Kerala 9-Day Tour Package: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom and Marari Beach

Our Kerala 9-day tour package is the slow, complete Kerala 8 nights 9 days package. Explore old Fort Kochi, spend two nights among the tea gardens of Munnar, walk the spice plantations of Thekkady, enjoy two nights by Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom with a backwater cruise, and end with two quiet nights on Marari beach. It is a private tour with your own car and driver, hotels of your choice and a local guide in Kochi.

Shamrock Journeys is a trusted India tour operator. Since 2002 we have planned private holidays across India for couples, families and groups.

Tour at a Glance

Here are the key facts of our Kerala 9-day tour package.

Tour name: Kerala Classic
Duration: 9 days and 8 nights
Route: Kochi (1 night), Munnar (2 nights), Thekkady (1 night), Kumarakom (2 nights), Marari (2 nights)
Starts and ends: Kochi airport
Tour type: private car with driver, local guide in Kochi
Highlights: Fort Kochi, Kathakali, Munnar tea gardens, Eravikulam National Park, Periyar Lake, spice plantations, Kumarakom backwaters, Vembanad Lake and Marari beach
Best for: honeymooners, families, seniors and anyone who wants a relaxed pace
Best time: September to March

Why Choose This Tour

Two nights in most places: the Kerala 9-day tour package never rushes you.
Hills, wildlife, backwaters and beach: the full Kochi Munnar Thekkady Kumarakom route, with a beach at the end.
Kumarakom instead of a busy houseboat route: calm lake resorts on Vembanad Lake, with a backwater cruise.
Short final drive: Marari is close to Kochi airport.
Private and flexible: add a houseboat night, Ayurveda or a cooking class.

Kerala 9-Day Tour Package Itinerary

This is the day-by-day plan of the tour.

Day 1: Arrive in Kochi and Fort Kochi Sightseeing

Your Kerala 9-day tour package begins at Kochi airport, where we meet you and take you to your hotel. In the afternoon, your guide shows you Fort Kochi: the Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church, the Mattancherry Palace with its murals, and the spice shops and Paradesi Synagogue of Jew Town. In the evening, watch a Kathakali dance show.

Overnight: Kochi. Read our Kerala travel guide.

Day 2: Kochi to Munnar

Drive about 130 km, four hours, up into the Western Ghats, stopping at the Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls and the first tea gardens. Spend the evening in the cool air of Munnar.

Shamrock travel tip: the hill roads to Munnar and Thekkady have many bends, so carry travel-sickness tablets if you need them, and a light jacket for the cool evenings. For more advice, read our Shamrock India Travel Tips.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Munnar

Day 3: Munnar Sightseeing

Visit Eravikulam National Park, home of the rare Nilgiri tahr, with views towards Anamudi, the highest peak in South India. See how tea is made at the Tea Museum, then visit Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point and Kundala Lake.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Munnar

Day 4: Munnar to Thekkady

Drive about 90 km, around three hours, to Thekkady. Take a guided walk through a spice garden of cardamom, pepper and cinnamon, and in the evening watch a Kalaripayattu martial arts show.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Thekkady

Day 5: Periyar Lake and Thekkady to Kumarakom

Take an early boat ride on Periyar Lake in the Periyar Tiger Reserve to look for elephants, deer and birds, or go bamboo rafting. Then drive about 115 km, three and a half hours, to Kumarakom on Vembanad Lake, and visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary at sunset.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Kumarakom

Day 6: Kumarakom Backwater Cruise and Village Life

Day 6 of the Kerala 9-day tour package is for the backwaters. Take a cruise on Vembanad Lake, then a small canoe or shikara through narrow village canals, past paddy fields, coconut groves and churches. See coir making and local fishing, and visit the Bay Island Driftwood Museum.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Kumarakom

Day 7: Kumarakom to Marari Beach

Drive about 45 km, around an hour and a half, to Marari, a quiet beach near Alleppey with palm groves and fishing villages. Relax on the sand and watch the sunset over the Arabian Sea.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Marari

Day 8: Marari at Leisure

Spend the day as you like on the Kerala 9-day tour package: swim, cycle through the village, take an Ayurveda massage or a cooking class, or visit the canals of Alleppey nearby.

Shamrock travel tip: the sea at Marari can be rough, especially from May to September, so swim only where your hotel says it is safe. See our Shamrock India Travel Tips.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Marari

Day 9: Departure from Kochi

After breakfast, drive about an hour and a half to Kochi airport for your onward flight. Your Kerala 9-day tour package ends here.

Meals: breakfast

What Is Included

Your Kerala 9-day tour package includes:

Eight nights in hotels of your choice with breakfast
A private air-conditioned car with driver for all transfers and sightseeing
A local English-speaking guide for Fort Kochi
Airport pickup and drop, tolls, parking and driver costs

What Is Not Included

Flights to and from Kochi
Lunch and dinner
Entry tickets, the Periyar boat ride, bamboo rafting, backwater cruises, shows and Ayurveda treatments
Personal expenses and travel insurance

Best Time for This Tour

September to March is the best time for our Kerala 9-day tour package, with cool days in Munnar, calm backwaters and sunny beaches. December and January are the busiest. June to August is the monsoon, with green hills and rough seas. Eravikulam National Park closes for a few weeks each year, usually in February and March, when the tahr calves are born.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this tour include a houseboat?

Not as standard. You cruise the backwaters by day from Kumarakom. We can replace one Kumarakom night with a night on a private houseboat on Vembanad Lake.

Which is better, this tour or the Kerala Kovalam tour?

Both follow the same route to Kumarakom. This tour ends at quiet Marari beach near Kochi; our Kerala Kovalam tour ends at livelier Kovalam near Thiruvananthapuram.

Is this a good honeymoon package?

Yes. A tea estate resort, a lake resort and a beach resort make it one of our best Kerala honeymoon packages. See our honeymoon packages.

Is it good for seniors?

Yes. Two nights in most places and short drives after Thekkady make it an easy pace.

Can you add flights?

Yes. We can book flights to Kochi from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune or your city.

How much does the Kerala 9-day tour package cost?

The price depends on your hotels, the number of travellers and the season. Tell us your dates and we will send a clear quotation.

More Kerala Tours

Want a shorter trip than our Kerala 9-day tour package?

Kerala 6-day tour package: Kochi, Kumarakom and Marari, with no hill drives.
Kerala 7-day tour package: Munnar, Thekkady, a houseboat and Marari.
Kerala 8-day tour package: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, a houseboat and Kovalam.
Kerala Kovalam tour: this route ending on Kovalam beach.
Kerala Taj Mahal tour: Kerala with Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal.

See all our Kerala tour packages, our South India tour packages, all our India tour packages and the best North India tours. Request your free quote

Plan Your India Holiday with Shamrock Journeys

Shamrock Journeys is a trusted India tour operator and holiday planner. Since 2002 we have designed private India tour packages, family tour packages, honeymoon tours and cultural tours for travellers from around the world.

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Tell us your travel dates and we will send you a personal itinerary. Request your free quote