Bengaluru to Fort Kochi, Alleppey, Jatayu Earth's Center & Varkala, Kerala
Kerala's coast in three chapters. Fort Kochi is Chinese fishing nets, Portuguese churches and spice warehouses in Jew Town; Alleppey is a slow shikara through narrow canals where ducks, children and coconut boats share the water; Varkala is red cliffs dropping to the Arabian Sea, with cafes along the edge and the sunset as the evening's main event.
Between the backwaters and the cliff we stop at Jatayu Earth's Center, where a cable car lifts you to a vast stone bird lying on a granite hilltop. We travel overnight at both ends, so you step off the Tempo Traveller straight into Fort Kochi and are back in Bengaluru before the working week starts.
From past trips
Day by day
Drop-off: Bengaluru (same pickup points, dropped back after the trip)
Day 1
Board on Friday night and wake to Kochi's harbour. A morning among colonial lanes and spice warehouses, then south to Alleppey for a shikara through the canals before the boats moor at dusk.
Board the Tempo Traveller (Friday night). First pickup at RMZ Ecospace, Bellandur, then Silk Board and Electronic City (near M5 Mall). Keep a toothbrush and a fresh T-shirt in your day bag; we step straight into Fort Kochi.
Introductions on board. Your trip captain gets everyone talking before lights down, as we head south through Hosur and Salem towards Coimbatore.
Arrive Fort Kochi, freshen up and breakfast. A wash-up halt and a Kerala breakfast of appam and egg curry or puttu and kadala before we start walking.
Chinese fishing nets and the seafront. Watch fishermen lower the huge cantilevered nets at the harbour mouth, then walk to St Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was first buried, and the Santa Cruz Basilica.
Mattancherry and Jew Town. Spice warehouses, antique shops and old Dutch-era houses. The Paradesi Synagogue is shut on weekends; the Mattancherry Palace murals are open Saturdays (entry on your own).
Lunch in Fort Kochi. Pay-as-you-go. Karimeen fry and a fish curry meal, or something lighter at one of the cafes on Princess Street.On your own
Drive to Alleppey. About 55 km down the coast road, past churches, toddy shops and paddy fields.
Shikara ride through the backwaters. About two hours in a canopied boat through narrow canals, past village homes, paddy fields below water level and fishermen at work. Shikaras must be moored by dusk, so we set off promptly.
Alleppey beach and check-in. Catch the last light by the old pier on Alleppey beach, then check in and freshen up.
Dinner on your own. Pay-as-you-go. Try duck roast with appam, a backwater speciality.On your own
Overnight in Alleppey. We leave by 07:30 tomorrow, so pack tonight. Mosquito repellent helps near the canals.
Day 2
A drive south to the granite hill of Jatayu and its cable car, then on to Varkala for an afternoon along the cliff and sunset over the sea.
Breakfast and check-out. Breakfast at the stay, then on the road before the traffic builds.
Drive to Jatayu Earth's Center. About 115 km south past Kayamkulam and Kollam to Chadayamangalam, roughly three hours.
Cable car to the Jatayu sculpture. Ride up to a granite summit where a stone bird about 60 metres long lies wing outstretched, tied to the Ramayana legend. Entry and cable car are on your own; allow two to three hours.On your own
Lunch and drive to Varkala. Pay-as-you-go lunch on the way, then about an hour to the coast.On your own
Check in on the cliff. Settle in, rest a little, and swap shoes for sandals.
Walk the North Cliff. A path runs along the red laterite cliff edge lined with cafes, bookshops and spice stalls, with natural springs trickling out of the rock face below.
Sunset from the cliff. Find a spot on the edge as the sun drops into the Arabian Sea, roughly between 18:00 and 18:40 depending on the season.
Dinner on your own. Pay-as-you-go. The cliff cafes lay out the day's catch; pick your fish and have it grilled.On your own
Overnight in Varkala. Fall asleep to the sound of the waves. Swimwear on top of your bag for the morning.
Day 3
An unhurried morning on Varkala's beaches and at its 2,000-year-old temple, then the long drive back to Bengaluru.
Black sand beach. At the north end of the cliff, a small cove of dark, mineral-rich sand, quieter than the main beach in the early hours. Swim only where lifeguards allow; currents are strong.
Breakfast and check-out. A slow breakfast with a sea view, then pack up.
Papanasam beach and Janardhana Swamy temple. Walk down to the main beach, where families perform rites for ancestors, then up the steps to the old Vishnu temple above it. Temple dress code applies.
Depart Varkala for Bengaluru. A long drive north; lunch is a pay-as-you-go highway stop along the way.
Dinner stop en route. Pay-as-you-go dinner at a highway restaurant, then settle in for the night stretch.On your own
Day 4
We reach Bengaluru in the early hours and drop you at the same pickup points.
Arrive Bengaluru, trip ends. Drop-offs at Electronic City (M5 Mall), Silk Board and RMZ Ecospace. Timing depends on traffic overnight.
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