“God’s Own Country” isn’t just a tourism slogan — it’s a description that Kerala residents use without irony, and once you’ve been here, you understand why. The backwaters of Alleppey, the tea gardens of Munnar, the spice-scented markets of Kochi, the Ayurvedic retreats of Varkala, and the tiger reserves of Thekkady form a state that packs more distinct landscape types and cultural depth into 38,000 square kilometres than most regions many times its size.
Kerala is also one of India’s most well-organised tourism destinations. Houseboat stays are regulated. Wildlife parks are managed. Homestays are certified. This makes it a relatively easy state to navigate, and tour packages here are generally very good value.
5-Day Kerala Package: Kochi and Alleppey Backwaters
Ideal for: Couples, first-time Kerala visitors, weekend-extended trips.
Day 1-2: Kochi (Cochin) — Fort Kochi heritage walk, Chinese fishing nets, Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace), Paradesi Synagogue, and the legendary Kathakali performance in the evening.
Day 3: Boat transfer to Alleppey (Alappuzha). Board a traditional houseboat — Kerala kettuvallam — for an overnight on the backwaters. This is the defining Kerala experience: drifting through palm-fringed canals, watching village life from the water, eating a freshly made Kerala fish curry on the boat deck.
Day 4-5: Return to Alleppey, beach time at Mararikulam (quieter than Kovalam), drive to Kochi for departure.
Budget package: ₹18,000-25,000 per person (double sharing). Mid-range: ₹30,000-42,000 with air-conditioned houseboat.
7-Day Kerala Package: Munnar and the Western Ghats
Ideal for: Nature lovers, families, those who want both hills and backwaters.
Day 1-2: Kochi — Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Kochi backwater ferry tour.
Day 3-4: Drive to Munnar (4 hours). Eravikulam National Park (home to the Nilgiri Tahr), Mattupetty Dam, tea museum at TATA Tea Estate, sunset at Top Station with Kannan Devan Hills view.
Day 5-6: Drive to Thekkady (Periyar Tiger Reserve). Morning boat ride on Periyar Lake. Afternoon spice plantation tour. Optional: guided border trekking inside the reserve.
Day 7: Drive to Alleppey for houseboat experience, evening departure from Kochi.
Budget package: ₹25,000-35,000 per person. Mid-range: ₹45,000-65,000.
10-Day Kerala Package: The Complete Circuit
Ideal for: Comprehensive Kerala experience, those visiting for the first time with adequate time.
Kochi (2 nights) → Munnar (2 nights) → Thekkady (1 night) → Alleppey/Kumarakom backwaters (2 nights, including houseboat) → Varkala (2 nights) → Trivandrum (1 night, departure).
Varkala adds the beach element — red cliffs, Arabian Sea, and a clifftop strip of cafes and yoga studios that have made this the favoured destination of long-stay backpackers. The Varkala beach is dramatically more beautiful than Kovalam (which is more developed and crowded).
Trivandrum adds the opportunity to visit Padmanabhaswamy Temple (one of India’s wealthiest temples) and the magnificent Napier Museum.
Budget package: ₹40,000-55,000 per person. Mid-range: ₹70,000-95,000. Luxury (houseboats with AC, premium resorts): ₹1,30,000-1,80,000+.
What Makes Kerala Tour Packages Worth It
Kerala tour packages, unlike in some other states, tend to genuinely deliver because the state’s infrastructure for tourism is so strong. Houseboats are certified (look for KTDC-approved operators), wildlife parks have regulated visitor numbers, and the homestay network is one of India’s best.
Ayurveda is a genuine highlight, not just a gimmick. Even a single Abhyanga oil massage treatment during a Kerala trip — done properly by a trained therapist — is restorative in a way that’s hard to describe. Many tour packages include this as an add-on for ₹800-2,000 per session.
Kerala food deserves to be treated as an attraction in its own right. Fish molee, Malabar biryani, Kerala prawn curry, appam with stew, puttu and kadala curry, banana leaf meals — build meal experiences into your itinerary the same way you’d schedule a temple visit.
Best time to visit Kerala: September to March. October-November is particularly beautiful — post-monsoon greenery with pleasant temperatures. Kerala’s monsoon (June-September) is intense but the Ayurveda practitioners consider it the best time for treatments.