Kovalam Tour Package with Athirapilly, Munnar & Houseboat – 9 Days
Standard Package

Kovalam Tour Package with Athirapilly, Munnar & Houseboat – 9 Days

Athirapilly Falls, Munnar, Thekkady, an Alleppey resort and houseboat, and 2 beach nights in Kovalam. 9 days, Kochi to Trivandrum.

⌖ 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.

Kerala from top to bottom in nine days: Athirapilly, the state's biggest waterfall, two nights in Munnar's tea hills, Periyar wildlife in Thekkady, a lakeside resort and a houseboat in Alleppey, then two relaxing nights on the beach at Kovalam. Kochi in, Trivandrum out, with a private car and driver throughout.

Good to know

Package typeStandard Package
Planning supportSmall changes by enquiry
Best forFamilies, couples & seniors
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Trip highlights
✦ Kochi and Athirapilly Waterfalls
✦ Kochi to Munnar – Up into the Tea Hills
✦ Munnar – Eravikulam and the Tea Museum
✦ Munnar to Thekkady – Periyar Tiger Reserve
✦ Thekkady to Alleppey – Lakeside Resort
✦ A Night on an Alleppey Houseboat
Day-wise plan

Your itinerary, day by day.

Day 1
Kochi and Athirapilly Waterfalls

Kochi and Athirapilly Waterfalls

⌖ Kochi

Your driver meets you at Kochi airport or railway station for a drive of about two hours to Athirapilly, where the Chalakudy River tumbles about 24 metres over a broad rock face into the forest. Walk down the path towards the base of the falls to feel the spray, then visit the Vazhachal falls a few kilometres upstream. The falls close to visitors in the late afternoon, so we head back to Kochi for the night after lunch.

Drive: about 4 hours in total · Overnight: Kochi

Day 2
Kochi to Munnar – Up into the Tea Hills

Kochi to Munnar – Up into the Tea Hills

⌖ Munnar 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Drive east into the Western Ghats, through rubber estates and cardamom forest, stopping at the roadside Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls and at a spice garden. The first tea estates appear as you climb towards Munnar, where you check in by mid-afternoon.

Drive: about 4 hours · Overnight: Munnar

Day 3
Munnar – Eravikulam and the Tea Museum

Munnar – Eravikulam and the Tea Museum

⌖ Munnar 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Start at Eravikulam National Park when it opens at 9 am and take the park bus up to the grasslands of the Nilgiri tahr. Visit the Tea Museum to see how tea is processed and taste a 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 Tiger Reserve

Munnar to Thekkady – Periyar Tiger Reserve

⌖ Thekkady 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Drive three to four hours through cardamom country to Thekkady. In the afternoon, take the boat ride on Periyar Lake, where elephants, gaur and sambar deer often come to the water's edge. In the evening, watch Kathakali or Kalaripayattu, or walk through a spice plantation. Read our guide to Thekkady tourist places.

Drive: 3–4 hours · Overnight: Thekkady

Day 5
Thekkady to Alleppey – Lakeside Resort

Thekkady to Alleppey – Lakeside Resort

⌖ Alleppey 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Drive down from the hills to Alleppey (Alappuzha), about four hours, and check in to a resort on the backwaters. Relax by the water for the afternoon, then walk on Alleppey Beach at sunset.

Drive: about 4 hours · Overnight: Alleppey

Day 6
A Night on an Alleppey Houseboat

A Night on an Alleppey Houseboat

⌖ Alleppey 🍽 Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Around noon, board your private houseboat for a cruise past paddy fields, coconut palms and lakeside villages, with lunch, dinner and breakfast cooked on board. The boat moors for the night at about 5:30 pm, as local rules require. Compare boats on our Alleppey houseboat packages page.

Overnight: houseboat

Day 7
Alleppey to Kovalam – South to the Sea

Alleppey to Kovalam – South to the Sea

⌖ Kovalam 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast on board, leave the boat by 9 am and drive south along the coast through Kollam to Kovalam, near Trivandrum. The drive takes four to five hours, sometimes more with traffic. Check in near the beach and spend the evening on Lighthouse Beach, with the red-and-white lighthouse above the bay at sunset.

Drive: 4–5 hours · Overnight: Kovalam

Day 8
Kovalam – Beach Day or Trivandrum

Kovalam – Beach Day or Trivandrum

⌖ Kovalam 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

The day is yours. Swim, book an Ayurvedic massage and relax on the sand, or spend a few hours in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala's capital: the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple (open to Hindus only), the Napier Museum, the Sree Chitra Art Gallery and the Kuthiramalika Palace. You could also take a short trip to Poovar, where a river meets the sea, for a boat ride through the mangroves.

Overnight: Kovalam

Day 9
Departure from Trivandrum

Departure from Trivandrum

⌖ Trivandrum 🍽 Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a final morning by the sea before your driver takes you to Trivandrum airport or railway station, about 30 minutes away.

Drive: about 30 minutes

Hotel confirmation

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

Inclusions

  1. 7 nights in hotels or resorts of your chosen category (1 in Kochi, 2 in Munnar, 1 in Thekkady, 1 in Alleppey, 2 in Kovalam), 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 9 days, including fuel, tolls, parking and driver allowance
  4. Pickup at Kochi airport or railway station and drop at Trivandrum airport or railway station
  5. All sightseeing and transfers listed in the itinerary

Exclusions

Not included: flights or trains, entry tickets (Athirapilly falls, Eravikulam National Park, Tea Museum, Periyar boating, Trivandrum museums), cultural shows, Ayurvedic treatments, 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.

Good to Know

  1. Athirapilly falls close to visitors in the late afternoon, and the path to the base can be slippery after rain. Wear shoes with a good grip.
  2. The sea at Kovalam is calmest from October to March. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty and flags allow; swimming is not advised in the monsoon.
  3. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is open only to Hindus, with a strict dress code: a mundu (dhoti) and no shirt for men, and a saree or long skirt for women.
  4. 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.
  5. The Tea Museum and Trivandrum's museums are closed on Mondays.

Best Time for This Tour

October to March is the best time for this tour, with green hills, calm backwaters and the beach season at Kovalam. December and January are the busiest months, so book early. Athirapilly is at its fullest from July to October, but the monsoon months (June to September) bring rough seas at Kovalam. See our guide to the best time to visit Kerala.

Make It Your Own

  1. Add Kanyakumari: see the sunrise at India's southern tip with our Kerala & Kanyakumari grand tour, or the shorter Kerala & Kanyakumari 7-day tour.
  2. Swap Thekkady for Vagamon: our Vagamon, Munnar & Kovalam tour visits a quieter hill station instead, in eight days.
  3. Try Varkala instead of Kovalam: a cliff-top beach with a more relaxed feel, about an hour north of Trivandrum. See our guide to Kerala tourist places.
  4. Upgrade the stays: choose 4-star or 5-star hotels, a beachfront resort in Kovalam and a Premium or Luxury houseboat.
  5. On honeymoon? See our Kerala honeymoon packages.

See all our Kerala tour packages.

Get a free quote for this tour

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days should I spend in Kovalam?
Two nights is ideal: one full day to relax on the beach or see Trivandrum, plus the evening you arrive. This tour gives you exactly that after a week in the hills and on the backwaters.
Why does this tour start at Athirapilly and not go straight to Munnar?
Athirapilly, Kerala's biggest waterfall, is only about two hours from Kochi, so it makes an easy first day after your flight. Returning to Kochi for the night keeps the drive to Munnar the next morning short.
Is Kovalam good for swimming?
Yes, from October to March, when the sea is usually calm at Lighthouse Beach and Hawa Beach. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty. During the monsoon, the sea is rough and swimming is not advised.
Can I fly home from Kochi instead of Trivandrum?
Yes, but Kochi is about five hours by road from Kovalam, so you'd need an evening flight on the last day. Trivandrum airport is only about 30 minutes away and is the easier choice.
What is there to do in Kovalam besides the beach?
You can book Ayurvedic treatments, visit Trivandrum's temple, museums and palaces, take a boat through the mangroves at Poovar, or make a day trip to Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India, about two hours away.
Is this a good tour for a honeymoon?
Yes. Nine days lets you enjoy each place at an easy pace, with a houseboat night and two beach nights to finish. We can upgrade to a beachfront resort in Kovalam and a Premium or Luxury houseboat.
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