7 days, 6 nights · Kochi to Trivandrum

Seven-day Kerala tour package: hills, spice country, backwaters and the coast

Name: RUTZ.IN
Address: New Delhi, Delhi, IN
Telephone: (877) 860-3388

Seven days runs Kerala end to end. It keeps the hills and the backwaters of the shorter circuits, then carries on south to the coast: Varkala's cliffs or Kovalam's beaches, the temple city of Trivandrum, and a flight home from the far end of the state rather than a drive back to where you started. It is the version for a proper holiday rather than a tour, and the only one that finishes on a beach.

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7 days6 nights

~640 kmKochi to Trivandrum

4 landscapesHarbour, hills, water, coast

One-wayNo backtracking

RUTZ.IN reservation · fixed fare · card or UPI

Days, weeks or months? Build a charter quote → Rates

The shape

Why running one-way beats looping back

The five and six-day circuits return to Kochi because that is where the flight is. The seven-day version does not: it flies in to Cochin and out of Trivandrum, about 200 kilometres further south, and every kilometre of the week is therefore forward motion. Nothing is driven twice, and the last two days are spent on the coast rather than retracing the road up from Alleppey.

That makes it the most efficient of the three despite being the longest. The 53-kilometre Alleppey-to-Kochi return leg disappears, replaced by a drive south through Kollam to Varkala or Kovalam that is new country the whole way. Domestic and international flights serve Trivandrum well, and the desk checks both airports before fixing the direction.

One-way also means the chauffeur ends the week roughly 200 kilometres from where the car is based, which is normal on our circuits and already inside the charter-day rate — there is no repositioning surcharge for finishing somewhere other than where you started.

The coast

Varkala or Kovalam, and what separates them

The two southern beach options are 50 kilometres apart and quite different in character.

Varkala — the cliffs

A red laterite cliff with a path along the top, cafes and small hotels on it, and the beach below reached by steps. Younger, scruffier and more interesting; less good for anyone who does not want stairs between their room and the sand.

Kovalam — the crescents

Three linked coves with a lighthouse at one end, proper hotels along the back, and easy flat access to the water. Better for families, older travellers and anyone who wants a resort rather than a scene. Closer to Trivandrum airport too.

Trivandrum itself

Worth half a day on the way through: the Padmanabhaswamy temple, the Napier Museum and the palace at Kuthiramalika. The chauffeur can fold it into the transfer to the beach or the run to the airport.

The driving

Five legs, running steadily south

About 640 kilometres from Cochin airport to Trivandrum airport, spread so nothing exceeds four hours.

Kochi to Munnar — about 130 km, 3.5 to 4 hours The ghat climb, as on every Kerala circuit.
Munnar to Thekkady — about 90 km, 3 to 3.5 hours The cardamom ridge road south.
Thekkady to Alleppey — about 140 km, 3.5 to 4 hours Down through Kottayam to the backwaters.
Alleppey to Varkala or Kovalam — about 160 to 210 km, 3.5 to 4.5 hours South along the coast through Kollam. Varkala is the nearer of the two; Kovalam is another 50 km on.
Beach to Trivandrum airport — about 16 km from Kovalam, 50 km from Varkala, 30 to 75 minutes Short either way, which is what makes an evening departure easy.

Ayurveda

The one thing people add to a seven-day Kerala trip

Kerala is where ayurveda is actually practised rather than marketed, and a seven-day circuit is the shortest one with room for it. The distinction worth understanding is between a spa massage at a hotel, which is pleasant and takes an hour, and a genuine treatment programme, which is prescribed after a consultation, runs for a minimum of seven to fourteen days and comes with a diet. Most visitors want the first; the second needs its own trip.

The middle option, and the one this circuit suits, is two or three consecutive days of treatment at a properly certified centre while you are on the coast at the end of the week. The Kerala government classifies ayurveda centres, and the desk books only classified ones — the unclassified market is large and uneven.

Timing helps: the monsoon months are traditionally considered the best for treatment, because the humidity is thought to open the pores and the body is more receptive. That is also when rates are lowest. If ayurveda is a reason for your trip rather than an afterthought, say so when you book and the desk will weight the itinerary and the property choice around it.

Booking

How to book the seven-day circuit

Book the transport direct on the booking page, fare fixed before payment. Tell the desk which airport you are flying out of — Trivandrum is the assumption, but a Cochin return is priced differently and sometimes wins on airfare. For hotels, the houseboat, the beach property and any ayurveda, ask for the all-inclusive quote through the contact page. Cancellation is free beyond 72 hours, then 10%, 50% and 100%.

Day by day

The seven-day itinerary, leg by leg

A one-way route from Cochin airport in the north to Trivandrum airport in the south, so nothing on the circuit is driven twice.

Day	Where	What the day covers	On the road
Day 1	Kochi	Met at Cochin airport and into Fort Kochi: the fishing nets, the Dutch Palace, Jew Town and the spice market, with Kathakali in the evening.	Airport to Fort Kochi ~35 km, 1-1.25 hrs
Day 2	Kochi to Munnar	The ghat climb through Neriamangalam with waterfall stops. Into Munnar by mid-afternoon.	Kochi-Munnar ~130 km, 3.5-4 hrs
Day 3	Munnar	Eravikulam early, then Mattupetty, Echo Point and the Top Station road through the estates.	About 60 km around the estates
Day 4	Munnar to Thekkady	South along the cardamom ridge. A spice plantation walk in the afternoon and an early night.	Munnar-Thekkady ~90 km, 3-3.5 hrs
Day 5	Thekkady to Alleppey	The first boat on the Periyar lake, then down through Kottayam to the water. Houseboat or lakeside hotel.	Thekkady-Alleppey ~140 km, 3.5-4 hrs
Day 6	Alleppey to the coast	Off the boat and south through Kollam to Varkala's cliffs or Kovalam's coves. The afternoon on the beach.	Alleppey-Varkala ~160 km or Kovalam ~210 km, 3.5-4.5 hrs
Day 7	The coast to Trivandrum	A last morning on the sand, then Trivandrum for the Padmanabhaswamy temple and the museum if the flight allows, and on to the airport.	Kovalam-airport ~16 km, 30 min; Varkala-airport ~50 km, 75 min

What it costs

The 7-day Kerala circuit: two ways to buy it

Seven charter days at the published rate, for the car rather than per person. The circuit finishes about 200 kilometres from where it started and there is no repositioning surcharge for that.

Transport package — firm, published

Every kilometre of the 7-day circuit in a private chauffeured car: the chauffeur, the vehicle, fuel, and the driver's meals and accommodation on the road. Priced at the published charter-day rate × 7 days, the same figure as the rates page.

From $13,650 - $16,380 per car for the whole circuit
On the international card · Premium MPV · GST extra · tolls, parking and state entry taxes at cost

Book the transport direct

All-inclusive — stays, meals and entries

The same itinerary with hotels, breakfasts, monument entries and a licensed guide arranged for you. Because we contract stays per departure date and per hotel category, this tier is quoted on request rather than published — we will not print a per-person figure we cannot hold.

Send the dates and the hotel category you want (3-star, 4-star, heritage or palace) through the contact page and the desk returns a written quote, itemised, within one working day.

Ask for the all-inclusive quote

Vehicle class	Cars	Per charter day 10 hours / 300 km	7-day circuit International card, USD
Premium MPV 6 passengers, 5 bags	Toyota Innova Hycross & Kia Carnival	$1,950 - $2,340	$13,650 - $16,380
Executive sedan 3 passengers, 2 bags	Mercedes-Benz E-Class & BMW 5 Series	$1,700 - $2,040	$11,900 - $14,280
Luxury SUV 5 passengers, 4 bags	Toyota Fortuner, Land Cruiser & Mercedes-Benz GLS	$2,250 - $2,700	$15,750 - $18,900
Group van 12 passengers, 12 bags	Force Urbania & Tempo Traveller (executive)	$3,200 - $3,840	$22,400 - $26,880
Luxury sedan 3 passengers, 3 bags	Mercedes-Benz S-Class & BMW 7 Series	$2,700 - $3,240	$18,900 - $22,680

What the transport package includes

A private, air-conditioned vehicle of the class you book, held for the whole circuit — the same car from the first pickup to the last drop, never shared and never re-assigned.
One professional chauffeur for the whole circuit, holding a commercial licence and a state transport badge, police-verified and background-checked, in uniform and speaking English and Hindi.
Fuel, the chauffeur's own meals and accommodation on every outstation night, and the vehicle's permits, fitness certificate and insurance.
All airport, railway-station and hotel transfers inside the itinerary, with the flight tracked on the arrival leg and 60 minutes of waiting included after landing.
A named coordinator at the desk for the whole trip, reachable on one number, who holds the run sheet and moves a leg when a day runs long.
A written confirmation before departure carrying the chauffeur's name and licence number and the vehicle registration, so a security office or a hotel can check it against the operator record.

What it does not include

Hotels, meals and anything consumed off the road — those are the all-inclusive tier, quoted on request rather than published.
Monument and museum entry fees, which differ for Indian, SAARC and foreign visitors and change by notification; the desk quotes the current figures with the itinerary.
Licensed local guides, which we arrange city by city on request and bill at cost.
Tolls, parking and state entry taxes, charged at cost against receipts rather than estimated into the fare.
Air and rail tickets into and out of the circuit, which the travel desk books separately.
GST, added to every figure at the applicable rate, and any night allowance where a leg runs between 10 pm and 6 am.

Airport transfers include 60 minutes of waiting after landing and meet-and-greet at the arrivals exit.
The charter day (10 hours, 300 km) includes fuel and the chauffeur's meals and accommodation on outstation nights.
Night driving between 10 pm and 6 am carries the night allowance per night; a second chauffeur is added on days over 12 hours.
Tolls, parking, state entry taxes and permits are charged at cost against receipts; monument and guide fees through the travel desk are itemised.
No gratuity is expected. GST is shown separately on every invoice. Cancellation terms are on the cancellation policy page.
Vintage cars and stretch limousines are quoted per event.
GST at 5% on chauffeured hire (18% where input credit is claimed) is added to every figure. The full international card is on the rates page; the charter builder prices a circuit of any length live, and the booking page takes the payment direct.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before the first pickup, then 10% inside 72 hours, 50% inside 48 hours and the full first day inside 24 hours or for a no-show — the schedule on the cancellation policy page.

Questions

The 7-day Kerala circuit: frequently asked

Why fly out of Trivandrum rather than back to Kochi?

Because it removes a whole day of backtracking. Running one-way means nothing is driven twice and the last two days are on the coast instead of on the road north.

Varkala or Kovalam?

Varkala is a cliff with a path, cafes and steps down to the sand — younger and more characterful. Kovalam is three coves with flat access and proper hotels — better for families and older travellers, and closer to the airport.

Is there time for ayurveda?

For two or three consecutive treatment days at the coast, yes. A genuine prescribed programme needs seven to fourteen days and its own trip; the desk books only state-classified centres either way.

Is there a surcharge for a one-way circuit?

No. The chauffeur finishing about 200 km from base is normal on our circuits and is already inside the published charter-day rate.

Can we swap the beach for more time in the hills?

Yes — a second Munnar night or a second Thekkady night instead of the coast, still finishing at Cochin. The coordinator rebuilds the run sheet at the same daily rate.

How much driving is there in total?

About 640 km across seven days, with no leg over four and a half hours. It is the least demanding of our three Kerala circuits despite covering the most ground.

Same circuit, other lengths

The Kerala backwaters and hills in a different number of days

5-day Kerala tour 6-day Kerala tour

On the route

Chauffeur service in the cities this circuit runs through

Limo service in Kochi: the city guide Limo service in Thiruvananthapuram: the city guide

Other circuits

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Book

Book the seven-day Kerala circuit direct

Seven charter days price live by vehicle class, fare fixed before payment. Beach properties, houseboats and ayurveda centres are named and quoted by the desk.

Weddings, film units, multi-day chauffeur hire, outstation journeys and anything with more than one vehicle are quoted by a person: call (877) 860-3388 or send the outline and a coordinator replies with a written quote.

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Hotels and flights for this itinerary, through BookingWorldwide.net

The stays along this route are on BookingWorldwide.net; reserve them there or ask our desk for the all-inclusive quote, and the chauffeured legs are lined up against whichever you choose.

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Seven-day Kerala tour package: hills, spice country, backwaters and the coast

Why running one-way beats looping back