8-Day Private Kerala Tour from Kochi: Munnar, Wildlife & Houseboat

See tea plantations, wildlife and backwaters without arranging transport or bookings yourself.

You travel with a private driver from Kochi Airport through Munnar's tea hills, Periyar's wildlife lake, a two-day houseboat cruise through the backwaters, and two nights at Kovalam beach. All accommodations are 4-star hotels or the houseboat, lunch and dinner are included, and the driver doubles as your guide. No group, no schedule pressure, no separate transport bookings. The driver picks you up at the airport and drops you at Trivandrum Airport eight days later.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Munnar

• Arrive at Kochi airport
• Meet Travel Saga Holidays representative
• Drive to Munnar with waterfall stops
• Check into 4-star resort

Day 2: Munnar sightseeing tour

• Visit Eravikulam National Park
• Visit Mattupetty Dam
• Visit Echo Point
• Overnight at 4-star resort

Day 3: Travel to Thekkady and wildlife cruise

• Breakfast and checkout from Munnar resort
• Drive to Thekkady
• Check into 4-star resort
• Boat cruise on Lake Periyar to spot wildlife

Day 4: Thekkady wildlife and cultural activities

• Visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and lake
• Free afternoon for spice plantation visit
• Optional Kathakali and Kalari Payattu show
• Overnight at 4-star resort

Day 5: Drive to Alleppey and houseboat cruise

• Breakfast and checkout from Thekkady resort
• Drive to Alleppey
• Check into houseboat for overnight cruise
• Cruise through backwaters till evening
• Overnight stay on houseboat

Day 6: Travel to Kovalam beach town

• Breakfast on houseboat
• Leave Alleppey for Kovalam
• Check into 4-star resort
• Relax and enjoy sunset at beach

Day 7: Kovalam and Trivandrum sightseeing

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Padmanabhaswami temple area
• Tour Thiruvananthapuram city sights
• Visit Horse Palace and Napier Museum
• Optional boating at Poovar backwaters
• Return to hotel

Day 8: Departure from Trivandrum

• Breakfast at hotel
• Checkout and transfer to Trivandrum Airport
• Depart for return flight

The experience

Most Kerala tours rush you through the highlights in a week and leave you exhausted. This one slows down instead. You start in the cool hills of Munnar, where tea estates roll under low clouds and the air changes the moment you arrive. The private driver meets you at Kochi Airport and handles all the driving between sites: no negotiating taxis, no navigating yourself, no time wasted figuring out where to go next. The first stop is Eravikulam National Park, Kerala's oldest, spread across 97 square kilometers of Western Ghats forest where wild elephants and gaur still move through the mist.

By day three you're at Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary near Thekkady, where the real shift happens. Instead of watching animals from a distance, you board a boat on Lake Periyar and cruise through the reserve itself: spotted deer, monkeys, Indian gaur, and if you're lucky, the larger cats that give the place its name, all visible from the water. The sanctuary covers 777 square kilometers and the lake sits in the middle of it, which means you're surrounded. That afternoon is yours: spice plantation visits and optional Kathakali performances happen if you want them, but there's no pressure. You stay in a 4-star resort, not a guesthouse.

Then comes the houseboat. You leave Thekkady for Alleppey and board an overnight cruise through the backwaters. The part of Kerala that made it famous. Palm-fringed canals, paddy fields, villages built on stilts, the sound of water against the hull. The boat stops at five in the evening and you stay on board through the night, which means you wake up on the water instead of rushing to the next hotel. Breakfast happens on deck, and the second day of cruising starts at eight in the morning, so you're not watching the backwaters from a schedule. You're living in them.

The final stretch takes you to Kovalam, the beach town on the Arabian Sea where you have two nights to do nothing if that's what you want. White sand, blue water, sunset from the shore. On your last full day, the driver takes you to Trivandrum to see the Padmanabhaswami temple and the city's museums and zoo, then back to the hotel. The whole tour ends with a morning drop at Trivandrum Airport for your flight home. Eight days, four landscapes, one private driver who knows the route and handles the logistics. You just show up and move through it.

What’s included

Your eight days include airport pickup from Kochi and drop at Trivandrum Airport, private transportation with a driver who acts as guide, accommodation in 4-star hotels and an overnight houseboat cruise, lunch and dinner daily, and entry to Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Dam, and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary with a boat cruise on Lake Periyar. Optional activities like spice plantation visits, Kathakali performances, and Poovar backwater boating are available at extra cost.

Before you book

Lasts 8d, runs every day at 05:30, from US$ 700 per person, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (13 to 80 years) · Infant (2 years): free

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Travel Saga Holidays

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cover Kerala's main landscapes (mountains, wildlife, backwaters, and beach) without arranging transport, hotels, or meals yourself. The private driver removes the logistics, which is what makes eight days across four different regions feel unhurried instead of exhausting.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (2 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's included in the tour?

Private transportation with driver, all accommodations (4-star hotels and houseboat), lunch and dinner. Entry fees to attractions like Eravikulam National Park and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary are covered. Optional activities like spice plantation visits and Kathakali shows cost extra.

Can you see tigers at Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary?

Periyar is a tiger reserve, but sightings are not guaranteed. The boat cruise on Lake Periyar regularly shows elephants, gaur, spotted deer, monkeys, and many bird species. The lake setting gives you a closer view than most wildlife reserves.

What happens on the houseboat overnight?

You board in Alleppey, cruise through palm-fringed canals and paddy fields until five in the evening, then stay overnight on the boat. Cruising resumes at eight the next morning. Meals are included.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All accommodations, transportation, and surfaces are wheelchair accessible. Infants can travel in a pram or stroller, and must sit on an adult's lap during vehicle transfers.

Do you need to arrange your own flights to Kochi?

Yes. The tour includes airport pickup and drop-off, but not flights. You book your own flight to Kochi Airport and the driver meets you at arrivals on day one.