Kerala in 9 Nights 10 Days: Hills, Backwaters and Beach

A 9 nights 10 days Kerala itinerary: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey and Varkala, with drive times, pacing and where to slow down.

By the Lux India Tours Team·Oct 19, 2026

Destination GuideItinerary InspirationKeralaPlanning Guide

A kettuvallam houseboat on the open water of Vembanad Lake

Ten days lets you see Kerala properly. You can cover the hills, the spice country, the backwaters and a beach, with a slower rhythm than the short itineraries allow.

This plan uses five bases and keeps most drives to under five hours.

A houseboat on the open water of Vembanad Lake, Kerala

The backwaters of Vembanad.

Nights	Base	Highlights	Drive in
2	Kochi	Fort Kochi, Jew Town, a Kathakali evening	From the airport, about 1 hour
2	Munnar	Tea estates, Eravikulam	About 4 to 4.5 hours
2	Thekkady	Periyar, a spice plantation, an Ayurveda session	About 3 hours
1	Alleppey	Houseboat or lakeside stay	About 4 hours
2	Varkala	Cliff walks, beach, temple	About 3 to 3.5 hours

Kochi, 2 nights

Spend the first day on Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. See the fishing nets, the old synagogue and the spice market. Our Jew Town guide covers the quarter. Keep the second morning free for a heritage walk and the evening for a Kathakali show.

Munnar, 2 nights

Drive up through spice country to the tea hills. Visit Eravikulam for the Nilgiri tahr, then spend the rest of the time on the estates. See Eravikulam National Park.

Thekkady, 2 nights

Descend into the Periyar region. The day includes a boat safari or a bamboo-rafting trip, a spice plantation visit and, if you like, an Ayurveda treatment.

Alleppey, 1 night

One night on the backwaters is enough. Choose a quiet, private houseboat or a lakeside resort. See our houseboat guide and the price explainer.

Varkala, 2 nights

End on the coast. Varkala's red cliff, with cafes above the sea, is a good place to slow down. See our Varkala guide. The flight home leaves from Thiruvananthapuram, so an open-jaw ticket saves a long drive.

Pacing notes

Three long drives: Kochi to Munnar, Alleppey to Varkala and Munnar to Thekkady. Keep the mornings early.
Two-night stays: they give you a full day in each place, which a faster plan does not.
The beach at the end: a good pacing choice. After the hills and the water, the last two days are quiet.

For a shorter plan, see the 7-day itinerary or the 5-day itinerary. For drive times, see our distances guide.