Kerala · 6 Days
Kerala Hills & Spice — Extended
A full day on Munnar's working estates and a guided spice plantation walk at Thekkady.
Day by Day
6 Days, In Full
Six days turns two hill towns into two real stays. Munnar gets a full estate day — a working plantation with someone who can actually explain it, plus the Tata Tea Museum's original machinery. Thekkady gets a guided walk through a plantation growing cardamom, pepper, clove and vanilla on one hillside, which is rarely what people picture. The Periyar dawn boat still closes the trip. This is the version we book most often for travellers who want the Ghats rather than the coast.
Kochi
Arrival in Kochi — Fort Kochi & the Spice Quarter
Your driver meets you at Cochin airport. The road runs out to Fort Kochi, where four centuries of trade left their mark on one small peninsula. Walk the lanes on foot. St Francis Church, the Dutch Cemetery, the godowns of Jew Town still stacked with ginger and pepper. Evening is free for a Kathakali performance if you want one.
Kochi → Munnar
Kochi to Munnar — Into the Western Ghats
The drive up to Munnar takes about four hours and climbs the whole way. Rubber gives way to cardamom, then to tea. Stop at Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls when the monsoon has been kind. By the time you arrive the air is fifteen degrees cooler than Kochi.
Munnar
Munnar — Tea Estates & the Old Plantation Machinery
Munnar is tea, and has been since the 1880s. Spend the morning walking a working estate with a planter who can explain what you are looking at. The Tata Tea Museum houses the original rollers and a functioning miniature factory. Afternoon at Mattupetty Dam and Echo Point.
Munnar → Thekkady
Munnar to Thekkady — Along the Cardamom Hills
Three and a half hours south through the Cardamom Hills. The road is good and the views are constant. You can smell the plantations before you see them. Thekkady sits on the edge of Periyar Tiger Reserve, so the last stretch runs through genuine forest.
Thekkady
Thekkady — A Working Spice Plantation
Thekkady grows cardamom, pepper, clove, nutmeg and vanilla, often on the same hillside. A guided walk through a working plantation shows you how each one actually grows, which is rarely what people expect. Buy directly from the estate if you want the good stuff at the real price.
Thekkady
Thekkady — Periyar Lake at Dawn, then Onward
The first boat onto Periyar Lake leaves at half past seven. Dead trees still stand in the water, drowned when the dam went up in 1895, and elephant and sambar come down to drink along the shoreline. Bring a long lens. Afterwards you continue on or head for the airport.
Book This Itinerary
Priced Packages On This Route
This route is already built into these packages — real inclusions and pricing on each one's own page.
luxury · 5 Nights
Kerala Hills & Spice — Extended — Luxury
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
premium · 5 Nights
Kerala Hills & Spice — Extended — Premium
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
luxury · 5 Nights
Kerala Monsoon Escape — Luxury
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
premium · 5 Nights
Kerala Monsoon Escape — Premium
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
Kashmir to Kanyakumari
Get In Touch
Start Planning Your Trip
Full itinerary, real pricing, one honest conversation — no sales pressure, just answers.