Kerala: Private Houseboat, Munnar Tea Hills & Fort Kochi Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.84 (209 reviews) 90% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/19

Duration4d

GroupPrivate

PickupAt your hotel

Tea gardens to backwaters, Kerala’s color and quiet with locals

You’ll ride from Kochi up into Munnar’s misty tea country, taste fresh chai, spot wildlife in Eravikulam Park, then float overnight on a private Kerala houseboat with home-cooked meals. End wandering Fort Kochi’s colorful streets and markets before your airport drop-off—with more memories than you expect.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Arrival and drive to Munnar

Arrive at Kochi Airport
Meet representative at airport
Drive to Munnar by private car
Stop at Valara and Cheeyappara Waterfalls
Stop at Neriamangalam Bridge
Visit Tea Gardens in Munnar
Check into 3-star resort
Relax at hotel

Day 2 — Munnar sightseeing tour

Breakfast at hotel
Visit Kundale Tea Plantation
Explore Eravikulam National Park
Visit Mattupetty Dam
Visit Swiss Farm near Mattupetty
Visit Echo Point
Visit Rose Gardens
Tour Kanan Devan Tea Museum
Overnight stay at hotel

Day 3 — Houseboat cruise in backwaters

Breakfast at hotel
Check out from hotel
Drive to Kumarakom
Check into houseboat
Overnight cruise on Kerala backwaters
View local villages and coconut trees

Day 4 — Fort Kochi sightseeing and departure

Breakfast on houseboat
Check out from houseboat
Drive to Cochin
Leisure time in Cochin
Sunset backwater cruise in Kochi
Visit Chinese Fishing Nets and Marine Drive
Visit Bolghatty and Willington Islands
Visit Fort Kochi Beach
Explore Princess Street
Visit Cochin Spice Market
Visit Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
Walk Mattancherry Street
Visit Paradesi Synagogue and Jew Town
Transfer to airport for departure

The Experience

I didn’t think the air would change so quickly—from the sticky warmth at Kochi Airport to that cool, green hush winding up toward Munnar. Our driver, Rajesh, pulled over near Cheeyappara Waterfalls without us asking. The spray was cold on my face and there were kids laughing somewhere behind the tea stalls. It smelled like wet leaves and diesel—oddly comforting. We stopped again at Neriamangalam bridge just to watch the Periyar river slide by. Rajesh said something about “three rivers” coming together in Munnar; I tried repeating it in Malayalam and he grinned but didn’t correct me.

The next morning started with cardamom chai so sweet it made my teeth ache (I drank two cups anyway). The tea gardens looked fake from a distance—too green, too neat—but up close you could see women picking leaves, their hands quick and practiced. Eravikulam National Park was quieter than I expected; we waited for Nilgiri tahr to appear but only saw mist rolling over the hills. At Mattupetty Dam, some local guys tried to sell us roasted corn and joked about selfies—my partner caved first. Honestly, I still think about that view from Echo Point, all soft light and silence except for someone’s distant laughter echoing back.

Switching gears completely: the houseboat day felt like a dream. We boarded at Kumarakom after breakfast (idli and coconut chutney), shoes off on warm wooden planks. The boat glided through Kerala backwaters past women making coir ropes and kids waving from doorways under banana trees. Lunch was fresh fish curry with rice—spicy enough that I had to sneak extra yogurt when no one was looking. That slow drift across Vembanad Lake at sunset… hard to explain unless you’ve done it. Even the air seemed thicker somehow.

Our last morning was Fort Kochi—Princess Street’s faded paint and old men playing chess outside tiny shops. The Chinese fishing nets creaked as fishermen hauled them up; one let me try (I nearly dropped it). At Paradesi Synagogue, a woman selling spices told me her family had lived here for generations—she handed me a clove pod “for luck.” By then I’d stopped trying to keep track of time or even what day it was.

What’s included

Your days include private car transfers from Kochi Airport through tea hills to Alleppey and back again.
overnight stays at curated 3-star hotels in Munnar and Kochi.
an overnight cruise with lunch and dinner aboard a traditional Kerala houseboat.
daily breakfasts.
sightseeing with a local guide.
plus all entry fees covered before your airport drop-off at the end of your journey.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Iris Holidays