A 1-week itinerary for

Kerala, India
Updated On 10th December, 2023

Situated on India’s southwest coast,

and often referred to as ‘God’s own
country’, Kerala is such a sensational
place and one of India’s most
picturesque states. With its scenic
backwaters, magnificent mountains,
tea plantations, rolling hills and deep
valleys, Kerala is the perfect place to
enjoy a 1-week itinerary escape the
crowds and enjoy wildlife, nature and
lovely beaches.

After a busy month of exploring the

fantastic, yet exhausting, states of
Delhi and Rajasthan, I was certainly
ready to immerse and re-energise
myself in nature amongst the
enchanting beauty of the Keralan
landscape. I had the most wonderful
time here, and I hope you also have an
incredible trip and cover some amazing
places with this 1-week Kerala itinerary.

Here’s the perfect

1-week itinerary
for Kerala, India…
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TOT ONVERGETELIJKE
MOMENTEN
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How to get to Kerala:

This itinerary begins in Kochi as this is
where the major airport is located in
Kerala.

You can also travel to Kerala from within

India by train and the easiest routes are
from Delhi and Mumbai, however, they
are usually very crowded, so you should
book in advance, and if you want to
avoid the crowds, book a higher class
ticket.

It is also possible to get to Kerala from

within India by bus. There are many
buses that travel through the night
from many major cities which will take
you to Kerala.

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The best time to travel to Kerala

September through to March is usually

the best time to visit. If you can, avoid
the heat and humidity in April and May
and the monsoon season from June to
September.

See my bucket list of

 wellness retreats to go on
around the world here.

Book flights on Skyscanner

 here.

Top tip: The official currency

of India is the Indian rupee.
£1 = 95 rupees (July 2020).
Exchange rates fluctuate
though, so check the latest
rate here.

 Exchanging money in India is

straightforward and
currency can be changed at
banks, airports, some hotels
and at authorised money
changers. ATMs are widely
available.

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Getting around
Kerala:
It is very easy to travel around Kerala.
You can get buses without booking in
advance and can also travel by train,
which is a little more expensive, but can
be more comfortable in the higher-
class carriages.

Travelling around Kerala by bus was an

experience I thoroughly enjoyed,
however, it might not be for everyone.
The buses can sometimes get quite
busy and the journeys are long. So, if
you prefer, and budget allows, you can
arrange taxis and drivers, or, where
possible, take the train.

Top tips for taking the bus in

Kerala:
Speak to your
accommodation/guest house
about your onward travel plans
and ask them to guide you on bus
timings, routes and how to get to
the bus station. You can also
message or call the
hotel/guesthouse you are heading
to and they can help with
arrangements once you get to the
bus stations in your destination.

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The station masters and the bus

conductors are very helpful. Head
straight to the ‘station master’
office when you arrive at the bus
station and they will point you in
the right direction. Then, when
you are on the bus, the conductor
is your best friend! Whenever I
took a bus in India I would let the
conductor know where I was
heading to and they would tell me
exactly when I needed to get off.
Always be sure to confirm bus
timings because they can change.
Timings you see online are often
useful to give you an idea of what
might be possible, but double-
check with your
accommodation/guest house –
they can call up the bus station
and confirm for you.

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The signs will likely be in

Malayalam which has a different
script. Taking photos of the
destination name and showing it
to someone who can help you and
using it as a reference can be very
useful.

All the places on this Kerala itinerary

are easily reached by bus!

My 1-week Kerala
itinerary…
The trip starts in Kochi and ends in
Varkala. I’ve included a Google Map,
pinning the route for this Kerala
itinerary for you!

1 week Ke…
Over

Kaartgegevens ©2024 Voorwaarden 20 km Sneltoetsen

Deze kaart is gemaakt door een gebruiker.

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Day 1 in Fort Kochi

Accommodation: I stayed at Treebo
Trend The Qasr. This was a lovely,
modern hotel, but the location was a
little far from the sights. I’d recommend
staying on Fort Kochi itself instead as it
is the historic centre where all the
sights are. I’ve heard great things about
Homested Homestay and Secret
Garden, a Boutique Hotel.

Fort Kochi is a delightful, coastal area

which is known for its British,
Portuguese and Dutch colonial
architecture. You can easily wander
around on foot, exploring its alleyways
and discovering charming little places
as you walk around.

Depending on when you arrive in Kochi,

I’d recommend you either spend 1 or 2
nights. If you have less time to play
with, plan to land early in the day and
spend just 1 night as Fort Kochi is small
and you can see a lot in 24 hours. You
can get a bus from the airport to Fort
Kochi and these run regularly, take
around 1h 30m and cost about 100 –
150 rupees. Alternatively, you can
arrange for a taxi to collect you, which
could be quicker and more convenient,
but will cost around 1,200 rupees.

The best things to do

and see whilst in Fort
Kochi…
Check out the Chinese
fishing nets.

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One of the most striking features in

Fort Kochi are the Chinese fishing nets
that rise up out of the sea, first
constructed in the 1400s. They are still
in use today, particularly in the
monsoon season.

The remarkable view of the nets and

their interesting history definitely
makes them worth checking out.
However, I would note that it is
important to manage your
expectations. They are a bit of a tourist
trap, and there is little mention online
about the large volume of litter that
surrounds the nets. I just strolled past,
admired them and snapped some
photos before moving on, which I think
was the best way to appreciate them.

Plan nu je volgende
reis

Ontdek nu
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Explore Jew Town and the

Paradesi Synagogue.

Exploring Jew Town is a must. At its

height in the 1950s, there were around
250 Jews in the Fort Kochi population.
There are now just a handful, but their
heritage remains and you can visit the
Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568.
‘Paradesi’ translates to ‘foreigner’ in
many Indian languages. Antiques are
displayed in the synagogue, including
scrolls of the Torah enclosed in gold
and silver, as well as gifts of gold
crowns from the Kings of Kochi.

Visit the Mattancherry

Palace.

The Mattancherry Palace was built in

the 1500s by the Portuguese and
presented to the Raja of Kochi. It was
refurbished by the Dutch in the 1600s.
The Palace contains portraits of
Maharajas, period furniture, mythical
paintings and royal palanquins
(portable beds/couches on poles,
usually carried by porters or animals).

New York
Nu vanaf

€ 475
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Excl. €10 boekingskosten

Ga op avontuur

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Take a stroll along Princess

Street.

This is the place to look around for

mementos, grab some food and maybe
enjoy browsing in some charming book
stores!

SEE ALL MY BACKPACKING

ADVENTURES AND TIPS ON MY BLOG
HERE

Days 2-4 in Munnar (3

days)
Accommodation: I stayed in
Chithirapuram Palace. This was a
fabulous hotel, but felt more like a
homestay! The room was beautiful and
the hotel also arranged great tours for
very reasonable prices.

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Plan nu je volgende
reis

Ontdek nu
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Munnar refers to both the small hill

town and the surrounding area more
generally. It doesn’t matter too much
where your accommodation is, as your
hotel or guesthouse will usually arrange
a driver and a guide to get you around,
so you won’t be disadvantaged by
staying out of town.

Munnar, situated on the western

mountains of Kerala, is a delight for
nature-lovers with its picturesque
meandering hills and views of tea
plantations and stunning green
vegetation for miles.

To get to Munnar from Fort Kochi, you’ll

need to take a taxi or the bus as there is
no train route. If getting the bus, you
may need to take the local bus from
Fort Kochi to a more central bus station
in Kochi town. It’ll take about 2-3 hours
and should cost around 100 rupees.
Once you get to Munnar, if you are
staying outside the main town, like I
was, you’ll likely need to grab a
rickshaw to take you the last few miles
to your guesthouse.

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The best things to do

in Munnar:
Visit Mattupetty Dam.

Mattupetty Dam is an impressive sight.

It was built into the mountains of Kerala
in the Idukki District to conserve water
for hydroelectricity.

Visit a tea plantation and

factory.

The scenery of Munnar is full of tea,

which, as a tea-lover, I was very happy
about! Plantations belonging to several
large private tea estates decorate the
hills and support the livelihoods of
many in the area. You can book tours
from your accommodation which
include transport, a factory visit, a
plantation walk, and tea-tasting.

Take a trek through the tea

plantations and mountains.

There are a few different mountain

treks on offer in Munnar. I did the
Meesapulimala trek, which is around 4-
6 hours of walking and the trail leads
through gorgeous tea plantations and
ends with a wonderful mountain top
view above the clouds. If you want to
wake up early, you can also do the
Phantom Head hike, which is shorter
but tougher, and reach the peak in time
for sunrise.

It is a requirement to get a guide to

walk through the tea plantations. I had
a fabulous guide called Jeevan. If you’d
also like to book with him, he can be
contacted on +91 82814 79612.