Bengaluru to Kochi and Alleppey, Kerala
Kochi is a port city layered with centuries of traders: spice warehouses and antique shops in Mattancherry's Jew Town, Portuguese and Dutch houses in Fort Kochi, and walls painted with some of the best street art in the country. Alleppey, an hour and a half south, is slower still, a lattice of canals and paddy fields where life happens at the water's edge.
We leave on Friday night and arrive in Kochi on Saturday morning for a day of old lanes, cafes and a sunset cruise off Marine Drive. On Sunday we head down the coast to the quiet sands of Marari, stop for toddy and Kerala food, and glide through Alleppey's narrow canals in a shikara before the overnight drive home.
From past trips
Day by day
Drop-off: Bengaluru (same pickup points, dropped back after the trip)
Day 1
Arrive in Kochi on Saturday morning after the overnight drive. The day is for spice lanes, street art, cafe stops and a sunset out on the water.
Board the Tempo Traveller (Friday night). First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Silk Board and Electronic City (near M5 Mall). Pack light cottons and a small umbrella; Kochi is humid and showers come without warning.
Tea stop on the highway. A stretch and chai halt near Palakkad as the landscape turns to palms and paddy.On your own
Arrive Kochi, breakfast and check in. A Kerala breakfast of puttu, appam or idiyappam, then showers and a rest. Rooms are triple sharing.
Jew Town, Mattancherry. Wander past spice warehouses and antique shops towards the Paradesi Synagogue. The synagogue is closed on Fridays and Saturdays, so on this trip we see it from the lane outside.
Cafe hopping and lunch. Pay-as-you-go. Fort Kochi's old bungalows hold cafes serving everything from fish moilee to cold brew; we will point out a few favourites.On your own
Fort Kochi walk. Street art on warehouse walls, St Francis Church and the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets on the shore. Afternoons are hot, so we move slowly and stop often.
Sunset cruise off Marine Drive. About an hour on the harbour past container ships, fishing boats and the islands as the sun drops. Tickets are paid on your own.On your own
Dinner in Kochi. Pay-as-you-go. Try a Kerala parotta with beef or a seafood thali.On your own
Overnight in Kochi. Check-out is at 07:30 tomorrow; pack tonight.
Day 2
Down the coast to Marari's quiet sands, a toddy shop lunch, and an afternoon gliding through Alleppey's canals. We finish before dusk and start the overnight drive home.
Check out and drive to Marari. About an hour and a half south along the coast road. Grab a quick breakfast on the way at your own cost.
Marari beach. A long, clean beach backed by coconut palms and fishing hamlets. The sea has strong currents, so paddle only where locals say it is safe.
Toddy tasting and lunch. Pay-as-you-go at a licensed toddy shop: mild palm toddy with kappa, fish curry and fiery pickles. Toddy is only for those 23 and over in Kerala; soft drinks are always available.On your own
Shikara ride through Alleppey's canals. A slow, canopied boat slips down narrow canals past paddy fields, churches and homes on the water. Paid on your own; boats return well before dusk.On your own
Tea by the water, then depart. A short break by the canal before we leave Alleppey for the overnight drive home.
Dinner stop en route. Pay-as-you-go dinner at a highway restaurant, then settle in for the night.On your own
Day 3
We roll into Bengaluru early on Monday and drop you at the same pickup points.
Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drop-offs at Electronic City, Silk Board and RMZ Ecospace, roughly 06:30 to 07:30 depending on the overnight roads.
Before you go
Tap to tick things off as you pack.
0/15 packedPerfect for:
Book your spot
₹7,899₹6,299 / person