High Ranges & Backwaters3 days / 2 nights
Munnar
Colonial Kochi, the misty tea hills of Munnar and a houseboat cruise through the Alleppey backwaters — the soul of Kerala in three unhurried days.
from €49ppView itinerary
Capital, coast & Ashtamudi
Trivandrum, Kovalam, Kollam & Varkala — 5-Day Coast & Backwaters
5 days / 4 nights · from €49 per person
Duration5 days / 4 nights
Best seasonOctober – March
Group size2 – 8 travellers
PaceRelaxed
South Kerala at a resort pace. You start on the beaches of Kovalam — lighthouse sunsets, Eve's Beach, the mangrove channels of Poovar Island — then cross to Kollam and the wide, quiet Ashtamudi backwaters for two nights. A day trip takes you up to the Varkala cliff and the Sivagiri Mutt, and on the last day you finish in the capital: Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Kuthiramalika Palace and the Napier Museum gardens. Private air-conditioned car throughout, traditional welcomes on arrival at each hotel, and enough unscheduled time to actually use the pool.
Highlights
- Two nights on the Kovalam coast — Lighthouse Beach and Eve's Beach at sunset
- Boat trip through the Poovar backwaters and mangrove forest
- Sunset over Ashtamudi Lake from your lakeside resort in Kollam
- The Varkala cliff, Janardhana Swami temple and Sivagiri Mutt
- Trivandrum finale: Padmanabhaswamy temple, Kuthiramalika Palace, Napier Museum
- Optional Ayurveda, scuba, snorkelling, catamaran rides and cycling on the coast
Your route
- PickupTrivandrum airport or railway station
- Kovalam2 nights — beaches, sunsets, Azhimala & Poovar
- Kollam (Ashtamudi)2 nights — lakeside resort, backwater sunsets
- VarkalaCliff, beaches, temple and Sivagiri Mutt
- Drop-offTrivandrum sightseeing · airport or railway station
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrival — Trivandrum to Kovalam
We meet you at Trivandrum airport or station and drive the short 16 km (about 30 minutes) to your Kovalam resort, where you're welcomed in the traditional Kerala way with refreshments. Settle in and use the afternoon as you like. In the evening walk down to Lighthouse Beach and Eve's Beach for the sunset. Scuba diving, snorkelling, catamaran and speedboat rides and cycling are all available locally. Overnight in Kovalam.
- Day 2
Azhimala and Poovar Island
After breakfast, visit the clifftop Azhimala Shiva temple, then continue 17 km to Poovar Island, where a boat trip takes you through backwaters and mangrove forest to the golden sandbar where the river meets the sea. Back to Kovalam for another beach evening and sunset, with time to relax at the hotel. Overnight in Kovalam.
- Day 3
Kovalam to Kollam — the Ashtamudi backwaters
Check out after breakfast and drive 80 km (about 2.5 hours) north to Kollam and your lakeside resort on Ashtamudi, Kerala's second-largest backwater lake. Traditional welcome, refreshments and an unhurried afternoon by the water. Watch the sun go down over the lake. Overnight in Kollam.
- Day 4
Day trip to Varkala
After breakfast, drive 40 km (about 1 hour 15 minutes) to Varkala. Darshan at the Sree Janardhana Swami temple, then the Sree Narayana Guru Mandir at Sivagiri Mutt. Spend the rest of the day on the red laterite cliff — cliff-top cafés, mineral springs and Papanasam Beach below — before returning to Ashtamudi. Overnight in Kollam.
- Day 5
Kollam to Trivandrum — city sights and departure
Check out after breakfast and drive to Trivandrum. Time permitting: darshan at Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple (traditional dress required and available to hire at the entrance), then Kuthiramalika Palace Museum, the Napier Museum, the Raja Ravi Varma Sree Chitra Art Gallery, the zoo, and the science and technology museum with its planetarium. Drop-off at Trivandrum International Airport or the railway station.
What's included
Included
- 4 nights in handpicked resorts: 2 nights Kovalam beachfront, 2 nights Ashtamudi lakeside
- Daily breakfast and a traditional welcome at each resort
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all transfers and sightseeing
- English-speaking local guide for the Varkala and Trivandrum sightseeing days
- Bottled water, tolls, parking and all applicable taxes
- 24/7 on-the-ground support from our Kerala team
Not included
- International and domestic flights, e-visa fees and travel insurance
- Poovar backwater boat trip charges
- Water sports: scuba diving, snorkelling, catamaran and speedboat rides, cycling
- Entry tickets to temples, palaces, museums, the gallery, the zoo and the planetarium
- Ayurvedic treatments and spa
- Lunches, dinners and personal expenses
- Tips and gratuities (always optional)
Gallery
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