Kerala & the Tropical South Tour with 112 Reviews by Exodus Adventure Travels

14 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants

16 peopleMaximum group size

16 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Moderate

Involves sustained activity requiring a reasonable level of fitness and endurance.

Starts

Ends

Chennai, India

Kovalam, India

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Highlights

Experience India’s laid-back side on a small-group adventure in the south

Embark on a tour of the historic landmarks in the old spice port of Kochi

Trek through the vivid tea plantations in Munnar with an expert local guide

Witness the temple town of Madurai wake from its slumber on a dawn city walk

Search for elephants, wild pigs and more on a nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Cruise the backwaters of Kerala on a traditional rice barge – a classic experience in South India!

Itinerary

Discover the laidback side of India with a cultural adventure in the tropical south. Over two weeks, we explore the distinct states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, finding idyllic coastlines, spirituality, lush mountains and culture-rich cities. The highlights are plenty: discover the verdant Munnar tea plantations, meet local people on an immersive village walk and cruise the serene backwaters of Kerala on a traditional converted rice barge. It ends with a relaxing stay on the old hippie trail beach town of Kovalam.

day 1Adventure starts in Kochi • Optional afternoon harbour cruise around Fort Kochi and explore historic spice port

The adventure begins in Kochi (also known as Cochin), a historic port city on the Malabar Coast. There is an optional harbour cruise around Fort Kochi this afternoon for those who can arrive by 1pm.
Otherwise at around 6pm, say namaste to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging a group dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Want more time in Kochi? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Meals

Dinner

day 2Sightseeing around Kochi

day 3To Munnar • Afternoon visit to Srishi, a social service organisation for tea pickers

day 4Morning trek through tea plantations and the Munnar hills

day 5To Madurai • Optional closing ceremony at the Sri Meenakshi Temple

day 6Dawn city walk with Sri Meenakshi Temple visit • Afternoon Thirumalai Nayaka Palace, Gandhi Memorial Museum and flower market tour

day 7To Thekkady • Cooking demonstration in local family home

day 8Explore Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary • Optional boat trip on the lake

day 9To Kumarakom • Walk through rubber plantation • Traditional Keralan meal with local family

day 10Interactive walk through Manjira village • Visit Coir Museum • Houseboat cruise

day 11Drive along the Malabar Coast to Kovalam beach town • Visit Mannarasala temple

day 12Free day to explore the coastal town Kovalam or join an optional trip to Kanyakumari

day 13Morning at leisure • Afternoon tour of Thiruvananthapuram

day 14Adventure ends in Kovalam

What's Included

Accommodation

All accommodation: 3 Superior nights (hotels), 10 Classic nights (9 hotels, 1 houseboat)

Meals

All breakfasts, one lunch and three dinners

Transport

Immersive itinerary with all transport (private air-conditioned bus) and listed activitiesGroup arrival and departure transfers available

Guide

Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

4.7

based on 112 reviews

Availability

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Good to Know

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What are customers saying about Bookmundi

4.67/5

Excellent based on 848 customer reviews from

Bronwyn

Booking with Bookmundi is so easy. The website is straightforward and easy to use. Peter Adley is an absolute star! He is quick to respond to my many queries and to offer helpful guidance. I am looking forward to the 2 tours I have booked!

3 days ago

AnonymousVerified Traveler

5.0 | Excellent

Feb 28, 2026

Magical Adventure in the Tropical South

This was a wonderful journey through beautiful Kerala and Tamil Nadu…so bright, so colourful, so vibrant. We had such amazing experiences, from strolling through the streets of Fort Kochi, to trekking through the beautiful tea plantations of Munnar and seeing elephants in the mist of an early morning walk at Periyar. We learnt so much about Hindu culture from our lovely guide Biju, and visited some beautiful temples along the way…a real highlight of the trip. I loved the contrasts between vibrant buzzy cities, with thrilling tuk tuk rides, and the peaceful backwaters of Alleppey…drifting along the tranquil waters watching Kingfishers and Egrets. Just lovely. I would thoroughly recommend this tour of the Tropical South.

Feb 28, 2026

AnonymousVerified Traveler

5.0 | Excellent

Jan 17, 2026

Unforgettable Experience in Southern India

This was my first time to India and I decided I wanted to start in the south because I heard it was a bit more beginner friendly and I was traveling with my daughter in her late teens for our first time just the two of us. I was blown away by the warm hospitality, the scenery, the food and how well organized this trip was. The itinerary is varied and really includes a bit of everything you need to see in Kerala and Tamil Nadu: verdant tea plantations, historical architecture and incredible access to temples, welcoming and warm connection with local people and guides, spice gardens, wildlife preserves, drifting down the backwaters in a houseboat with your own cook and captain, I still can't believe we did and saw so much. We ate a huge meal one night with a local family and then toured a village and learned about traditional crafts with another family, we got beach and pool time and watched thunderstorms out over the Arabian Sea as we enjoyed dinner as a group. Just truly an unforgettable experience every step of the way.

Jan 17, 2026

AnonymousVerified Traveler

5.0 | Excellent

Dec 31, 2025

Enjoyable introduction to India

This was my first trip to India, and Kerala was the ideal place to start - relatively compact, affluent, clean, and accessible, with incredibly friendly, helpful locals, and a wide variety of sights to see. The pace of the trip was perfect, moving on to a new destination every other day, normally on the road for 3-4 hours, with plenty of comfort breaks and additional sights along the way. I feel like we saw as much as was comfortably possible in 12 days. The one area for improvement would be a little more free time to explore independently. In Cochin, in particular, we had a very busy morning visiting several churches, a palace and a synagogue, only stopping for a late lunch, and it seemed a missed opportunity to spend some time wandering through the narrow streets of the old quarter for tea, chats with locals, and a bit of shopping. This would have helped with orientation too, as it was our first full day after the long journey from the UK.

Dec 31, 2025

AnonymousVerified Traveler

5.0 | Excellent

Dec 2, 2025

The Ultimate South India Experience

As an Exodus staff member this was an incredible trip! This itinerary is well crafted to show off all Southern India’s highlights; from tea plantations, temple cities, sleepy coastal towns, wildlife and houseboats to all the friendly locals! Biju, our guide was stand-out with his incredible depth of knowledge and insight into his home state of Kerala as well as the whole of India, he really did make the trip! Vinod, our driver was impeccable navigating the twisty roads of the Western Ghats with precision. All in all, a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I will never forget! Highly recommend.

Dec 2, 2025

AnonymousVerified Traveler

5.0 | Excellent

Nov 6, 2025

Great trip

Wonderful trip through a unique part of India. As usual with Exodus we had a great group of like minded travelers and a variety of things to see and experience. There was a good mix of urban and nature. Cochin would have been a lot better if the hotel was in Fort Cochin. Too much time was spend driving back and forth.

Nov 6, 2025

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