Kerala: Munnar Tea Hills & Alleppey Houseboat
Misty tea gardens, a night on a private houseboat and Ayurveda — all within 200 km.
Starting From
₹19,800
per person · land package
Duration
4 Nights / 5 Days
India
Hotel Category
4★ resorts + premium houseboat
Ideal For
Family · Couple · Honeymoon · Senior
Why this itinerary is designed this way
Kerala is the best-value green holiday in India and works for every age group, which is why it is our most-booked family package after Goa. The route is a clean triangle — Kochi, Munnar, Alleppey — with no backtracking and never more than 4 hours of driving in a day.
✔ 1 night on a premium two-bedroom houseboat with Kerala meals on board
✔ Munnar tea museum, Eravikulam National Park and Top Station viewpoints
✔ Kathakali and Kalaripayattu evening show in Kochi
✔ Ayurvedic couple massage in a certified centre
✔ Cheeyappara waterfalls and spice garden stops en route
Best route & how to travel it
✅ Direct flight to Kochi
Kochi is the shortest drive to both Munnar and Alleppey.
Alternative: Trivandrum (TRV) only if you add Varkala or Kovalam beaches.
✅ Overnight Volvo bus or self-drive
Saves a hotel night and the ghat-road drive happens in daylight on arrival.
Alternative: Fly to Kochi + 4 hr car, better for families with seniors.
✅ Private car (4 hrs) — avoid the bus with luggage
You reach the houseboat jetty before the 12pm boarding cut-off.
Alternative: Train to Alleppey station, 15 min from the jetty.
✅ Private car via the NH66 bypass
Leaving 5 hrs before the flight keeps you safe from backwater traffic and ferry queues.
Alternative: Alleppey → Ernakulam ferry + Metro, scenic but slow with bags.
🚕 Transport Playbook
One driver, whole trip
A single AC sedan for 5 days with 250 km/day costs INR 3,200-4,000 a day including fuel and driver food. Cheapest per head for 4+ people.
Auto-rickshaws in Fort Kochi
INR 50-150 hops. Agree the fare first; metered autos are rare in the heritage zone.
Kochi Metro + ferries
The Metro (Aluva to Pettah) plus the jankar ferry to Fort Kochi is the fastest and cheapest way into the old town.
Ghat road caution
Munnar's hairpin bends: ask for an experienced hill driver, avoid night driving, and carry motion-sickness tablets for kids.
Day-wise itinerary
-
D1 Kochi Arrive Kochi — Fort Kochi and Chinese fishing nets
Land at COK, explore Fort Kochi's colonial streets, the Chinese fishing nets and Mattancherry in the evening.
- Fort Kochi walk: Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church
- Mattancherry Palace + Jew Town antiques
- Kathakali performance with make-up demo
Agent tip · Fly into Kochi, not Trivandrum — COK is the gateway for Munnar and Alleppey.
-
D2 Munnar Drive to Munnar via waterfalls and spice gardens
The scenic 4-hour climb with stops at Cheeyappara falls and a spice plantation; evening at leisure in Munnar town.
- Cheeyappara & Valara waterfalls
- Spice garden walk (cardamom, pepper, vanilla)
- Tea Museum (KDHP) + Munnar town market
Agent tip · Munnar nights get cold (10°C in winter). Pack a jacket even in April.
-
D3 Munnar Eravikulam, Top Station and Mattupetty
The full Munnar day: Nilgiri tahr at Eravikulam, Top Station viewpoint, Mattupetty dam and Echo Point.
- Eravikulam National Park (Nilgiri tahr) — closed Feb-Mar for calving
- Top Station viewpoint
- Mattupetty Dam + Echo Point + Kundala Lake pedal boat
Agent tip · Eravikulam opens 8am; be first in the queue because the shuttle limits visitors per hour.
-
D4 Alleppey Munnar → Alleppey houseboat
Descend to the backwaters, board your houseboat at noon and cruise the canals until the overnight mooring.
- Board houseboat at 12pm (check-in)
- Cruise Punnamada Lake and the Kuttanad paddy belt
- Village canal walk at the mooring point
Agent tip · Houseboats dock by 5:30pm as per government rules. Day-cruise only options cost 40% less if you sleep on land.
-
D5 Alleppey → Kochi Alleppey → Kochi and depart
Breakfast on board, disembark at 9am, optional Ayurvedic massage, then airport drop.
- Disembark after breakfast
- Ayurvedic couple massage (60 min)
- Airport transfer to COK
Agent tip · Book a flight after 6pm so the morning cruise and massage are not rushed.
Food guide · what to eat
🍲 Kerala Sadya
Banana-leaf thali with 20+ items, on the houseboat.
🍲 Karimeen Pollichathu
Pearl spot fish grilled in banana leaf.
🍲 Appam + Stew
Coconut-milk curry, the definitive Kerala breakfast.
🍲 Malabar Parotta + Beef Fry
Kochi's favourite dinner.
🍲 Puttu & Kadala Curry
Steamed rice cake with black chana.
Indian food availability
It is India — Kerala cuisine is the local food. North Indian, Jain and Jain-Satvik menus are available on request at all our partner hotels and houseboats.
Vegetarian / Jain note
Kerala is excellent for vegetarians — the sadya thali is fully veg and costs INR 150.
Daily food budget
INR 700 – 1,400 per person per day.
What to avoid
- Monsoon (Jun-Aug) can close Eravikulam and make houseboat cruises shorter; check with us before booking.
- Do not book 'cheap' houseboats — non-kerosene engines, no safety certificates and bad food are common in the lowest tier.
- Avoid Ayurvedic massage centres that advertise on the street; use centres with Kerala Tourism approval.
- Leeches in Shola forests during rain — carry salt and full-length socks for treks.
- Do not bathe in backwater canals; currents and boat traffic make them unsafe.
What is included
- 4 nights: 1 Fort Kochi + 2 Munnar + 1 premium houseboat
- Daily breakfast + all meals on the houseboat
- Private AC sedan with driver for the entire trip
- Eravikulam National Park entry + Tea Museum tickets
- Kathakali show tickets
- Ayurvedic couple massage (60 min)
- All tolls, parking and driver allowance
Not included
- Airfare / train fare (add-on shown in calculator)
- Houseboat AC usage charge beyond 9pm on some boats
- Boating at Kundala/Mattupetty and personal activities
- Lunches except on the houseboat
- Anything not listed in inclusions