Tours in Kerala
Kerala is full of paradise experiences. At the coast, you’ll find long white sandy beaches fringed with palm trees gently swaying in the warm breeze, with local fisherman standing knee deep in the crystalline waters as they cast their nets. As you venture inland and further north, the landscape turns a deep, lush shade of green, the vegetation becomes thicker and so does the air. Kerala’s verdant jungles conceal Bengal tigers, wild elephants, and hundreds of species of colourful birds.
Continuing your journey of ascent into the hills, the landscape becomes no less green but far more regimented as you find yourself among the tea and cardamom plantations of Munnar. The one thing that ties it all together is the abundance of coconut trees wherever you go. Our Classic Kerala eight day tour will show you all this and more.
Explore further afield and discover more of Southern India on our 12 day Southern India with Kerala and Tamil Nadu tour. Visit the cultural city of Chennai, formerly Madras, which is rich with heritage, vibrant Madurai, often hailed as the Athens of the east for it's temples and palaces, and the former French colony of Pondicherry. And if you can’t imagine visiting India without seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra, our 14 day adventure through Classic Rajasthan and Kerala ticks all the boxes of the bustling north and the more laid back south.
Southern India with Kerala and Tamil Nadu Tour
Guide Price £1,259 pp
Discover the charm of Southern India. In Tamil Nadu, visit the diverse city of Chennai (previously Madras), often called the cultural capital of India, namely for its traditions and heritage. See lively Madurai, the Athens of the East, on the...
Wildlife holidays
Classic Kerala Tour
Guide Price £1,829 pp
Combine Kerala's historic fishing towns, charming tea plantations and the peaceful beauty of the backwaters with this tour. Enjoy a privately escorted tour and admire stunning scenery of the tea plantations in Munnar, take hike to spot wildlife and the...
Escorted tours
Martyn
Destination Manager
“Hiking around Munnar, through the high-altitude forests up to the tea and cardamom plantations is, in my opinion, one of the most unforgettable ways to see this part of Kerala.”
Clive
Content Editor
“For me, if you can only do one thing, it should be taking a trip on one of the houseboats, or kettuvallam, through the Keralan backwaters. You just feel so much closer to nature and the local way of life.”
Jessica
Destination Manager
“I’ve always loved elephants, so seeing them in the wild was a real highlight. I may not have managed to spot a tiger, but that didn’t make my visit to Periyar National Park in Thekkady any less magical.”
The best time to go is from late November through to early April when there’s the lowest chance of rain. From late March through to May, temperatures rise and it can get really hot. As a general rule of thumb, avoid June and July when it’s monsoon season, and there is often a spike in rain again around October.
Mosquito repellent is key, and if you’re planning any jungle treks, a pair of leech socks will be your most prized possession. Comfortable shoes for walking in, as well as flip flops for the beach. And pack one or two warm layers, particularly if you’re heading into the hills, where it can get chilly.
Public transport is actually pretty reliable in Kerala, and most tourists have great success getting around by bus or train. You can also hire motorbikes, bicycles, or your own personal driver.
From the lush green jungles and rolling hills of tea plantations, to the intricate chain of lagoons that are Kerala’s backwaters, and the coconut tree-line beaches, Kerala is a land of great opportunity for both adventure seekers and beach loafers.
Why you'll love Kerala...
- Spending the night on an iconic houseboat in the backwaters
- Encountering elephants in their natural habitat in Periyar National Park
- Trekking through the jungle up to the stunning tea plantations around Munnar
- Sampling the freshest fish caught that day in Cochin
- Catching a glimpse of one of nature’s most elusive big cats, the Bengal tiger
- Exploring the cardamom plantations that cover the hills of the Western Ghats
- Watching monkeys play in the trees of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
- Strolling along the coastal paradise that is Varkala Beach
- Making the pilgrimage to Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
- Learning to cook your favourite Keralan dish in a local cookery class
- Soaking up the culture clash and history of Fort Cochin
- Discovering your spiritual side in ‘God’s own country’
Did you know?
- Kerala was declared ‘one of the 10 paradises of the world’ by National Geographic.
- The state of Kerala consumes 20 percent of all India’s gold annually, the majority of which goes to adorning brides in splendour on their wedding day.
- The ‘land of coconuts’ is also proud to hold the record for India’s highest literacy rate, at around 93 percent. It also achieved 100 percent primary education among its population in 2016.
