurvedic treatment, but boat rides and views are less reliable.
How cold does it get in Munnar?
Munnar sits at around 1,600 metres, so evenings are cool all year and can drop close to 10°C between December and February. A fleece or light jacket is needed even when the coast is hot and humid.
Are entrance charges included?
No. Entry at Eravikulam National Park, the Periyar reserve, the palace, the synagogue and the tea museum is excluded and settled locally. The Periyar boat ride and the spice plantation walk are included.
How much time is spent driving?
Three of the eight days are travelling days, each around four hours on hill or coastal roads. The remaining days are based in one place with short local journeys only, so the driving is spread rather than concentrated.
Can Ayurvedic treatments be arranged during the trip?
Yes. Most hotels on this route have their own Ayurvedic centre and treatments can be booked directly with the property. They are not part of the package and are settled at the hotel.
Policies & booking terms
Free cancellation up to 30 days before departure.
50% refund between 30-15 days before departure.
No refund within 15 days of departure.
TripClub standing booking terms
- Full payment must be completed 30 days prior to departure, unless otherwise specified.
- All bookings are subject to availability at the time of confirmation.
- Travel insurance is mandatory and must be purchased prior to departure.
- Prices are subject to change due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, taxes, or supplier costs.
- Guests are responsible for obtaining valid passports, visas, and any required vaccinations.
- Cancellations or amendments are subject to the applicable cancellation policy outlined in the package.
- The company is not liable for delays, cancellations, or changes due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, strikes, or other force majeure events.
- All travelers must adhere to the local laws and customs of the destinations visited.
- No refunds will be issued for unused services, including but not limited to meals, accommodations, or activities.
- The company reserves the right to modify the itinerary or substitute hotels of similar standards if necessary.
- All special requests (e.g., room preferences, dietary requirements) are subject to availability and not guaranteed.
- Guests are responsible for any additional costs incurred due to personal expenses, such as phone calls, laundry, or minibar charges.
- Check-in and check-out times are subject to hotel policies and may vary by property.
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