Kerala Hill Station Tourstea country and the Western Ghats
Kerala's hill country sits along the Western Ghats, three to four hours inland from Kochi, and the temperature drops by ten degrees on the way up. Munnar is the centre of it — tea estates covering entire hillsides at 1,600 metres — and Thekkady, two hours south, adds the spice plantations and the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Our hill station tours pair the two, with a private air-conditioned cab from Kochi and rates from Rs 11,999 per person.
The drive up is part of the trip. Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls are both roadside stops on the Kochi–Munnar route, and by the last hour the road is running between tea rows on both sides.
Munnar: two nights, and here is why
One night in Munnar means you arrive tired, see three things in a rush and leave. Two nights gives you a full sightseeing day: Eravikulam National Park in the morning for the Nilgiri Tahr, Mattupetty Dam for the boating, Echo Point across the lake, Kundala Lake, and the Tea Museum to see how the leaf is actually processed. Photo Point and the estate roads in the early morning mist are the reason people come back.
Evenings are cool enough for a jacket, which after a day in Kochi feels like a different country.
Thekkady, Periyar and the spice country
Thekkady is built around the Periyar Tiger Reserve, and the boat safari on Periyar Lake is the best chance of seeing wild elephants at the water's edge. Beyond the reserve, the guided spice plantation walks take you through cardamom, pepper, vanilla and cinnamon under cultivation. Evenings here are for the traditional arts: a Kathakali performance with the full face-paint sequence, or a Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration.
Bamboo rafting deep inside the sanctuary is the option for anyone who wants a full day in the forest with a guide rather than a viewpoint circuit.
Getting there and the drive times
Kochi to Munnar is roughly four hours with the waterfall stops. Munnar to Thekkady is about three and a half hours through cardamom hill country. Thekkady down to Alleppey for the houseboat leg is another four. Every one of these is covered in a private air-conditioned sedan with a professional driver, with fuel, toll, parking and driver allowances already in the package price — there is nothing to settle on the road.
Best time to visit the Kerala hills
September to May is the main season for Munnar, and October to March for Thekkady. The monsoon from June to September is when the hills are greenest and cheapest, with waterfalls at full strength — it is a genuinely good time to come if you do not mind rain. If you are chasing the Neelakurinji bloom in Eravikulam, that is a once-in-twelve-years event, so check the year before planning around it.
Kerala Hill Station Tours to book
4 Nights / 5 Days Premium Tour
Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Cochin
Peak ₹13,999 · 01 Oct – 01 Jan
6 Nights / 7 Days Grand Voyage
Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Varkala, Kanyakumari
Peak ₹17,999 · 01 Oct – 01 Jan
8 Nights / 9 Days Grand Pilgrimage
Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Varkala, Kovalam, Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, Madurai
Peak ₹25,999 · 01 Oct – 01 Jan
Frequently asked questions
Three nights covers both properly — two in Munnar for a full sightseeing day and one in Thekkady. Our 4 Nights / 5 Days Premium Tour uses exactly that split and adds an Alleppey houseboat night.
About four hours by road, including stops at the Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls. Pickup from Kochi airport or railway station is included in all our packages.
Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Dam and its boating, Echo Point, Kundala Lake, the Tea Museum, and the estate roads and viewpoints in the early morning mist. A full day covers the main circuit without rushing.
The Periyar Lake boat safari offers the best chance, particularly the early morning and late afternoon runs when herds come to the water. Sightings are common but never guaranteed — it is a wild reserve.
Cool rather than cold. Evenings and early mornings drop to around 15 degrees Celsius, occasionally lower in December and January, so bring one warm layer. Daytimes are pleasant year-round.
Plan your kerala hill station tours
Tell us your dates and group size and we will send a day-wise plan with a fixed price — no hidden costs on the road.