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

Our Kerala Kovalam tour is a 9-day, 8-night journey from the hills to the sea. 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 nights on Kovalam beach near Thiruvananthapuram. 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 Kovalam tour.

Tour name: Kerala Panorama
Duration: 9 days and 8 nights
Route: Kochi (1 night), Munnar (2 nights), Thekkady (1 night), Kumarakom (2 nights), Kovalam (2 nights)
Starts: Kochi airport. Ends: Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) 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, Kovalam beach and Thiruvananthapuram
Best for: honeymooners, families and travellers who want a lively beach at the end
Best time: September to March

Why Choose This Tour

Two nights in most places: the Kerala Kovalam tour never rushes you.
Hills, wildlife, backwaters and beach: the full Kochi Munnar Thekkady Kumarakom route, ending on Kovalam beach.
Kumarakom instead of a busy houseboat route: calm lake resorts on Vembanad Lake, with a backwater cruise.
No backtracking: fly in to Kochi and out of Thiruvananthapuram, close to Kovalam.
Private and flexible: add a houseboat night, Ayurveda or Varkala.

Kerala Kovalam Tour Itinerary

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

Day 1: Arrive in Kochi and Fort Kochi Sightseeing

Your Kerala Kovalam tour 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 Kovalam tour 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 Kovalam

Drive about 175 km, four to five hours, south along the coast to Kovalam. Spend the evening on Lighthouse Beach and watch the sunset over the Arabian Sea.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Kovalam

Day 8: Kovalam at Leisure

Spend the day as you like on the Kerala Kovalam tour: swim at Hawa Beach or Samudra Beach, climb the lighthouse for the view, take an Ayurveda massage, or make a short trip to the red cliffs of Varkala.

Shamrock travel tip: the sea at Kovalam can have strong currents, especially from May to September, so swim only between the lifeguard flags. See our Shamrock India Travel Tips.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Kovalam

Day 9: Thiruvananthapuram and Departure

After breakfast, if time allows, see the Padmanabhaswamy temple area (the temple is open to Hindus only) and the Napier Museum, then transfer to Thiruvananthapuram airport, about 30 minutes away. Your Kerala Kovalam tour ends here.

Meals: breakfast

What Is Included

Your Kerala Kovalam tour 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 Kochi and from Thiruvananthapuram
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 Kovalam tour, 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 9-day tour package?

Both follow the same route to Kumarakom. This tour ends at lively Kovalam near Thiruvananthapuram; our Kerala 9-day tour package ends at quiet Marari beach near Kochi.

Is this a good honeymoon package?

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

Can I stay at Varkala instead of Kovalam?

Yes. Varkala is about an hour from Thiruvananthapuram, and we can change the beach nights.

Can you add flights?

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

How much does the Kerala Kovalam tour 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 different route from our Kerala Kovalam tour?

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: one day shorter, with a houseboat night and Kovalam.
Kerala 9-day tour package: this route ending on Marari 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.

Recognised and trusted: Recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Member of PATA, TAAI, IATO and ADTOI.

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