Kerala Family Tour Package: Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady and Alleppey 6 Days & 5 Nights

This 5 nights, 6 days route is the version of Kerala most families actually want. Two nights in the Munnar tea hills for cool air and easy sightseeing, a night at Thekkady for the Periyar boat safari, a night on a private Alleppey houseboat, and a final night in Cochin for Fort Kochi's history and last-minute shopping. It is paced for travellers with children and parents along: no back-to-back long drives, and every leg earns its place. The itinerary is fully customisable, and October to March is the sweet spot for this circuit.

Kerala 5N/6D Family Package at a Glance

Kerala 5N/6D Itinerary at a Glance

B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Breakfast is at your hotel; all three meals are served on the Alleppey houseboat.

Nights-per-city breakdown

The five nights split as 2 nights Munnar, 1 night Thekkady, 1 night on the Alleppey houseboat and 1 night Cochin. Munnar gets the extra night because it holds the most for families: a full sightseeing day plus arrival evening, with no rushing between the dam viewpoints, the national park and the tea museum. Thekkady, Alleppey and Cochin each work well as a single, well-used night. You arrive into Cochin on Day 1 and drive straight up to the hills, so there is no separate arrival night in the city at the start.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Cochin, drive to Munnar (~130 km, 4 hr)

Your driver-cum-guide meets you at Cochin airport or railway station and you head straight for the hills. The road to Munnar climbs past the Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls, both worth a ten-minute stop to stretch the legs and take photos. You reach Munnar by late afternoon, check into your hotel, and keep the evening free to settle in after the drive. Overnight in Munnar.

Day 2: Munnar sightseeing (B)

After breakfast you spend a full day around Munnar's tea country. The morning goes to Eravikulam National Park, home to the endangered Nilgiri tahr (forest-department shuttle from the Rajamalai gate, allow 3 to 4 hours), followed by the Tata Tea Museum, which explains how the leaf on every hillside becomes your morning cup. After lunch, the Top Station road takes you east to Mattupetty Dam and Echo Point, where a shout really does come back across the water, which children love. Mattupetty boating stops by around 5 pm, so reach Eravikulam as soon as the park opens and keep lunch short. Kundala Dam, further along the same road, is left out on purpose so the day stays unhurried for children and older parents. The Tea Museum is closed all day on Mondays, so on a Monday it is swapped for a guided tea-estate walk. The Pothamedu viewpoint, just south of town, fits on the Day 1 arrival evening if the light holds. Overnight in Munnar.

Day 3: Munnar to Thekkady, Periyar safari (94 km, 3 hr) (B)

An early breakfast, then a three-hour drive down to Thekkady, gateway to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. After checking in you head out for the late-afternoon boat ride on Periyar Lake, the classic way to spot elephants, sambar deer and birds along the shoreline. With a midday arrival there is realistically time for one forest-department activity, so families pick either the boat ride or a guided nature walk inside the reserve, which runs in fixed slots. Book the boat slot early in season, because the government jetty fills up fast. Overnight in Thekkady.

Day 4: Thekkady to Alleppey, houseboat stay (~140 km, 4 hr) (B/L/D)

You leave the mountains after breakfast and drop to the coast, reaching Alleppey around midday to board your private houseboat. From here the pace changes completely. Lunch is cooked fresh onboard as you glide through the Vembanad backwaters, past paddy fields, coir villages and the odd toddy shop on the bank. The crew moors for the night, dinner is served on deck, and the only sound is water against the hull. All meals today are onboard. Overnight on the houseboat.

Day 5: Alleppey to Cochin, Fort Kochi (~55 km, 1.5 hr) (B)

Breakfast is served as the houseboat returns to the jetty, then it is a short 90-minute drive to Cochin. After checking into your hotel you have the afternoon for Fort Kochi and neighbouring Mattancherry: St. Francis Church and the Chinese fishing nets that have worked this shoreline for six centuries in Fort Kochi, then the Paradesi Synagogue on Jew Town's antique-lined street and, right next door along the same pedestrian lane, the Mattancherry (Dutch) Palace. Back on the Ernakulam mainland, Marine Drive is an easy sunset walk near most city hotels. The evening is free for shopping or a Kathakali performance. Overnight in Cochin.

Timing tip: the Mattancherry Palace is closed all day on Fridays, and the Paradesi Synagogue is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays and keeps short hours (morning only, at best) on Fridays. A Friday afternoon therefore misses both. If Day 5 falls on a Friday, the Palace moves to Day 6 morning, but the Synagogue cannot be fitted in because Day 6 is then a Saturday. If Day 5 falls on a Saturday, the Synagogue can be seen on Day 6 morning when your departure time allows. Tell your coordinator your dates at booking so this is planned in.

Day 6: Cochin departure (B)

After a relaxed breakfast you are transferred to Cochin airport or railway station in good time for your onward journey, with a phone full of tea-country and backwater photos. If your flight is late, ask the desk about a half-day Cherai beach add-on before you leave. That wraps up the 5 nights, 6 days Kerala family circuit.

From our Kerala desk: on the Alleppey leg, leave Thekkady early enough to board at the standard 12 noon check-in. Houseboats have to moor for the night by around 5:30 pm, so every hour you arrive late is cruising time lost, and the slow early-afternoon stretch through the paddy canals is what most families remember.

Hotels on This Package

Standard 3-star category, subject to availability and confirmed at booking:

What's Included and Excluded

Price, Customisation and Best Time to Visit

This 5 nights 6 days family package starts at Rs 25,000 per person on twin sharing and moves up to around Rs 30,556 with a higher hotel category or a houseboat upgrade. Every day is customisable: you can add a stop, drop one, extend the houseboat to a premium or private boat, or swap in 4-star and 5-star hotels for a difference. For a wider set of family options and durations, see our budget Kerala family packages, the full Kerala tour packages range, or read the longer Kerala itinerary guide.

Best time to visit: October to March is peak season for this circuit, with dry days in Munnar and calm backwaters in Alleppey. September and April are quieter shoulder months with lighter crowds. June to August brings the monsoon: the hills turn deep green and Ayurveda stays are cheaper, but expect heavy rain and the occasional boat-ride suspension. For a month-by-month view, see the Kerala travel guide.

One caveat for February and March: Eravikulam National Park closes for roughly two months each year (usually from 1 February, reopening around 1 April) for the Nilgiri tahr calving season. If you travel then, your driver swaps in Top Station or an extra tea-estate walk on Day 2.

Why Book This Package With TravelTriangle

You are booking through a verified network of on-ground Kerala agents, not a faceless portal. Every quote is customisable, the reviews behind the 4.2 out of 5 rating come from 5,589 real travellers who took TravelTriangle trips, and pricing is shown up front rather than revealed at checkout. A dedicated coordinator handles changes before and during the trip, with 24/7 support while you are on the road.

Comparing durations? A shorter or longer trip may fit better: browse all Kerala family tour packages to see other itineraries before you book this one.

Edited by TravelTriangle