Kerala Plus Village Experience Tour: 15 Days from Mumbai

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Mumbai
2 stops
1
Mumbai
Welcome to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Mumbai! Your tour guide will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Colaba. Depending on your arrival time and how tired you are, you might want to explore the surrounding area on foot on your own or with your guide, seeing places like the Gateway of India, the Prince of Wales Museum, and Marine Drive.
2
Over a welcome dinner at a traditional Indian rooftop restaurant, your guide will go over the itinerary for the next 14 action-packed days!
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Mumbai
2 stops
3
Mumbai
We will travel together to Dharavi, one of Asia’s biggest slums and the heart of small-scale industry in Mumbai. The tour of Dharavi, our company’s award-winning and signature tour, shows a balanced portrayal of life for the less privileged in Mumbai, and you will learn about the NGO programs directly supported by your tour.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
4
Mumbai
The rest of the day will allow time for some sightseeing of your choice, such as Victoria Terminus, Haji Ali Mosque, the view of the city from Malabar Hill, as well as the many different, chaotic markets that the city has to offer. You also have an option to take our Bicycle tour in the morning or Food Tour in the evening.
4 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Kochi
2 stops
5
Kochi (Cochin)
We will take a morning flight to Kochi, one of the big cities of Kerala. After checking into the hotel
3 hours • Admission ticket free
6
Fort Kochi
in the afternoon, we will visit Fort Kochi, known for its Dutch, Portuguese, and British colonial architecture. We will explore the area, spending time with some fishermen at the famous Chinese fishing nets, and there will be a chance to try pulling the nets yourself!
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Kochi
2 stops
7
Kochi (Cochin)
Today we will visit “Jew Town” where the first Jewish people settled in India and Paradesi Synagogue, the first in India. We will also visit the Dutch Palace, gifted to the Cochin Royal Family by the Dutch.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
8
Fort Kochi
In the evening, you’ll attend an amazing Kathakali performance. Kathakali, a 17th-century dance-drama that originated in Kerala, will capture you with its elaborate costumes, make-up, and most of all, complicated facial expressions.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Kochi / Munnar
2 stops
9
Kochi (Cochin)
Today we will drive (6-7 hours) to Munnar in the morning. During the long, winding journey to Munnar, you will make several stops where your guide will show you many aspects of domestic and agricultural Keralan village life. We will also visit a toddy shop (liquor made from coconut sap, which you can try), and we will enjoy a delicious seafood lunch (also visited by Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey).
7 hours • Admission ticket free
10
Munnar
Arriving in Munnar in the late afternoon, from the hustle and bustle of Kochi, you’ll barely recognize where you are amidst the rolling mountains, fresh air, and tea plantations stretching as far as the eye can see. You’ll have time to get settled into your guesthouse and explore Munnar a bit on your own. You can go for a short hike, or you can sit back and relax with a good book, a nice cup of tea, and enjoy the scenery.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 6
Munnar
1 stop
11
Munnar
Today we’ll do a full-day tour in Munnar. We will visit Munnar’s tea museum to understand what makes this hill station famous, and you’ll learn how the tea transforms from a simple leaf to a piping hot cup of chai. We will also visit the very scenic Echo Point and the Rose Garden.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 7
Munnar / Alleppey
2 stops
12
Munnar
Today we’ll continue south from Munnar to Alleppey (5 hrs), home to some of Kerala’s most famous backwaters. Along the way, we’ll stop off at various places, including a spice plantation, to learn about the ingredients that make Indian cuisine so vibrant. If the season allows, we will meet some beekeepers and taste some of the local produce.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
13
Alleppey Backwaters
We’ll arrive in the afternoon, settle into our guesthouse, and your guide can recommend several restaurants for dinner in the evening after the long journey.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 8
Alleppey
1 stop
14
Alleppey Backwaters
We will begin early in the morning with a visit to a local fish market, where your guide will help you choose delicious seafood to be cooked on board our very own houseboat for lunch! We’ll then make our way to the backwaters and board our kettuvallam (Keralan houseboat). It will be a relaxing day spent cruising along the backwaters, a vast network of lakes, rivers, canals, and lagoons, observing and occasionally visiting some villages and rice farms. We’ll stay overnight on the open water on our houseboat (bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms) and enjoy the Kerala-style lunch, dinner, and breakfast cooked by our chef on board.
Day 9
Alleppey / Kovalam
1 stop
15
Alleppey Backwaters
This morning, we will check out of the houseboat and travel to Kovalam (3 to 4 hrs). In the afternoon, you will have free time to relax on the stunning beach, or you can partake in water activities, cooking classes, yoga/pilates, ayurvedic treatments, and shopping.
Day 10
Kovalam
1 stop
16
Kovalam
Today, we will go on a day trip to the very southern tip of India, Kanyakumari, where you will experience some incredible views of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. We will get a boat to the 41-metre-tall Thiruvalluvar Statue. In the evening, we have the optional visit to Jatayu Park to see the world’s largest bird sculpture.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 11
Kovalam / Overnight Train
1 stop
17
Today we will take a day train to Heranjalu Village, at the home of Krishna, one of the founders of Reality Tours, in the state of Karnataka. We will enjoy the beautiful views of the region from our window when the train passes through 100s of villages, farms of Kerala on the west coast. We will be reaching Byndoor late at 12:30 am. On arrival in Byndoor, we will get to the home and go to bed.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 12
Heranjalu
1 stop
18
Today, if you wake up early, go for a village walk or jog around the rice fields and river. We will have breakfast with Krishna’s family in their home, where we will be spending a couple of days. Following breakfast, your guide will orient you with an introductory walk through the village, where you will meet the people and learn about their lives. In the afternoon, we will participate in whatever village activities are happening at the time. This could be farming, a celebration, walking to the nearby river that is central to local life, or visiting the nearby coast and backwaters. We will once again join the family for a group dinner in the evening. After dinner, we will visit a live Yakshagana performance, one of the most popular folk theatre forms of Karnataka, and learn about the history and beliefs of this cultural and religious art.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 13
Heranjalu / Overnight Train to Mumbai
1 stop
19
Today we’ll bid farewell to the family and visit Murudeshwar Shiva Temple, the second tallest Shiva idol in the world, before we travel back to Byndoor in the evening to catch our overnight train to Mumbai, leaving at 5 pm and arriving the next day at 6 am in Mumbai. If you prefer to fly back to Mumbai, that is possible.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 14
Mumbai
1 stop
20
Mumbai
We will arrive in Mumbai early in the morning, and this will be the last day of our tour. We will do some last-minute sightseeing if you wish.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 15
Mumbai (Departure)
1 stop
21
Mumbai
We will transfer you to the airport.

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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