Arrive in Kochi

Arrive in Kochi and transfer to your hotel for two nights. Your local specialist will outline the plan, best places to eat, and how to pace tomorrow’s visits. If energy allows, join an optional shared harbour cruise to see island life and working waterways. This evening visit a Kathakali centre: arrive early to watch the intricate make-up ritual before the performance—your guide will explain gestures and characters so the stories land. Rest of the day at leisure to settle in and adjust to the coastal climate.

Cochin

After breakfast, explore Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. Walk past Chinese fishing nets and seaside promenades, then step inside St Francis Church, linked to Vasco da Gama. Continue to the Dutch (Mattancherry) Palace for mural panels from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the Jewish Synagogue in Jew Town (closed Fri afternoon, Sat and Jewish festivals), noted for hand-painted tiles and chandeliers. Between stops, your expert guide threads in spice-trade history and points out good cafés and antique shops. Afternoon is free for browsing or a sunset stroll along the shore.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Cochin

MUNNAR

Drive (3 hrs) into the Western Ghats to Munnar, a former British hill station framed by tea gardens and shola forest. After check-in, take an easy orientation walk among tea slopes to stretch your legs and enjoy cooler air. Your guide will brief you on tomorrow’s ridge walk—footwear, sun protection and expected gradients—and can suggest a simple bakery or tea room nearby. If skies are clear, look for Anamudi, South India’s highest peak, on the horizon. Evening at leisure to relax at the hotel or enjoy a quiet viewpoint.

Meals Included: Breakfast

MUNNAR

Set out after breakfast for a guided trek: gentle climbs through tea, grassland ridges and pockets of shola forest, with views to Idukki’s vast reservoir on clear days. Light refreshments are included, and birdwatchers should watch for Western Ghats endemics. After lunch, visit the Tea Museum for a tasting and a concise look at cultivation and processing. Then call at Srishti, a trust supporting differently-abled members of planter families—meet teams in natural dyeing, artisanal paper and bakery. Your specialist keeps transfers short and timings light. Evening free.

Meals Included: Breakfast

THEKKADY

Descend to Thekkady, gateway to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary of lakes, evergreen forest and spice estates. Check in and unwind; your lodge naturalist will outline optional activities for tomorrow—boat cruises, guided nature walks or bamboo rafting—plus tips on leech socks in the wet season. Late afternoon, stroll a nearby spice garden to see pepper, cardamom and clove cultivated under shade, with a chance to purchase directly from growers. Optional this evening: Kalaripayattu, Kerala’s dramatic martial art, performed in an intimate arena. A relaxed pace keeps the day restorative.

Meals Included: Breakfast

THEKKADY

This morning, take a shared boat on Periyar Lake (water levels permitting). Deadwood trunks pierce the surface while cormorants dry their wings; with luck, watch elephant families drink on the shore. After lunch, join a guided walk through a spice plantation to see cardamom, pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla grown under shade. Learn how pods are harvested, dried and graded, and how intercropping sustains soil health. Your naturalist can help identify medicinal plants and bird calls. Evening at leisure for an optional Kalaripayattu show or an ayurvedic massage arranged through the lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast

KUMARAKOM

After breakfast, drive (4 hrs) west to the backwaters and check in at your lakeside retreat in Kumarakom. Vembanad’s reed beds, paddy fields and coconut groves shape a gentle rhythm of canoes, coir-making and lake fishing. Unwind by the water or book an authentic ayurvedic treatment. Optional this afternoon: a Responsible Tourism village walk from Kavanattinkara with a local guide—meet craftspeople, hear paddlers’ lake lore and taste seasonal snacks. Birders may spot kingfishers, herons and, in season, migrants heading for the sanctuary. Sunset from the jetty is superb. Evening at leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Alleppey (Houseboat)

Late morning, embark your private kettuvallam houseboat at the Alleppey jetty. Cruise slow canals and broad reaches where freshwater meets the Arabian Sea’s tide, passing rice barges, toddy taps and waterside chapels. A freshly cooked Keralan lunch and dinner are served on board. Your crew steers into quieter channels for village views and waving children; they’ll also explain locks, bunds and paddy below sea level. Note: houseboats sail by day and moor at dusk; air-conditioning typically operates at night; standard check-out is 09:00 tomorrow. Enjoy sunset on deck as lamps glow along the banks. Overnight on the houseboat.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cochin

Breakfast on board, then disembark at 09:00 and drive (2 hrs) to Kochi. Check in and enjoy an easy afternoon—swim, spa or a last wander for spices and handicrafts in Fort Kochi/Jew Town. Your guide can suggest a café or sunset promenade by the Chinese nets, and help with any final shopping at reputable, fixed-price stores. If you missed Kathakali earlier, an evening performance can be arranged with pre-show make-up viewing. Pack for tomorrow’s flight; our team reconfirms timings and terminal.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Cochin

Kochi Departure

At the agreed time, meet your representative for a smooth transfer to Kochi International Airport. We assist with trolleys, check-in and wayfinding, and can store luggage or arrange a short, time-safe errand if your flight departs later. Bid farewell to Kerala’s backwaters, hills and ports—journey complete.

Meals Included: Breakfast