Kerala is popularly known as God’s own country and is one of India’s most popular states among tourists. On your trip to Kerala, be mesmerized with the beauty of backwaters, mountains, valleys, beaches, wildlife and much more. Exploring varied cuisines and cultures is an excellent experience in itself. If you are wondering How to Plan a Trip to Kerala – here’s the perfect guide from one of the Trip Advisor featured Destination Experts for Kerala. The time taken to review this document will help you plan a perfect Kerala Trip.
Firstly, let me clarify that the number of days you want to spend in this beautiful state depends on your budget, the places you want to visit and the duration of your holidays. Here we will provide you with information on the major tourist cities, their tourist attractions, how to reach them, and other important information regarding the tour plan.
How to Plan a Trip to Kerala – Guide from Destination Expert
The first thing you need to plan is exactly how many days you want to spend on your Kerala Tour and decide the period of travel. It is a fact that most of us plan our vacations based on our leaves, holidays and during school vacations. It is always good to know the best time to visit Kerala if you are planning your Kerala vacations well in advance. The best time to visit any destination may differ for each person based on personal likes and dislikes.Groowynd, one of the Trip Advisor featured destination experts for Kerala provides you the following guidelines before planning your vacation to Kerala.
1. Best Time to Visit Kerala
August and September: If you are a person who is more into nature and who likes greenery, this is the best time to visit Kerala. After the monsoon period, all the waterfalls would be in full current, dams would be full and all around greenery. You would love your time in Kerala, but there are possibilities of rain, carry your umbrella. Throughout Kerala, you will find a pleasant climate during this period. Throughout Kerala, you will find a pleasant climate during this period. Also, possibly you will be able to get a better offer with the hotels and resorts in Kerala as the season rate start in Oct.
October to 15 Dec and 10 Jan to 31 March: During this period Kerala experiences cooler weather and the outdoor activities will be more comfortable. The weather is ideal for wildlife sighting if you are planning to visit some of the wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala (However, there will be travel restrictions to Eravikulam National Park, Munnar during Feb – Mar due to breeding season of Neelgiri Thar). Also, for trek enthusiasts, this is the perfect season. There are amazing trekking experiences in Wayanad, Munnar and many other places. Even for backwater cruises Oct to Mar would be a suitable time. This is an ideal period for beachgoers. Kerala is popular for beaches like Kovalam, Varkala, Mararikulam and Kannur.
16 December to 10 Jan: This is the peak season for tourists traveling to Kerala. You can expect heavy rush all the tourist destinations of Kerala due to vacations and inbound movement. Rates of hotels and resorts will be on a higher side during this period. But, if you are looking to enjoy the Christmas vacation and New Year vibes of Kerala, this is the time to travel. You need to book hotels and resorts well in advance as you might not be available on short notice.
April – May: Apr and May being the summer period, it is relatively the months higher temperature is experienced. Do not plan for trekking during these months, or you will have to do pretty early in the morning. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated and essential to use sunscreen and cap. It is suggested to wear comfortable lightweight clothes if you travel to Kerala during Apr – May. Due to the vacations, you can expect crowd at most of the places. Towards the end of May, you can expect some rains.
June-July: This is the monsoon period in Kerala. ou can expect heavy rains and pack your bag with waterproof clothing, umbrellas, and suitable footwear. You can expect some delays in travels and design your itinerary accordingly. It may not be a good idea to travel to beach destinations during the period. Choose accommodations where you have facilities to enjoy the rains so that you don’t have to stay indoors, if it rains. You can expect some restrictions for activities like wildlife safaris and trekking and wildlife safaris.
The monsoon season is widely regarded as an optimal time for experiencing Ayurvedic rejuvenation, and Kerala stands out as a premier destination for authentic Ayurvedic treatments. There are tourists who visit Kerala on extended holidays almost every year during Monsoon just to enjoy the rain and avail Ayurveda treatments.
Considering the above details would give you an idea about the season to plan a trip to Kerala. If it is convenient for you, it is suggested to plan to travel during weekdays to avoid the weekend rush so that you can conveniently visit tourist places in Kerala.
2. Where to Arrive for Kerala Tour
Once the number of tour days is finalized, you need to zero down on the places you want to visit and you need to fix days for each destination. There are 4 Airports in Kerala as in Feb 2024, which you can consider arriving and departing based on the places of visit and connectivity from your city. You may consider the places to visit and the number of days and take a call to finalise the place of arrival and departure when you plan a trip to Kerala.
Cochin International Airport (COK)
You can arrive at Cochin International Airport (COK) or Ernakulam Jn (ERS) Railway station for the following destinations:
- Kochi (Cochin)
- Munnar
- Thekkady
- Alleppey
- Kumarakom
- Vagamon
- Mararikulam
- Athirapally
- Thrissur
Some of the Popular Kerala Trips Starting from Kochi:
- Kochi – Munnar – Thekkady – Alleppey Houseboat (5-6 Days)
- Kochi – Kumarakom – Vagamon (4-5 Days)
- Kochi – Athirapally – Munnar – Thekkady – Alleppey Houseboat (6-7 Days)
- Kochi – Vagamon – Thekkady – Munnar (5-6 Days)
Trivandrum International Airport
Consider arriving at Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) or Trivandrum Central (TVC) Railway Station if you are planning to visit the following destinations
- Trivandrum
- Kovalam
- Varkala
- Kollam
- Kanyakumari
- Poovar
If you are planning an extended holiday, you can start your trip at Cochin and depart from Trivandrum. Kochi – Munnar – Thekkady – Alleppey – Kovalam is a very popular Kerala Tour package.
If you are considering to combine Tamilnadu destinations like Rameshwaram, Madurai you can plan to arrive at Trivandrum and departing from Madurai. Madurai – Rameshwaram – Kanyakumari – Trivandrum is a popular tourist circuit.
Kozhikode (Calicut) International Airport
Arrive at Calicut (Kozhikode) International Airport (CCJ) or Calicut Railway Station (CLT) for the following destinations:
- Calicut
- Wayanad
The most popular trip starting from Calicut is Calicut – Wayanad Tour. You can combine many other wonderful destinations with Wayanad which are within 3 hrs drive like Coorg, Mysore, Ooty, Bandipur, Kabini, Mudumalai, Masinagudi etc. If you are planning to combine these destinations. Mysore – Coorg – Kabini – Wayanad and Mysore – Coorg – Wayanad – Ooty are two popular circuits.
Kannur International Airport (CNN)
You can arrive at Kannur International Airport (CNN) or Kannur Railway Station (CAN) for doing a holiday package with the following destinations:
- Kannur
- Kasargod
- Bekal
- Valiyaparamba
