6 Nights 7 Days Kerala Round Trip Covers Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey Houseboat and Kochi Tour

Pick up / Check in :

Kochi Airport/ Aluva Railway Station or Bus Stand/ Ernakulam Railway Station

Drop at / Check out :

Kochi Airport/ Aluva Railway Station or Bus Stand/ Ernakulam Railway Station

Overview of 6 Nights 7 Days Kerala Round Trip:

One of the best packages designed for those looking for a quality time together and relaxing holiday with good-natured ambiance. This is the reason we included 2 nights each in Munnar and Thekkady (Periyar) so that your stay with the lap of Mother Nature. With no pollution and fresh air everywhere, you will have a romantic and memorable relaxing holiday. Below are more details about this 7 days Kerala trip.

Munnar:

Munnar is one of the best hill stations of South India. It is located in God’s own country – Kerala.  Munnar is a major tourist destination in Kerala. Get more detail About Munnar.

Thekkady:

Thekkady is another beautiful destination of Kerala. Tourists are coming to Thekkady to see Periyar wildlife sanctuary. Here they enjoy boating and see varieties of wild animals. Know more about Thekkady.

Alleppey Houseboat:

Apart from hill stations, Kerala is famous for Houseboats and backwaters. backwater trip in Alleppey is popular among all backwaters of Kerala. Get detailed information about Alleppey backwaters.

Fort Kochi: 

Fort Kochi is a small place located in Kochi city. In the 16th century, Dutch and Portuguese came to Kerala for trade. You can do half-day sightseeing at Fort Kochi and see the attractions like colonial heritage buildings, dutch palace, Chinese fishing nets, etc.

How to Reach:

1) Arrival and Departure by Flight –

Kochi (Cochin) International airport is the arrival destination for those who are coming by Flight.

2) Arrival and Departure by Train/Bus –

The best suitable railway station or Bus stand is Aluva.  You can also come to Ernakulam Railway station (ERS or ERN).  Kochi is also having an interstate bus terminal.

Arrival and Departure time

We always recommend reaching before 9 am so that according to our sightseeing plan, this trip can be smooth. Your departure convenient for this package is any time after 12 pm.

4 Highlights of 7 Days Kerala Tour Package:

• Well experienced behaved driver cum guide for the trip.
• One Kathakali and Kalaripayattu entry is included either at Munnar or Thekkady.
• One plantation tour.
• One entry and boating in the Periyar wildlife sanctuary is included.

Day 1 : Kochi to Munnar

Arrival at Kochi, our representative will meet, receive, and transfer to Munnar. It takes approximately 3.5 hrs to cover 148 km. On the way to Munnar, you can have your lunch at Onnukal, where veg and non-veg restaurants.  These restaurants provide additional services like free restrooms.

On the way, you can see below waterfalls.  You can spend some time there and then proceed to Munnar.

1) Cheeyappara Waterfalls:

This is located on the Kochi – Munnar highway on the left side of the road. This is a good place to have photos, but no bathing is allowed as rocks used to slippery. There is no entry fee or parking fee that needs to be given. There are couples of small shops selling local food items. 15-20 mins halt is recommended.

2) Valara Waterfalls:

After Cheeyappara you can see another waterfall on the right side.  You cannot see this nearby.  We do not recommend even a photo stop as this is not so important waterfalls.

After the sightseeing, you can proceed directly to your hotel. If you do not want to go direct to Munnar hotel and need some sightseeing or activities, we recommend Dreamland Fun Park. Since its a little bit far off, we suggest you go this fist and then to Hotel for check-in. You can also see Kerala martial art (Kalaripayattu) and art form (Kathakali) today evening since there is enough time.

1) Dreamland Fun & Adventure Park – Amusement Park in Munnar:

About Dreamland Fun and Adventure Park:

• Located 16 km away from Munnar a place called Anachal.
• Suitable for all the tourists especially honeymoon couples and family and kids.
• There are many activities for kids and adults separately.
• Kids enjoy Trampoline, trampoline bungee jump, and pedal boating.
• Adults can do activities like horse riding, camel ride, hunting game, free fall, Burma bridge, hanging bridge, commando net, and many more.
• All these are with complete security in international standards.
• Entry fee starting from Rs 1000 and you can also choose different packages which cost you more.
• You can complete activities here in 2 hours

Travel Tips to Visit Dreamland Fun & Adventure Park-

• Check their web site and see the activities. In case you are not interested, intimate the same in advance to the driver. This will save you time money.
• Ensure you should have good shoes in case you are going for any activities.
• Better to avoid during monsoon from Jun to mid of Aug.
• Restaurant available inside the dreamland.
• In case your arrival is midday or afternoon, you need to skip visiting this place as there is no time left.

2) About Kathakali and Kalaripayattu:

Image Showing Kathakali Artform

• Kathakali is a famous art form and Kalaripayattu is a martial art of Kerala In most of the tourist destinations in Kerala, this kind of stage performance in an auditorium is conducted.
• There are two performance centers in Munnar.
• Punarjani which is located a little bit outside is the best one.

Image Showing Kalaripayattu Martial Art

• Both these performances are of an hour each which started at 17:00 hrs and ending at 19:00 hrs.
• The entry fee is Rs 300 per person for each show.

Note: Check-in Hotel and overnight in a stay at Munnar.

Day 2: Munnar

Munnar Trip:

Today we have planned a full day sightseeing of Munnar. Since there is just one day for the whole sightseeing, we suggest you keep the timing. B/F at the hotel and start the latest by 09:00 hrs. First half day we plan to cover all the sightseeing from Munnar town to Top station which includes Rose garden, Mattupetty Dam, Echo point, Kundala Lake, and Top Station. But we will be doing this on the reverse order as visiting Top Station or Kundala Dam is best during early or morning hrs. It takes approximately 50 mins to reach the top station from Munnar town.

1) Top Station – One of the Best View Points of Munnar:  

About Top Station: 

Second-highest elevated place in the whole Munnar and located at 6410 ft above the sea level.

It takes approximately 45 mins to cover 18 km from Munnar town.

British built a railway line running from Chaya Bazar (near present Munnar town) to Drop Station (present Top Station).

The train used to carry the tea leaves collected in the whole Munnar to Drop Station and from there by a cable car to down below the processing center.

You can see the remains of this cable car at Top Station even now.

What to See During Top Station Visit?

• Visiting top station, you will get the best experience with regard to the view of mountains towards Kulukkumali, fog, mist, and chilled climate Interestingly.
• The top station is not in Kerala but located in Tamil Nadu.  We need to cross 1 km into Tamil Nadu state to reach this place.

Travel Tips to Visit Top Station-

• It opens at 06:00 hrs and closes at 17:00 hrs.
• An entry fee of Rs 25 for adults, Children Rs 15 and Rs 10 for foreigners will be charged.
• Those who have knee problems, heart diseases, breathing problems, and kids below 6 yrs should avoid this place as it involves too much walking by steps.
• We should have good shoes.
• The best time to visit is early morning or before 10 am.
• Should be avoided during monsoon ie from Jun to mid of Aug.
• If you are planning to visit Kolukkumali, Top station visits can be avoided.
• Handicapped persons, pregnant ladies, and wheel chairpersons cannot access this place.

2) Kundala Dam Lake- First Arch Dam in Asia:

About Kundala Dam Lake:

• constructed for Pallivasal Hydro Electric Project in 1946 and considered to be Asia’s No 1 arch dam.
• Located between Top Station and Munnar town, therefore, it is easy for visiting.
• One of the best scenic spots for photography in Munnar.
• Here you can do activities like a pedal boat, speed boat, or shikara kind of trip available in the lake.

Travel Tips to Visit Kundala Dam-

• Irrespective of any restrictions, tourists from all walks of life can access this place.
• Entry to this place is free. In case you want to have some activities like boating in lake, horse riding, etc, all these are available here which is chargeable.
• If you are doing any boating activity in any other lake in Munnar, this can be avoided.
• It takes hardly 15-20 mins here to experience, in case you do not need any other activities.

3) Echo Point: Scenic Destination in Munnar:

About Echo Point: 

• This is nothing much important about this place.
• If you make a loud noise, your voice will return to you as you have a big hill just opposite of you after the lake.
• One of the best places to have a photo of the lake close by.
• The entry fees are Rs 20 per person.

4) Visit Best Tea Plantations in Munnar:

• On the way to Top station or while coming back to the city, you can see very scenic tea plantations.
• You can visit and take photos here
• No entry fees or charges need to pay.

Note: You should know that the whole Munnar is tea plantations and you can get good photos not necessarily from one particular place, but anywhere in Munnar.

5) Mattupetty Dam – One of the Main Attractions of Munnar:

About Mattupetty Dam:

• Located 13 km away from Munnar city towards Top station and it takes 20 mins to drive by road.
• It is like a confluence of mountain, lake, and greenery.
• Get the best photos and some breathtaking moments of your holiday.
• Mattupetty made elaborate arrangements for tourist comfort.
• It has a washroom, tourist facilitation center where coffee shop, snack bar, cowboy park, children park with swing, speed boat in the lake, etc available.
• The best experience of Mattupetty is first to go to the boating center or tourist facilitation center, if interested do the boating.

Travel Tips to Visit Mattupetty Dam-

• Try to walk from Kundala to Mattupetty dam and you can see tallest blue gum trees, in case you have time.
• You can skip in case you are coming from a place where there are lots of lakes and mountains.
• This place is accessible for all irrespective of handicapped or wheelchaired.
• Very good place for family with kids outing.
• This place is best for a small shopping for handicrafts and souvenirs.
• There are no restaurants available but hot noodles and local snacks are available. During holidays, weekends, and tourist season, this place is jam-packed. You may need to wait up to an hr to get boating tickets or Parking car.
• Take beautiful photos of the Mattupetty dam. After the boating travel to the dam, come out of the car from one end of the dam and walk to other ends.  You can take good photos from the middle as vehicles are not allowed to park on the dam.

6) See Varieties of flowers in Rose Garden:

About Rose Garden of Munnar-

• Located 5 km away on the top station roadside
• These botanical gardens are maintained by the KTDC Floriculture Centre.
• Here you will see not only Roses but different varieties of flowers.
• A good place to have memorable photos.
• The entry fees are Rs 50 per person.

Travel Tips to Visit Rose Garden-

• Since there are steps, handicapped or wheelchaired persons advised not to visit this place.
• A washroom facility is available for the public.
• You can buy favorite plants from the rose garden.

We expect this is over by 13:00 hrs and an hour lunch break is available. There are many vegs or non-veg restaurants available in Munnar city. Post lunch we are organizing a trip to Rajamali in Eravikulam National Park.

7) Eravikulam National Park – First National Park of Kerala: 

About Eravikulam National Park:

• This national park having an area of 97 sq km is the first national park in Kerala.
• This park protects endemic and endangered Nilgiri Tahr. It is rare species of mountain goat, and it is a habitat Nilgiri Tahr.
• The park has the largest stretch of undisturbed shoal-grassland ecosystems in the western ghats.
• Anamudi is located within this park, and it is 2695 meters in height is the highest peak south in South India.
• Earlier the area is the hunting reserve of the colonial tea planters.
• It takes approximately 30 mins drive to the entry point.

On reaching the entry point, you need to show the online booking details or you can buy the tickets from this counter itself.

• From the ticket counter till the entry gate of Eravikulam, it’s almost 20 mins in a minibus which is being provided by the park.
• On reaching the entry points, you need to walk steep pathways for almost 40 mins to see the Nilgiri Thar and Anamudi Peak.
• This is also a good place to have good mountain photographs.

Travel Tips to Visit Eravikulam National Park- 

• Book your tickets online.
• Entry ticket is Rs 125 for domestic tourists and Rs 400 for foreigners.
• Best time to visit in the early morning or afternoon.
• No food or water bottles allowed.
• The washroom is available for both gents and ladies.
• Not accessible by wheelchair.
• Cafeteria and snack bar available at the waiting place.
• To see the Nilgiri Thar and Anamudi peak, you need to hike approximately 40 mins. Those who have breathing problems should avoid this.
• Carry raincoat in rainy seasons. Umbrella is a must for all seasons.
• This park is closed during Feb and Mar for breeding and calving every year.
• Max 2 hours required to complete the visit in case there is no rush.

By the time you visit this park, it may be afternoon. You can come to Munnar town for small shopping. Departure for your hotel and check-in.

Travel Tips to Visit Munnar:

1. On the way from Kochi to Munnar, we have included Valera and Cheeyappara waterfalls. Since these falls depend on raining water, these falls may be dry during summertime or if there is no rain.
2. Dreamland – visit only if you are interested. If you already had been too good amusement parks, you can skip this.
3. In case you are skipping Dreamland, you can go to Munnar city for a visit.
4. We recommend you to visit the art center on Day 1 as you may not get time for the second day.
5. During the tourist season, weekend and holidays, there will be a huge rush due to local guests. Sometimes this leads to a terrific traffic block and may trap for a couple of hrs.  Therefore, ensure that you keep the timing mentioned in this program.
6. The above program is not possible in case your hotel is too far off of Munnar like Adimali, Chinnakanal, Eeticity, Anachal, Kunjithanni, But SreesTours select and provide hotels which are located within Munnar only. Please go here to know where to stay in Munnar.
7. If your trip is during Feb or Mar when the Eravikulam park is closed, you can visit a tea factory, Lockhart gap viewpoint, etc.
8. All these programs may disrupt in case there is heavy rain. Visiting Top station or Eravikulam, during heavy monsoon is not possible.
9. Apart from Hotels, there is a variety of other stay options available like Tree House, private pool villa, jacuzzi, and bathtub rooms, honeymoon cottage, resorts with a view to the tea plantation, tent, and camp stay.
10. Apart from the standard sightseeing program mentioned above, you can also experience attractions or activities in Munnar. We recommend staying more days to experience all these.

• Sunrise at Top station.
• Off-road Jeep safari.
• Guided soft hiking of 2 hrs or hard hiking of 4 hrs and visit beautiful mountains, grasslands, and tea plantation.
• Guided hiking and camping in Swiss tents

This is the best place to buy Tea and coffee at a reasonable price.

Day 3: Munnar to Thekkady

Today your trip is to Thekkady (Periyar). Thekkady has located approximately 135 km and it may take a minimum of 3.5 hrs to reach. You can go to Thekkady by choosing two different directions. We recommend you to start at 08:30 hrs so that you can reach Thekkady comfortably and book a boat safari.

Best Routes for reach Munnar to Thekkady :

1. Munnar city – Chinnakanal – Thekkady :

This route is one of the best routes as you can see below sightseeing options on the way.

• Lockhart gap viewpoint – one of the best viewpoints after Top Station.
• Periyakanal waterfalls – this is available during Jun, Jul, Aug, and Sep.
• Anayirangal Dam –

1.5 km from the main road, this is one of the best scenic spots in Munnar. Sometimes you can see wild elephants also there.

• Lockhart tea plantations – around 30 mins drive through these tea plantations – one of the best experiences and best places for photography.

2. The other route to Thekkady is via Kunjithanni, Rajakkad, Udumbanchola.  You can save approx 20 km and 30 mins.

Note: Guest whose hotels located in Anachal, Kunjithanni, Chithirapuram, etc cannot go this route as one needs to first go to Munnar city which is 17 km more and it takes another 40 mins.

On arrival at Thekkady, check-in the Hotel and relax for some time you can go for a plantation visit.

Things to do During Thekkady Trip:

1) Spice Plantation Tour:

About Spice Plantation Tour-

• Private owners cultivate ayurvedic medicinal plants in their courtyard.
• They selling these plants to companies or for passion.
• Most of them have either three or max ten varieties of plants with them.
• After growing of Tourism and Ayurveda some of these planters start growing more varieties of plants
• They convert the courtyard or cultivation area to a spice plantation tour and start allowing the tourist to know about the different varieties of medicinal as well as other plants available in India.
• The entry fees are applicable on entry
• There will be a personal guide to explain to you about each plant and its medicinal value.
• At the end of the spice walk, the guide will explain about the medicine available for different ailments.

Travel Tips to Visit Spice Plantation Tour-

• Since all these spice plantations own and operated by private parties, you need to pay an entry fee of minimum Rs 200 each.
• Open at 7 am, you can visit any time. Approximate time for this tour is minimum an hr and a maximum of 1.5 hrs.
• The main aim of these spice walk or plantation visits is to sell ayurvedic medicins. Therefore, your guide may be insisting on buying these ayurvedic products. It’s well-advised that better you consult a doctor before buying the medicines from spice plantation.

Check-in hotel and lunch at any of the restaurants. We have planned your boat trip today at 15:30 hrs. Relax till now and report at entry point by 15:30 hrs.

2) Visit & Boating in Periyar National Park:

About Periyar National Park-

• Mainly it is famous for elephants and tigers.
• The sanctuary surrounds Periyar Lake which was formed when the Mullaperiyar Dam was constructed.
• Please note that you cannot go inside the forest in a jeep or any other transport to see wildlife animals.
• Forest department conducts boat safari in this Periyar Lake to see wildlife animals.
• The boat trip starts at 07:30 hrs which is for 2 hrs and all other trips are for 1.5 hrs only.
• There are 4 boats available for a trip to the lake.
• One needs to book an online ticket for the safari.
• The interesting thing to note that till now except elephant, birds and wild gaur, etc, none of the visitors have seen a tiger.
• Therefore, if you are coming to Periyar national park to see tigers, sorry to inform you that this is hardly possible.

Note: You need to book a boat safari ticket online in advance. Otherwise during peak time, getting a ticket is difficult. Since you are staying just one night, we recommend booking a ticket on a 15:30 hours trip. The boat trip starts at 16:00 hours and ends at 17:00 hours.

• forest department conducts many activities like an overnight stay in the forest with armed guards, night trekking, bamboo rafting, etc.
• If you are interested in these activities, it’s always recommended to stay a minimum of two nights in Thekkady.
• Apart from the above, you can also go for elephant safari, Jeep safari and plantation tour, etc. If interested, these can be experienced the next day also.

Note: Overnight stay in the resort.

Travel Tips to Visit Thekkady-

• It’s always recommended to book your stay very close to the wildlife sanctuary. Srees Tours provide a very comfortable close by hotel for our all guests.
• As per this program, the best suitable boating is at 15:30 hrs as you need to travel at 09:00 hrs to Houseboat. But the best boating is at 07:00 hrs which ends at 09:30 hrs. So if you choose the morning boating, you will be reaching houseboat by 14:00 hrs ie late for 2 hrs. Though it’s a private boat that will wait for you, some of the backwater sightseeing may not be able to cover.
• If you are interested in hiking or trekking, staying in the forest with armed guards, bamboo rafting, etc, there are many such programs organized by the Forest Department for which you may need to stay one or two more days in this destination.
• Thekkady market is very close to where you are staying. This is the best and cheapest shopping place for all types of spices, Kerala traditional saree for ladies, etc.

Day 4: Thekkady (Periyar)

Two nights stay in Thekkady gives an option for guest who wishes to do more wildlife activities. These activities include half-day and full-day bamboo rafting, night and day hiking, overnight stay in wildlife in camps, bird watching, etc.  All these activities are conducted by the Kerala Forest Department. Details of all these activities are below:

Activities to do in Thekkady:

1. Boating in Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary – We have already included in the previous day assuming that you will be going for some activities. But in case you are not choosing any activities then the best boating is at 07:30 hours.  Get more details Periyar wildlife sanctuary.
2. Half-day Bamboo rafting. There are two half-day bamboo rafting available one starts at 06:00 hours and the other one is at 09:30 hours. Know more about Bamboo grove.
3. Nature Walk.
4. Green Walk.
5. Jungle scout.
6. Border Hiking.
7. Bamboo Grove.
8. Jungle Camp.
9. Tiger Trail (1-night stay).
10. Tiger Trail (2-night stay).
11. Pug Mark Trail
12. Jungle Inn
13. Bamboo Grove.

Other activities are available in Thekkady.

14. Off-Road Jeep Safari. Off-road jeep safari is conducted by private agencies to see good viewpoints, landscapes, etc. The trip is for a minimum of 1.5 hrs and it may cost Rs 4000 per jeep. More details about Thekkady activities.
15. Elephant safari and Elephant bath. You can go for an elephant safari or bath, as per your choice, at a private elephant camp.

Note: Overnight stay in Thekkady

Day 5: Thekkady to Alleppey Houseboat

Today you are going to experience stay in a Houseboat. It may take approx 3.5 hrs to drive by road to cover around 150 kms.  We always recommend starting the latest by 9 am so that you can comfortably reach houseboat by 12:00 hrs.  On the way from Thekkedy to Houseboat there is nothing much to explore except a couple of viewpoints.  We are not including these viewpoints since you already had experienced the best one at Munnar. Arrival and check-in houseboat.

1  Night Alleppey – Kumarakom Houseboat Trip Plan:

The below Houseboat backwater program has been designed for those who like to visit the best canals in and around Alleppey. Boarding Jetty in Kumarakom and alight at Alleppey Jetty.

• Boarding Houseboat from Kumarakom Jetty at 12:00 hours
• Check-in Houseboat at 12:00 hrs and houseboat make a trip through the biggest Vembanad lake.
• From 12:00 hours to 17:30 hours, the houseboat makes a trip through the below beautiful rivers and canals with an hour lunch break.

Below places will be covered in this Houseboat Trip:

1. Vembanadu lake – biggest freshwater lake.
2. Punnamada Kayal – river famous for Nehru trophy boat race.
3. SNDP canal – one of the smallest canal on this trip.
4. Pamba river – almost 150 ft width river.
5. Irumbanam Thod – best narrow canal.

 Evening Options and Activities in Houseboat:

• Fishing in the lake and backwaters. (most of the houseboats is always having a fishing road and you will surely get small fishes).
• The houseboat is having a tv and music system to enjoy some pictures. You can also bring your own to make your stay more comfortable.

Note: Overnight stay in Houseboat.

Important Points to Know About Houseboat Trip:

1. Your houseboat trip inclusive with full board ie all the meals starting from lunch to B/F & mineral water.
2. In case you are reaching late, all boats booked through Srees Tours will not stop for Lunch.
3. In case you have allergic to any particular food, it should be notified well in advance.
4. The houseboat menu is fixed and inclusive of Kerala local food. No continental or Chinese is available.
5. You have the option of visiting a local sightseeing place by walking or walking through villages. The boatman will help you for the same. In case of late arrival, this is not possible.
6. There are many ayurvedic massage centers are available where the houseboat is halting.  We do not recommend having these massages during your houseboat stay as these are not properly licensed.
7. We do not recommend buying extra fish or any other items from the local market.  In case you are fond of a particular extra food, we will be ready to help you.
8. You can skip staying in a houseboat and stay in a resort – this will cost the package with additional costs.
9. Late Check-in Houseboat.  In case of late check-in after 2 pm, we compensate this by avoiding 1hr lunch break and extending the trip to 18:00 hours. Moreover, all houseboats booked through SreesTours have special consideration.  In case of delayed check-in, check out cannot be extended after 0900hrs.
10. Early Checkout from Houseboat ie checks out at 7 am or before needs to be notified in advance as accordingly night halting location needs to be changed.
11. Paddy fields are available from Oct to Feb only.
12. Big boats having more than 2 rooms and the top floor will not make a trip through Akkathara and Venattukadu canals.
13. Dinner time is at 21:00 hrs and at 22:00 hrs the lobby will be closed.
14. Smoking in Houseboats is prohibited.
15. Liquor will not be provided by the service provider.  But that guest who wants to consume liquor can bring their items and can be used in the boat.  For those who cannot bring their stuff, SreesTours provide the same in the boat in the case ordered in advance with extra service charges.
16. Night Halt of Houseboat. All the houseboat owners have their own night halting-place. This cannot be changed in case the guest does not like the place.
17. Requests like a sunset cruise, park houseboat to view the sunset, night halt in the middle of the lake or river, change location, etc will not be entertained.

Day 6: Alleppey Houseboat – Kochi

If the sky is clear, have a bed tea and you can enjoy a perfect sunrise from your houseboat. Since the houseboat is starting at 08:00 hours, we recommend a light walk around the place if you are interested. The morning houseboat trip starts at 08:00 hours and it makes a trip till check out at 09:00 hours. During this one hr trip, it covers part of the biggest Vembanad lake. Before your houseboat trip ends at 9 am they will provide authentic Kerala B/F. Checkout from Houseboat and proceed to Fort Kochi for half-day sightseeing.

Fort Kochi Sightseeing:

1) Fort Kochi:

• Fort Kochi is a fishing village that becomes the first European township in India. The town shaped by Portuguese, the Dutch, and later the British.  

2) Jewish Synagogue:  

• Constructed 1568, this is the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth.  It is noted for its mid-18^th century, hand-painted, willow-patterned floor tiles from Canton in China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, old scrolls of the Old Testament, etc.

3) Dutch Palace:

• Built by Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja of Kochi, the palace was renovated by the Dutch in 1663.

4) Vasco da Gama Square:

• The huge cantilevered fishing nets are the legacy of one of the first visitors to the Malabar Coast.   Erected here between 1350 – 1450 AD by traders from the court of Kabul Khan. The best place to watch the nets being lowered into the sea and the catch being brought in is the Vasco da Gama Square.

5) Kodar House: 

• Constructed by Cochin Electric company in 1808 example of indo-European architecture.

6) Chinese Fishing nets:

• This shows the Chinese presence in Fort Kochi dates back.
• Other attractions are Bolgaty palace, Pierce Leslie Bungalow, Santa Cruz Basilica, etc are located in the same area.

Note: After Fort Kochi sightseeing, you can go straightway to Kochi airport, which is approximately 45 mins drive in normal traffic. It may take up to 1.5 hours during heavy traffic time.

Important Points to Know: 

• All the tourist entry points except Fort Kochi Beach will be closed down at 5 pm.
• Jewish synagogue will be closed on Fridays. But they now start opening after 2 pm on Fridays.
• Dutch Palace is closed on Friday and Saturdays.
• In case your flight is at 15:00 hours or before, this sightseeing is not possible

Day 7: Kochi

Today is your last day of the trip. We have planned a half-day shopping in Kochi which includes the famous Lulu Shopping Mall.

Check out from the hotel at the appropriate time and transfer to Kochi airport or Railway station. Tour ends.

Important Travel Tips:

1. If you want to select this package and customize it according to your choice of hotels, it’s possible.
2. We have mentioned different sightseeing options. In case you are not interested in visiting any particular sightseeing point, we can modify this itinerary to suit your requirement.
3. In case you want to add any other sightseeing or a religious temple tour, we can do the same for you. Please contact us.
4. In case if you have any other mode of arrival, we are open to provide the service.
5. If your arrival is in the afternoon or evening, either you can start the trip from Cherai Beach or advisable to stay at Kochi and start your trip the next day morning.
6. In case you reach early morning before 6 am, proceeding immediately to Munnar is not possible. It’s advisable to have a Non-ac fresh up room for an hr or two for which a minimum of Rs 500 will be charged extra.
7. This program is inclusive of a private houseboat. You can also choose a resort instead of a Houseboat.
8. You can also start this package on a reverse order without any increase in prices.
9. This is a private trip for the booking guest and not shared with any other guest. Some of the common sightseeing is on sharing basis like boating in Periyar wildlife, Rajamali national park, etc.
10. As per the above program, the last day is totally free and after shopping, just a transfer to the airport or railway station is planned. But in case you need any sightseeing in nearby places, below are the programs available which will cost taxi charges extra. Ensure that you have an evening departure flight or train, in case you go for this.

• Visit the Athirapally waterfalls – full-day program
• Visit Guruvayur temple – full-day program

What to Shop in Kerala?

Since Kerala basically is a consumer state, the best options for shopping are below.

• Banana Chips – if you want to buy freshly packed chips, you can buy this from a couple of chips shops located prior to reaching the airport.
• Souvenirs – many handmade artifacts about Kerala and its culture is available from most of the souvenirs shops located at Munnar, Thekkady, and Trivandrum.
• Coffee & tea – The best available place is shopping at Munnar.
• Spices – All types of spices are cheaper in Thekkady shops rather than Munnar.
• Ladies’ traditional sarees are available from any clothing shops. It cost approx Rs 600 onwards per piece.
• Ayurvedic products – Oils, soaps, and many ayurvedic products are recommended.

Tips to Reduce the Package Cost:

Below are the eight tips as to how you can reduce this package price.

1. Travel as a group. Try to travel as a group like two couples or three couples; this will reduce the price considerably.
2. Reduce the taxi costs. As per the above program your approximate taxi charges will be 15500. You can use this taxi till the houseboat and the next day you can go to Trivandrum by train from Alleppey. This will reduce the taxi charges.
3. Use similar hotels. If you choose a similar hotel outside of the main center, it will reduce the price. These are the hotels located in Eitti city, Anachal, Chithirapuram, Kunjithanni, etc.
4. Instead of staying at Cherai beach, you can stay in Kochi city to reduce the cost as Cherai hotels are costlier than city hotels. Since its too close to Kochi, you can visit Cherai beach. More details of a similar package.
5. At present private houseboat is included.  Choose a sharing houseboat to reduce the cost. Please go here to know problems in sharing a houseboat.
6. Instead of Houseboat in Alleppey, stay in a resort, and choose a shikara or country boat for a backwater trip.
7. Travel by local bus. Normally this is being used by foreign backpackers and budget guests. On arrival, Aluva to Munnar by local bus, in Munnar sightseeing by three-wheeler auto, Munnar to Thekkady by local bus, Thekkady to Alleppey by local bus and by train from Alleppey to Trivandrum.
8. To reduce the cost, you can still join a group. But unfortunately, there are no conducted tours or group tours operates by tour operators in Kerala.

---

---

Tour Cost Includes:

• A/c Accommodation except for Hill Station (Munnar & Thekkady) on twin sharing basis with Daily Breakfast.
• Private houseboat with lunch, dinner, and B/F included.
• AC car for all the transfers and local sightseeing as per the given itinerary.
• Well experienced and bilingual driver till the departure.
• All the expenses related to the vehicle (toll, tax, parking, permits, driver batta, etc)
• Hotel Check-in at 12 pm and check out at 10 am.
• Driver is available from Morning 7 am to evening 6 or 7 pm.
• Entry and boating in Periyar wildlife sanctuary and one plantation tour at Thekkady.
• Entry for Kathakali and Kalaripayattu at Munnar or Thekkady.
• All the applicable taxes

---

Houseboat basics:

• Cruise time from 12:00 hours to 17:30 hours with 1 hr lunch break.  Next day trip from 0800hrs to 0900hrs.
• Welcome drink, Lunch, evening coffee/tea and snacks, Dinner, and Next day breakfast  & Mineral water included.
• The menu is fixed and in case of any additional food will be charged extra.
• AC working time:  Deluxe and premium: 21:00 hours to 07:00 hours.
• Luxury: 24 hrs AC

---

Tour Cost Does Not Includes:

• The packages do not include Air/Train tickets, Airport tax, Entry fees, Monuments, Guide fees, Camera Charges, Massages, Elephant Safaris, Personal expenses like laundry, tips and telephone calls, Optional Tours, Travel Insurance, etc.
• Optional activities mentioned in the itinerary & anything not mentioned in the above package.
• Taxi cost inclusive of pick up from Kochi airport and Drop at Trivandrum airport. In case of back to Kochi airport Extra Rs 1000 will be charged.
• In case of payment made by credit card or debit card service charge of 2.5% and 1% will be charged extra.

Important Points:

• Strike in Kerala. Due to strikes called by political parties, safe driving of car and driver is difficult. In that case, alternative arrangements with the permission of guests will be made and expenses incurred due to the same is not included and will be charged additionally.
• The Hotels you selected according to your budget.
• We recommend you to check reviews and location of hotels in the Trip advisor to make sure it is as per your preference and on arrival in case you want to change the hotel, retention charges or additional charges for the new hotels needs to be paid.
• Taxi used to revisit the same place already visited will be charged extra.
• No portion of the tour will be refunded in case of any sightseeing place not visited due to any particular reason.