Offbeat Kerala Deep Dive: Nilambur to Kollam — 8 Nights / 9 Days
A Kerala trip for repeat visitors, from the Nilambur teak forests through Wayanad, Kochi, Vagamon, Gavi and Thekkady down to Ashtamudi Lake at Kollam. Stay at homestays, hotels or resorts to suit your package category, a private AC vehicle, sightseeing and breakfast included.
About this itinerary
This 8 nights and 9 days tour package covers Nilambur, Wayanad, Kochi, Vagamon, Gavi, Thekkady and Kollam, based on a Nilambur night, two nights in Wayanad, a Fort Kochi night, a Vagamon night, a Gavi night, a Thekkady night and an Ashtamudi Lake night at Kollam. Day 1 is the Nilambur teak forests, Day 2 drives to Wayanad, Day 3 is Wayanad sightseeing, Day 4 descends to Fort Kochi, Day 5 is Vagamon, Day 6 is Gavi, Day 7 is the Gavi wildlife drive and Thekkady, Day 8 is Ashtamudi Lake, and Day 9 is the Trivandrum drop.
This is a route for repeat visitors and serious nature travellers rather than a first Kerala trip. The appeal is Nilambur, Vagamon and Gavi, three places most visitors never reach. Stays are arranged as homestays, hotels or resorts to suit the package category you choose. You fly into Kozhikode and out of Trivandrum, and the route runs steadily south with no backtracking.
Everything below is included unless it is listed under Add-ons.
Day-by-day itinerary
Every day below can be moved, shortened or swapped. Replanning is free — you only pay the difference in what you change.
- Day 1NilamburArrival day
Kozhikode Pickup and the Nilambur Teak Forests
Pickup at Kozhikode and the drive to Nilambur, Conolly's Plot and the Teak Museum, and the Nedumkayam rainforest.
The highlight of this day is Conolly's Plot, planted in the 1840s and still the oldest teak plantation in the world.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 2 hrs from Kozhikode to NilamburStay: Nilambur - Day 2WayanadTransfer day
Nilambur to Wayanad and the Lakkidi Viewpoint
The drive up to Wayanad, the Lakkidi viewpoint, and check in.
The highlight of this day is the Lakkidi viewpoint, where the whole ghat you have just climbed falls away behind you.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 2.5 to 3 hrs to WayanadStay: WayanadBreakfast included - Day 3WayanadSightseeing
Wayanad Sightseeing: Edakkal Caves, Waterfalls and Banasura
A full day across Wayanad: the Edakkal Caves, the Soochipara waterfalls, and the Banasura Sagar Dam with Pookode Lake.
The highlight of this day is the rock carvings inside Edakkal, cut into the stone thousands of years before anything else you will see on this trip.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleStay: WayanadBreakfast included - Day 4KochiTransfer day
Down to Fort Kochi and a Heritage Walk
The descent to Kochi, a Fort Kochi walk, and an optional evening Kathakali show.
The highlight of this day is the Chinese fishing nets at dusk, still worked by hand by teams of four.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 5 to 6 hrs to KochiStay: KochiBreakfast included - Day 5VagamonTransfer day
Into Vagamon's Pine Forest and Meadows
The drive to Vagamon, its pine forest and meadows, and Kurisumala.
The highlight of this day is the pine forest at Vagamon, planted in rows and completely unlike anything else in Kerala.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 4 to 4.5 hrs to VagamonStay: VagamonBreakfast included - Day 6GaviTransfer day
Into the Gavi Forest Settlement
The drive to Gavi through the Ranni forest belt, a guided forest trek with lake activities, and an overnight at Gavi.
The highlight of this day is the forest quiet at Gavi, a settlement most visitors never reach.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 3 to 3.5 hrs to GaviStay: GaviBreakfast included - Day 7ThekkadyTransfer day
Gavi Drive and Transfer to Thekkady
An early Gavi wildlife drive, the transfer to Thekkady, and an evening cultural show.
The highlight of this day is the early drive out of Gavi, when elephant and Nilgiri langur sightings are most likely.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 2.5 to 3 hrs to ThekkadyStay: ThekkadyBreakfast included - Day 8KollamTransfer day
Periyar Cruise and Ashtamudi Lake at Kollam
A Periyar Lake boat cruise, the drive to Kollam, and sunset over Ashtamudi Lake.
The highlight of this day is sunset over Ashtamudi, an eight-armed lake that sees a fraction of Alleppey's boat traffic.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 4 to 4.5 hrs to KollamStay: KollamBreakfast included - Day 9Departure
Ashtamudi Morning and the Trivandrum Drop
An optional Kollam to Alappuzha public backwater ferry stretch or the Thangassery lighthouse, then the Trivandrum drop.
The highlight of this day is the Thangassery lighthouse, on a headland the Portuguese, Dutch and British each took a turn at holding.
Transfer: Private AC vehicleTransfer duration: About 1.5 hrs to TrivandrumBreakfast included
Hotels on this package
Rooms are held on twin sharing with daily breakfast. Switch the category to see the properties it puts you in — the tab you pick here also sets the price shown at the top of the page and on the enquiry form.
The base category — comfortable, well-run properties in walkable locations, picked for reliable power, water and staff more than for the view.
| Stop | Nights | Standard category | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nilambur | 1 | Hotel City Palace Residency | |
| Wayanad | 2 | Hotel Bonita Banasura | |
| Kochi | 1 | Emerald Inn | Deluxe, twin sharing |
| Vagamon | 1 | Cherry Homes Vagamon | |
| Gavi | 1 | Bb Hotels Apartments | |
| Thekkady | 1 | Green view Homestay | Deluxe, twin sharing |
| Kollam | 1 | Chandra Inn |
Notes
- This package is available with or without flights. To add flights or trains, call us for current fares.
- Customization option is available.
- Extra bed, child with or without bed, and single supplement are quoted separately.
- Stays are arranged as homestays, hotels or resorts to suit the package category you choose, and we confirm what each stop offers at the time of booking.
- Quoted on the Bed and Breakfast (BB) plan: room with daily breakfast. There is no houseboat night on this route. Any meal not listed for a day, including on the arrival day, is on request and payable directly.
- This is not a first Kerala trip. There is no houseboat night and no Munnar, and it is built for repeat visitors and serious nature travellers.
- The Kollam to Alappuzha public backwater ferry on Day 9 is optional and payable direct.
Popular add-ons
Priced per person unless noted, and added to your quote only if you want them. Everything below can also be booked on the ground once you are there.
| Add-on | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Ayurveda spa | ₹999/- onwards | Wayanad — Day 2 or 3 |
| Ziplining, Wayanad | ₹400-1100/- per person | Wayanad — Day 2 or 3 |
| Ayurveda spa | ₹999/- onwards | Kochi — Day 4 |
| Kathakali Show/Kalari Show | ₹300-600 per person per ticket | Kochi — Day 4 |
| Bamboo rafting | ₹2,200/- per person | Thekkady — Day 7 |
| Kathakali Show/Kalari Show | ₹300-600 per person per ticket | Thekkady — Day 7 |
What’s included
Included
- Hotel or resort stay on twin sharing, BB (CP) plan: room plus daily breakfast
- Private AC vehicle for all transfers as per the itinerary
- Airport or railway station pickup and drop
- Experienced local driver cum guide who knows the routes
- All fuel, toll, parking, inter-state permit and driver allowance
- Sightseeing as per itinerary
- Houseboat night on full board: welcome drink, lunch, evening tea with snacks, dinner and next-morning breakfast, which is standard practice on Kerala houseboats
- 24x7 on-ground assistance from the trip2keralam team in Kerala.
Not included
- Air and rail fare
- Lunch and dinner except where houseboat full board is stated
- Any site, ride or activity not named in the day-by-day itinerary, including wildlife safaris, bamboo rafting and adventure activities
- Ayurveda treatments and spa unless listed, camera fees, tips and personal expenses
- Extra bed, child with or without bed, and single supplement, all quoted separately
- Travel insurance
- Early check-in and late check-out beyond standard hotel timings
- GST as applicable on tour packages
- Anything not mentioned under inclusions
Good to know before you book
- 50% of the package amount confirms the booking. The balance is due before departure or on arrival.
- Prices are per person on twin sharing, land only, and do not include air or rail fare. Adding flights or trains will move the price up.
- Rates move during peak dates: 20 December to 5 January, Onam, Christmas, New Year, festive holidays and long weekends.
- Quoted rates hold for the hotel category confirmed at booking. Room and meal plan upgrades are re-quoted.
- Standard hotel check-in is around 2 PM and check-out by 11 AM or 12 noon. Early check-in and late check-out depend on availability and are not guaranteed.
- Guests must carry a valid government photo ID at every hotel. Foreign nationals must carry a passport and visa.
- Houseboats stop cruising by evening and anchor for the night, as required by Kerala government rules, with air-conditioning running for fixed night hours. This is standard across all operators.
- The itinerary may be re-sequenced on the ground for weather, traffic, forest department closures or temple and festival restrictions. Inclusions stay the same.
- Entry rules and dress codes at temples, and permit rules inside forest areas, are set by the authority concerned and are not within our control.
- Costs arising from events beyond our control, including hartals, floods, landslides, roadblocks and other natural calamities, and from any delay or change they force, are borne by the guest and are not refundable.
- The vehicle is provided as per the itinerary. It is not at disposal for unplanned running.
Cancellation and Payments
- Payment by bank wire transfer to our account. Confirmation follows receipt.
- Confirmed dates may be changed, shortened or cancelled with 30 days' written notice to the company, subject to availability.
- Eligible refunds are processed to the original bank account within a reasonable period after cancellation. Bank or wire transfer charges are deducted from the refunded amount.
- Inside 30 days, the reservation cannot be changed, postponed or cancelled, and the package amount is retained in full.
- No-shows are not eligible for any refund.
- No credit is given for unused nights or an early departure.
- Peak-date bookings (20 December to 5 January) may carry stricter hotel cancellation terms, which we confirm at the time of booking.
Traveller reviews — 4.9 average from 412 trips
Questions about this package
What does the Offbeat Kerala Deep Dive package cover?
A Nilambur night, two nights in Wayanad, a Fort Kochi night, a Vagamon night, a Gavi night, a Thekkady night and an Ashtamudi Lake night at Kollam, from Kozhikode to Trivandrum. It covers Conolly's Plot, Vagamon's meadows, the Gavi trek and wildlife drive, the Periyar cruise and Ashtamudi Lake, on bed and breakfast with a private AC vehicle. No houseboat night.
What is Gavi, and what do we do there?
Gavi is a quiet forest settlement in the Periyar belt, off the usual tourist trail. You reach it on Day 6 through the Ranni forest, with a guided forest trek and lake activities, then an early wildlife drive on Day 7 when elephant and Nilgiri langur sightings are most likely. You stay overnight at Gavi, with accommodation arranged to suit your package category.
Is this a good first trip to Kerala?
Honestly, no. There is no houseboat night and no Munnar, and the stops are spread wide. It is built for repeat visitors and serious nature travellers. If this is your first Kerala trip, ask us for a Munnar, Thekkady and Alleppey route instead.
What is at Nilambur, and why are there so few visitors?
Conolly's Plot, the oldest teak plantation in the world, planted in the 1840s, plus the Teak Museum and the Nedumkayam rainforest. It sits off the usual Kozhikode to Wayanad run, so almost no packaged itinerary stops there. Day 1 gives it a full afternoon and an overnight.
Which airports work for this route?
Kozhikode for the pickup on Day 1 and Trivandrum for the drop on Day 9. The route runs steadily south with no backtracking, so an open jaw is the sensible booking here.
What meals are included?
Every night is on bed and breakfast, which is room plus daily breakfast. There is no houseboat night on this route, so lunches and dinners are on you unless you move the plan to MAP or AP, which we re-quote.
How do we book, and can the itinerary be changed?
Customization option is available, with or without flights. 50% of the package amount confirms the booking and the balance is due before departure or on arrival, by bank wire transfer. Confirmed dates may be changed, shortened or cancelled with 30 days' written notice, subject to availability.
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Want this trip on your dates?
- The same day-by-day plan, priced for your dates and hotel category
- Your houseboat blocked the moment your trip is confirmed
- Free replanning — swap Thekkady for Kumarakom, add nights, upgrade the boat