Kochi: Munnar & Periyar Wildlife with Alleppey Houseboat

Five Days Through Kerala's Tea Hills, Wildlife & Backwaters

You travel through Kerala's three main landscapes (tea hills, wildlife reserves, and backwaters) in a private vehicle with flexible pickup and drop-off. The five days include four breakfasts, entry to national parks and the backwater sanctuary, and one night sleeping on a traditional houseboat. All transfers and sightseeing are covered, so you don't arrange transport, book attractions separately, or negotiate prices along the way.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Munnar and relax

• Pickup from Cochin location
• Drive to Munnar via scenic route
• Stop at waterfalls and tea plantations
• Check in to Munnar hotel
• Relax or explore local markets

Day 2: Munnar sightseeing and nature

• Breakfast at hotel
• Visit Eravikulam National Park
• Boating at Mattupetty Dam
• Visit Echo Point and Kundala Lake
• Explore Tea Museum
• Return to hotel for overnight stay

Day 3: Thekkady wildlife and culture

• Breakfast and check out from hotel
• Drive to Thekkady
• Check in to Thekkady hotel
• Visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
• Optional boat safari on Periyar Lake
• Attend Kathakali or Kalaripayattu show
• Overnight stay in Thekkady

Day 4: Houseboat cruise in Alleppey

• Breakfast and depart for Alleppey
• Board traditional Kerala houseboat
• Cruise through backwaters and villages
• Enjoy meals on board
• Overnight stay on houseboat

Day 5: Return to Cochin and sightseeing

• Morning on houseboat and breakfast
• Check out from houseboat
• Drive back to Cochin
• Short sightseeing in Cochin
• Drop off at preferred location

The experience

The private vehicle is already waiting at your Cochin pickup point (airport, hotel, or railway station), and the driver knows exactly where you're headed: Munnar, a hill station three hours inland where the landscape shifts from coastal humidity to cool mountain air. The route itself is part of the experience. You'll pass Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls, their water catching the light between tea plantations that slope down the hillsides in neat rows. There's time to stop for photos, to stretch, to let the green settle into your eyes. By evening you're checked into the Golden Munnar Palace, a five-star property where the temperature has dropped enough that you'll want a sweater.

Day two is all Munnar's viewpoints and reserves. Eravikulam National Park sits at the top of the range, and that's where the Nilgiri Tahr (a rare mountain goat found nowhere else on earth) lives among the grasslands. After that comes Mattupetty Dam, where you can take a boat out onto the water, then Echo Point and Kundala Lake, each one a different angle on the same quiet landscape. The Tea Museum rounds out the afternoon if you want to know how the leaves became the thing that built this place. You return to the same hotel, the same cool evening air.

On day three the vehicle turns south toward Thekkady, and the landscape opens into spice plantations (cardamom, pepper, cinnamon) before you reach the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This is where the Kochi tour shifts from scenery to wildlife. You have the option of a boat safari on Periyar Lake, where elephants and other animals come down to drink at the water's edge. The evening offers a choice: a Kathakali dance performance, where the makeup and hand gestures tell stories older than the region's written history, or a Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration. Both happen in the same town. You stay at Poetree Thekkady, a club-room property with air conditioning.

Day four is the houseboat. Alleppey (also called the Venice of the East, though that comparison only half-captures it) is where you board a traditional Kerala houseboat for an overnight cruise through the backwaters. The boat moves slowly past paddy fields and coconut groves, past villages where people wave from the shore. Meals are prepared on board: lunch, evening tea, dinner. You sleep on the water, wake to the sound of it lapping against the hull, have breakfast while the morning light hits the palms. It's the kind of stillness that doesn't come often.

The final day brings you back to Cochin. After breakfast and checkout from the houseboat, the private vehicle collects you for the drive back to the city. If there's time, you'll see Fort Kochi, the Chinese Fishing Nets that have been scooping fish from the harbor for centuries, and Mattancherry Palace. Then you're dropped at your chosen endpoint (airport, hotel, or railway station), and the tour ends where it began, with the driver knowing exactly where you need to be.

What’s included

Your five days include flexible pickup and drop-off from any location in Cochin, private air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers and sightseeing, four breakfasts, one night on a traditional houseboat in Alleppey with meals prepared on board, entry to Eravikulam National Park and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, all tolls and parking, and a water bottle. Accommodation is at the Golden Munnar Palace in Munnar, Poetree Thekkady in Thekkady, and a luxury houseboat in Alleppey.

Options for this experience

4 options

Tour with an AC car onlyGuide in 5 languages · 12 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 22:00Includes pickup

Tour with a 3-star hotelGuide in 5 languages · 12 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 22:00Includes a 3-star hotel: pickup is included + private AC car

Tour including stays at 4-star hotelsGuide in 5 languages · 12 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 22:00Pickup is included

Tour with a 5-star hotelGuide in 5 languages · 12 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 22:00Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 5d, runs every day, 11 start times, from US$ 236 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day11 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 16:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (5 to 80 years) · Child (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Hindi

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 19 pickup points.

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 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by TRAVEL INDIA ONE DAY

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want Kerala's main regions (hills, wildlife, and backwaters) without arranging separate transport, park tickets, or houseboat bookings. The private vehicle and fixed itinerary handle all the logistics, leaving you to move through the landscape at a steady pace.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Hindi.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 5).

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 5-day Kerala tour from Kochi?

Private vehicle for all transfers and sightseeing, four breakfasts, one night on a traditional houseboat in Alleppey, entry to Eravikulam National Park and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and flexible pickup/drop-off from any Cochin location.

How long is the drive from Cochin to Munnar?

Approximately three hours, with stops at waterfalls and tea plantations along the way.

Can I do the Periyar boat safari, or is it optional?

The boat safari on Periyar Lake is optional. You can also explore the sanctuary on land or skip it entirely.

What are the accommodation standards on this tour?

You stay at the Golden Munnar Palace (five-star) in Munnar, Poetree Thekkady (club room with AC) in Thekkady, and a traditional luxury houseboat in Alleppey.

Is the houseboat included in the tour price?

Yes, the overnight houseboat stay in Alleppey is included, with meals prepared on board.

Can I choose my pickup time in Cochin?

Yes, the tour offers flexible pickup from any location in Cochin (airport, hotel, or railway station) at a time that suits your arrival.

What should I pack for a 5-day Kerala tour?

Light, breathable clothing for the backwaters and lower elevations; a sweater or light jacket for Munnar's cooler evenings; comfortable walking shoes; sunscreen and insect repellent.