
First, one night in Kochi
Taj Malabar Resort & Spa, Cochin
Taj Malabar sits where the Kochi backwaters meet the sea. Heritage teak rooms, a waterfront pool and Ayurvedic spa on our Kerala tours.

About This Journey
Six nights through Kerala's tea hills and Tamil Nadu's temple heartland, built for a honeymoon that wants real scenery rather than a single resort week. The route runs from Fort Kochi's old spice quarter up into Munnar's tea estates, on to Thekkady's cardamom-forested hills, and finishes at Madurai, where the Meenakshi Temple gives the trip a striking, unexpected close.
Each stop is chosen for its own character — Kochi's colonial streets and Chinese fishing nets, Munnar's plantation views, and a stay inside Spice Village's working spice estate near Thekkady — before the drive over the Western Ghats into Tamil Nadu. It suits couples who want a honeymoon with real variety of landscape, culture and pace, closing on something genuinely different from where it began.
Spice Village, a CGH Earth property near the Periyar reserve, sets its bungalow rooms among working spice gardens — a quiet, private setting well suited to a honeymoon rather than a conventional hotel stay.
The day given to Munnar covers the tea estates and old plantation machinery without rush — time to walk the gardens rather than simply drive past them.
Ending in Madurai rather than back on the coast gives the honeymoon a genuinely memorable final image — the temple's carved, painted gopurams, a real cultural high point after days of green hills.
A private dinner, flowers or a small gesture for the occasion can be arranged at the hotels along the route — let your trip designer know when you enquire.
Chapter Two — Where You'll Stay
Handpicked along your own route — not a hotel chain repeated city to city.

First, one night in Kochi
Taj Malabar sits where the Kochi backwaters meet the sea. Heritage teak rooms, a waterfront pool and Ayurvedic spa on our Kerala tours.

Next, 2 nights in Munnar
Scenic, Munnar is an IHCL SeleQtions hotel above the tea gardens. Balcony rooms, plunge-pool villas and plantation walks on our Kerala tours.

Next, one night in Thekkady
A CGH Earth spice-garden resort on the edge of Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady, with cottages, pools, and Ayurveda spa.

Finally, 2 nights in Madurai
A garden hotel on the old Madurai Club grounds designed by Geoffrey Bawa — low pavilions, plunge-pool villas, a long pool, and a spa, near the Meenakshi temple.
Chapter Three — Day by Day
5 of your 7days — the full itinerary follows below. Scroll to travel the route.

Day 2 · Kochi → Munnar
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.

Day 3 · Munnar
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.

Day 4 · Munnar → Thekkady
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.

Day 5 · Thekkady → Madurai
A drive of about four hours, leaving Kerala's hills for the Tamil Nadu plains. The road climbs out of Thekkady past the Periyar reserve, crosses the Western Ghats near Kumily, and drops through Cumbum and Theni into drier, flatter country. The landscape changes fast: rainforest and spice gardens give way to palm and dry scrub within an hour of the crossing. You reach Madurai, one of Tamil Nadu's oldest cities, by the afternoon, with the temple towers visible well before the old town itself.

Day 6 · Madurai
A full day in the old city. The Meenakshi Amman Temple in the cool of the morning: the fourteen painted towers, the twin shrines to the goddess and to Shiva, the hall of a thousand carved pillars, and the golden-lotus tank. Then the Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Memorial Museum, housed in a Nayak queen's palace. The afternoon is the flower and produce market and the tailors' hall by the east tower, and, if there is time, the drive out to the Tiruparankundram rock temple.
Chapter Four — The Full Itinerary
Every day, start to finish — including the transfers the day-by-day chapter above skipped.

Kochi
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
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 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
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 → Madurai
A drive of about four hours, leaving Kerala's hills for the Tamil Nadu plains. The road climbs out of Thekkady past the Periyar reserve, crosses the Western Ghats near Kumily, and drops through Cumbum and Theni into drier, flatter country. The landscape changes fast: rainforest and spice gardens give way to palm and dry scrub within an hour of the crossing. You reach Madurai, one of Tamil Nadu's oldest cities, by the afternoon, with the temple towers visible well before the old town itself.

Madurai
A full day in the old city. The Meenakshi Amman Temple in the cool of the morning: the fourteen painted towers, the twin shrines to the goddess and to Shiva, the hall of a thousand carved pillars, and the golden-lotus tank. Then the Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Memorial Museum, housed in a Nayak queen's palace. The afternoon is the flower and produce market and the tailors' hall by the east tower, and, if there is time, the drive out to the Tiruparankundram rock temple.

Madurai
A free morning, depending on the flight. Madurai has its own airport with connections to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai, and a direct link or two to the Gulf. A last look at the temple, quieter after the dawn worship, or an unhurried South Indian breakfast, before the short drive to the airport. For travellers going on to Kerala, the road west over the Western Ghats to Periyar or Madurai's rail links are the usual routes.
Guest Stories
Real words from real journeys — rated 5.0 across 310 Google reviews.
“
An absolutely flawless experience. We felt like royalty from the moment we landed in Delhi until our departure.
Sarah & James
United Kingdom
“
Truly exceptional — Brijesh, our tour planner, was incredibly attentive, professional, and meticulous in organizing a flawless itinerary.
Milly Witcomb
United Kingdom
Mentions guide Brijesh
“
Nothing short of magical. Brijesh crafted a seamless itinerary that balanced sightseeing, culture, and relaxation, making our journey truly special.
Shakira Tabizi
United States
Mentions guide Brijesh
“
Everything went beyond our expectations. Our driver Rajesh kept us comfortable in every city, and Vicky was endlessly knowledgeable.
Melissa
Australia
Mentions guide Rajesh & Vicky
“
From the moment we landed until we left, our driver Manish made us feel so taken care of — he made the trip even more memorable.
Rossen Milanov
United States
Mentions guide Manish
“
Brijesh is a super good man! A comfortable journey through six cities, exactly to our desires and limits.
Michelle de Matheu
United States
Mentions guide Brijesh & Manish
“
Excellent hotels and tour guides. Our driver Manish was superb in every way — reliable, and full of local knowledge.
James Boochame
Australia
Mentions guide Manish
Chapter Five — Terms & Conditions
Cancellation windows, refund timing, and rescheduling terms for this journey follow our one sitewide policy — nothing package-specific to dig through.
Read the Return & Refund PolicyFrequently Asked
It follows the same core stops at a similarly unhurried pace, simply framed and paced for a honeymoon, with a stay at the private, plantation-set Spice Village at Thekkady.
October to March offers the most comfortable weather across both Kerala's hills and Tamil Nadu's plains around Madurai, which can get quite hot from April onward.
Chapter Six — Similar Journeys
Other ways to see it
Before you go



Why Choose Us

01
This route was shaped around Kerala & Tamil Nadu's real places, not lifted from a fixed template.
13 years — Brijesh Sharma, Bespoke Itinerary Specialist

02
Every stay on this trip was chosen in person, not off a ratings page.
4 real stays, 4–5★

03
One driver, air-conditioned, for the whole route — no shared shuttle.
Premium sedans & SUVs · One driver, the whole trip

Kashmir to Kanyakumari
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