Munnar Day Tour: Trek Tea Hills, Waterfalls & Factory

Trek through Munnar's tea hills and taste the leaves where they're made

A 12- to 14-hour day tour from Cochin to Munnar with a local guide, hotel pickup and packed breakfast included. You trek for three hours through tea plantations, stop at two waterfalls en route, eat lunch on banana leaves, tour a working tea factory with tasting, and explore the local market and spice farms. The guide speaks English and the vehicle is air-conditioned.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day trip from Cochin to Munnar

• Pickup from Cochin hotel at 6:00 am
• Enjoy packed breakfast with tea or coffee
• Stop at Cheeyappara Waterfalls
• Stop at Valara Waterfalls
• Three-hour tea plantation trek in Munnar
• Traditional vegetarian feast on banana leaves
• Visit Lockhart Tea Factory and tea tasting
• Explore local market in Munnar
• Visit spice farm and learn about spices

The Experience

The pickup happens at 6:00 am from your Cochin hotel, and the drive to Munnar takes four hours. You'll eat a packed breakfast—fruit, cake, sandwiches, masala tea—on the way, and stop at Cheeyappara and Vallara waterfalls, where the water cascades through the Western Ghats. By the time you reach Munnar, you've already seen two of the region's main water features without having to plan separate trips to them.

Once in Munnar, the three-hour trek begins on paths that wind through the tea hills away from the main roads. The guide leads you through the rows of tea bushes and the undulating terrain, pointing out how the plants grow and what makes this region's tea distinct. Lunch arrives after the trek—a traditional vegetarian meal served on fresh banana leaves, the kind of detail that signals you're eating something made for the place, not for tourists passing through.

The Lokhart Tea Factory visit comes next. You watch tea being processed from leaf to finished blend, taste several varieties, and can buy directly from the factory if a particular one appeals to you. After that, time opens up to wander the local market and visit a spice farm, where cardamom, pepper and cinnamon grow in the same landscape you've been walking through all day. Bottled water is provided throughout, and the air-conditioned vehicle means the long drive back to Cochin doesn't erase what you've seen.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cochin.
• packed breakfast with fruit, cake, sandwiches, masala tea and coffee.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• three-hour guided trek through Munnar's tea plantations with an English-speaking local guide.
• lunch served on banana leaves.
• entry and guided tour of Lokhart Tea Factory with tea tasting.
• time to explore the local market and spice farms.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the entire journey.
• all fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Stanley Wilson Day Tours

Is this one for you?The early 6:00 am start and four-hour drive mean you're committed to a full day, but that's what makes the three-hour trek, factory visit, market time and two waterfalls fit into a single departure from Cochin—nothing gets rushed because the schedule holds it all together. Infants can ride in a pram or stroller, and small children sit on an adult's lap; the tour suits all fitness levels.

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Top questions

How far is the trek through the tea plantations, and what's the terrain like?

The trek lasts three hours and moves through the undulating tea hills of Munnar on off-the-beaten paths. The guide leads you through rows of tea bushes with views of mist-covered mountains; it's designed for all fitness levels and doesn't require climbing gear or special equipment.

What's included in the meals, and are there vegetarian options?

Breakfast is packed and eaten during the drive—fruit, cake, sandwiches, masala tea and coffee. Lunch is a traditional vegetarian meal served on fresh banana leaves after the trek. Bottled water is provided throughout the day.

What happens at the Lokhart Tea Factory?

The Lokhart Tea Factory visit includes a guided tour of the tea-making process from leaf to finished blend, a tasting session where you sample different varieties, and the option to buy tea directly from the factory if you want to take some home.

Is there time to explore Munnar beyond the trek and factory?

Yes. After the factory visit, you have time to explore the local market and visit a spice farm, where you can see cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and other spices growing. Both are in Munnar itself and add a cultural layer to the day.

What time does the tour end, and how long is the drive back to Cochin?

The full tour runs 12 to 14 hours from pickup, so you return to your Cochin hotel in the evening. The return drive is the same four hours as the morning journey, and the vehicle is air-conditioned for the whole trip.