Private journeys across India · Replies within 24 hours
Backwaters, tea hills, spice country and a night on a private houseboat. Your own luxury car and driver, planned around the drives and the weather.
Kerala is a narrow green strip of southwest India: palm-lined beaches, tea hills, spice plantations and a network of backwaters. It is easy to cram into a week and hard to enjoy that way.
We plan Kerala around the drives, the weather and the water, with your own luxury car and driver, local guides where they add something, and well-kept houseboats with their own crew. For a wider journey, the options here add the hills, the beach or the Golden Triangle.
Beyond Kerala, the south has temple towns and the Chola coast in Tamil Nadu, and the ruins of Hampi, the coffee hills of Coorg and the tea country of Ooty in Karnataka and the Nilgiris. The journeys below cover all of it.
Reviewed by Mirza Shadab Beg, Founder, Travelage India, Agra · Last updated 31 October 2026
Choose a journey to see how it unfolds. Each one is private, and every detail can be tailored to your dates and pace.
Slow water, short drives and a night on a private houseboat. The easy way to see Kerala.
Hills, wildlife and backwaters in one loop, with every drive under about five hours.
North India’s monuments, then a flight south to tea hills and the backwaters.
Three UNESCO Chola temples, Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple and the southern tip of India, in nine days.
The Vijayanagara ruins of Hampi, then the coffee hills of Coorg and the tea country of Ooty.
Short answer: five days suit the backwaters, seven days add the hills, nine days take you to the temples of Tamil Nadu or the ruins and hills of Karnataka, and twelve days add the Golden Triangle.
| Journey | Time needed | How you travel | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Days Kerala Backwater Tour | 5 days / 4 nights | Private luxury car, houseboat | Backwaters and a houseboat night |
| 7 Days Kerala Tour | 7 days / 6 nights | Private luxury car, houseboat | Hills, tea, wildlife and backwaters |
| Golden Triangle with Kerala | 12 days / 11 nights | Car, plus one flight | North and South India in one journey |
| 6 Days Munnar Thekkady Alleppey | 6 days / 5 nights | Private luxury car, houseboat | Hills first, then the water |
| 10 Days Complete Kerala Tour | 10 days / 9 nights | Private luxury car and houseboat | Hills, backwaters and beaches |
| South India Temples Tour | 9 days / 8 nights | Private luxury car, hotels | Tamil Nadu temples and the south coast |
| Hampi, Coorg & Ooty Tour | 9 days / 8 nights | Private luxury car, hotels | Ruins, coffee hills and tea country |
Kerala pairs naturally with the Golden Triangle and the rest of India. Add a few days and we will plan the connections for you.
One vehicle, one driver and one guide for your whole journey. No shared coaches, no strangers on your itinerary.
Where you stay in Kerala, we choose hotels and resorts for setting and quiet, never by default.
Licensed English-speaking specialists in history, architecture and craft, matched to what you love.
One Travelage host plans your journey and stays reachable from the moment you land until you leave.
A flavour of how a houseboat day unfolds. Yours will be shaped around your dates and interests.
A boat on the lake at Kumarakom, with birds on the water and fishermen casting nets.
A short drive of about 30 km (19 miles) to the jetty, where your private houseboat and crew wait.
Check in, meet the crew and settle into the cabin as the boat pulls away into the canals.
Cruise through narrow channels past rice fields, coconut palms and village life, with a canoe ride if you wish.
Dinner on board as the light fades, then a quiet night on the water, with no traffic.
Your guide is chosen for the language you prefer and the things you love. Ask for Japanese or Russian and we will arrange it where we can.
Clear skies and pleasant days. Ideal for sightseeing.
Very hot, so we plan early starts and quiet afternoons.
Green, quiet and atmospheric, with fewer visitors.
Five days suit a backwaters trip, seven days add Munnar and Thekkady, and ten to twelve days let you add the Golden Triangle. For the wider south, our South India Temples and Hampi, Coorg and Ooty tours each take nine days.
Yes. After Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, fly from Delhi to Kochi, about three hours and a quarter. See our Golden Triangle with Kerala journey.
A private houseboat with a crew, meals and a cabin, cruising the backwaters in daylight. It is simple but comfortable, and one night is plenty for most travellers.
October to March is the most comfortable. April and May are hot and humid. June to September is monsoon, lush and green, with heavy rain at times, and the traditional Ayurveda season.
Munnar is cool all year and often cold at night from December to February. Pack a warm layer.
On our routes the longest drive is about four to five hours, between Kochi and Munnar. Most are two to four hours, and hill roads are winding.
Yes. Every journey has your own luxury car and driver, and a private houseboat. Nothing is shared with other travellers.
Yes. The pace is easy, but hill roads are winding and boarding a houseboat involves a gangway. Tell us about motion sickness or mobility needs.
Yes. Kerala has a strong vegetarian tradition, as well as seafood and meat dishes. Tell us your dietary needs and we will arrange them, including on the houseboat.
Completely. The journeys here are starting points. Tell us your dates, interests and pace, and we will shape the journey around you.
Send your dates through the enquiry form. A Travelage specialist will reply with a tailored proposal within 24 hours.
Share when you plan to travel and which journey interests you. A Travelage specialist will reply with a tailored proposal. No payment is taken now.
Share when you plan to travel and what matters to you. A Travelage specialist will reply with a tailored proposal.
