Kochi tea country, Kovalam and Rameshwaram’s sacred coast

Meet your driver on arrival at Cochin International Airport or railway station and transfer to your hotel to rest. Select an early arrival to visit historic St Francis Church, India's oldest European church, and explore Mattancherry Palace. Current visitor access and religious opening times apply. Spend the evening browsing local street markets before your overnight stay in Kochi.

After breakfast, check out of your Kochi hotel and drive up through the Western Ghats towards Munnar. Include Cheeyappara Waterfalls, Valara Waterfalls, and the view from Karadippara Viewpoint as stops along the winding route. Arrive in Munnar, check in to your hotel, and relax for the night.

Have breakfast, then set out for a full day of sightseeing in Munnar. Visit Mattupetty Lake and Dam, where boating is available at your own cost. Explore the Tea Factory and Tea Museum, noting that the museum is closed on Mondays. Continue to Echo Point, then enjoy an evening at leisure before sleeping in Munnar.

Enjoy breakfast, check out, and travel south to Thekkady. Visit Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve, with optional activities such as a boat safari or bamboo rafting available at your own expense, subject to availability. Later, tour a nearby spice plantation and browse the local market where spice purchases are separate before staying overnight in Thekkady.

After breakfast, check out and drive to Alleppey to board your deluxe sharing houseboat. Cruise through scenic backwater canals past paddy fields and village settlements. Request the full board arrangement with lunch and dinner served on board. Air conditioning in cabins runs from 21:00 to 06:00, with extended use at extra cost. Sleep aboard the houseboat.

Enjoy breakfast and take in the early morning views over the backwaters before disembarking your houseboat. Drive south along the coast to Kovalam and check in to your hotel. Agree actual beach access and conditions during a relaxing afternoon at your own pace exploring Lighthouse Beach, Hawa Beach, and Kovalam Beach before an overnight stay.

Make an early start after breakfast for an excursion to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Actual ferry operations permit taking the ferry to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, viewing the towering Thiruvalluvar Statue, and visiting the historic Kumari Amman Temple. Include Triveni Sangam confluence viewing and take in the coastal sunset, weather permitting, before returning to Kovalam for the night.

Have breakfast, check out, and begin the long drive of over eight hours via Kanyakumari to the island pilgrimage town of Rameshwaram. Pass through coastal landscapes of salt pans and fishing villages. Arrive by afternoon or evening, check in to your hotel, and take an optional stroll along Agni Theertham (Agnitheertham) beach if time permits. Sleep in Rameshwaram.

After breakfast, visit the renowned Ramanathaswamy Temple and the sacred shores of Agni Theertham (Agnitheertham). Include the drive across the famous Pamban road bridge for broad sea views and continue to the deserted town of Dhanushkodi. Tour the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial. Time permitting, visit the Five-faced Hanuman Temple or Gandhamadana Parvatham (Gandhamadhana Parvatham) before your second night in Rameshwaram.

Have breakfast, check out of Rameshwaram, and take the drive to Madurai. Include the grand Meenakshi Amman Temple to marvel at its towering gopurams and carved corridors. Your trip concludes with a drop-off at Madurai Airport or Railway Station for your onward journey, with no Trivandrum drop assumed.