Kerala Coast to Hills Grand Tour
Route Covered
Overnight stops in day orderOverview
This Kerala hills, backwaters and beaches tour runs ten days and nine nights by private car, from Kochi through Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey and Varkala to Kovalam. It suits first-time visitors who want tea hills, a houseboat day and two beach towns in one trip. October to February is the most comfortable window.
First-time visitors who want hills, backwaters and sea in one trip, and accept six hotel changes and a few long drive days
Highlights
Good to know
Early start on Day 2
The Kochi to Munnar run covers about 130 km in 4 to 5 hours, so set off at first lightEravikulam closure
Reports say Eravikulam National Park shuts in February and March, so plan a different Day 3 for those monthsHouseboat night
Both Alleppey nights are booked in Alleppey; whether one is spent on the boat is arranged at bookingSea swimming
Ask locally about surf at Varkala and Kovalam, especially in the June to September rainsDay-by-Day Itinerary
- Chinese fishing nets
- St Francis Church
- Santa Cruz Basilica
- Jew Town, Mattancherry
Land at Kochi and see the Chinese fishing nets at dusk
- 1Your driver greets you at Cochin International Airport
- 2About 36 km by road to Fort Kochi, then check in
- 3Stroll to the waterfront nets and St Francis Church
- 4An early arrival leaves time for Santa Cruz Basilica and Mattancherry's Jew Town
- Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls
- First tea slopes
Up the hill road to Munnar
- 1Set out from Fort Kochi at first light and climb 130 km on NH 85
- 2Pause at the Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls if the schedule permits
- 3Arrive in Munnar by afternoon after about 4 to 5 hours
- 4Take a brief tea-slope walk before dinner
- Eravikulam National Park
- Tea Museum, Munnar
- Mattupetty Dam boating
- Top Station viewpoint
Tahr country, a tea museum and boating at Mattupetty
- 1Morning at Eravikulam National Park, about 16 km from town, for the Nilgiri tahr
- 2Tea Museum in Munnar to learn how the leaf is processed
- 3Afternoon boating on the Mattupetty reservoir
- 4Top Station, about 32 km out, is an option if energy and weather allow
- Spice plantation walk, Kumily
- Kumily spice shops
South to Thekkady for a Kumily spice walk
- 1Drive about 91 km south to Thekkady on winding hill roads, around 3 hours
- 2Check in near the Periyar Tiger Reserve
- 3Guided walk through a spice plantation at Kumily, 4 km away
- 4Early night before tomorrow's boat ride
- Periyar Lake boat ride
- Alappuzha Beach and old pier
Periyar Lake boat ride and the road down to Alleppey
- 1Start with a Periyar Lake boat ride arranged through the reserve
- 2Scan the banks for deer, bison and elephants
- 3Then head about 138 km west to Alleppey, roughly 3.5 hours
- 4Wander near Alappuzha Beach and its old sea pier at dusk
- Houseboat cruise
- Vembanad Lake
- Kuttanad canals
A day on a kettuvallam houseboat in Alleppey
- 1Board a houseboat for a slow cruise on Vembanad Lake and the Kuttanad canals
- 2Pass coconut groves, paddy fields and village jetties
- 3Lunch on board if the operator confirms it
- 4Return for the night in Alleppey
- Varkala Cliff
- Papanasam Beach
- Janardhana Swamy Temple
Alleppey to the red cliffs of Varkala
- 1Drive about 107 km south to Varkala, roughly 2.5 hours
- 2Check in near the cliff
- 3Walk the clifftop path above Papanasam Beach
- 4Visit the Janardhana Swamy Temple
- 5Sunset from the cliff edge
- Sivagiri Mutt
- Lighthouse Beach
- Samudra Beach
Sivagiri Mutt, then south to Kovalam
- 1Morning visit to Sivagiri Mutt, about 3 km inland, where Sree Narayana Guru is laid to rest
- 2Drive about 56 km to Kovalam, roughly 1.5 hours
- 3Free afternoon on one of the three bays
- 4Dinner above Lighthouse Beach
- Vizhinjam Lighthouse
- Vizhinjam fishing hamlet
- Ayurveda or yoga session
Vizhinjam Lighthouse, fishing coves and a slow beach day
- 1Climb the Vizhinjam Lighthouse at Lighthouse Beach for the coast view, if it is open
- 2Watch boats and nets at the Vizhinjam fishing hamlet
- 3Time for the beach, an Ayurveda session or yoga
- 4Final dinner together
- Airport transfer
Transfer to Thiruvananthapuram airport
- 1After hotel breakfast, take one last beach walk
- 2Travel about 15 km to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport
- 3Check in for your flight onward
- 4The tour finishes at the airport
Indicative — varies with season and hotel category.
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Trip Facts
Local Activities & Events
Updated Oct 23, 2026Munnar — Days 2-4 of this trip
Thrikarthika Festival
festivalUsually on the Karthika star day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, in late November or early December
Kerala's festival of lights reaches the Sri Subrahmanya Swamy Temple in Munnar, with lamps lit across the temple grounds on the Karthika star day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesKovalam — Days 8-10 of this trip
International Independent Music Festival (IIMF)
culturalUsually in November, over two to three days
An independent and world-music weekend with bands from India and abroad at the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village, held here three times since 2022.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesKerala — across your trip
Vettukadu Feast
festivalMadre de Deus Church in Thiruvananthapuram marks the feast of Christ the King over ten days, with worshippers of several faiths attending.
Champions Boat League: Kayamkulam
sportsA snake-boat race at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district, a round of the 2026 Champions Boat League.
Kalpathy Ratholsavam
festivalChariot festival in Kalpathy, Palakkad, where decorated chariots are pulled through the village streets from the Viswanatha Swamy Temple.
Sabarimala Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season
festivalPilgrim season at the Ayyappa temple in Pathanamthitta district, from the Mandalam opening through Mandala Pooja and Makaravilakku to closing in January.
Champions Boat League final and President's Trophy Boat Race
sportsThe league's closing round on Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam, held together with the President's Trophy Boat Race.
Guruvayur Ekadasi
festivalEleventh-day observance at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur, with strict fasting and elephant processions.
Events are reviewed by our team before publishing and drop off after they end. Please confirm timings and availability with us before your trip — local schedules can change without notice.
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