Kerala Tour Packages

Custom Kerala Tour Packages By Holiday Tribe

There's a reason Kerala has been called God's Own Country for as long as anyone can remember. Backwaters that stretch quiet and green for miles, hill stations wrapped in tea and spice plantations, beaches that don't feel overrun, and a food culture built around rice, coconut, seafood and spices, and dishes that taste better than they have any right to. It's a state that rewards travellers willing to slow down rather than rush from one landmark to the next, and Kerala tour packages exist to string all of that together properly, because trying to see the backwaters, the hills, and the coast in one rushed week rarely does any of them justice.

At Holiday Tribe, our Kerala packages are built around pace as much as places. A slow morning on a houseboat. An afternoon in a tea estate. An evening watching a Kathakali performance. No checklist, no crammed days.

Quick Facts About Kerala

Our Kerala Tour Packages at a Glance

Before you lock in your dates, here's a quick look at how our Kerala packages with price options are typically structured.

With a 4.8 Google rating, Holiday Tribe plans Kerala holidays you can shape your way, so each package above can be adjusted to suit your travel plans.

Which Kerala Tour Package Suits Your Travel Style?

Kerala feels very different to a honeymoon couple and to a family travelling with grandparents, so the right Kerala tour package depends on who is going and how slowly they want to move. The list below matches each travel style to the kind of itinerary that usually fits.

• Families: A mix of houseboat time, wildlife safaris and hill station stays, paced to suit both children and grandparents.
• Couples: Private houseboat stays, candlelit dinners on the water and quieter hill station resorts, built around romance rather than sightseeing volume.
• Groups: Multi-destination itineraries covering backwaters, hills and beaches, with shared transport that lowers the cost per person.
• Wellness seekers: Extended stays at dedicated Ayurveda centres, usually paired with a quieter base such as Munnar or Kovalam.
• Solo travellers and backpackers: Lighter, more flexible itineraries built around Wayanad’s trekking trails and Varkala’s café scene, with value stay options included.

When Should You Visit Kerala for the Best Weather?

If you're planning any of our Kerala tour packages, the season you pick shapes almost everything else; here's how it breaks down.

Where Should You Go on a Kerala Holiday?

Kerala fits hills, backwaters and beaches into a narrow strip of coast, so the right mix depends on how much of each you want. The table below lists seven stops, which you can consider adding to your Kerala tour packages.

What Are the Best Things to Do in Different Parts of Kerala? 

Each part of Kerala asks for a different amount of time, so a good Kerala tour package gives every stop the nights it deserves. The table below pairs the recommended stay with what to do in each place.

Where Can You Experience Wildlife and Nature in Kerala?

Kerala's forests and sanctuaries don't get quite the same attention as its backwaters, but they're genuinely worth including in a longer Kerala tour package, especially for travellers who want more than temples and tea estates from their time in the state.

• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady: Boat safaris on Periyar Lake, with chances of elephants, sambar deer and plenty of birdlife
• Eravikulam National Park, Munnar: Home to the Nilgiri tahr, a mountain goat of the Western Ghats, with a short trail that suits most fitness levels
• Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary: Part of a forest landscape linked to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, known for elephant sightings and jeep safaris at Muthanga and Tholpetty
• Silent Valley National Park: A remote, little-visited rainforest reserve for travellers who want something off the usual route

What Are the Major Festivals Celebrated in Kerala?

Kerala’s calendar runs from harvest feasts to temple elephants, so timing a Kerala tour package around one adds a lot to the days. The months below are typical, and exact dates shift each year with the Malayalam calendar.

1. Onam (August to September): A ten-day harvest festival with the Onasadya feast, flower carpets (pookalam) and snake boat races
2. Vishu (mid-April): The Malayalam New Year, with an auspicious first sight of the day (Vishukkani), gifts and a festive feast
3. Thrissur Pooram (April to May): A temple festival with decorated elephants, umbrella exchanges and fireworks at Vadakkunnathan Temple
4. Nehru Trophy Boat Race (usually August): Snake boat races on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha
5. Theyyam (roughly October to May): Ritual dance performances in northern Kerala, mainly around Kannur and Kasaragod
6. Attukal Pongala (February to March): A large gathering of women offering pongala at Attukal Temple in Thiruvananthapuram
7. Cochin Carnival (late December): Parades and street events in Fort Kochi, ending on New Year’s Eve.

Shopping in Kerala

• Spices: Cardamom, pepper, and cinnamon from Thekkady's plantations, often available for purchase directly at spice gardens
• Ayurvedic Products: Oils, soaps, and wellness products, genuinely made locally rather than imported, widely available in Kovalam and Munnar
• Coir and Handicrafts: Coconut-fibre products and traditional handicrafts, particularly around Alleppey, historically a centre for coir production
• Kasavu Sarees: Kerala's traditional off-white and gold-bordered sarees, available in Kochi's textile markets

What Makes a Houseboat Holiday in Kerala Special?

No Kerala tour package feels complete without a night on a houseboat, and it helps to know what makes the experience special before booking one.

• What it is: Kettuvallam boats, once used to carry rice, converted into floating homes with bedrooms, a sitting area and an onboard chef
• Where to do it: Alleppey and Kumarakom are the main departure points, each with a slightly different stretch of backwater
• What’s included: Most houseboat packages include all meals cooked fresh onboard, plus a slow cruise through narrow canals and open lakes
• How long: One overnight stay is the standard, and longer cruises rarely add much more
• Best time: Early morning and late evening are the most atmospheric, with village life visible along the banks

Tribe Travel Tip: If houseboat availability is tight for your dates, Kumarakom is often a quieter, slightly less crowded alternative to Alleppey with equally scenic backwater stretches, worth asking about if your first-choice dates don't work out.

What Foods Should You Try in Kerala? 

Kerala’s food leans on rice, coconut and spices, so a Kerala tour package is as much about breakfasts and banana-leaf lunches as about sightseeing. Most dishes suit vegetarians, with a few where it pays to ask first.

Vegetarian travellers are well looked after in Kerala, with sadya, puttu and vegetable stews widely available, though most local menus also feature fish and meat. 

What Can You Expect from an Ayurvedic Experience in Kerala?

Ayurveda in Kerala is closer to a slow, guided routine than a spa visit, so an Ayurvedic stay inside a Kerala tour package works best when you know what the days involve.

• Consultation first: An Ayurvedic doctor reviews your health and body type before planning any treatment.
• Personalised treatments: Therapies such as abhyanga (oil massage), shirodhara (warm oil poured over the forehead) and pizhichil are chosen to suit you.
• Duration: Short rejuvenation stays start at about 3 to 7 days, while full Panchakarma detox courses usually run 14 to 21 days.
• Simple meals: Light vegetarian food planned around the treatments, with alcohol and heavy meals usually avoided.
• Daily rhythm: Treatments are usually spread across the morning and afternoon, with rest, yoga or meditation in between.
• Best season: The monsoon months, roughly June to September, are traditionally favoured, though centres run all year.
• Choosing a centre: Kerala Tourism classifies approved Ayurveda centres as Green Leaf or Olive Leaf, which is a useful quality marker.
• Health note: Anyone who is pregnant or managing a health condition should speak to their own doctor first.

What to Keep in Mind While Planning a Kerala Holiday?

Kerala looks small on a map but moves slowly on the road, so a few early choices make a Kerala tour package far more relaxing. These five matter most.

• One region at a time: Backwaters, hills and beaches in a single holiday mean more hours on the road, so two or three bases work better than the whole state.
• Early houseboat booking: December to February is peak season for Alleppey and Kumarakom, so booking at least a month ahead is sensible.
• Light, breathable clothing: Kerala stays warm and humid for most of the year, so cotton and linen suit it far better than heavier fabrics.
• Monsoon planning: June to September brings heavy rain, but the backwaters and hills look their greenest then, so it is a season to plan around rather than avoid.
• Time for Ayurveda: A single spa session barely scratches the surface, so at least three to five days at a proper centre suits anyone for whom Ayurveda is a priority.

How to Reach Kerala?

Kerala has several airports, and landing at the right one can save hours on the road, so the table below matches each to the part of the state it serves best.

Kochi and Trivandrum have the widest choice of daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. Kozhikode has fewer routes, so it helps to confirm the schedule for your dates.

Getting Around Once You’ve Landed

Distances in Kerala look short on a map, but roads wind through hills and backwaters, so the right transport depends on the route. These four options cover most itineraries.

• Private car with driver: The most common way to move between destinations, flexible and comfortable for multi-stop itineraries.
• KSRTC buses: Kerala’s state bus network reaches most towns and suits simpler routes at low fares.
• Backwater ferries: Local ferries run alongside the tourist houseboats and are a low-cost way to see the backwaters for a short stretch.
• Trains: Useful for longer hops like Kochi to Trivandrum, though Munnar and other hill stations have no rail link.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid on a Kerala Holiday?

A few avoidable slips can take the shine off a Kerala tour package, and most come down to booking, timing and small details.

• Choosing a houseboat on price alone: Boat age, cabin layout, meals and the operator’s registration vary widely, so compare these before paying.
• Swimming outside lifeguarded areas: Beaches such as Kovalam and Varkala can have strong currents, so it is better to stay within flagged zones.
• Forgetting photo ID: Houseboats and sanctuaries often ask for it at check-in or the gate, so carrying a copy saves delays.
• Leaving no buffer before a flight home: Hill roads can run long, so a night near Kochi beats driving from Munnar on departure morning.
• Relying on cards alone: Cards and UPI work in most towns, but small village shops, ferries and local eateries may prefer cash.
• Packing every day with a pre-booked slot: Kerala runs slowly, and leaving one open afternoon helps absorb delays or a change of mood.

Book Your Kerala Package With Holiday Tribe

Kerala is best taken slowly. Pack in too much and the backwaters start to feel like a box ticked, rather than the unhurried experience they are meant to be.

That is why each Kerala tour package we plan begins with the right region and the right pace, not a fixed template stretched to fit. A houseboat honeymoon, a family holiday built around wildlife and hill stations, or a stay at an Ayurveda centre each gets its own route, and most combine just two or three regions. A holiday advisor can shape the plan around your dates and your group, so you see the Kerala you have in mind.