Itinerary guide
Kerala itinerary
A proven day-by-day plan for God’s Own Country — Kochi, the Munnar tea hills, Thekkady spice country, the Alleppey backwaters and the coast — from a government-approved operator.
Updated · Written by the Era Tours team, New Delhi
A great Kerala itinerary needs six to eight days and flows gently downhill: from the historic port of Kochi up to the Munnar tea hills, on to Thekkady's spice country and wildlife, down to a houseboat night on the Alleppey backwaters, and finally to the coast. Below is the exact plan we run, day by day, with driving distances. It mirrors our Kerala — God's Own Country tour, which you can book and tailor.
How many days do you need?
5 days covers the essentials — Kochi, Munnar, a houseboat and a little coast. 7 days is ideal, adding Thekkady and unhurried time by the sea. 10 days lets you add an Ayurveda spa stay, explore Fort Kochi in depth, or reach the quieter north. The stops are close together, so even a week feels relaxed.
The 7–8 day Kerala itinerary, day by day
Day 1: Arrive Kochi. Arrive in Kochi and settle into historic Fort Kochi — Chinese fishing nets, colonial churches, spice-trade lanes and, in the evening, a Kathakali performance.
Day 2: Kochi → Munnar (≈127 km, ~3.5 hrs). Climb into the Western Ghats to Munnar, around 1,600 m, ringed by the highest tea estates in the country. The drive itself, past waterfalls and forest, is part of the pleasure.
Day 3: Munnar sightseeing. A full day among the tea gardens — a plantation and tea-museum visit, viewpoints over the rolling green hills, and the peaks around Anamudi, South India’s highest at 2,695 m.
Day 4: Munnar → Thekkady (≈100 km, ~2 hrs 45). On to Thekkady and the Periyar reserve. Cruise the lake inside a tiger and elephant sanctuary, walk a spice plantation, and watch Kalaripayattu, one of the world’s oldest martial arts.
Day 5: Thekkady → Alleppey · Houseboat (≈140 km, ~4 hrs). Descend to Alleppey and board your private Kettuvallam houseboat. Drift through the backwaters’ canals and lagoons, with meals cooked on board and a night moored under the stars.
Day 6: Alleppey → Kovalam (≈161 km, ~4.5 hrs). Disembark and drive to the coast at Kovalam (or the quieter Marari). An afternoon on the beach — the reward at the end of the loop.
Day 7: Trivandrum excursion (Kovalam base). A relaxed day: the temples and museums of Trivandrum, or simply more time by the sea and an Ayurvedic treatment.
Day 8: Depart Trivandrum. A final morning before your transfer to Trivandrum airport for onward travel.
Best time to go
September to March is the best window, with December to February the driest and most popular. The monsoon (June–August) is green, atmospheric and the traditional Ayurveda season. See our best time to visit India guide for how Kerala fits alongside the rest of the country.
Practical notes from the ground
A few things worth knowing before you go. The Alleppey houseboats are busiest around the December–January peak, so we book the better boats early — and a private overnight boat is well worth it over a shared day cruise. Pack for two climates: light cotton for the coast and backwaters, but a warm layer for Munnar, which is genuinely cool at 1,600 m. If Ayurveda appeals, allow two or three nights at one property rather than a single treatment, as authentic programmes work over several days. And build in slack — Kerala is best savoured slowly, with time for a plantation walk, a village lunch or simply the view from the houseboat deck.
Combine & extend
Kerala pairs beautifully with a few days in Tamil Nadu's temple towns, the beaches of Goa, or a wildlife add-on. Many guests open with the north's Golden Triangle and finish in the calm of Kerala — north-and-south is the classic two-week India trip. Browse all South India tours.
FAQ
Kerala itinerary — frequently asked questions
Six to eight days is ideal for a Kerala itinerary — enough to combine the Munnar tea hills, Thekkady’s spice country and wildlife, a backwater houseboat night at Alleppey and a day or two on the coast. Six days covers the classic loop at a comfortable pace; eight lets you slow down and add an Ayurveda spa stay; ten opens up the north (Fort Kochi in depth, Wayanad) or a beach extension.
A great 7-day Kerala itinerary is: arrive Kochi; up to Munnar for the tea estates and high peaks; on to Thekkady for a Periyar Lake cruise and spice gardens; down to Alleppey for a night on a backwaters houseboat; then to the coast at Kovalam or Marari to unwind, before departing from Trivandrum. It flows downhill from hills to backwaters to beach with short, scenic drives.
Five days is enough for a focused Kerala trip: Kochi, Munnar, a houseboat night at Alleppey and a little coast, skipping Thekkady if time is tight. You’ll get the tea hills, the backwaters and the sea — the three signature Kerala experiences. We tailor which stops to keep so a shorter trip still feels unhurried rather than rushed.
A night on a Kettuvallam houseboat in the Alleppey backwaters is, for most travellers, the single most memorable part of a Kerala trip — drifting through canals, lagoons and paddy fields with meals cooked on board. It isn’t compulsory, and a shorter day cruise is an alternative, but if you can spare one night, the private overnight houseboat is worth it.
The best time to visit Kerala is roughly September to March, when the monsoon has passed and the backwaters, tea hills and coast are green, fresh and pleasantly warm; December to February are the most popular, driest months. The monsoon (June–August) is lush and is the traditional season for Ayurveda treatments, if you don’t mind rain. See our best time to visit India guide for more.
Want this Kerala itinerary tailored to your dates?
Tell us your dates and pace and our Delhi team will turn this into a private, fully arranged Kerala trip — houseboat, tea-country stays and coastal retreats, with us a WhatsApp message away.