Kerala Backwaters & Hills

Overview

Kerala in its most efficient shape: hills first, then wildlife, then water. You start in Kochi, climb to Munnar for two nights of tea estates and cool air, spend a night at Thekkady for the Periyar reserve, and finish on a private houseboat drifting through Alleppey's canals. No drive is longer than four hours.

• Overnight stay on a private Alleppey houseboat
• Tea plantations and Mattupetty Dam in Munnar
• Periyar boat safari at Thekkady
• Fort Kochi heritage walk and Kathakali performance

Gallery

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day 1

   Kochi to Munnar

   Met at Kochi airport and driven up into the Western Ghats, stopping at the Cheeyappara waterfalls and a spice garden on the way. Evening free at your Munnar hotel.

   
   • Kochi airport pickup
   • Valara and Cheeyappara waterfalls
   • Spice garden stop
   • Munnar check-in

2. Day 2

   Munnar tea country

   A full day among the tea estates — the Tata Tea Museum, Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point and the viewpoint at Top Station looking down into Tamil Nadu.

   
   • Tea Museum
   • Mattupetty Dam
   • Echo Point
   • Top Station viewpoint

3. Day 3

   Munnar to Thekkady

   Drive to Thekkady and take the afternoon boat safari on Periyar Lake, where elephants and gaur come down to the water. Evening spice plantation walk.

   
   • Drive to Thekkady
   • Periyar Lake boat safari
   • Spice plantation walk
   • Optional Kalaripayattu show

4. Day 4

   Thekkady to the Alleppey houseboat

   Board your private houseboat at midday. The rest of the day is spent drifting through the backwaters with lunch, tea and dinner cooked on board while village life goes past the deck.

   
   • Drive to Alleppey
   • Houseboat check-in
   • Backwater cruise
   • Dinner and overnight on board

5. Day 5

   Alleppey to Fort Kochi

   Disembark after breakfast and drive to Kochi. Afternoon walking tour of Fort Kochi — the Chinese fishing nets, Jew Town, St Francis Church — ending with a Kathakali performance.

   
   • Houseboat breakfast
   • Fort Kochi heritage walk
   • Chinese fishing nets
   • Kathakali performance

6. Day 6

   Departure

   Breakfast at the hotel and a transfer to Kochi airport or railway station.

   • Breakfast
   • Checkout
   • Departure transfer

Choose your stay

Where you'll stay

Misty Ridge Munnar

3★

Chithirapuram, Munnar · Valley-view room · Breakfast included

Valley-facing rooms on the edge of a tea estate, with a garden restaurant and bonfire area.

Periyar Woods Thekkady

4★

Kumily, Thekkady · Superior room · Breakfast included

Set in a cardamom plantation ten minutes from the reserve gate, with an Ayurveda centre on site.

Deluxe Backwater Houseboat

4★

Punnamada, Alleppey · Air-conditioned cabin · All meals included

A private one or two-bedroom houseboat with air-conditioned cabins, an open deck and a resident chef.

Fort House Kochi

5★

Fort Kochi · Harbour-view room · Breakfast included

A restored waterfront property with harbour-facing rooms, a courtyard pool and a seafood restaurant.

Experiences included & optional

Overnight houseboat

Private houseboat with meals cooked on board as you cruise.

Periyar boat safari

Ninety minutes on the lake watching for elephants and gaur.

Ayurveda massage

A traditional treatment at a certified centre in Thekkady or Kochi.

Kathakali performance

Classical Kerala dance-drama with a pre-show make-up demonstration.

Good to know