Your itinerary
Day 1
Adventure starts in Kochi • Optional Fort Kochi harbour cruise
Begin your adventure in the spice port of Kochi, where the remnants of colonial rule can still be seen in the historic buildings.If you arrive in time, join an afternoon harbour cruise around Fort Kochi (arrive at the hotel by 1pm to join).Around 6pm, say namaskaram to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.Your tour leader then ensures a big Keralan welcome by arranging dinner at a local restaurant.Want to explore Kochi further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2
Explore the colonial landmarks of Kochi
Join your tour leader for a sightseeing tour of Kochi, taking in the adjacent historic neighbourhoods of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.In Fort Kochi, we visit St Francis Church, where Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama died in 1524; see Santa Cruz Cathedral, originally used as a warehouse by the British; and wander past fishing nets lining the harbour entrance, which were introduced by the Chinese in the late-14th century.In Mattancherry, we visit Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese in the mid-1500s in a traditional Keralan style, and Jew Town, once home to a Jewish community and now a great place to peruse antique shops and warehouses.If you’re interested, visit Thomas Chettan in the Little Queen Embroidery shop to learn about hand lace work, a dying art using bobbin lace. There is the option in the late afternoon to see a Kathakali dance performance – a similar show is also available in Periyar on Day 4.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3
To Thekkady • Rubber plantation walk followed by lunch
Leave Kochi in the morning and transfer to the bustling village of Thekkady, gateway to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Breaking up the five to six-hour drive, we stop at a traditional Keralan bungalow in the serene rubber plantations of Kanjirappally. Take a walk through the plantations, watching our guide as they show us how to tap rubber, while also seeing regional trees such as rambutan, mangosteen, nutmeg, pineapple, banana and coffee. After, we enjoy lunch served at the plantation house.Post lunch, we complete our drive to Thekkady. The whole area is a centre for spice growing, and this evening there is a short walk around a spice garden, where we see many different spices growing.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch
Day 4
Nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary • Cooking demonstration in family home
Before breakfast, join a nature walk (approximately two to three hours) in Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, in which your expert local guide points out tell-tale wildlife signs, including tiger tracks, animal droppings, and trees marked by sloth bears. You’re also like to spot monkeys in the trees and bird life.In the afternoon, you have free time to explore the village and bazaar, with the chance to visit shops selling cardamom, vanilla, peppercorns, turmeric and other spices.Alternatively, join an optional boat cruise on Periyar Lake to look for elephants, otters, wild pigs and buffalos. There is also an abundance of bird life – kingfishers, storks and hornbills are the most spotted. Other optional activities include an Ayurvedic massage, Kathakali dance show, and a martial arts performance.We then join a family in their home for a cooking demonstration followed by dinner. We normally eat in their garden, under cover, among a variety of spices, which we have explained to us during the demonstration.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 5
To Alleppey • Houseboat cruise through the serene backwaters and lakes
Today, we drive (four to five hours) to Alleppey to board our houseboat at midday and begin our cruise between the backwaters and larger lakes.The cruise is one of the trip highlights – these enchanting boats, built of anjili (wild jack) wood and bamboo, transported goods for hundreds of years. Now, they have been decorated and made into comfortable cruise boats.As you meander through tropical vegetation, we can see prolific bird life and gain a different perspective on village life. The cruise takes us along shallow, palm-fringed canals where coconut fibre, coconut meat and cashews are loaded onto dugout canoes.In the evening, the boat is anchored by a bank, and we watch the sun set over the paddy fields.
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Day 6
To the old hippie beach town of Kovalam • Visit Mannarasala Temple
After breakfast, we leave our houseboat in Alleppey and drive (approximately six hours) along the scenic Malabar Coast to Kovalam.Visit Mannarasala Temple en route, which is decorated with more than 100,000 snake images. Couples seeking fertility come here and your tour leader explains the origin of snake worshiping.Continuing, we pass through Quilon for a tea break before arriving at our destination. Once a relaxing hideaway on the old hippie trail, Kovalam has now been discovered, but the influx of tourism has not diminished this beautiful setting, and we have time to explore the restaurants this afternoon.Upgrade to a sea-view cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7
Free day in Kovalam • Optional village tour at Mannadikonam or daytrip to Kanyakumari
Today is free to unwind on the soft, sandy beach or visit the shops for last-minute souvenirs. This is a great chance to enjoy fresh seafood from one of the many small beach restaurants. Try tandoori dishes – the clay ovens add an exquisite taste to bread and curries.You can opt for an optional half-day village tour at Mannadikonam (approximately one-hour drive) near Balaramapuram.Alternatively, join an optional full day’s sightseeing from Kovalam to Kanyakumari, the end point of India where three seas meet: the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. If it’s open, the trip can also take in the old wooden palace at Padmanabhapuram (extra cost), a marvellous building with fantastic wood carvings, and the Hindu temple at Suchindran, with amazing stone carvings. This trip can be booked and paid for locally. Please note, it is a long day (approximately 8am-6pm) and roads can be prone to traffic delays, but it’s always a popular activity.Upgrade to a sea-view cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8
Adventure ends in Kovalam
The adventure ends today. Begin your return journey home or, if you’d like a bit more time to relax on the sandy shores of Kovalam, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
You can combine this trip with India’s Golden Triangle, Colours of Rajasthan or Sri Lankan Highlights for a longer adventure.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Food
The included meals are detailed on the day-to-day itinerary. Allow at least 1,650 rupees (approximately US$20) per day for lunch and dinner where these are not included. You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you mainly eat at the more expensive restaurants, you will spend more than the suggested amount.
In most towns, there is a good choice of restaurants and a mix of Indian and Western-style foods. If you are a vegetarian, India is probably one of the best destinations to visit. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap, while a large bottle of beer is approximately 500 rupees (US$6). Due to Kerala state laws, alcohol licenses are limited to one or two bars in each area and not all hotels are permitted to serve alcohol. The first day of every month and certain holidays in India are dry days, when no alcohol is permitted for sale.
Mineral water is available in the bus in large containers, so please bring a bottle with you to refill. Please note, restaurant service can be quite slow.
Fort Kochi Harbour Cruise
Set out on a harbour cruise around Fort Kochi for sea-level views of warehouses, shipyards, and historic shorelines. Drift past the Chinese fishing nets as crews balance counterweights and the Arabian Sea shimmers in the afternoon light.
This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour. Soft breezes and changing light create superb conditions for photography while your guide traces Kochi’s maritime story from spice port to modern hub.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Guided Nature Walk
Join a guided nature walk in Periyar Tiger Reserve, following forest trails for signs of wildlife—tiger pugmarks, scratch marks, and fresh scat. Scan the canopy for Malabar giant squirrels and macaques as hornbills beat across the sky and butterflies flit over leaf-littered paths.
Naturalists interpret the lake-centered ecosystem and evergreen slopes of the Cardamom Hills. Expect a quiet, low-impact pace with moments to tune into birdsong over the lake and the subtle movements of the forest.
Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple Visit
Visit Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple, a forest-shaded sanctuary dedicated to serpent deities. Follow leaf-dappled paths lined with thousands of stone snake images as your leader explains rituals and the symbolism of naga worship in Kerala’s cultural tapestry.
Couples often come to seek blessings for fertility, and the hush of the grove contrasts with the coast’s bustle. The setting’s entwined shrines and cool shade invite reflection amid ancient beliefs.
Thekkady Spice Garden Walk
Stroll a spice garden in Thekkady to encounter living aromatics at their source. Trace pepper vines and vanilla orchids along shaded trellises, and crush leaves to release the aromas of cardamom and lemongrass while learning how each plant is cultivated, harvested, and cured.
Your guide connects flavor to tradition, showing how these spices season Kerala’s cuisine and feature in Ayurvedic traditions. It’s a tactile, sensory primer that turns pantry staples into vivid plants with stories.
Kanjirappally Rubber Plantation Walk & Home-Hosted Lunch
Walk through working rubber groves near Kanjirappally and see how latex is tapped as your host scores the bark and gathers milky sap. Among rambutan, nutmeg, pineapple and coffee plants, learn how Kerala’s hill crops sustain families and shape the local economy.
After the stroll, share a home-hosted Keralan lunch, a spread of seasonal dishes scented with coconut and curry leaves. Conversation around the table illuminates planting cycles, spice lore, and everyday life in this serene plantation belt.
Home Cooking Demonstration & Garden Dinner, Thekkady
Join a hands-on cooking demonstration in a local family home, toasting spices and grinding masala before watching regional favorites take shape—perhaps soft appam, tangy sambar, or a fragrant fish curry.
Dine in a garden edged by pepper vines and jackfruit trees as lanterns glow. The warmth of home hospitality pairs with layered flavors, making this meal as much cultural exchange as feast.
Alleppey Backwaters Houseboat Cruise & Overnight
Cruise the backwaters aboard a kettuvallam, its coir-stitched hull sliding through mirror-still canals and broad Vembanad Lake. Watch village life unfold—toddy tappers at work, school boats gliding by, and kingfishers flashing electric blue from half-submerged posts.
As palms ripple in the water, your crew serves regional cuisine while the boat anchors beside paddy fields at sunset. The soft motion and chorus of crickets set a tranquil, riverine mood.
Periyar Lake Boat Safari
Embark on a boat safari on Periyar Lake, skimming calm waters ringed by misty forested hills. Scan shorelines for elephants on the shore, sambar deer, and wild boar, while cormorants and kingfishers perch on ghostly, half-submerged trees.
This activity is at additional cost and bookable on tour. The lake’s stillness allows close observation without disturbing wildlife, offering a serene complement to the morning’s forest walk.
Kathakali Dance Performance
Experience Kathakali dance-drama, Kerala’s classical theatre known for elaborate makeup and headgear and fiercely controlled expressions. Arrive early to watch the transformation as artists paint vivid greens and reds while drummers tune the stage.
A narrator decodes gestures and eye movements as percussion drives the story. This cultural evening is at additional cost and bookable on tour, available in Kochi or Thekkady.
Kalaripayattu Martial Arts Performance
Witness Kalaripayattu martial arts in a traditional arena as masters display weapon forms and acrobatic kicks with razor-quick footwork. Sparks glance off shields and blades while torches throw dramatic shadows across the sanded floor.
This thrilling showcase of timing and control is at additional cost and bookable on tour, typically offered in Thekkady.
Traditional Ayurvedic Massage
Unwind with a traditional Ayurvedic massage, where therapists use warm herbal oils and rhythmic strokes to release tension and support balance. Treatments reflect Kerala’s deep wellness heritage and can be tailored to preference.
This restorative session is at additional cost and bookable on tour, available during your stays in Thekkady or Kovalam.
Mannadikonam Village Tour
Join a guided village tour near Mannadikonam to meet artisans and farmers amid paddy fields and coconut groves. Learn everyday skills such as coir rope making or weaving, and hear how monsoon rhythms shape rural routines and festivals.
This gentle half-day outing is at additional cost and bookable on tour from Kovalam, with time for conversations and photography.
Full-Day Excursion to Kanyakumari
Travel to the land’s end of India at Kanyakumari to witness the confluence of three seas. Ride the ferry to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and view the Thiruvalluvar statue rising from the waves, with coastal views ideal for photography.
Time permitting, visit Padmanabhapuram Palace or Suchindram Temple to admire exquisite wood and stone work. This full-day experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour from Kovalam.
Kochi Heritage Tour: Fort Kochi & Mattancherry
Explore Kochi’s historic quarters on a guided heritage tour, walking the waterfront lanes of Fort Kochi. Step inside St Francis Church, associated with Vasco da Gama, and pause by the iconic Chinese fishing nets where fishermen work the cantilevered frames as gulls wheel overhead.
Cross to Mattancherry to visit the Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace), famed for vivid murals from the Ramayana, then browse the antique warehouses of Jew Town. Your leader connects spice-route history with today’s lived culture, revealing how traders shaped the city’s architecture, cuisine, and rhythm.
