Kuruva Island (Kuruvadweep) Timings: Opening Hours, Days Open & Entry Fee

Kuruva Island timings and opening hours

The island keeps one set of hours across the open season. Rafts start ferrying visitors across from the two entry points, Palvelicham and Pakkam, at 9 in the morning, and the counter issues the last crossing at 3:30 PM. The island itself stays open until 4:30 PM. That gap is deliberate. Rangers want everyone off the river sandbanks and back across the Kabini well before the light fades, so aim to reach the jetty by early afternoon at the latest. On busy weekends the daily visitor cap can close entry even earlier.

Which days is Kuruva Island open? Mondays and the monsoon

A common mix-up is that the island runs seven days a week. It does not. Kuruva Island takes a weekly holiday every Monday, so plan your day for Tuesday to Sunday. The bigger gap is seasonal. Through the southwest monsoon, roughly June to September, the Kabini swells and the boats cannot reach the island safely, so access is shut entirely. It reopens once water levels drop, usually by October, and the clearest, calmest stretch runs to May. If you are travelling in a shoulder month, check the forecast and the route to Kuruva Island before you set out, as heavy rain can close the crossing at short notice.

Kuruva Island entry fee and activity charges

Tickets are sold at the counters at the two crossing points, Palvelicham (run by DTPC) and Pakkam (run by the Forest Department), so carry cash. The fares below are the DTPC Wayanad published rates for the Palvelicham side, and the Forest Department counter at Pakkam has been reported to charge a little more. Water activities are charged separately at the counter. For the full breakdown by visitor type, see the Kuruva Island entry fee guide.

Best time of day to visit

Come in the morning. The first two hours after the 9 AM opening are the coolest, the boats are least crowded, and birdlife on the sandbanks is at its most active. By late morning the day-trip groups arrive and the queue at the jetty builds. Across the season, December to April give the driest, most reliable conditions for wading between the river islets. Give yourself two to three hours on the island and start the crossing back with time to spare before the 3:30 PM cut-off.

Things to know before you go

A few practical points make the visit smoother:

• Daily entry is capped at around 488 visitors, so weekends and holidays can sell out by early afternoon.

• No overnight stays. It is a day-visit reserve and everyone must leave before closing.

• Two to three hours is enough to walk the trails, wade the shallow channels and try a raft.

• Wear sandals or shoes you can get wet, and carry drinking water and cash for the counter.

• It is an eco-sensitive forest reserve: plastic is restricted, stick to marked paths and carry your litter out.

Plan your Wayanad trip with TravelTriangle

Kuruva Island pairs naturally with Edakkal Caves, Banasura Sagar Dam and Pookode Lake on a two or three day Wayanad circuit. Our local partners fold the island crossing, the entry ticket and transfers into a single customisable plan. Browse Wayanad tour packages or read the full Wayanad travel guide to build the trip around the island's open days.

Hours, days and fees on this page are checked by our Wayanad desk against the DTPC Wayanad and Kerala Tourism listings.

Edited by TravelTriangle · Last updated October 2026