Kerala in Reverse — Five Nights Ending in Fort Kochi
The standard Kerala circuit run the other way round, finishing in the city rather than starting there. That small change matters: you arrive tired and go straight up into the hills, and you finish with a day in Fort Kochi when you are acclimatised and in the mood for a town.
Journey overview
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
The standard Kerala circuit run the other way round, finishing in the city rather than starting there. That small change matters: you arrive tired and go straight up into the hills, and you finish with a day in Fort Kochi when you are acclimatised and in the mood for a town.
Journey snapshot
The shape of this journey at a glance — where it starts, where it ends and everything it passes through.
Duration
- 5 Nights / 6 Days
Starts
- Munnar
Ends
- Kochi
Route
- Munnar → Thekkady → Aboard the houseboat, Alleppey → Kochi
Travel style
- Cultural
Journey highlights
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
- The Kerala circuit run in reverse, finishing in Fort Kochi.
- Two nights at Munnar among working tea estates.
- Thekkady and the Periyar wildlife sanctuary.
- A night aboard a houseboat on the Alleppey backwaters.
- A short final-morning transfer from a city hotel.
Day-by-day itinerary
You are met at Kochi airport and driven straight up into the Western Ghats to Munnar, climbing through tea gardens and past waterfalls. You check in and the rest of the day is free — the altitude makes for a noticeably cooler first night than the coast. · Munnar
A day around Munnar taking in Eravikulam National Park, home to the Nilgiri tahr, and the reservoirs at Mattupetty and Kundala where boating operates on water edged by tea on one side and open grassland on the other. Echo Point and the tea museum complete the circuit. Entrance and boating charges are not included. · Munnar
You drive to Thekkady, check in, and spend the afternoon at the Periyar wildlife sanctuary — dense evergreen forest declared a tiger reserve in 1978, set around a large lake formed by the Mullaperiyar dam. Cardamom, pepper, tea and coffee plantations surround the town. · Thekkady
You drive to Alleppey and board a houseboat for an overnight cruise through the backwaters. The boat moves slowly along palm-fringed canals past paddy fields and village life. Lunch, evening tea, dinner and the following morning's breakfast are all served on board as part of the houseboat, and the cooking is local Kerala food. · Aboard the houseboat, Alleppey
After breakfast on board you disembark and drive to Kochi. The afternoon is given to Fort Kochi and its old quarter — the Jewish synagogue and Jew Town, the Dutch Palace at Mattancherry, St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica and the Chinese fishing nets along the waterfront. · Kochi
After breakfast you check out and are driven the short distance to Kochi airport for your onward flight. Staying in the city on the final night means the transfer is brief. Your onward flight is not part of this package, so allow the check-in time your airline requires.
Accommodation, meals & transport
What the journey covers day to day, taken from this package's own inclusions.
🏨 Accommodation
- Comfort standard
- 5 nights' accommodation — two nights Munnar, one night Thekkady, one night aboard a houseboat at Alleppey and one night Kochi.
🍽 Meals
- Daily breakfast, from Day 2 to Day 6.
- Lunch, evening tea and dinner aboard the houseboat, and breakfast aboard the following morning.
🚆 Transport
- Private airport transfer on arrival, Kochi airport to your hotel.
- Private airport transfer on departure, to Kochi airport.
- Munnar sightseeing covering Eravikulam National Park, the Mattupetty and Kundala dams, Echo Point and the tea museum, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Thekkady sightseeing at the Periyar wildlife sanctuary area, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Fort Kochi sightseeing covering the Jewish synagogue, the Dutch Palace, St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica and the Chinese fishing nets, on a seat-in-coach basis.
Flights, visa & practical
Arranged separately from the journey itself — listed here so there are no surprises.
✈ Flights
- International airfare is extra and is not included.
- Domestic and internal airfare is extra and is not included.
- Domestic airfare and rail fare. Travel to and from the start and end points of this itinerary is not included.
🛂 Visa
- Visa is extra and is not included — visa fees, associated service charges, airport taxes and any related charges.
🛡 Insurance
- Travel insurance is extra and is not included.
What's included & excluded
Exactly what your journey covers — set out clearly, with no surprises, so you know precisely what to expect.
Included
- 5 nights' accommodation — two nights Munnar, one night Thekkady, one night aboard a houseboat at Alleppey and one night Kochi.
- Daily breakfast, from Day 2 to Day 6.
- Private airport transfer on arrival, Kochi airport to your hotel.
- Private airport transfer on departure, to Kochi airport.
- Munnar sightseeing covering Eravikulam National Park, the Mattupetty and Kundala dams, Echo Point and the tea museum, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- Thekkady sightseeing at the Periyar wildlife sanctuary area, on a seat-in-coach basis.
- One night aboard a houseboat on the Alleppey backwaters.
- Lunch, evening tea and dinner aboard the houseboat, and breakfast aboard the following morning.
- Fort Kochi sightseeing covering the Jewish synagogue, the Dutch Palace, St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica and the Chinese fishing nets, on a seat-in-coach basis.
Excluded
- GST is extra and is charged on the final amount.
- TCS is extra and is charged on the final amount.
- International airfare is extra and is not included.
- Domestic and internal airfare is extra and is not included.
- Visa is extra and is not included — visa fees, associated service charges, airport taxes and any related charges.
- Travel insurance is extra and is not included.
- All meals other than the daily breakfasts listed above, and any meals expressly listed as part of a named included component. Lunches, dinners and drinks with meals are not included otherwise.
- Domestic airfare and rail fare. Travel to and from the start and end points of this itinerary is not included.
- Any optional activity, boat ride, entry ticket or excursion described as optional or recommended rather than included.
- Any sightseeing, entry ticket or excursion not specifically listed under Inclusions.
- Monument, temple and sanctuary entrance fees where charged separately, and any camera or video charges.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Personal expenses — laundry, telephone, minibar, and anything of a personal nature.
- Early check-in and late check-out charges, and any hotel upgrade.
- Anything not specifically listed under Inclusions.
Related to this journey
Every destination on this journey has its own guide — attractions, where to stay and what to eat — and the journeys that pair with this one are a click away.
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