Kerala Hills & Backwaters

Day-by-day plan

Your route and activities

1. 1
   Day 1

   Cochin’s layered past

   Kochi (Cochin)

   Fort KochiJewish SynagogueChinese netsKathakali

   After airport pickup, trace Fort Kochi’s lanes — synagogue tiles, Dutch Palace murals, Chinese fishing nets at work, and St. Francis Church. Spice warehouses perfume the air. End with a classical Kathakali performance.

   Overnight: Cochin

2. 2
   Day 2

   Into the tea mist

   Cochin → Munnar (≈120 km, 4 hrs)

   Tea highlands

   Wind uphill into Munnar, where contour-lined estates disappear into cloud. Check in and breathe the cool Western Ghats air — tomorrow explores the ridges in depth.

   Overnight: Munnar

3. 3
   Day 3

   Nilgiri tahr & tea stories

   Munnar

   EravikulamTea MuseumEcho Point

   Eravikulam National Park offers grassland trails and a chance at the endangered Nilgiri tahr. At the Tea Museum (closed Mondays) follow Kerala’s leaf-to-cup story, then pause at Echo Point and blossom beds before souvenir hunting in town.

   Overnight: Munnar

4. 4
   Day 4

   Periyar’s forested shoreline

   Munnar → Thekkady (≈100 km, 3 hrs)

   Periyar Lake boatSpice plantation

   Descend to Thekkady and Periyar Tiger Reserve. A shared boat drifts the lake while gaur, deer, and birdlife often appear at the water’s edge. A spice plantation walk decodes cardamom, pepper, and vanilla in the shade.

   Overnight: Thekkady

5. 5
   Day 5

   Houseboat night on Vembanad

   Thekkady → Alleppey (≈139 km, 4 hrs)

   BackwatersVembanad Lake

   Board a private kettuvallam and slip through Alleppey’s mirror-still canals — coconut palms, village life, and open Vembanad waters. All meals are served on board.

   Overnight: Alleppey houseboat

6. 6
   Day 6

   Cochin outbound

   Alleppey → Cochin (≈83 km, 2.5 hrs)

   Airport transfer

   Breakfast, disembarkation, and transfer to Cochin airport for your onward flight.

   Overnight: —