Kerala backwaters
🌴 Most Popular Two-Region Trip

Golden Triangle
+ Kerala

A week of intensity through India's iconic north, then a week unwinding on Kerala's slow rivers and tea hills. Most travellers find this combination almost perfectly weighted.

17
Days
5
Regions
3
Flights included
📅
Duration
17 days
📍
Route
Delhi · Agra · Jaipur · Kochi · Munnar · Backwaters
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Best for
Families · Couples
🌤️
Best season
October – February
Your Journey
The Route — North to South
🛬
Sydney
Depart
🕌
Delhi
Days 1–3
🚗
🏛️
Agra
Days 4–5
🚗
🏯
Jaipur
Days 6–7
🌴
Kochi
Days 8–9
🚗
🍃
Munnar
Days 10–11
🚗
Backwaters
Days 14–15
Day by Day
Your 17-Day Itinerary
Day
1
Arrive Delhi
Airport pickup and a quiet first evening to recover from the flight. Nothing scheduled today — Delhi can wait until tomorrow.
✈️ International arrival🏨 Hotel check-in🍽️ Easy first dinner
Day
2
Old Delhi
Jama Masjid, the lanes of Chandni Chowk by rickshaw, and Raj Ghat at an easy morning pace. Afternoon free to rest.
🕌 Jama Masjid🛺 Chandni Chowk🕊️ Raj Ghat
Day
3
New Delhi
Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, the government quarter, and India Gate in the evening. A gentler, greener day.
🏛️ Humayun's Tomb🗼 Qutub Minar🌿 India Gate
🗺️
Getting There
Delhi → Agra
🚗By Road
~4 hours
Yamuna Expressway. Comfortable private vehicle, scenic drive.
✈️By Flight
No direct flight
No air connection exists between Delhi and Agra. Road is the only option.
Recommendation: Road is fine and fast. Depart mid-morning, arrive for lunch.
Day
4
Delhi to Agra · Agra Fort
A late-morning drive to Agra, with the afternoon at Agra Fort and your first distant view of the Taj at dusk.
🚗 Morning drive🏰 Agra Fort🌅 Taj at dusk
Day
5
⭐ Trip Highlight
Taj Sunrise · Then Jaipur
The Taj Mahal at first light, breakfast back at the hotel, then the drive to Jaipur with a stop at Fatehpur Sikri along the way. Arrive Jaipur by evening.
🌅 Taj at sunrise🏛️ Fatehpur Sikri🏯 Arrive Jaipur
Day
6
Jaipur · Amber Fort
The hilltop fort in the morning and the Jal Mahal in the afternoon. One of the most spectacular sights of the trip.
🏯 Amber Fort🏞️ Jal Mahal🎭 Evening free
Day
7
Jaipur · City and Bazaars
City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, and the markets. Your last full day in the north before flying south to a completely different India.
🏛️ City Palace🔭 Jantar Mantar🛍️ Bazaars
🗺️
The Big Transition
Jaipur → Kochi (Kerala)
✈️By Flight
~2.5–3 hours
Jaipur → Kochi direct or via Delhi/Mumbai. This is the journey from north India to south India — flight is the only sensible option.
🚗By Road
Not recommended
Over 2,000km. Not an option for a family trip.
Recommendation: Fly. You land in Kochi and immediately feel the difference — humid, green, slow. A completely different country.
Day
8
Fly to Kochi · Arrive Kerala
A morning transfer to the airport and a flight south to Kochi. The afternoon is for settling into a completely different India — humid, green, and slow.
✈️ Jaipur → Kochi🌴 Arrive Kerala🌊 Easy evening
Day
9
Fort Kochi
A walking day through the old port town: the Chinese fishing nets, the spice quarter, colonial churches, and a Kathakali dance performance in the evening.
🎣 Chinese fishing nets🌶️ Spice quarter🎭 Kathakali evening
🗺️
Into the Hills
Kochi → Munnar
🚗By Road
~4 hours
A beautiful climb into the Western Ghats. Watch the air cool as you rise. No flight option exists — and you wouldn't want one.
✈️By Flight
No airport in Munnar
Munnar has no airport. The road journey is part of the experience.
Recommendation: Take your time on the road. The drive up into the tea hills is one of the most beautiful of the trip.
Day
10
Kochi to Munnar · Into the Tea Hills
A beautiful climb into the Western Ghats (around four hours), the air cooling as you rise into tea country. Arrive by mid-afternoon and breathe.
🚗 Scenic mountain drive🍃 Tea country arrival🌡️ Cool air
Day
11
Munnar · Tea Estates
A full day among the tea estates — a plantation and tea-museum visit, viewpoints, and gentle walks. Cool, calm, and a real change of pace after the intensity of the north.
🍃 Tea plantation🏔️ Mountain viewpoints🚶 Gentle walks
Day
12
Munnar to Thekkady
A short drive to Periyar, with the afternoon free for a spice-plantation tour. The landscape shifts again — from cool hills to dense forest and wildlife country.
🚗 Short drive🌶️ Spice plantation🌿 Periyar forest
Day
13
Thekkady · Periyar Lake
A morning boat on Periyar Lake looking for wildlife — elephants, bison, birds. Then an easy afternoon: a nature walk or an Ayurvedic treatment.
⛵ Lake boat🐘 Wildlife watch💆 Ayurveda option
Day
14
⭐ Trip Highlight
Board the Houseboat · Kerala Backwaters
Drive to Alleppey and board a private houseboat for an overnight cruise through the palm-lined canals. All meals cooked on board. The pace drops to almost nothing. One of the most peaceful nights on the trip.
⛵ Private houseboat🌴 Canal cruise🍳 Meals on board🌅 Sunset on the water
Day
15
Backwaters to the Coast
Disembark after breakfast and transfer to a quiet beach hotel (Marari or Kovalam) for the final stretch of the trip.
🏖️ Beach hotel🌊 Arrive coast😌 Rest
Day
16
🌿 Your Day
Beach Day · Nothing Planned
Nothing planned — swim, rest, and let the trip wind down at your own pace. The sea, the coconut palms, the slow end of something extraordinary.
🏊 Swimming📖 Rest🌴 Free time
Day
17
Departure
Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Kerala to Sydney — carrying the whole journey back with you.
🛫 Kerala departure✈️ Flight home

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Golden Triangle + Kerala?

The most popular two-region trip we plan. Every detail shaped around your family — nothing is fixed until you say so.

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  • Two rounds of revisions included
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  • One person handles everything, start to finish
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Planning fee
$3,000 AUD17-day trip
Ground services
$200–$400 AUDper person · per day
Hotels
Booked by youWe recommend · you pay direct
Flights
Booked by youUse your points or travel agent
Commissions
$0We earn nothing from your hotels
Figures are indicative. Your final quote is itemised before you commit.