Kerala Beyond Kochi: Rubber, Spices, Villages Tour

Walk through villages shaped by rubber, spices and overseas prosperity.

A full-day tour from Kochi through Mulanthuruthy, Piravom, Areekal and Ramapuram reveals the agricultural heartland and small-town life that sustains Kerala's countryside. You travel by private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking local guide, stopping at a wholesale produce market, two centuries-old churches with intricate carvings, a Shiva temple, rubber plantations and a waterfall surrounded by forest. The route shows how farming, cash crops and overseas employment have shaped the region's prosperity and architecture.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Kerala countryside and heritage

• Visit wholesale vegetable and fruit market
• Tour Mulanthuruthy Church Madhaba
• See Pazhoor Temple in Piravom
• Visit Piravom St. Mary's Orthodox Church
• Enjoy Areekkal waterfalls and surroundings
• Explore prosperous rubber plantation town
• View old church with Persian and Portuguese style

The experience

What does the Kerala that tourists usually skip actually look like? This tour answers that by moving east from Kochi into villages and small towns where rubber, spices, coconut and other crops sustain everyday life. You start at a wholesale vegetable and fruit market where farmers from across the region bring their produce to resell: a working place, not a staged stop. From there the route moves through Mulanthuruthy, where the 800-year-old St. Thomas Church holds some of Kerala's most detailed religious sculpture: the row of carved angels on the pillars, the depiction of Adam and Eve before the fall, and a Last Supper scene where each figure (Judas with his purse of coins, Peter holding heaven's key, Christ and John) carries symbolic weight. The guide walks you through the carvings and what they mean.

The day continues through Piravom, where the Pazhoor Temple sits in classic Kerala architecture and the St. Mary's Orthodox Church stands on a hilltop above the Muvattupuzha river, believed to be as old as Christianity itself in Kerala. You see the rubber plantations and colonial-era structures that define the landscape, then reach Areekal Falls, a cascade surrounded by woods and rubber estates where the air shifts from the bustle of town. Ramapuram, a prosperous suburb of Kochi, rounds out the route: a place shaped by plantation owners and non-resident Keralites whose overseas income has reshaped the architecture and aspirations of the town. The guide is local and speaks English throughout, and the vehicle is private and air-conditioned.

Hotel, airport or cruise terminal pickup and drop-off within Kochi city are included, along with all parking, tolls and road taxes. You get bottled water and the chance to walk through neighbourhoods and village lanes at your own pace. Dress is smart casual. Bring a valid passport. The tour runs eight hours, which leaves the morning or late afternoon free depending on your pickup time.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle for the entire tour.
• services of a professional English-speaking local guide.
• hotel, cruise terminal, airport or homestay pickup and drop-off within Kochi city.
• guided walks through local neighbourhoods and village lanes.
• all parking fees, tolls and road taxes.
• complimentary bottled drinking water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 10:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Excel India Tours

Is this one for you?Eight hours is long enough to move through four towns and see the churches, temple, market and plantations without rushing, but short enough to leave the morning or late afternoon free for Kochi itself. Choose this tour if you want to understand how Kerala's countryside actually works and lives, rather than see the sights most visitors photograph.

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Top questions

What is the Mulanthuruthy Church actually known for?

St. Thomas Church in Mulanthuruthy, built in 1225, holds some of Kerala's most celebrated religious sculpture. The carved angels on the pillars of the Rathal, the depiction of Adam and Eve before eating the forbidden fruit, and the Last Supper scene (where Judas holds his purse of silver coins, Peter holds the key to heaven, and Christ looks harshly at Judas while John rests on his lap) are considered masterworks of symbolic carving, blending fact and symbolism in a way rarely seen elsewhere.

How far is Piravom from Kochi, and what will I see there?

Piravom lies 35 kilometres east of Kochi and holds two major stops: the Pazhoor Temple, built in classic Kerala style with Lord Shiva as the presiding deity, and St. Mary's Orthodox Church, which sits on a hilltop above the Muvattupuzha river and is believed to be as old as Christianity in Kerala itself.

What does the wholesale market stop show about how Kerala works?

The wholesale vegetable and fruit market is where farmers from across the region bring their produce to resell to vendors and consumers. It is a working market, not a tourist site, and shows the daily commerce that feeds the region's towns and cities.

Will I see rubber plantations on this tour?

Yes. Rubber plantations surround much of the route, especially around Piravom and Areekal. They are part of the landscape that defines the region's economy and prosperity, and the guide explains their role in Kerala's agricultural life.

What is Areekal Falls like, and how does it fit into the day?

Areekal Falls is a cascade surrounded by woods and rubber plantations, a serene spot where the landscape shifts from town to forest. It offers a chance to experience the natural beauty of the region and sits roughly in the middle of the eight-hour route.