Kerala tours and packages: discover God's own country

The tagline comes from how much variety Kerala packs into a small state: palm-fringed backwaters, misty tea hills, beaches, wildlife reserves and a wellness tradition in Ayurveda, all within a few hours' drive of each other.

• Backwaters — a houseboat night or day cruise around Alleppey or Kumarakom.
• Hill stations — Munnar's tea estates, or Wayanad's forest and wildlife.
• Beaches — Kovalam or Varkala for a coastal finish.
• Culture — Fort Kochi's old town, and a Kathakali or Kalaripayattu performance.
• Wellness — an Ayurveda stay, in the backwaters or the hills.

6 to 10 days is comfortable for backwaters, one hill station and a beach or Ayurveda stop. Less than that means picking two of those regions, not all of them.

Our Kerala Backwaters, 7 Days package pairs Kochi, Munnar and an Alleppey houseboat night; the Kerala Ayurveda Retreat, 10 Days package adds a proper wellness stay. Both can be tailored to your dates and pace.

September to March is cool and pleasant for sightseeing. The monsoon (June to August) is lush and often recommended for Ayurveda, though travel is wetter and some routes can be affected by rain.