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.
Kochi · Resort · Luxury★★★★★
Luxury Accommodation7 NightsLuxuryWildlife
Kerala Wildlife & Nature Expedition — Luxury
About This Journey
Kerala Wildlife & Nature Expedition — Luxury
Seven nights built around Kerala's wildlife, from Wayanad's forest sanctuary to a dawn boat ride on Periyar Lake at Thekkady. The route also climbs through Munnar's tea hills along the way, but the wildlife stops carry the trip.
Wayanad opens with its wildlife sanctuary and the Edakkal Caves, home to some of India's oldest known rock petroglyphs. After Munnar's tea estates, the trip closes at Thekkady with a boat ride on Periyar Lake at dawn, when animals are most likely to be seen at the water's edge.
- 01
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the Edakkal Caves
A full day covers the sanctuary and the Edakkal Caves, where petroglyphs carved into the rock are among the oldest evidence of human presence in the region.
- 02
A dawn boat ride on Periyar Lake
The trip closes at Thekkady with an early boat ride on Periyar Lake, staying at Spice Village - A CGH Earth Experience, right at the forest's edge.
- 03
The dry-season advantage
Sightings at Periyar are strongest in the drier months, when animals come down to the lake to drink. Ask your trip designer about timing this route for that window.
- 04
Chembra and Banasura Sagar, between the wildlife stops
Wayanad's second day adds the Chembra trail and Banasura Sagar reservoir, a change of pace between the sanctuary and the road to Munnar.
Chapter Two — Where You'll Stay
4 Real Stays, In Order
Handpicked along your own route — not a hotel chain repeated city to city.
Next, 3 nights in Wayanad
Taj Wayanad Resort & Spa, Kerala
A 2023 Taj resort above Banasura Lake in Wayanad, with waterfront cottages, plunge-pool villas and an Ayurveda-led spa in the Western Ghats.
Wayanad · Resort · Luxury★★★★★
Next, 2 nights in Munnar
Scenic, Munnar - IHCL SeleQtions
Scenic, Munnar is an IHCL SeleQtions hotel above the tea gardens. Balcony rooms, plunge-pool villas and plantation walks on our Kerala tours.
Munnar · Resort · Luxury★★★★★
Finally, one night in Thekkady
Spice Village – A CGH Earth Experience
A CGH Earth spice-garden resort on the edge of Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady, with cottages, pools, and Ayurveda spa.
Thekkady · Resort · Premium★★★★
Chapter Three — Day by Day
Real Kerala Attractions in This Itinerary
6 of your 8days — the full itinerary follows below. Scroll to travel the route.
Day 2 · Kochi → Wayanad
Kochi to Wayanad — Up the Thamarassery Pass
The drive to Wayanad takes about four and a half hours and climbs the whole second half. The road up from the coast turns nine tight hairpin bends through the Thamarassery pass. Rubber gives way to coffee, then to forest. Wayanad is Kerala's only plateau, held high in the Western Ghats. By the time you reach the resort the air is cool and the light is going.
Day 3 · Wayanad
Wayanad — Wildlife Sanctuary & Edakkal Caves
A dawn jeep safari through Muthanga or Tholpetty, booked through the forest department. Elephant, gaur and deer are the usual sightings; tiger and leopard are here and rarely seen. Later you climb to the Edakkal Caves, two rock shelters on Ambukuthi hill. Their walls are cut with carvings that are thousands of years old, some among the oldest in India. The last stretch is a steep set of stairs and iron ladders.
Day 4 · Wayanad
Wayanad — Chembra Trail & Banasura Sagar
The morning is a guided walk on Chembra, the district's highest hill, past a small heart-shaped lake said never to dry. Numbers are capped each day and the upper section is often closed for weather or fire risk. The afternoon is Banasura Sagar, the largest earthen dam in India. Its reservoir has flooded the low hills into islands, and a speedboat runs out among them. The Banasura ridge stands behind the whole scene.
Day 5 · Wayanad → Munnar
Wayanad to Munnar — Across the High Ranges
This is a long transfer, six to seven hours, and a scenic one. The road drops off the Wayanad plateau, crosses the low country, then climbs again into the high ranges. Coffee and forest turn to cardamom and then to tea. Munnar sits at around 1,600 metres, in a bowl of estates first planted in the 1880s. You arrive in the late afternoon with the tea light at its best.
Day 6 · 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.
Day 7 · 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.
Chapter Four — The Full Itinerary
8 Days, In Full
Every day, start to finish — including the transfers the day-by-day chapter above skipped.
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 → Wayanad
Kochi to Wayanad — Up the Thamarassery Pass
The drive to Wayanad takes about four and a half hours and climbs the whole second half. The road up from the coast turns nine tight hairpin bends through the Thamarassery pass. Rubber gives way to coffee, then to forest. Wayanad is Kerala's only plateau, held high in the Western Ghats. By the time you reach the resort the air is cool and the light is going.
Wayanad
Wayanad — Wildlife Sanctuary & Edakkal Caves
A dawn jeep safari through Muthanga or Tholpetty, booked through the forest department. Elephant, gaur and deer are the usual sightings; tiger and leopard are here and rarely seen. Later you climb to the Edakkal Caves, two rock shelters on Ambukuthi hill. Their walls are cut with carvings that are thousands of years old, some among the oldest in India. The last stretch is a steep set of stairs and iron ladders.
Wayanad
Wayanad — Chembra Trail & Banasura Sagar
The morning is a guided walk on Chembra, the district's highest hill, past a small heart-shaped lake said never to dry. Numbers are capped each day and the upper section is often closed for weather or fire risk. The afternoon is Banasura Sagar, the largest earthen dam in India. Its reservoir has flooded the low hills into islands, and a speedboat runs out among them. The Banasura ridge stands behind the whole scene.
Wayanad → Munnar
Wayanad to Munnar — Across the High Ranges
This is a long transfer, six to seven hours, and a scenic one. The road drops off the Wayanad plateau, crosses the low country, then climbs again into the high ranges. Coffee and forest turn to cardamom and then to tea. Munnar sits at around 1,600 metres, in a bowl of estates first planted in the 1880s. You arrive in the late afternoon with the tea light at its best.
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 — 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.
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What Our Travelers Say
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Nothing short of magical. Brijesh crafted a seamless itinerary that balanced sightseeing, culture, and relaxation, making our journey truly special.
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Chapter Five — Terms & Conditions
Straightforward, In Writing
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
Before You Book
Is wildlife sighting guaranteed at Periyar?
No sighting can be guaranteed, but the dawn boat ride and dry-season timing give the best realistic chance of seeing wildlife at the water's edge.
When is the best time for this route?
The drier months, broadly October to March, bring the most reliable wildlife sightings at Periyar and the clearest conditions at Wayanad and Munnar.
Are the Edakkal Caves a strenuous climb?
There is a moderate uphill walk to reach the caves. It's manageable for most fitness levels, and your guide will set the pace.
Chapter Six — Similar Journeys
More of Kerala, Privately
Before you go
Planning Kerala
Kerala Travel Guide
Wayanad Travel Guide: Edakkal Caves, Chembra Peak, Banasura Sagar and When to Go
Destination GuideKeralaPlanning Guide
Kerala Travel Guide
Thekkady Spice Plantation Visit: What to See, Buy and Avoid
Destination GuideItinerary InspirationKerala
Kerala Travel Guide
Thekkady in 2 Days: Periyar, Spice Gardens and Culture
Destination GuideItinerary InspirationKerala
Why Choose Us
The Same Trust, Sized to This Trip
01
Planning, Built Around You
This route was shaped around Kerala's real places, not lifted from a fixed template.
13 years — Brijesh Sharma, Bespoke Itinerary Specialist
02
Handpicked Hotels
Every stay on this trip was chosen in person, not off a ratings page.
4 real stays, 4–5★
03
A Private Fleet, Always Yours
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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