Cherai Beach, Munnar, Thekkady & Houseboat – 6 Days
Standard Package

Cherai Beach, Munnar, Thekkady & Houseboat – 6 Days

Cherai Beach, 2 nights in Munnar, Thekkady and an Alleppey houseboat. 6 days, round trip from Kochi.

⌖ Kerala, India ✦ Family & senior friendly planning
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DestinationKerala
Travel styleStandard Package

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Your holiday

A thoughtfully planned holiday experience.

Start your Kerala holiday slowly with a night at Cherai Beach, where the sea and the backwaters sit side by side, less than an hour from Kochi. Then two nights in Munnar's tea hills, Periyar wildlife in Thekkady and a night on a private Alleppey houseboat. 6 days, round trip from Kochi, with a private car and driver.

Good to know

Package typeStandard Package
Planning supportSmall changes by enquiry
Best forFamilies, couples & seniors
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Trip highlights
✦ Kochi to Cherai Beach – Sea and Backwaters
✦ Cherai to Munnar – Into the Western Ghats
✦ Munnar – Tea Hills and Eravikulam
✦ Munnar to Thekkady – Periyar Wildlife
✦ Thekkady to Alleppey – A Night on the Backwaters
✦ Alleppey to Kochi – Departure
Day-wise plan

Your itinerary, day by day.

Day 1
Kochi to Cherai Beach – Sea and Backwaters

Kochi to Cherai Beach – Sea and Backwaters

⌖ Cherai

Your driver meets you at Kochi airport or railway station and drives you to Cherai, on Vypin Island north of the city. Check in at a beach resort and take the rest of the day slowly. Walk along the long, golden beach, watch the fishermen bring in their boats, or sit by the backwaters that run just behind the sand, lined with Chinese fishing nets. In the evening, watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea.

Drive: about 1 hour · Overnight: Cherai

Day 2
Cherai to Munnar – Into the Western Ghats

Cherai to Munnar – Into the Western Ghats

⌖ Munnar 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, drive inland towards the hills, about four and a half hours. The road climbs through rubber plantations and cardamom forest, with stops at the Cheeyappara waterfall beside the road and at a spice garden. The first tea estates appear as you approach Munnar in the afternoon.

Drive: about 4½ hours · Overnight: Munnar

Day 3
Munnar – Tea Hills and Eravikulam

Munnar – Tea Hills and Eravikulam

⌖ Munnar 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Visit Eravikulam National Park when it opens at 9 am and take the park bus up to the grasslands of the Nilgiri tahr. Then tour the Tea Museum and taste a fresh cup. In the afternoon, drive the Mattupetty road to Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point and Kundala Lake. See our Munnar tour packages for more ideas.

Overnight: Munnar

Day 4
Munnar to Thekkady – Periyar Wildlife

Munnar to Thekkady – Periyar Wildlife

⌖ Thekkady 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Drive three to four hours through cardamom plantations to Thekkady. In the afternoon, take the boat ride on Periyar Lake, looking for elephants, gaur and sambar deer on the shore. In the evening, choose Kathakali, Kalaripayattu or a spice plantation walk. Read our guide to Thekkady tourist places.

Drive: 3–4 hours · Overnight: Thekkady

Day 5
Thekkady to Alleppey – A Night on the Backwaters

Thekkady to Alleppey – A Night on the Backwaters

⌖ Alleppey 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leave Thekkady at 8 am for the four-hour drive to Alleppey (Alappuzha) and board your private houseboat between noon and 1 pm. Cruise through the afternoon past paddy fields and village life while the crew cooks lunch on board. The boat moors at about 5:30 pm, and dinner is served on deck. Compare boats on our Alleppey houseboat packages page.

Drive: about 4 hours · Overnight: houseboat

Day 6
Alleppey to Kochi – Departure

Alleppey to Kochi – Departure

⌖ Kochi 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

After a short morning cruise and breakfast, leave the boat by 9 am, take a walk on Alleppey Beach and drive about two hours to Kochi. With an evening flight, there's time for Fort Kochi. Your driver drops you at Kochi airport or the railway station. See our Fort Kochi tourist places guide.

Drive: about 2 hours

Hotel confirmation

Hotel names will be provided after booking, subject to availability and confirmation. We do not hold hotel confirmations before booking.

Inclusions

  1. 4 nights in hotels or resorts of your chosen category (1 at Cherai Beach, 2 in Munnar, 1 in Thekkady), with daily breakfast
  2. 1 night on a private houseboat, with lunch, dinner and breakfast on board
  3. A private sedan, SUV or tempo traveller with an English- or Hindi-speaking driver for all 6 days, including fuel, tolls, parking and driver allowance
  4. Pickup and drop at Kochi airport or railway station
  5. All sightseeing and transfers listed in the itinerary

Exclusions

Not included: flights or trains, entry tickets (Eravikulam National Park, Tea Museum, Periyar boating), cultural shows, meals other than breakfast and houseboat meals, and personal expenses.

Important Terms

These terms apply to every Kerala tour package booked with Dreamland Vacations LLP ("we", "us"). By paying the advance, you ("the guest") accept them on behalf of everyone named in the booking.

1. Quotes and availability

1.1 Quotes are valid for 3 days and are subject to availability until the booking is confirmed. Hotel and houseboat prices change often, especially for December and January travel.

1.2 Hotels named in a quote are our first choice. If one is unavailable when you book, we'll offer a hotel of the same category and tell you before confirming.

2. Booking and payment

2.1 Once we confirm availability, pay 50% of the total package cost to confirm your booking. Your booking is confirmed only when we have received this payment and sent you a written confirmation with hotel names.

2.2 Full payment is due 30 days before your travel date. If it is not received by then, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you, and the charges in section 4 apply.

2.3 For bookings made within 30 days of the travel date, full payment is due at booking.

2.4 We accept payment by bank transfer, UPI or our online payment link. Payment-gateway charges, where applicable, are shown before you pay and are not refundable.

3. Prices

3.1 Prices are per person, based on two adults sharing a room, unless the quote says otherwise. GST is charged extra at the rate applicable on the invoice date.

3.2 Child rates apply to children aged 5 to 11 sharing their parents' room. Children under 5 travel free without an extra bed, subject to hotel policy.

3.3 Hotels add compulsory gala-dinner charges for 24 and 31 December. These are not included unless the quote says so and are payable at the time of booking.

3.4 Once confirmed, the package price is fixed, except for changes in government taxes, park fees or fuel surcharges imposed after booking.


Cancellation by you

4.1 Cancellations must be sent by email to info@dreamlandvacations.com. The charges below are counted from the day we receive your email, in Indian time.

4.2 Bookings for travel between 20 December and 5 January, and any hotel, resort or houseboat we have told you is non-refundable, cannot be refunded once confirmed, whatever the cancellation date.

4.3 Flights and train tickets booked through us follow the airline's or railway's own cancellation rules, plus our service fee of Rs 500 per ticket.

4.4 GST and payment-gateway charges already paid are not refundable.

4.5 We recommend travel insurance that covers cancellation, as these charges apply whatever the reason for cancelling, including illness.

5. Changes by you

5.1 One change of travel dates is free if requested 31 or more days before the original arrival date, provided the new dates are within the same season and the hotels are available. You pay any difference in price.

5.2 Date changes requested within 30 days of arrival are treated as a cancellation and a new booking.

5.3 Other changes, such as upgrading a hotel, adding a night or adding a houseboat, are possible at any time, subject to availability and the price difference.

5.4 Changing the name of a traveller is free up to 7 days before arrival.

6. Refunds

6.1 Refunds are made to the original payment method within 21 working days of the cancellation, after deducting the charges in section 4.

6.2 There is no refund for any service you don't use once the tour has started, including meals, sightseeing, a missed houseboat check-in or leaving early. If you leave early, we'll try to cancel later bookings and pass on whatever the hotels or suppliers refund to us.

7. Changes by us

7.1 If we must change a confirmed hotel, we'll replace it with one of the same or a higher category at no extra cost, and tell you as soon as we know.

7.2 If we have to cancel your tour for any reason other than those in section 8, you can choose a full refund of what you have paid or a different tour of equal value.

8. Events beyond our control

8.1 Heavy rain, landslides, floods, strikes and hartals, road closures, government orders, park closures and similar events can disrupt travel in Kerala, especially in the hills during the monsoon.

8.2 If such an event affects your tour, we'll arrange the best available alternative, such as a different route, hotel or sightseeing. Any extra costs are payable by you, and we'll refund only what the hotels and suppliers refund to us for services not used.

8.3 Houseboat cruising may be shortened or stopped in bad weather or under local regulations. Periyar boating and Eravikulam National Park can close without notice. These are not grounds for a refund of the package.

9. Our responsibility

9.1 We arrange hotels, houseboats, transport and sightseeing through independent suppliers. We take care to choose them well, but we are not responsible for loss, injury, damage, delay or illness caused by their acts or omissions, or by you.

9.2 Please look after your own belongings. We're not responsible for lost or stolen items.

9.3 Wildlife sightings, weather and views cannot be guaranteed.

10. Travel notes

10.1 Every guest must carry a valid government photo ID (Aadhaar, passport, driving licence or voter ID). Foreign nationals need a valid passport and Indian visa. Hotels may refuse check-in without ID.

10.2 Hotel check-in is usually 2 pm and check-out 11 am or 12 noon. Early check-in and late check-out depend on availability and may be charged.

10.3 The vehicle is for the itinerary as booked. Drives beyond it, or after 8 pm, may cost extra. Drivers may switch off the air-conditioning on steep hill roads.

10.4 Houseboats moor for the night at a fixed time under local rules. Air-conditioning on Deluxe boats usually runs at night only.

10.5 Behaviour that endangers others or breaks the law may lead to the tour being ended without refund.


About Cherai Beach

Cherai Beach lies on Vypin Island, about 30 km north of Kochi city and roughly an hour from Kochi airport. Its long stretch of golden sand faces the Arabian Sea, while just behind it runs a quiet backwater lined with Chinese fishing nets and coconut palms, so you can see the sea and the backwaters in a single walk. The beach is quieter than Kovalam or Varkala, with a handful of resorts and homestays rather than a busy strip.

Things to do at and around Cherai Beach:

  1. Walk the beach at sunrise or sunset, when fishermen bring in their catch.
  2. Explore the backwaters behind the beach by canoe or on foot.
  3. Visit Pallipuram Fort, a small Portuguese fort from the early 1500s, among the oldest surviving European buildings in India.
  4. See Munambam fishing harbour at the northern tip of the island.
  5. Swim in the flagged areas when lifeguards are on duty, between October and March.

For more beaches and sights across the state, see our guide to Kerala tourist places.

Good to Know

  1. The sea at Cherai is calmest from October to March. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, and not during the monsoon.
  2. Day 5 starts at 8 am so you reach the houseboat in time. Pack the night before.
  3. Eravikulam National Park closes for a few weeks each year between February and April for the Nilgiri tahr calving season. On those dates we replace it with Top Station or extra time at the tea estates.
  4. The Tea Museum is closed on Mondays. In Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace is closed on Fridays, and the Paradesi Synagogue on Fridays and Saturdays.
  5. Periyar boat tickets sell out in peak season. We book them for you in advance.

Best Time for This Tour

October to March is the best time: the sea at Cherai is calm, the hills are cool and green, and the backwaters are pleasant for a full afternoon's cruise. December and January are the busiest months. In the monsoon (June to September) the beach is wild and empty, swimming is unsafe, and the hills are at their greenest. See our guide to the best time to visit Kerala.

Make It Your Own

  1. More time in Munnar: our Kerala 6 Days Itinerary swaps Cherai for a third night in Munnar, with Marayoor and Chinnar.
  2. Start with a waterfall: our Athirapilly, Munnar, Thekkady & Houseboat tour begins at Kerala's biggest waterfall instead.
  3. Two beach nights: add a second night at Cherai, at the start or the end of the trip.
  4. Upgrade the stays: choose a beachfront resort at Cherai, upgraded hotels and a Premium or Luxury houseboat.
  5. On honeymoon? Cherai's quiet beach makes a romantic start. See our Kerala honeymoon packages.

See all our Kerala tour packages.

Get a free quote for this tour

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Cherai Beach from Kochi?
Cherai Beach is about 30 km north of Kochi city, on Vypin Island, and roughly an hour from Kochi airport by road. That makes it an easy first stop after you land.
Is Cherai Beach good for swimming?
From October to March the sea is usually calm enough for swimming in the flagged areas when lifeguards are on duty. During the monsoon, from June to September, the sea is rough and swimming is not advised.
What makes Cherai Beach different from other Kerala beaches?
At Cherai the sea and the backwaters are only a short walk apart, so you get a sandy beach on one side and calm backwaters with Chinese fishing nets on the other. It is also much quieter than Kovalam or Varkala.
Why start the tour at Cherai instead of going straight to Munnar?
A first night at the beach lets you rest after your flight without a long drive on arrival day. Cherai is about an hour from Kochi airport, and the next morning you head on to Munnar refreshed.
How is this different from your other 6-day Kerala tours?
All three of our 6-day tours end with Thekkady and an Alleppey houseboat. This one starts with a night at Cherai Beach. The Athirapilly tour starts at Kerala's biggest waterfall, and the Kerala 6 Days Itinerary spends three nights in Munnar instead.
Is this tour good for families?
Yes. Children enjoy the beach, the Periyar boat ride and the houseboat, and the first day is short and relaxed. We can choose family rooms and a houseboat with two or more bedrooms.
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A glimpse of the experience.

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