When to go to Kerala?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with real weather records
Best time: November to March
At a glance
Why go to Kerala?
Kerala occupies a thin strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the ridgeline of the Western Ghats, and that geography explains almost everything. Water is everywhere: brackish lagoons, flooded paddy fields, rivers that tumble down from the mountains and lose themselves in a maze of canals before reaching the ocean. The state is sometimes nicknamed God's Own Country, a rather worn tourist slogan that nonetheless captures the first impression: green abundance, a slow pace, a softness in the air. After the hubbub of the big northern cities, Kerala stands out as a calm exception.
It is also one of the most distinctive corners of India in human terms. Highly literate, long governed by left-wing administrations and shaped by an ancient religious mix in which Hindus, Christians and Muslims have lived side by side for centuries, it has an identity all its own. Arab, Chinese, Portuguese and then Dutch sailors left their mark on the coast, notably in Kochi, a port city where Chinese fishing nets and a synagogue sit alongside colonial churches. Malayalam, the local language, sounds like nothing you've heard before.
For travellers, Kerala lends itself to a trip that keeps changing scenery without ever demanding long distances. You glide along the backwaters by houseboat, climb up to breathe the cool air of the tea plantations, head back down to a red-cliffed beach, then plunge into an elephant reserve fragrant with spices. The common thread is green and water, coconut cooking and an unapologetically slow pace. You come here to slow down, perhaps to take a cure, and to see India at its most tranquil.
Map of Kerala: what is where?
The map shows the 5 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Alleppey backwaters
- Munnar
- Varkala
- Periyar, Thekkady
- Kochi
How much does a trip to Kerala cost?
Kerala remains an affordable destination, even if flagship tourist experiences such as houseboats or Ayurvedic cures push the budget up. Meals, transport and simple accommodation cost very little; the difference lies mainly in the level of comfort you choose. Here are three rough profiles, excluding international flights.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | INR 1,500-2,500/day (about €17-28) | Simple guesthouses and homestays, meals in local canteens, trains and buses, a night on a shared houseboat. You can travel well for next to nothing by sticking to the local way. |
| Comfort | INR 4,000-7,000/day (about €45-78) | Boutique hotels and plantation lodges, a car with driver, one night on a private houseboat, a few Ayurvedic massages and good restaurants. The best balance for most travellers. |
| Premium | INR 12,000/day and up (about €135 and up) | Upmarket resorts by the sea or on the backwaters, a luxury houseboat, supervised Ayurvedic cures lasting several days, a private driver and tailor-made experiences. Kerala at its gentlest and most refined. |
The currency is the Indian rupee (INR). You pay cash in most small shops and canteens and for rickshaws; ATMs are plentiful in towns but scarcer in rural areas, so carry cash before heading to Munnar or the backwaters. Cards are accepted in hotels and resorts. QR-code mobile payment has spread widely but remains hard to use without a local bank account.
Is Kerala safe?
Kerala is one of the safest and easiest regions of India, with a high level of education and a relaxed atmosphere. The precautions are common sense: keep an eye on your belongings in stations and busy places, agree rickshaw fares in advance, drink only bottled or filtered water and go easy on very spicy food at first. The sea can be treacherous at Varkala, with strong currents, so swim in supervised areas. The monsoon, from June to September, brings heavy rain that makes some mountain roads slippery without ruling out travel.
What to see and do in Kerala
- the backwaters by houseboat
- the tea plantations of Munnar
- the beaches of Varkala
- Periyar reserve
- Ayurvedic cures
The backwaters by houseboat
The backwaters form a network of lagoons, lakes and canals running for hundreds of kilometres along the coast. The great classic is to hire a houseboat, one of the converted rice barges known as kettuvallam, with crew and cook on board. Most people board at Alleppey or Kumarakom for one night, sometimes two. The boat inches along between paddy fields and villages, past fishermen, children waving from the bank and palm trees leaning over the water. In the evening, the crew serves a curry of the day's catch while the sun turns the lagoon red. It's expensive by Indian standards, but the experience remains one of the great memories of a trip to Kerala.
The tea plantations of Munnar
Perched at around 1600 metres in the Western Ghats, Munnar is the perfect climatic counterpoint to the humid coast. The air here is cool, often veiled in mist, and the hills vanish beneath a green carpet of closely clipped tea bushes. The plantations, a legacy of the British era, trace regular curves punctuated by the colourful figures of the pickers. You can visit a factory to learn how the leaves are dried and rolled, walk along the ridges and climb to viewpoints overlooking the valley. Every twelve years, the nearby slopes are covered in the blue-mauve flowers of the Neelakurinji, a rare phenomenon that draws the curious from all over India. Even outside that event, the region is great for hiking and for waking up wrapped in cloud.
The beaches of Varkala
Varkala stands apart from the rest of the coast thanks to its red laterite cliff dropping straight down to the beach. At the top of the headland, a path runs along the edge, lined with cafés, shops and yoga centres facing the sunset. Below lie the sand and the waves of the Arabian Sea. The main beach, known as Papanasam, keeps a sacred dimension: its waters are said to wash away sins, and you'll see families who have come to perform rites for their dead. A freshwater spring gushes from the cliff, and an ancient temple stands nearby. The atmosphere, more laid-back and international than in the big cities, makes it a pleasant stop for a few days' rest between swims, massages and sunsets.
Periyar reserve and the spices
Around Thekkady, Periyar reserve protects a vast forest arranged around an artificial lake. You explore it by boat or on foot with a ranger, hoping to spot wild elephants coming down to drink, wild boar, deer and a host of birds. Tigers live here but remain almost invisible. The area is also the heart of spice country: the surrounding hills grow cardamom, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla. Plantation tours explain where these scents come from, the ones that drew merchants from all over the world to this coast. Most people leave with a bag full of fragrant packets. Thekkady combines easily with Munnar, a few hours' drive away, for a mountain and nature leg.
Ayurveda and Kathakali
Kerala is considered the birthplace of Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine based on balancing the body's humours. People come from far away to follow supervised treatments, or simply to enjoy hot oil massages that ease the tensions of the road. Reputable centres offer consultations, diets and treatments over several days, often by the sea or near the backwaters. The other great cultural pride is Kathakali, a dance theatre with spectacular green, red and black make-up, in which every facial expression and every gesture tells an episode from the great Hindu epics. Watching a performance, preceded by the make-up session, is a striking immersion in the local imagination. Kochi has several venues geared to visitors.
How many days, and which itinerary?
A week to ten days lets you taste the essentials: one or two nights on the backwaters, two or three days in the hills of Munnar and Thekkady, a few days at Varkala for the beach, plus a stop in Kochi. With less than five days, you have to choose between mountains and coast. Two weeks leave time to add a proper Ayurvedic cure and some lesser-known stops.
🗺️ Day-by-day itinerary · 📓 Free printable Kerala guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of Kerala
7 days
Arrive in Kochi and spend a day in the old quarter of Fort Kochi. Head up to Munnar for two nights among the tea plantations. Drive on to Thekkady and Periyar reserve for one night and a nature outing. Descend to Alleppey for a night on a houseboat on the backwaters. End the trip in Varkala with two days on the beach before heading home.
12 days
The same route, stretched out and enriched. Add an extra night in Munnar for hiking, a second night on the backwaters starting from Kumarakom, which is quieter, and extend Varkala to three or four days to fit in a short Ayurvedic cure and yoga classes. A Kathakali evening in Kochi and a visit to the spice plantations round things off without rushing.
Getting there and getting around
The most convenient entry point is Kochi airport, which is well connected, complemented by Trivandrum to the south and Calicut to the north. Once there, a car with driver is the way to go: distances are short but the roads are winding and slow, especially up to Munnar, and leaving the driving to someone else saves a lot of stress. Cars are usually hired by the journey or by the day, often through your hotel.
The train runs along the coast and serves Kochi, Alleppey, Varkala and Trivandrum cheaply, through lush scenery; it's a good choice for coastal hops, best booked a little in advance. It doesn't go up to Munnar or Thekkady, however, which can only be reached by road. Public buses run everywhere and cost next to nothing, but they take time and patience. Rickshaws and taxis handle short distances in town.
Where to stay in Kerala?
The range is wide and value for money is often excellent. On the backwaters, a night on a houseboat is a category of its own, from the simple model to the air-conditioned barge with several cabins. Around Munnar and Thekkady, you'll find lodges perched in the plantations and family guesthouses, sometimes right in the middle of the tea hills, ideal for waking up in the mist.
On the coast, Varkala lines up relaxed guesthouses, boutique hotels on the cliff and resorts focused on Ayurveda and yoga. Kochi charms with colonial mansions converted into characterful hotels in the Fort Kochi quarter. Almost everywhere, homestays let you lodge with a local family, share a home-cooked meal and chat, a warm and affordable option that is very widespread in Kerala.
Our places to stay, stop by stop, at three budgets →
What to eat in Kerala?
Kerala's cooking revolves around coconut, rice and fish, spiced up with locally grown spices. The emblematic meal is the sadya, a vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf with a parade of small dishes, curries, chutneys and pickles, eaten with your fingers. In the morning, tuck into appam, a lacy rice pancake, or puttu with chickpea curry.
Fish and seafood are everywhere, in coconut milk curries, grilled or fried, as are prawns and crab on the coast. Meat lovers will find Malabar-style chicken and lamb, a legacy of the Muslim communities of the north. Round it all off with a spiced chai or, in Munnar, freshly picked tea. Be warned, local food can be seriously hot: it's worth telling people your chilli tolerance.
Entry requirements
An e-visa is required and must be applied for online at least four days before arrival, with a passport valid six months, for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. An online e-arrival card is also required.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Kerala
When is the best time to visit Kerala?
The ideal season runs from October to March, when the weather is dry and temperatures pleasant. The monsoon, from June to September, drenches the region but turns the landscape green and suits Ayurvedic cures, which are traditionally recommended at that time. Above all, avoid April and May, which are hot and muggy on the coast.
How long should I spend on the backwaters?
One night on a houseboat is enough to capture the magic of the place and remains the most common format. Travellers in a hurry sometimes opt for a simple cruise of a few hours, while those who really want to unwind stretch it to two nights, ideally from Kumarakom, which is more peaceful than Alleppey.
Is Kerala good for a family trip?
Yes, it's actually one of the best-suited regions of India for families: short distances, a safe and relaxed atmosphere, and varied settings that appeal to children, from boats and elephants to beaches. Just keep an eye on hydration, the chilli in the dishes and stick to supervised swimming.
Can you really follow an Ayurvedic cure?
Yes, Kerala is renowned for its Ayurvedic centres, from the simplest to the most luxurious. A proper cure involves an initial consultation, an adapted diet and treatments spread over at least one to two weeks. For a first taste, a few hot oil massages are enough to discover the spirit of this medicine.
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