Munnar Day Trip from Kochi: Tea Plantations & Spice Gardens

Tea plantations and mountain views without arranging your own transport

A 13-hour private day trip from Kochi to Munnar takes you through Kerala's tea and spice plantations, with stops at Mattupetty Dam and the Kannan Devan Tea Museum. You travel in a private AC vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off, and a local guide joins you unless you choose the self-guided option. The route passes waterfalls and reaches high elevation viewpoints across the Munnar hills.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Mattupetty Dam15m · entry included
2. Periyar Tiger Reserve15m · entry included

Day trip from Kochi to Munnar

• Pick up from hotel or airport
• Stop at Waterfalls
• Visit Mattupetty Dam
• Explore Kannan Devan Tea Museum
• Visit Spice plantation

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your Kochi hotel or airport by 6:30 AM, then heads inland toward the Western Ghats. The drive climbs through tea estates and passes waterfalls before reaching Mattupetty Dam, where you stop to see the reservoir and surrounding hills. From there the route continues to Munnar's higher elevations, taking in views across the plantations and valleys that make up this region.

The Kannan Devan Tea Museum sits on a working estate and shows how tea is processed from leaf to cup. After the museum, the itinerary includes a visit to a spice plantation where you walk among cardamom, pepper and other crops grown in the shade of taller trees. Both stops let you see how these crops are actually grown and handled, not just read about them. The return journey follows the same route back to Kochi, arriving in the evening.

You choose between three options at checkout: a guide for the full day, a guide for part of the day, or self-guided travel in the private vehicle. All three include the AC transport and hotel pickup. Children must travel with an adult. The 13-hour span means an early start and a late return, so plan accordingly if you have evening plans in Kochi.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Kochi.
• transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle.
• entry to the Kannan Devan Tea Museum.
• visits to Mattupetty Dam and a spice plantation.
• a local guide in English (included in the guided options, not in the self-guided option).

Options for this experience

3 options

Private tour, self-guidedGuide in English · 06:30A 12-hour tour with car and driver: a self-guided tour with car and driver, no guide included. Entrance fees to the Tea Museum and spice plantations are included; pickup is included.

Private Tour and Guide in MunnarGuide in English · 06:30Private vehicle tour of about 13 hours with a local guide in Munnar, including a visit to a spice plantation. AC car, with hotel pickup and drop-off; pickup is included.

Private Tour and All-Day GuideGuide in English · 06:30A 13-hour air-conditioned transport tour with a guide for the whole day: a private tour with a full-day guide and a visit to a spice plantation. AC car, hotel pickup and drop-off; pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to10h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Carnival Tours Kochi

Is this one for you?Choose the guided option if you want context on the tea and spice crops as you move through the plantations. Pick the self-guided version if you prefer to explore at your own pace and take photos without a schedule.

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Top questions

What is the Kannan Devan Tea Museum like?

The Kannan Devan Tea Museum sits on an active tea estate in Munnar and walks you through how tea leaves are processed into finished tea. You see the machinery and methods used on the plantation itself.

Does the tour visit Periyar Tiger Reserve?

The itinerary includes a visit to a spice plantation within the Periyar area, where you see cardamom, pepper and other crops growing. This is not a wildlife safari. You are walking through cultivated spice gardens.

What time does pickup happen and when do I return to Kochi?

Hotel or airport pickup is at 6:30 AM. The full day is 13 hours, so return to Kochi happens in the evening. Exact return time depends on traffic and the specific stops, but plan for a late arrival.

Can I do this tour without a guide?

Yes. The self-guided private tour option lets you travel in the private AC vehicle to all the same stops (Mattupetty Dam, the tea museum and spice plantation) without a guide accompanying you.

What do I see at Mattupetty Dam?

Mattupetty Dam is a reservoir in the Munnar hills where you stop to view the dam structure and the surrounding mountain landscape. It is a photo stop on the route between Kochi and the higher elevations of Munnar.