+12 Photos
7N/8D
Kerala Uncovered: Tranquil Hills to Coastal Tranquility
Cochin
→ Munnar
→ Thekkady
→ Alleppey
→ Kovalam
→ Trivandram
Package Inclusions
Meals
Hotels
Transfers
Overview
Discover the diverse landscapes of God's Own Country on this 8-day journey with SkyGlobals. Trace the spice trade past the colonial streets and Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi, then climb into the mist-shrouded tea plantations and waterfalls of Munnar. Spot wildlife along the banks of Periyar Lake in Thekkady, drift through the palm-fringed channels of Alleppey aboard a traditional private houseboat, and unwind on the golden sands beneath the iconic lighthouse at Kovalam Beach. Conclude your adventure with the spiritual heritage and Dravidian architecture of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum. Complete with private transfers, vetted accommodations, and authentic cultural experiences, this tour delivers the quintessential Kerala getaway.
Tour Itinerary
1
Arrive at Cochin International Airport (COK) or Ernakulam Junction (ERS). Meet your private chauffeur at the terminal and transfer to your hotel. Unpack, freshen up, and head out for an afternoon walking tour of historic Fort Kochi:
Colonial Landmarks: Watch fishermen maneuver the cantilevered Chinese Fishing Nets, explore St. Francis Church (the original resting site of Vasco da Gama), admire the mythological murals inside Mattancherry Dutch Palace, and browse the antique shops of Jew Town leading to the 16th-century Paradesi Synagogue.
Evening: Take a leisurely sunset stroll along Marine Drive overlooking the backwaters, or attend an authentic cultural show featuring Kathakali dance and Kalaripayattu martial arts. Dinner and overnight stay in Cochin.
Colonial Landmarks: Watch fishermen maneuver the cantilevered Chinese Fishing Nets, explore St. Francis Church (the original resting site of Vasco da Gama), admire the mythological murals inside Mattancherry Dutch Palace, and browse the antique shops of Jew Town leading to the 16th-century Paradesi Synagogue.
Evening: Take a leisurely sunset stroll along Marine Drive overlooking the backwaters, or attend an authentic cultural show featuring Kathakali dance and Kalaripayattu martial arts. Dinner and overnight stay in Cochin.
2
After breakfast, check out and begin the ascent into the Western Ghats along NH-85.
En Route: As the road climbs past Neriamangalam, stop to view the cascading roadside steps of Cheeyappara Waterfalls and the misty curtain of Valara Waterfalls. Walk through an authentic spice plantation to see cardamom, black pepper vines, and cinnamon trees.
Arrive in Munnar (5,200 ft) by afternoon, greeted by rolling carpets of emerald tea bushes. Check into your valley resort. Spend the evening relaxing on your private balcony or browsing the local market for homemade chocolates and pure essential oils. Dinner and overnight stay in Munnar.
En Route: As the road climbs past Neriamangalam, stop to view the cascading roadside steps of Cheeyappara Waterfalls and the misty curtain of Valara Waterfalls. Walk through an authentic spice plantation to see cardamom, black pepper vines, and cinnamon trees.
Arrive in Munnar (5,200 ft) by afternoon, greeted by rolling carpets of emerald tea bushes. Check into your valley resort. Spend the evening relaxing on your private balcony or browsing the local market for homemade chocolates and pure essential oils. Dinner and overnight stay in Munnar.
3
08:00 AM – 11:30 AM (Eravikulam National Park): Board the forest department bus inside Rajamalai, the core tourism zone of Eravikulam National Park, to spot the endangered Nilgiri Tahr grazing along the shola slopes beneath Anamudi Peak (8,695 ft). (Note: Park is closed annually for calving from Feb to late March; alternate visits to the KFDC Floriculture Centre apply).
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM (KDHP Tea Museum): Tour the heritage tea museum at Nallathanni Estate to observe traditional tea manufacturing and participate in a guided tasting session.
02:00 PM – 05:30 PM (Mattupetty, Echo Point & Kundala): After lunch, drive past Photo Point to Mattupetty Dam (optional speedboating). Continue to acoustic Echo Point and the curved dam wall of Kundala Lake. Return to the resort by evening. Dinner and overnight stay in Munnar.
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM (KDHP Tea Museum): Tour the heritage tea museum at Nallathanni Estate to observe traditional tea manufacturing and participate in a guided tasting session.
02:00 PM – 05:30 PM (Mattupetty, Echo Point & Kundala): After lunch, drive past Photo Point to Mattupetty Dam (optional speedboating). Continue to acoustic Echo Point and the curved dam wall of Kundala Lake. Return to the resort by evening. Dinner and overnight stay in Munnar.
4
After breakfast, descend the Ghats past the rubber estates of Kottayam into the backwater hub of Alleppey (Alappuzha).
12:00 PM Boarding: Check into your private traditional thatched Kettuvallam (Houseboat). Sip a welcome drink of tender coconut water as the cruise sets off into the tranquil canals of Vembanad Lake.
Afternoon Cruise & Local Cuisine: Drift past palm-fringed channels, coir-making villages, rustic duck farms, and paddy fields cultivated below sea level. Enjoy a traditional Kerala lunch onboard, featuring red rice, avial, sambar, thoran, and fresh Karimeen Pollichathu (pearl spot fish wrapped in banana leaf) or chicken curry.
05:30 PM Mooring & Night Stay: The boat anchors along a quiet village bank at dusk per maritime regulations. Enjoy evening tea with banana fritters (pazham pori), stroll the village bunds, and dine by candlelight. Overnight stay in AC bedrooms onboard the houseboat.
12:00 PM Boarding: Check into your private traditional thatched Kettuvallam (Houseboat). Sip a welcome drink of tender coconut water as the cruise sets off into the tranquil canals of Vembanad Lake.
Afternoon Cruise & Local Cuisine: Drift past palm-fringed channels, coir-making villages, rustic duck farms, and paddy fields cultivated below sea level. Enjoy a traditional Kerala lunch onboard, featuring red rice, avial, sambar, thoran, and fresh Karimeen Pollichathu (pearl spot fish wrapped in banana leaf) or chicken curry.
05:30 PM Mooring & Night Stay: The boat anchors along a quiet village bank at dusk per maritime regulations. Enjoy evening tea with banana fritters (pazham pori), stroll the village bunds, and dine by candlelight. Overnight stay in AC bedrooms onboard the houseboat.
5
After breakfast, check out and take the scenic Gap Road spice route into Thekkady / Kumily (3,000 ft), the spice plantation hub bordering the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Check into your jungle resort or eco-lodge.
Afternoon Lake Safari: Board the KTDC two-tier boat cruise on Periyar Lake inside the wildlife sanctuary. Scan the banks for wild elephant herds, sambar deer, Indian gaur (bison), and waterbirds.
Spice Garden & Evening: Take a guided plantation walk to learn about organic vanilla, nutmeg, and allspice cultivation. Spend the evening browsing Kumily's spice markets or enjoying an authentic Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage. Dinner and overnight stay in Thekkady.
Afternoon Lake Safari: Board the KTDC two-tier boat cruise on Periyar Lake inside the wildlife sanctuary. Scan the banks for wild elephant herds, sambar deer, Indian gaur (bison), and waterbirds.
Spice Garden & Evening: Take a guided plantation walk to learn about organic vanilla, nutmeg, and allspice cultivation. Spend the evening browsing Kumily's spice markets or enjoying an authentic Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage. Dinner and overnight stay in Thekkady.
6
Morning Cruise: Wake up early to catch the mist rising off the backwaters. Enjoy a morning cruise (07:30 AM – 08:30 AM) with breakfast onboard (Appam with vegetable stew). Disembark at the jetty by 09:00 AM.
Coastal Drive to Kovalam: Drive south along NH-66 past Kollam and the red cliffs of Varkala, arriving in the beach town of Kovalam by afternoon. Check into your beachside resort.
Lighthouse Beach: Spend your afternoon relaxing on the golden sands of Lighthouse Beach, named after the 35-meter red-and-white striped Vizhinjam Lighthouse. Swim in the calm bay, walk to the top of the lighthouse deck, and enjoy sunset dining at open-air seafood shacks along the promenade. Dinner and overnight stay in Kovalam.
Coastal Drive to Kovalam: Drive south along NH-66 past Kollam and the red cliffs of Varkala, arriving in the beach town of Kovalam by afternoon. Check into your beachside resort.
Lighthouse Beach: Spend your afternoon relaxing on the golden sands of Lighthouse Beach, named after the 35-meter red-and-white striped Vizhinjam Lighthouse. Swim in the calm bay, walk to the top of the lighthouse deck, and enjoy sunset dining at open-air seafood shacks along the promenade. Dinner and overnight stay in Kovalam.
7
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast overlooking the Arabian Sea. Dedicate today to coastal leisure:
Beach Hopping & Water Sports: Relax on the soft sands of Hawa Beach (Eve’s Beach) and Samudra Beach, or try optional parasailing, surfing, and catamaran rides.
Optional Poovar Island Excursion (15 km south): Take an optional excursion to Poovar to cruise by country boat through dense coastal mangrove forests, the Neyyar river estuary, and the golden sandbanks of the sand spit where the river meets the sea.
Wellness: Unwind with an authentic Ayurvedic herbal rejuvenation treatment at an authorized beach spa. Dinner and overnight stay in Kovalam.
Beach Hopping & Water Sports: Relax on the soft sands of Hawa Beach (Eve’s Beach) and Samudra Beach, or try optional parasailing, surfing, and catamaran rides.
Optional Poovar Island Excursion (15 km south): Take an optional excursion to Poovar to cruise by country boat through dense coastal mangrove forests, the Neyyar river estuary, and the golden sandbanks of the sand spit where the river meets the sea.
Wellness: Unwind with an authentic Ayurvedic herbal rejuvenation treatment at an authorized beach spa. Dinner and overnight stay in Kovalam.
8
After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive into the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum):
Heritage & Temple Tour: Visit the 8th-century architectural masterpiece, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, admiring its intricate Dravidian gopuram and carved stone pillars. (Strict traditional dress code applies: Dhoti/mundu for men; sarees for women).
City Sights: Visit the wooden Kuthira Malika Palace Museum and the Indo-Saracenic Napier Museum & Art Gallery. Stop at Shanghumukham Beach to view the giant mermaid sculpture (Sagarakanyaka).
Transfer directly to Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) or Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station (TVC) for your journey home, concluding your Kerala holiday.
Heritage & Temple Tour: Visit the 8th-century architectural masterpiece, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, admiring its intricate Dravidian gopuram and carved stone pillars. (Strict traditional dress code applies: Dhoti/mundu for men; sarees for women).
City Sights: Visit the wooden Kuthira Malika Palace Museum and the Indo-Saracenic Napier Museum & Art Gallery. Stop at Shanghumukham Beach to view the giant mermaid sculpture (Sagarakanyaka).
Transfer directly to Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) or Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station (TVC) for your journey home, concluding your Kerala holiday.
