Kerala earns its name — God's Own Country — slowly, over six days. You begin in old Kochi, where Chinese fishing nets tilt over the harbour and Portuguese, Dutch and Jewish histories crowd a few salt-worn lanes. Then the backwaters: a night aboard a private kettuvallam drifting through Vembanad's paddy-and-palm channels, meals cooked fresh on deck. The road climbs west through waterfalls into the Western Ghats, where Munnar's tea estates roll green to the horizon and the air turns cool. It ends in the spice-scented forests of Thekkady, with a boat on Periyar Lake and the drums of a Kathakali night. Lush, unhurried, and at its most cinematic in the rains.
Day-wise itinerary
Day 1Arrive Kochi • Fort Kochi & Mattancherry heritage walk
Day 2Kochi → Alleppey • Shikara Boat Ride in Backwaters of Alleppey • Local Alleppey sightseeing
Day 3Alleppey → Munnar • waterfalls en route • into the tea hills
Day 4Munnar — full-day sightseeing: tea estates, lakes & viewpoints
Day 5Munnar → Thekkady • Periyar safari, boating & spice country
Day 6Thekkady → Kochi • departure
Inclusions & exclusions
What's included
- All ground transport in a shared transport, all inter-city drives, and local sightseeing.
- Driver charges, fuel, and all road tolls and parking.
- Accommodation at 3-star properties on double-sharing across all destinations.
- All meals on the houseboat (lunch, evening snacks and dinner, plus next-morning breakfast).
- Daily breakfast at the hotel on Days 2–5 (not on the arrival or departure day).
- A professional driver throughout.
What's not included
- Flights to and from Kochi (COK) — guests to arrange at their own cost.
- Entry fees and tickets to monuments, museums, temples, gardens and national parks (including Eravikulam), and to listed activities where applicable — e.g., Periyar wildlife boating, jungle jeep safari, spice-garden walk, and the Kathakali / Kalaripayattu shows.
- Kolukkumalai tea-estate jeep charges, and elephant rides — optional, payable directly on-site.
- Lunches, dinners and beverages not explicitly listed; alcohol, packaged water and personal expenses.
- Any alternative transport requested beyond the included vehicle.
- Stay in houseboat in Allepey.
- Costs arising from weather disruption, road closures, landslides or force majeure.
- Anything not explicitly listed under Inclusions.
What to pack
- Light cotton clothing, plus one fleece or mid-layer for cool Munnar evenings.
- A compact rain jacket or poncho, and walking shoes with grip for slippery ghat paths and waterfalls.
- Flip-flops / sandals for the houseboat, leisure and temple visits.
- Insect repellent and a dry bag for electronics on the open deck.
- Leech socks and salt sachets for monsoon forest walks in Thekkady.
- Motion-sickness tablets for the winding ghat descents, sunscreen, and basic first aid.
- A government photo ID and any personal medication.