Kerala Family Tour Packages

Kerala is one of the easiest places in India to travel with children and grandparents. Distances are short, the hill stations are cool, and there's something for every age: tea estates and waterfalls in Munnar, wild elephants seen from a boat in Thekkady, and a houseboat on the Alleppey backwaters that children never forget. Our Kerala family tour packages are private trips planned around short drives, hotels with family rooms and pools, and a vehicle big enough for everyone, with your own driver from Kochi and back. Whether it's your first Kerala family trip or a big get-together with grandparents, we'll set the pace to suit you.

Every package can be adjusted for your family. See all our Kerala tour packages.

• Short drives: most days have four hours or less on the road, with stops at waterfalls and spice gardens along the way.
• Family-friendly hotels: we choose hotels with family rooms or interconnecting rooms, and pools where possible.
• The right vehicle: an SUV for families of up to five, or a tempo traveller for larger groups, with an English- or Hindi-speaking driver throughout.
• Houseboats with extra bedrooms: boats with two, three or more bedrooms, each with an attached bathroom, so the whole family can stay on one boat.
• Slow mornings: we avoid very early starts wherever we can, except where a houseboat check-in or a long drive needs it.

• Eravikulam National Park, Munnar: a park bus ride up the hills to see the Nilgiri tahr, a wild mountain goat, up close.
• Boating on Kundala Lake and Mattupetty, Munnar: pedal boats and wide open views.
• The Periyar Lake boat ride, Thekkady: spotting elephants, bison and deer from the water.
• Spice garden walks: touching and smelling pepper, cardamom and cinnamon straight from the plant.
• Kalaripayattu shows: Kerala's acrobatic martial art, with a fire finale that older children love.
• A night on a houseboat: fishing nets, canoes and village life drifting past the deck.
• Athirapilly Falls: the roar and spray of Kerala's biggest waterfall.
• Beach time: sandcastles at Cherai or Kovalam in the calmer months from October to March.

Find more ideas in our guide to Kerala tourist places and our Munnar tour packages.

Kerala works well for senior travellers too. We can choose hotels with lifts or ground-floor rooms, shorten walks such as the uphill path at Eravikulam, and build in rest time after longer drives. Houseboats are an easy, comfortable way for older travellers to enjoy the backwaters without walking. For families who'd like a temple visit, our Guruvayur tours include darshan at the Sri Krishna Temple.

October to March is the best time for most families, with pleasant weather everywhere and calm seas at the beach. The October and December school holidays are busy, so book early. In the April–May summer holidays the coast is hot, but Munnar and Thekkady are cool and comfortable, so plan more time in the hills. The monsoon (June to September) is green and quiet, and good value if school dates allow. See our guide to the best time to visit Kerala.

• Motion sickness: the hill roads to Munnar and Thekkady are winding, so carry tablets if anyone in the family needs them, and sit children by a window.
• Light layers: cotton for the coast, a sweater for Munnar evenings.
• Sun and insects: pack sunscreen and insect repellent, especially for the houseboat and Thekkady.
• Snacks and water: we'll stop regularly, but a small bag of snacks helps on longer drives.

Compare all our routes in the Kerala itinerary guide.

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