9 Nights / 10 Days Kerala & Tamil Nadu Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Cochin & Transfer to Munnar (130 km / 4 hours)
Welcome to Cochin! Once you arrive at Cochin Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel. After check-in, you can take a short tour of Cochin. Some of the best bits include these:

• Dutch Palace – Erected by the Portuguese in 1557 and reconstructed by the Dutch in 1663, this mural museum is a historic landmark.
• Jewish Synagogue – The synagogue was built in 1568, the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth, which is located in Mattancherry.
• St. Francis Church – Is the oldest European church in India, planted in 1510.

Drive to Munnar after that. Upon the way, don’t miss Vaporra, Cheeyappara Waterfalls, and the Tea Plantations, which present the best of Kerala’s landscape. Once you arrive in Munnar, check in to your hotel and catch up on some rest overnight.

Day 2: Full-Day Munnar Sightseeing
After breakfast, set out for a full day exploring Munnar’s beauty:

• Mattupetty Dam
• Echo Point
• Pothenmedu View Point
• Blossom Park

Another of the things that you can do is to shop in the Munnar town, and check out Rajamala (Eravikulam National Park), with its famous mountain goats Nilgiri Tahr. Besides that, don’t forget to visit the Tea Museum if you want to discover, the old tea producing methods and operations. Overnight stay in Munnar.

Day 3: Munnar to Alleppey (Houseboat) (162.4 km / 4hrs 43 min)
After breakfast, check out from your hotel and head to Alleppey. Next, check-in to the original Kerala Houseboat at noon. Rest of the day float on the calm backwaters of Alleppey as you travel through village life and plot of the rice field. Have a relaxing evening by the river which has facilities bedrooms, a private balcony, and kitchen on board. Overnight stay on the houseboat with dinner.

Day 4: Alleppey to Thekkady (137.6 km / 4 hrs 12 min)
Following the meal, depart from the hotel and drive to Thekkady, down a beautiful path of Kerala’s hills. Also known as Periyar, Thekkady is the habitat of one of India’s 48 tiger reserves. After checking in, experience a pleasing 1.5-hour boat trip on Periyar Lake, during which you might observe wildlife such as elephants, monkeys, deer, and wild boar. Overnight stay in Thekkady.

Day 5: Thekkady to Madurai (140.3 km / 3 hrs 13 min)
Upon having breakfast, go for a check-out that leads to Madurai, a city from the South of India that has been there for many years. Situated along the river Vaigai across the town, it is renowned for:

• Sri Meenakshi Temple – The most impressive specimen of Dravidian architecture decorated with towers which contain multicolored pictures of gods, animals, and mythical figures on their surface.

Madurai is a lively city that was once the seat of the Pandyas, Cholas, Vijayanagaras, and Nayaks, back in the 4th century BC. Overnight stay in Madurai.

Day 6: Madurai to Rameshwaram (172.6 km / 3 hrs)
First, have breakfast and then go straight to Rameshwaram which is a place rooted in the epic of Ramayana. It is often compared to Varanasi which is known as the “South temple” and therefore, shows a religious orientation. Key sites include:

• 36 Theerthams – The sacred water bodies for ritual baths.
• Ramanathaswamy Temple – A temple that is popular for its extremely lengthy corridors and complicated towers.

Smoothly end your day and remain at the hotel by evening. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7: Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari, then to Kovalam (307.7 km / 5 hrs 51 min)
After a refreshing breakfast, head to the southernmost tip of India, such as Kanyakumari for sightseeing:

• Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial
• Thiruvalluvar Statue
• Thanumalayan Temple
• Padmanabhapuram Palace
• Gandhi Mandapam

After visiting Kanyakumari, move along to Kovalam. Overnight stay at the hotel in Kovalam.

Day 8: Kovalam Exploration
After having breakfast, vacation away in Kovalam, a beach destination that is popular for its picturesque beaches:

• Light House Beach
• Howah Beach
• Ashok Beach

Stay around the coconut trees and enjoy the pleasurable sea wind. Overnight stay in Kovalam.

Day 9: Kovalam to Varkala & Jatayu Sculpture Visit (52.6 km / 1 hr 23 min)
Travel to Varkala, where the beautiful cliffs and quiet beaches like Varkala Beach and Papanasam Beach are found. Visit the historical temple of Janardanaswamy and Sivagiri mutt.

In the post-meridian, go to the Jatayu Nature Park, which hosts the world’s largest bird effigy, devoted to Jatayu from the Ramayana. Move back to Kovalam for an overnight stay.

Day 10: Kovalam to Trivandrum/Cochin (31 min / 18 km)
Right after the breakfast, passport checking and onward to Trivandrum or Cochin by car. In case you have some extra time, visit the famous Temple to Swami Padmanabhaswamy before heading to the airport or railway station.

Tour Ends with Beautiful Memories!