Highlights of Kerala

Easy-going, exotic and entrancing – explore a totally different side to India in the tropical state of Kerala 

Highlights of Kerala

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Trip Fee

$ 1.200

Single Room Difference

$ 473

Date

25 January - 01 February 2026

Trip Information

Serene backwaters. Thriving rubber plantations. Idyllic coastlines. Kerala is India at its most laidback and inviting. Join one of our much-loved Indian tour leaders to immerse yourself in the scenery and meet the local people. Along the way, you’ll stay on a backwaters houseboat, explore the old spice port of Kochi, share a meal with a family in Thekkady and spot wildlife in Periyar National Park. We finish by the sandy shores of the Arabian Sea – an idyllic ending to an unforgettable trip.

Activity Areas

Cultural Wonders
Culture
Natural Wonders
New Cultural Holidays

Region & Country & City

Asia: India, Kerala

Included in the Price

— All breakfasts, two lunches, three dinners — All accommodation — All transport and listed activities — Tour leader throughout — Group arrival and departure transfers available

Not Included In The Price

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available on request) — Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation Information

— Accommodation: 4 Superior nights (hotels), 3 Classic nights (2 hotel, 1 houseboat) — Travel by private air-conditioned bus — Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16

Map

Itinerary

Day 1 Adventure starts in Kochi • Optional Fort Kochi harbour cruise

Begin your adventure in the spice port of Kochi, where the remnants of colonial rule can still be seen in the historic buildings. If you arrive in time, join an afternoon harbour cruise around Fort Kochi (arrive at the hotel by 1pm to join). Around 6pm, say namaskaram to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Keralan welcome by arranging dinner at a local restaurant. Want to explore Kochi further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Accommodation: The Killians Hotel (or similar)

Day 2 Explore the colonial landmarks of Kochi

Join your tour leader for a sightseeing tour of Kochi, taking in the adjacent historic neighbourhoods of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. In Fort Kochi, we visit St Francis Church, where Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama died in 1524; see Santa Cruz Cathedral, originally used as a warehouse by the British; and wander past fishing nets lining the harbour entrance, which were introduced by the Chinese in the late-14th century. In Mattancherry, we visit Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese in the mid-1500s in a traditional Keralan style, and Jew Town, once home to a Jewish community and now a great place to peruse antique shops and warehouses. If you’re interested, visit Thomas Chettan in the Little Queen Embroidery shop to learn about hand lace work, a dying art using bobbin lace. There is the option in the late afternoon to see a Kathakali dance performance – a similar show is also available in Periyar on Day 4. Accommodation: The Killians Hotel (or similar)

Day 3 To Thekkady • Rubber plantation walk followed by lunch

Leave Kochi in the morning and transfer to the bustling village of Thekkady, gateway to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Breaking up the five to six-hour drive, we stop at a traditional Keralan bungalow in the serene rubber plantations of Kanjirappally. Take a walk through the plantations, watching our guide as they show us how to tap rubber, while also seeing regional trees such as rambutan, mangosteen, nutmeg, pineapple, banana and coffee. After, we enjoy lunch served at the plantation house. Post lunch, we complete our drive to Thekkady. The whole area is a centre for spice growing, and this evening there is a short walk around a spice garden, where we see many different spices growing. Accommodation: Peppervine Hotel (or similar)

Day 4 Nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary • Cooking demonstration in family home

Before breakfast, join a nature walk (approximately two to three hours) in Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, in which your expert local guide points out tell-tale wildlife signs, including tiger tracks, animal droppings, and trees marked by sloth bears. You’re also like to spot monkeys in the trees and bird life. In the afternoon, you have free time to explore the village and bazaar, with the chance to visit shops selling cardamom, vanilla, peppercorns, turmeric and other spices. Alternatively, join an optional boat cruise on Periyar Lake to look for elephants, otters, wild pigs and buffalos. There is also an abundance of bird life – kingfishers, storks and hornbills are the most spotted. Other optional activities include an Ayurvedic massage, Kathakali dance show, and a martial arts performance. We then join a family in their home for a cooking demonstration followed by dinner. We normally eat in their garden, under cover, among a variety of spices, which we have explained to us during the demonstration. Accommodation: Peppervine Hotel (or similar)

Day 5 To Alleppey • Houseboat cruise through the serene backwaters and lakes

Today, we drive (four to five hours) to Alleppey to board our houseboat at midday and begin our cruise between the backwaters and larger lakes. The cruise is one of the trip highlights – these enchanting boats, built of anjili (wild jack) wood and bamboo, transported goods for hundreds of years. Now, they have been decorated and made into comfortable cruise boats. As you meander through tropical vegetation, we can see prolific bird life and gain a different perspective on village life. The cruise takes us along shallow, palm-fringed canals where coconut fibre, coconut meat and cashews are loaded onto dugout canoes. In the evening, the boat is anchored by a bank, and we watch the sun set over the paddy fields. Accommodation: Houseboat

Day 6 To the old hippie beach town of Kovalam • Visit the Coir Museum and Mannarasala Temple

After breakfast, we leave our houseboat in Alleppey and visit the Coir Museum, learning how coconut husks were historically manufactured and how so many products we use daily are created. Later, we continue our drive (approximately four to five hours) to Kovalam, along the scenic Malabar Coast. Visit Mannarasala Temple en route, which is decorated with more than 100,000 snake images. Couples seeking fertility come here and your tour leader explains the origin of snake worshiping. Continuing, we pass through Quilon for a tea break before arriving at our destination. Once a relaxing hideaway on the old hippie trail, Kovalam has now been discovered, but the influx of tourism has not diminished this beautiful setting, and we have time to explore the restaurants this afternoon. Accommodation: Soma Palmshore (or similar)

Day 7 Free day in Kovalam • Optional village tour at Mannadikonam or daytrip to Kanyakumari

Today is free to unwind on the soft, sandy beach or visit the shops for last-minute souvenirs. This is a great chance to enjoy fresh seafood from one of the many small beach restaurants. Try tandoori dishes – the clay ovens add an exquisite taste to bread and curries. You can opt for an optional half-day village tour at Mannadikonam (approximately one-hour drive) near Balaramapuram. Alternatively, join an optional full day’s sightseeing from Kovalam to Kanyakumari, the end point of India where three seas meet: the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. If it’s open, the trip can also take in the old wooden palace at Padmanabhapuram (extra cost), a marvellous building with fantastic wood carvings, and the Hindu temple at Suchindran, with amazing stone carvings. This trip can be booked and paid for locally. Please note, it is a long day (approximately 8am-6pm) and roads can be prone to traffic delays, but it’s always a popular activity. Accommodation: Soma Palmshore (or similar)

Day 8 Adventure ends in Kovalam

The adventure ends today. Begin your return journey home or, if you’d like a bit more time to relax on the sandy shores of Kovalam, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay. You can combine this trip with India’s Golden Triangle, Colours of Rajasthan or Sri Lankan Highlights for a longer adventure.

Travel Dates

25 January - 01 February 2026 $ 1.200

22 February - 01 March 2026 $ 1.275

08 - 15 March 2026 $ 1.275

22 - 29 March 2026 $ 1.275

29 March - 05 April 2026 $ 1.275

05 - 12 April 2026 $ 1.200

12 - 19 April 2026 $ 1.200

02 - 09 August 2026 $ 1.200

18 - 25 October 2026 $ 1.320

25 October - 01 November 2026 $ 1.320

01 - 08 November 2026 $ 1.320

08 - 15 November 2026 $ 1.320

15 - 22 November 2026 $ 1.320

22 - 29 November 2026 $ 1.320

29 November - 06 December 2026 $ 1.320

20 - 27 December 2026 $ 1.470

27 December 2026 - 03 January 2027 $ 1.470

10 - 17 January 2027 $ 1.350

18 - 25 January 2027 $ 1.350

25 January - 01 February 2027 $ 1.350

08 - 15 February 2027 $ 1.350

22 February - 01 March 2027 $ 1.350

28 February - 07 March 2027 $ 1.350

14 - 21 March 2027 $ 1.350

21 - 28 March 2027 $ 1.350

28 March - 04 April 2027 $ 1.350

04 - 11 April 2027 $ 1.275

11 - 18 April 2027 $ 1.275

26 September - 03 October 2027 $ 1.275

03 - 10 October 2027 $ 1.425

10 - 17 October 2027 $ 1.425

17 - 24 October 2027 $ 1.425

24 - 31 October 2027 $ 1.425

31 October - 07 November 2027 $ 1.425

07 - 14 November 2027 $ 1.425

14 - 21 November 2027 $ 1.425

21 - 28 November 2027 $ 1.425

28 November - 05 December 2027 $ 1.425

05 - 12 December 2027 $ 1.425

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