Routes that actually work

The transect 0-2,695 m Sep-Mar Sea to summit

The whole ramp in one line: coast, lagoon, harbour, plain, gap, ridge, tea, grassland, summit. The route this site is built around, and the one that explains the state.

Nine nights

The shape of it Day 1-2: Kovalam, and the first swim Day 3-4: Alappuzha by train, two nights on the water Day 5-6: Fort Kochi, spice quarter and Kathakali Day 7-9: Munnar by bus, 4½ hrs, tea and Kolukkumalai Day 10: Anamudi with a permit, then down to COK Open the route  →

Short trip 0-3 m Sep-Mar Kochi and the water

One harbour town and one lagoon, slowly. The version that survives jet lag, and the one to take if you have a week of leave rather than a fortnight.

Four nights

The shape of it Day 1-3: Fort Kochi on foot Kathakali at the Kathakali Centre, make-up first Day 4: canoe from Kumarakom at dawn Day 5: the Alappuzha ferry, then the airport No houseboat overnight, see the journal Open the route  →

North 0-60 m Dec-Mar Malabar, top to bottom

Kozhikode north to Bekal in Theyyam season, on the coast railway, through the part of the state that sees almost no visitors.

Eleven nights

The shape of it Day 1-3: Kozhikode, halwa, biryani, the beach Day 4-5: Thalassery and Mahe Day 6-8: Kannur, Theyyam at a kavu Day 9-10: Bekal fort at low light Day 11-12: return over the ghat via Wayanad Open the route  →

Off-season 0-900 m Jun-Aug The monsoon fortnight

The cheapest and greenest time to come, built around a real ayurveda course rather than around sightseeing. Rain most of every day, and half-price beds.

Fourteen nights

The shape of it Day 1-10: a graded course with a BAMS physician Rest days: Fort Kochi between treatments Day 11-12: Kuttanad by ferry in the rain Day 13-14: Thattekad for birds at 60 m Book the centre before the flights Open the route  →

Hills 700-2,100 m Oct-Mar Wayanad and the north hills

Coffee, pepper and bamboo on the plateau above Kozhikode, with neolithic carvings and a heart-shaped lake. Munnar without the traffic.

Seven nights

The shape of it Day 1: CCJ, ghat road, nine hairpins Day 2-3: Vythiri, rainforest and a smallholding Day 4: Edakkal caves and the museum Day 5: Chembra Peak, permit at the gate Day 6-7: Kuruva island, then back down Open the route  →

Short trip 3 m Dec-Mar Three days in Fort Kochi

A long weekend in the one part of Kerala that is genuinely walkable, timed for the Biennale if the year is odd.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: the nets, the churches, the Dutch houses Day 2: Mattancherry at eight, synagogue at ten Day 3: Biennale venues, or Cherai by ferry Eat: a toddy shop lunch across the water Open the route  →

Planning All Year round When to come

The monsoon year month by month, with rainfall normals, what rates do, and the two weeks in September most people should be booking instead of February.

Free to read

The shape of it Rainfall normals for Kochi, all twelve months What each month does to availability Festival dates that move: Onam, Pooram Where to be when it rains Open the route  →

The transect 0 m Nov to Mar Kerala end to end

Two weeks from the Kasaragod coast to the capital: what the end to end route actually covers, where the driving eats the days, and which stops to drop when the fortnight runs short.

Fourteen nights

The shape of it Days 1 to 3: Northern coast at Bekal and Kannur Day 4: Kozhikode and the Malabar coast Days 5 to 6: Wayanad hills and the plateau Day 7: Thrissur and the temple town Days 8 to 9: Kochi, the colonial port Open the route  →

Short trip 0 m Oct to Mar Two days in Kozhikode

Two days in Kozhikode, ordered so the coast and the old city do not fight each other.

Two nights

The shape of it Day 1: Beach, SM Street, Kuttichira core Day 2: Kappad north, Beypore south Open the route  →

Short trip 0 m Nov to Mar Two days in Varkala

Two days is the honest length for Varkala: one for the cliff and Papanasam, one for Sivigiri and Kappil.

Two nights

The shape of it Day 1: North cliff, Papanasam beach and the temple Day 2: Sivagiri, Kappil lake and the backwaters Open the route  →

Short trip 0 m Oct to Mar Three days in Kollam

Three days in Kollam go further than the ferry jetty: Ashtamudi lake, the cashew town, Thangasseri's lighthouse and fort remains, and the long road east to the Jatayu Para rock.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: Ashtamudi lake and the ferry jetty Day 2: Thangasseri and the cashew town Day 3: Jatayu Para at Chadayamangalam Open the route  →

Hills Sep to May Three days in Munnar

Three days is enough for Munnar if the plan respects distance and altitude.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrival, town and estate walks Day 2: Eravikulam and the high country Day 3: Top Station, Kolukkumalai or Mattupetty Open the route  →

Hills Sep to Feb Three days in Nelliyampathy

A three day plan for the Nelliyampathy hills above the Palakkad gap, settling the ghat road, the viewpoints, the forest edge and the honest case for two nights rather than one.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive, climb the ghat road Day 2: Viewpoints, orange farm, forest edge Day 3: Descend south through the gap Open the route  →

Short trip 0 m Nov to Feb Three days in Thiruvananthapuram

Three days in the capital, ordered so the temple morning is not rushed, the museum and zoo get a full afternoon, and the coast is left for the hours when it is worth being there.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: Old city and temple Day 2: Museums, zoo and Kuthiramalika Day 3: Kovalam and the coast Open the route  →

Short trip 0 m Oct to May Three days in Thrissur

Three days in Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala: the Vadakkunnathan temple and the Swaraj Round, Kerala Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthy, Guruvayur and Irinjalakuda.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: Thrissur town and the temple hill Day 2: North to Cheruthuruthy and Kalamandalam Day 3: Guruvayur or Irinjalakuda Open the route  →

Hills Sep to May Three days in Vagamon

Vagamon and Kuttikkanam in three days: meadows, pine slopes, the Parunthumpara cliff and the old Travancore summer palace.

Three nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrival and the Vagamon meadows Day 2: Kurisumala and Parunthumpara viewpoints Day 3: Kuttikkanam palace and Idukki views Open the route  →

North 0 m Oct to Feb Four days along the Nila

The Nila is Kerala's longest river and its most written-about.

Four nights

The shape of it Day 1: Ponnani port and Tirur Day 2: Thirunavaya and the middle river Day 3: Cheruthuruthy and Kalamandalam Day 4: Ottapalam and the Palakkad gap Open the route  →

Hills Oct to Mar Four days in the spice hills

Four days in the spice hills settles one question: how to spend Periyar and the cardamom country around it without wasting a day.

Four nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive, then the Periyar lake Day 2: On foot and by bamboo raft Day 3: Cardamom country and Puttady Day 4: Gavi, then Kathakali or Kalaripayattu Open the route  →

North 0 m Dec to Mar Kannur and Kasaragod

Five days across Kannur and Kasaragod, from the Arakkal and St Angelo forts north to Bekal and the Valiyaparamba backwaters.

Five nights

The shape of it Day 1: Kannur town, fort and museum Day 2: Handlooms, ritual, and the long beach Day 3: North to Bekal and the fort Day 4: Valiyaparamba backwaters by boat Day 5: Theyyam, or a slow last morning Open the route  →

Off-season 0 to 900 m Jun to Sep Five monsoon days in the hills

Five days in the Kerala hills during the southwest monsoon, ordered so the rain is the point rather than the problem, with the red-alert rules, the landslide closures and the case for cutting the driving.

Five nights

The shape of it Day 1: Coastal railhead to Wayanad plateau Day 2: Waterfalls and paddy under cloud Day 3: East across the gap to Munnar Day 4: Estate roads and misted viewpoints Day 5: Descent to the Kochi railhead Open the route  →

The transect 0 m Oct to Mar Backwaters and coast in a week

A week on Kerala's water and sand, from Kochi to Varkala, using ferry, train and canal boat instead of ghat roads.

Seven nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive Kochi, walk the old edge Day 2: Kochi harbour and the backwater mouth Day 3: Kumarakom, the lake margin Day 4: Vembanad by day boat, not by night Day 5: Alappuzha, the canal town Open the route  →

The transect 0 m Sep to Mar South Kerala, hills and coast

The southern loop most itineraries skip: the capital, the Ponmudi ghat road, Thenmala and Palaruvi, the Kollam lake, and the cliff coast at Varkala.

Eight nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive in Thiruvananthapuram Day 2: Ghat road up to Ponmudi Day 3: Descend toward Thenmala Day 4: Palaruvi falls and on to Kollam Day 5: Kollam and the Ashtamudi lake Open the route  →

Off-season 0 m Apr to May Kerala in April and May

The hottest and driest weeks of the Kerala year, when the coast and the backwaters are best at dawn, the hills hold their cool, Vishu and Thrissur Pooram fill the calendar, and the southwest monsoon reaches the state at the end of May.

Seven nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive and sleep on the coast Day 2: Coast at first light, shade by noon Day 3: Climb from the coast to the hills Day 4: Hill station at altitude Day 5: Grassland above the treeline Open the route  →

Planning 0 m Oct to Mar A first trip to Kerala

A first visit to Kerala is a routing problem before it is a sightseeing problem.

Ten nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive and settle on the Malabar coast Day 2: Theyyam country and the northern coast Day 3: Inland to Wayanad's plateau Day 4: Wayanad caves and forest edge Day 5: Down to Kochi's harbour Open the route  →

Planning 0 m Oct to Mar Kerala by train

Kerala's rail spine runs the whole coast, and it makes a better tour than most road itineraries.

Eight nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive and settle in Kochi Day 2: Coastal train to Alappuzha Day 3: Alappuzha without a houseboat Day 4: Train to Kollam and on Day 5: South to Thiruvananthapuram Open the route  →

Planning 0 m Oct to Mar Kerala with children

Kerala with children is a pacing problem before it is a destination problem.

Ten nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive Kochi, rest and orient Day 2: Fort Kochi on foot and by ferry Day 3: South to Alappuzha by day boat Day 4: Alappuzha beach and backwater lanes Day 5: Climb to Thekkady and Periyar Open the route  →

North 0 m Oct to Mar A Malabar food trail

This page maps a five-day food trail through Kozhikode, Thalassery and Kannur, naming dishes and food streets rather than businesses, and settles when to go, what the monsoon does to the trip, and how to eat well without a reservation.

Five nights

The shape of it Day 1: Arrive Kozhikode, eat Mappila Day 2: Kozhikode by kind, not name Day 3: North to Thalassery bakeries Day 4: Kannur seafood and households Day 5: Last Kannur meal, then out Open the route  →

Planning 0 m Year round Travelling responsibly in Kerala

A practical guide to travelling responsibly in Kerala: what the state's plastic rules mean, why elephant rides are not on this site, how temple entry and photography work, and where spending reaches the people who live there.

Any length

The shape of it Before booking: choosing operators and stays: Check claims before you commit Arrival and orientation: Arrive, refill, and slow down Backwaters and waste: The backwaters carry the waste Elephants and wildlife: No rides, no exceptions Temples and dress codes: Temples have their own rules Open the route  →

Planning 0 m Year round Travelling solo in Kerala

A solo planning guide to Kerala, north to south: how the state moves after dark, where a single traveller is treated well and where not, what women-only transport actually provides, and which bookings deserve to be made before arrival.

Any length

The shape of it Stage 1: Arrive and settle: Land, SIM, and the first walk Stage 2: The coastal rail corridor: Trains between the main towns Stage 3: Buses off the rail line: KSRTC for the hill approach Stage 4: Forest permit country: Permits before anything else Stage 5: Backwater day, not overnight: A day boat beats a night Open the route  →

Planning 0 m Year round Where to base yourself

Seven hubs measured by what they reach in a day, not by what they contain.

Any length

The shape of it Choosing the right base: Match base to trip length Kochi: the central coast hub: Kochi reaches coast and backwaters Alappuzha: backwater base: Alappuzha for canals and houseboats Thekkady: wildlife and spice hills: Thekkady for Periyar and spice Munnar: tea country: Munnar for tea and viewpoints Open the route  →