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What to book before you travel to Kerala?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length
One weekTen daysTwo weeks

8 activities to book · about €247 per person

Kochi (Cochin)

Days 1-2
Days 1-2Old Kochi and the Chinese nets, guidedHalf dayFort Kochi and Mattancherry on foot, from the fishing nets to the spice warehouses and the Dutch Palace.€20Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 1-2A Kathakali performanceEveningKerala's classical dance drama, where the story is told through gesture and eyes, with the make-up applied in front of the audience beforehand.€12Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The Chinese fishing nets · Fort Kochi, its colonial lanes and galleries · The Paradesi Synagogue and Jew Town · The seafront at sunset

All activities in Kochi (Cochin) on GetYourGuide

Munnar

Days 3-4
Days 3-4Tea estate and tea museumHalf dayFrom the picking on the slopes to the rolling and drying in the factory, then a tasting.€15Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 3-4Eravikulam National ParkHalf dayGrassland at the top of the hills, home to the Nilgiri tahr, a mountain goat found nowhere else. The park closes every February and March for the calving season.€25Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Tea estates from one horizon to the other · The viewpoints over the Western Ghats · The waterfalls · The mountain lakes

All activities in Munnar on GetYourGuide

Alleppey and the backwaters

Days 5-6
Days 5-6A night on a backwater houseboatNight on boardA night aboard a kettuvallam, a converted rice barge, with a cook on board and the boat moored at dusk.€120Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 5-6Canoe through the narrow canalsHalf dayA small boat goes where the houseboats cannot, down village canals barely wider than the hull.€15Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The backwaters and the paddy fields · The villages along the water · Alleppey beach and its lighthouse · Sunset over the sea from the clifftop cafés

All activities in Alleppey on GetYourGuide

Varkala

Days 7-10
Days 7-10Yoga class above the sea2hAn early morning class on the clifftop, facing the Arabian Sea before the heat sets in.€15Book on GetYourGuide →
Days 7-10Boat trip along the coastHalf dayA morning at sea off the cliffs, with dolphins often seen in season.€25Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The cliff and the beach below · The temples · Sunset over the sea from the clifftop cafés · The sacred springs

All activities in Varkala on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in Kerala cost?

€247 per person if you do them all, across 8 bookings. The most expensive is "A night on a backwater houseboat" at €120, the cheapest "A Kathakali performance" at €12. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in Kerala without booking anything?

16 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with The Chinese fishing nets, Fort Kochi, its colonial lanes and galleries, The Paradesi Synagogue and Jew Town, The seafront at sunset. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Kochi (Cochin), with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From 2h for the shortest to Half day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable Kerala guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Kerala, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→