Alleppey Backwaters to Kanyakumari
Route Covered
Overnight stops in day orderOverview
This five-day Alleppey to Kanyakumari tour links the backwaters of Kerala with the southern tip of Tamil Nadu. You stay two nights in Alleppey, one in Kovalam (both Kerala) and one in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), flying in and out of Thiruvananthapuram. It suits couples and families, best from November to February.
Couples, families and friends who want water, sea views and sunrise over temples and hills, and are fine with two drives of 3 to 4 hours
Highlights
Good to know
Houseboat night
Overnight boats usually board around midday and finish the next morning, so the second Alleppey night is planned afloatCoast road twice
Days 1 and 3 follow the same coastal highway in opposite directions, and Day 3 is the longest drive at 159 kmKanyakumari ferry
The boat to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial runs to its own timings, which are checked on the dayFlight home
Day 5 leaves about 2 hours for the road to the airport, so an afternoon or evening flight suits bestDay-by-Day Itinerary
- First look at the Alleppey canals
Thiruvananthapuram airport to the Alleppey canals
- 1Meet your driver at Thiruvananthapuram airport
- 2Drive north on NH 66, about 149 km to Alleppey
- 3Check in and rest after the road
- 4Evening stroll along the canals if energy allows
- Houseboat cruise
- Kuttanad canals
- Vembanad Lake
- Alappuzha Beach and pier
Houseboat day on the Alleppey backwaters
- 1Free morning, with Alappuzha Beach and its old pier as an easy option
- 2Board the houseboat around midday
- 3Cruise the canals and the edge of Vembanad Lake with the crew
- 4Lunch and dinner on board
- 5Moor for the night
- Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam
- Vizhinjam Lighthouse
Alleppey to Kovalam and the lighthouse beach
- 1Step off the houseboat after breakfast
- 2Drive south for about 159 km along the coast, with a lunch stop on the way
- 3Reach Kovalam in the afternoon and check in
- 4Walk to Lighthouse Beach for the evening light
- Hawah (Eve's) Beach
- Kovalam fishing hamlets
- Padmanabhapuram Palace
- Sunset at Kanyakumari
Kovalam shore, then Kanyakumari at sunset
- 1Morning on the beaches, with Hawah Beach and the fishing hamlets of Chowara and Vizhinjam to choose from
- 2Climb the Vizhinjam Lighthouse if it is open (check locally)
- 3Drive about 85 km south into Tamil Nadu
- 4Padmanabhapuram Palace as an optional stop if time allows
- 5Sunset from a viewing point at Kanyakumari
- Sunrise at the southern tip
- Vivekananda Rock Memorial
- Thiruvalluvar statue
- Kumari Amman Temple
Kanyakumari sunrise, rock memorial and flight home
- 1Be on the shore before dawn for the sunrise
- 2Ferry to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and a look at the Thiruvalluvar statue on the next rock
- 3Visit the Kumari Amman Temple on the shore if time allows
- 4Drive about 2 hours to Thiruvananthapuram airport
Indicative — varies with season and hotel category.
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Trip Facts
Local Activities & Events
Updated Oct 23, 2026Kovalam — Days 3-4 of this trip
International Independent Music Festival (IIMF)
culturalUsually in November, over two to three days
An independent and world-music weekend with bands from India and abroad at the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village, held here three times since 2022.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesKerala — across your trip
Vettukadu Feast
festivalMadre de Deus Church in Thiruvananthapuram marks the feast of Christ the King over ten days, with worshippers of several faiths attending.
Champions Boat League: Kayamkulam
sportsA snake-boat race at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district, a round of the 2026 Champions Boat League.
Kalpathy Ratholsavam
festivalChariot festival in Kalpathy, Palakkad, where decorated chariots are pulled through the village streets from the Viswanatha Swamy Temple.
Sabarimala Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season
festivalPilgrim season at the Ayyappa temple in Pathanamthitta district, from the Mandalam opening through Mandala Pooja and Makaravilakku to closing in January.
Champions Boat League final and President's Trophy Boat Race
sportsThe league's closing round on Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam, held together with the President's Trophy Boat Race.
Tamil Nadu — across your trip
Kanda Sashti and Soorasamharam
festivalSix days of fasting and worship at Tiruchendur's Murugan temple lead to Soorasamharam, the re-enactment of Murugan's victory over the demon Surapadman.
Karthigai Deepam
festivalArunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai holds a ten-day festival that ends with a flame lit on Arunachala hill at dusk and an overnight walk around it.
Events are reviewed by our team before publishing and drop off after they end. Please confirm timings and availability with us before your trip — local schedules can change without notice.
What's Included & Excluded
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