Kerala Tour Packages

About Kerala

The land of coconut trees and turquoise backwaters — also known as God’s Own Country. Tucked into India’s south-western coast, Kerala is famous for its exotic wildlife, ancient herbs, emerald hill stations and the crystal-clear Arabian Sea along its 600 km of coastline.

Kerala is one of India’s cleanest states with extraordinary infrastructure — banking, hospitals and schools reach even the remotest villages. It has India’s highest literacy rate (over 93%) and was the first Indian state to achieve 100% primary education. It’s also the global centre of Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine still practiced as the primary healthcare in many parts of the state.

From the houseboats of Alleppey to the tea hills of Munnar, the Kathakali theatres of Kochi to the elephants of Periyar, Kerala is the Indian destination that travel publications consistently rank among the world’s top journeys. National Geographic Traveler has called it “one of the ten paradises of the world”.

Best Time to Visit

• December – February — peak season. Cool, dry, ideal for backwaters, beaches and hill stations.
• October – November — post-monsoon. Lushest greenery, fewer crowds, vibrant landscapes after the rains.
• March – May — warm and humid in the plains, but the hill stations of Munnar, Thekkady, Vagamon and Ponmudi remain pleasant. Best time for elephant sightings as they spend more time at water sources.
• June – August — heavy monsoon. Avoid for backwaters and beaches, but ideal for Ayurveda treatments (which traditionally are most effective during the rains).

Tip: Book your Kerala houseboat in advance for December–January, and consider weekday cruises — weekends are crowded with day-trippers.

Where to Go in Kerala

Kochi — The Spice Coast

The cultural and historical heart of Kerala, where 600 years of Portuguese, Dutch, British and Jewish heritage layer together. Walk Fort Kochi at sunset, watch the Chinese fishing nets at work, and end the evening with a Kathakali performance.

Highlights

• Fort Kochi — Kerala’s oldest heritage quarter
• Chinese Fishing Nets at Cheenavala
• Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace)
• Paradesi Synagogue (one of India’s oldest)
• St Francis Church — India’s first European church
• Kerala Folklore Museum & Kathakali Centre
• Marine Drive overlooking the Arabian Sea
• Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary
• Vypeen Island

Alleppey — Venice of the East

The undisputed home of Kerala’s iconic kettuvallam houseboats. A night on the backwaters — gliding past coconut groves, stilt fishermen and tiny canal-side villages — is the experience that defines Kerala for most travellers.

Highlights

• Overnight houseboat cruise on the backwaters
• Vembanad Lake (longest lake in India)
• Alappuzha Beach & the 137-year-old pier
• Punnamada Lake — venue of the Snake Boat Race (August)
• Pathiramanal Island — bird sanctuary
• Krishnapuram Palace
• Marari Beach — quiet fishing-village shoreline

Munnar — The Tea Hill Station

Munnar’s emerald tea hills roll endlessly across the Western Ghats at 1,500–2,700 m above sea level. Once the British summer capital of South India, it’s now Kerala’s most romantic hill station and a favourite of honeymooners.

Highlights

• Eravikulam National Park (home of the rare Nilgiri Tahr)
• Anamudi — South India’s highest peak (2,695 m)
• Tea Museum & tea-factory tour
• Mattupetty Dam — boating
• Top Station & Lockhart Gap viewpoints
• Attukal & Cheeyappara Waterfalls
• Kundala Lake
• Marayoor Dolmens (megalithic site)

Thekkady — Wildlife in the Western Ghats

Home to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary — one of the very few reserves in India where you can do wildlife viewing from a boat. Tigers, Asian elephants, sambar deer and rare birds are spotted on the lake at dawn and dusk.

Highlights

• Boat safari on Periyar Lake (dawn slot is best)
• Bamboo rafting through the reserve
• Spice plantation walks
• Jungle patrol & nature treks with local guides
• Stay at riverside eco-resorts and homestays
• Kumily town — for handicrafts and Kerala spices

Kumarakom — Backwaters & Birds

Quieter than Alleppey, Kumarakom is the boutique-resort backwater experience. The bird sanctuary attracts migratory species in winter, and the heritage Ayurveda resorts are some of the best in India.

Highlights

• Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
• Vembanad Lake yachting
• Aruvikkuzhi Waterfalls
• Bay Island Driftwood Museum
• Pathiramanal Island
• Vaikom Mahadeva Temple
• Heritage Ayurveda treatments

Wayanad — Biodiversity Hotspot

Wayanad’s mist-covered mountainsides, paddy fields, coffee plantations and prehistoric caves make it one of the world’s recognised biodiversity hotspots. Borders Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Highlights

• Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary & Muthanga Safari
• Chembra Peak & the heart-shaped lake en-route
• Edakkal Caves (prehistoric petroglyphs)
• Banasura Sagar Dam — India’s only earth dam
• Meenmutty & Kanthanpara Waterfalls
• Kuruvadweep — protected island on the Kabini
• Wayanad Heritage Museum

Kovalam — Crescent Beaches

Three palm-lined crescent beaches — Lighthouse, Hawah and Samudra — and one of India’s earliest beach-tourism destinations. Famous for Ayurveda resorts, sunset surfing and seafood shacks.

Highlights

• Lighthouse Beach & the historic lighthouse
• Hawah Beach
• Samudra Beach (the quieter of the three)
• Halcyon Castle
• Vellayani Lake
• Vizhinjam fishing village
• Ayurveda treatments at heritage resorts

Thiruvananthapuram — The Capital

Built on seven hills, Kerala’s capital blends temples, palaces, museums and beaches.

Highlights

• Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple — gold-domed and historically the world’s wealthiest temple
• Puthe Maliga Palace (wooden palace museum)
• Napier Museum & Natural History Museum
• Attukal Bhagavathy Temple
• Kowdiar Palace
• Veli Lake & Tourist Village

Kozhikode (Calicut) — The Malabar Coast

Where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498. Today a wonderful fusion of beach town, heritage and Malabari cuisine — the food alone is worth the trip.

Highlights

• Kappad Beach — landing place of Vasco da Gama
• Kozhikode Beach & Lighthouse
• Mananchira Square
• Tali Temple
• Thusharagiri & Kozhippara Waterfalls
• Sargaalaya Crafts Village
• Kappad & Payyoli beaches

Local Food & Cuisine

Kerala cuisine is a fusion of Malabari, French, Arab and indigenous flavours, built around rice, fish and coconut, scented with curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric, tamarind, black pepper, cardamom, clove, ginger, cinnamon and asafoetida.

• Kerala Sadya — the traditional banana-leaf vegetarian feast served at festivals (28+ items including pachadi, kichadi, pulissery, olan, sambar, thoran, aviyal, payasam — eaten with rice).
• Appam with Stew — soft fermented rice-flour pancakes with coconut-milk vegetable, chicken or lamb stew.
• Idiyappam & Curry — string hoppers with egg or coconut curry.
• Puttu & Kadala Curry — steamed rice cylinders with black-chickpea curry, the classic Kerala breakfast.
• Kerala Prawn Curry — prawns simmered in coconut milk, jaggery and curry leaves.
• Nadan Kozhi Varuthathu — Kerala-style spicy fried chicken, eaten with parotta.
• Erissery — pumpkin and lentil stew with coconut, a household staple.
• Karimeen Pollichathu — pearlspot fish marinated and grilled in banana leaf.
• Banana chips — the iconic Kerala snack, fried in coconut oil.

How to Reach

By Air

Kerala has four international airports: Kochi (COK), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), Kozhikode (CCJ) and Kannur (CNN). Direct flights connect Kerala to all major Indian cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad — and to Gulf destinations (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat) and Singapore.

By Rail

The Kerala coastline is one of the most scenic train journeys in India. Major junctions include Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kollam — all well-connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.

By Road / Within Kerala

For travel within Kerala, we recommend a private chauffeur-driven car — the distances are short, the roads are good, and stopping at unexpected coconut stalls or roadside fish shacks is half the experience. See our fleet for Innova, Ertiga and Tempo Traveller options. Local KSRTC buses, taxis and metered autos are also widely available.

Ready to plan your Kerala journey? Use the booking card on the right or chat with Prithvi directly on WhatsApp — we’ll craft a backwater + hills + beaches itinerary tailored to your dates and pace.