RutzIndia.com's 7-day Kerala tour package is a one-way, six-night journey by private car and chauffeur from Cochin airport to Trivandrum: Fort Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady's Periyar lake, an Alleppey houseboat and a final night at Varkala or Kovalam beach. The car is priced per km, on at least 250 km a day.
The case for seven days and a one-way finish
You land at Cochin International and leave from Trivandrum. The shorter Kerala loops both have to turn round and drive back to Kochi for the flight. This one does not. By flying in to Cochin and out of Trivandrum, you trade a return journey you have already seen for the whole southern coast, and you end the trip on a beach rather than in airport traffic. Nothing is covered twice, and the longest single drive stays under five hours.
A week also changes the rhythm. There is a full day in Munnar, a proper dawn on the Periyar lake, an afternoon of doing nothing on a houseboat and a final evening watching the sun go into the Arabian Sea. It is the version we would choose for honeymooners, for anyone with a full week of leave, and for travellers who find constant packing and unpacking tiring.
If seven days is too many, the 6-day package keeps the hills, Periyar and the backwaters and returns to Kochi; the 5-day version keeps just Munnar and Alleppey. If you want to go further still, the section on extensions below has ideas.
Cliff or cove: Varkala versus Kovalam
You choose the last night when you book, and the two beaches suit different people.
Varkala is the more dramatic. Red laterite cliffs drop straight to Papanasam beach, and the cliff path above is lined with guesthouses, yoga schools and cafes looking out to sea. It has a strong following among independent travellers and a relaxed, slightly bohemian feel. The drive from Alleppey is the shorter of the two, and the town sits about 50 km north of Trivandrum airport, so the last morning needs a little more time.
Kovalam is the more classic resort beach, with three crescent bays, the red-and-white lighthouse at the southern end and a string of larger hotels and Ayurveda resorts on the slopes behind. It is only about 16 km from the airport, which makes an afternoon or evening flight easy. The extra drive from Alleppey is worth it if you want a pool, a spa and a very short final transfer.
Both beaches have strong currents in the monsoon and lifeguards flag safe zones in the season. Swim where they tell you to.
Trivandrum on the final day
Thiruvananthapuram deserves more than a glance through the car window if your flight is in the afternoon. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in the old fort area is one of the most important Vishnu shrines in India; entry is for Hindus only and the dress code is strict (men in a mundu with no shirt, women in a sari or long skirt), but the gopuram and the tank outside can be seen by everyone. The Napier Museum complex, with its Indo-Saracenic building, gardens and art gallery, is a short hop away and is generally closed on Mondays. The chauffeur will fit in what the clock allows and still get you to the airport, which is close to the city.
Road notes for the southbound run
The first half of this route is the same hill country as our shorter Kerala packages: the ghat climb from Neriamangalam to Munnar, the ridge road south to Thekkady, and the long descent through Peermade to the Kottayam plains. The chauffeur plans those legs for daylight, fills up before the climbs and knows where the clean rest stops are.
The coastal day is different. NH 66 south of Alleppey through Kayamkulam and Kollam is the main artery of the Kerala coast, busy with buses and trucks, and stretches have been under widening for several years, so expect diversions and slow patches. It is a practical drive rather than a scenic one; the reward is at the end. For Varkala the car turns off after Kollam towards the cliffs; for Kovalam it continues through the outskirts of Trivandrum.
Sleeping well over six nights
Fort Kochi: heritage hotels and homestays in the old quarter, or business hotels in Ernakulam if you land very late.
Munnar: two nights, so it is worth choosing a place with a view, even if it is a little way out of town on the estate roads.
Thekkady: resorts along the Kumily approach to the reserve; stay close to the gate for the early boat.
Alleppey: a houseboat moored overnight on the backwaters, or a lakeside resort. Houseboats cruise from about midday and tie up at sunset.
The beach: cliff-top guesthouses and boutique hotels at Varkala; larger resorts and Ayurveda retreats at Kovalam.
The travel desk books all six nights through BookingWorldwide.net and sends one written quote with the car, hotels and houseboat together.
When each landscape is at its best
- October to March: the best months for the whole route, and for the beach in particular, as the sea calms after the monsoon. Christmas and New Year week is the peak for every hotel on the list.
- February and March: warm, dry and a little quieter; Eravikulam usually closes for the tahr calving season.
- April and May: hot and humid on the coast and the backwaters, pleasant in Munnar and Thekkady.
- June to September: the monsoon. Beaches are for walking rather than swimming, and some Varkala cafes close. The hills are lush and the Ayurveda season is in full swing. Onam in August or September and the Nehru Trophy boat race on Punnamada lake in August are major events.
A car for a week on the road
Seven days is long enough that comfort matters more than on a short trip. Two travellers can manage in a sedan, but a premium sedan or an Innova Crysta makes the ghat days easier. Families of five to seven should take the Innova; a Fortuner suits those who want an SUV. Groups of eight to twelve can travel together in a Tempo Traveller, and larger groups in a Force Urbania. All cars are within four model years.
Extending the week
From Kovalam, Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India is about a two-hour drive and makes a long but rewarding day trip or an extra night. Poovar, just south of Kovalam, has quiet estuary resorts. Going north instead, Kumarakom and Vagamon can be added in the middle of the route. For a longer South India trip, our 8-day South India package and the tour packages hub show other combinations.
How the fare and booking work
The car is billed on the greater of the trip's actual distance, about 710 km on the Kovalam version, and 250 km per calendar day, which for seven days is 1,750 km. That figure is multiplied by the class rate (Rs 72/km for a sedan, Rs 114/km for an Innova Crysta, Rs 168/km for a Fortuner, Rs 156/km for a Tempo Traveller, Rs 204/km for an Urbania), then the chauffeur's night allowance of Rs 3,000 per night, tolls and parking at cost and 5% GST are added. The fare table on this page shows the result for each class. Because the minimum is well above the planned driving, a day trip to Kanyakumari from Kovalam fits within it.
Book in the online booker and pay by card or UPI; GST invoices are available for business travellers. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, then 10% within 72 hours, 50% within 48 hours and 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Full terms are on the cancellation policy page.
