Kashmir Tour

Kerala doesn’t need an introduction. Everywhere you look – your Instagram, your colleague’s WhatsApp status, your neighbour’s holiday photos – someone’s standing knee-deep in a backwater canal or sipping tea on a Munnar hillside.   And if you’re in Siliguri thinking “we should just go already” – this guide is your starting point.   Kerala is on the other side of India. It takes planning. But done right, it’s the kind of trip that changes your idea of what a holiday can feel like. Green beyond anything you’ve seen. Quiet in a way that hill stations aren’t. Food that people talk about long after the trip.   Here’s everything you need to know to plan it properly – from how to get there from Siliguri to what a realistic budget looks like in 2026. How to Reach Kerala from Siliguri This is the first question, and it deserves a straight answer. By Flight – Fastest and Most Recommended Fly from Bagdogra Airport (IXB) to Cochin International Airport (COK) – the most common entry point for Kerala. Flights connect Bagdogra to Kochi via one stop, with journey times between 6 and 8 hours depending on the connection. IndiGo operates this route regularly. This is what most of our travellers from Siliguri choose – and it makes sense. You land in Kochi, your driver is waiting, and the trip starts immediately. No two-day journey, no exhaustion before you’ve even arrived. By Train – Budget-Friendly but Long The Vivek Express (22504) departs from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) daily at 15:45 and reaches Thiruvananthapuram Central in approximately 51 hours. The SCL TVC Express (12508) departs on Fridays at 14:25 and takes around 54 hours. The fastest train from Siliguri to Ernakulam (Kochi) is the Vivek Express, covering 2,883 km in approximately 46 hours. The lowest-priced ticket starts at ₹990. The train is the budget option – but you’re spending two full days of your trip just travelling. For a 7-day Kerala holiday, that’s a significant chunk. Our honest recommendation: fly in, train back if you want the experience. Or fly both ways and use the time for another day in Alleppey. By Package – Easiest Option When you book a Kerala tour package through Travel Soft Holidays, your Siliguri-to-Kerala routing is handled completely – the right Bagdogra flight, the connection, and your Kochi pickup are all coordinated as part of the trip. You travel, we manage the logistics. Best Time to Visit Kerala from Siliguri Kerala tour packages are most popular between October and March – the dry season with pleasant weather, clear skies, and ideal backwater conditions. Here’s a more honest month-by-month breakdown: Month Weather Good For October – February Warm and dry, 23–32°C Families, couples, first-timers. Best overall window. March – April Getting warmer, slightly humid Budget travellers – fewer crowds, lower hotel rates. May – June Pre-monsoon heat, occasional showers Not ideal. Avoid it if possible. July – September Monsoon – lush, dramatic, wet Off-season. Some houseboats close. Great for Ayurveda stays. For Siliguri families, the October–February window aligns perfectly with Puja holidays, winter school breaks, and year-end travel. Book at least 6–8 weeks ahead for this window – houseboat slots and hill station hotels in Munnar fill up fast. Kerala in 7 Days: The Itinerary That Actually Works A 6-day Kerala itinerary covering Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, and Alleppey balances adventure, nature, and relaxation – making it one of the most requested Kerala holiday structures.   We’ve added one day to give you breathing room. Here’s how 7 days in Kerala looks when it’s planned properly:   Day 1 – Arrive in Kochi Land at Cochin International Airport. Your driver picks you up and transfers you to the hotel. If you arrive early enough, head to Fort Kochi in the evening – the Chinese fishing nets at sunset, the old Dutch-era streets, the smell of spices from the market. It’s a gentle introduction to what Kerala is. Dinner at a local restaurant. Early night.   Day 2 – Kochi Sightseeing A half-day city tour includes the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Jews Street, St. Francis Church, the Chinese Fishing Nets, and the Indo-Portuguese Museum. Fort Kochi is walkable and compact – one of the few places in India where you actually want to wander without a plan. Afternoon drive toward Munnar begins. Overnight at Munnar.   Day 3 – Munnar Munnar sightseeing includes Echo Point, Eravikulam National Park, Kundala Dam and Lake, the Elephant Arrival Spot, Atukkad Waterfalls, and Pothamedu View Point. The tea plantations are what people picture when they think of Munnar – but the Eravikulam National Park, home to the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, is what stays with most visitors. Give the morning to the park and the afternoon to the viewpoints and a tea factory visit.   Day 4 – Thekkady (Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary) Thekkady offers wildlife experiences at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, spice plantation tours, and a boat ride on Periyar Lake. The boat ride at dawn is the best version of Thekkady – the mist on the water, elephants at the shoreline, and the sound of nothing at all. The spice plantation walk in the afternoon is genuinely interesting, not just a tourist tick-box. You’ll leave knowing what cardamom smells like straight off the plant.   Day 5 – Drive to Alleppey The drive from Thekkady to Alleppey passes through rubber plantations and small Kerala towns that most tourists never see. Check into your houseboat by noon. Then – nothing. That’s the plan for the rest of the day. Drift through the backwater canals, watch village life on the banks, eat the meals your houseboat cook prepares, and let Kerala do what it does best.   Day 6 – Alleppey Backwaters & Kovalam Morning on the houseboat – breakfast on the water. Checkout and drive toward Kovalam. The Arabian Sea after four days of backwaters and hill stations is a genuine contrast. Kovalam’s lighthouse beach is the most popular, but if you prefer quiet, the beaches further