Kerala Tour Packages from Chennai
Sleep on the train from Chennai Central and wake up near the backwaters, fly in about an hour and a quarter, or drive over the Theni ghats to Munnar – Kerala holidays for Tamil Nadu families.
For Chennai, Kerala is the neighbour you can reach overnight. The Alleppey Express leaves Chennai Central after dinner and pulls into Ernakulam and then Alappuzha the next morning, so a family can board a houseboat before lunch having lost no daylight at all. The Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram Mail does the same for the southern end. Flights from Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam take only about an hour and a quarter. And unlike most cities, Chennai can also drive in – the Coimbatore–Palakkad highway to Kochi, or the scenic route through Madurai and Theni straight up to Thekkady and Munnar.
Kerala also feels unusually familiar to Tamil travellers: Tamil is widely spoken in Munnar, Kumily and the border towns, the rice-and-sambar meal is everywhere, and Guruvayur and Padmanabhaswamy are temples many Chennai families already know. This page covers indicative costs, the overnight trains, flights and road routes in detail, three itineraries – one built entirely around the night train – a Tamil Nadu holiday calendar with Pongal and the school breaks, a month table, and food notes. Your trip is planned by our team in Ahmedabad and booked on WhatsApp or phone; there is no Chennai office. Every holiday is private, with your own car and driver, and the packages below show live prices.
Updated October 2026 by the Vibrant Holidays team, Ahmedabad.
Kerala packages you can book now
Our latest Kerala packages on Vibrant Holidays — 3 to 13 nights. Every package can be customised for departure from Chennai.
Kerala tour budget from Chennai (2026)
Live Kerala packages on our site start at ₹15,500 per person; 24 are open for booking. The ranges below are indicative per-person costs for two people sharing, including hotels with breakfast, a private AC car and driver in Kerala, a houseboat night with meals where shown, and GST. Train, flight or fuel from Chennai is extra and shown separately below.
| Itinerary | Comfortable 3-star | Premium 4-star | Luxury 5-star |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 nights: houseboat, Kumarakom, Fort Kochi | ₹12,000 – 15,500 | ₹17,000 – 23,000 | ₹28,500 – 40,000 |
| 4 nights: Varkala, Alleppey, Kochi | ₹14,500 – 18,500 | ₹20,500 – 27,000 | ₹33,500 – 47,000 |
| 5 nights: Munnar, Thekkady, backwaters, Kochi | ₹18,000 – 23,000 | ₹25,000 – 32,500 | ₹41,000 – 60,000 |
| 6 nights: Guruvayur, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam | ₹21,500 – 27,500 | ₹29,500 – 39,000 | ₹49,000 – 74,000 |
Getting there from Chennai: cost per person, approximately
| Mode | One-way cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-stop flight MAA–COK or MAA–TRV | ₹2,500 – 5,500 (higher at Pongal, Christmas) | About 1¼ hours | Short trips, couples |
| Overnight train, 3AC | ₹900 – 1,300 | 12–16 hours | Families, weekend plans |
| Overnight train, 2AC | ₹1,300 – 1,900 | 12–16 hours | Seniors wanting more space |
| Own car (fuel and tolls, shared by 4) | ₹1,500 – 2,500 | 10–12 hours | Road-trip families |
Outside the package: park fees at Eravikulam and Periyar, the lake cruise, jeep trips, Kathakali tickets, temple special-darshan fees, extra Ayurveda, meals not listed, and tips. We list estimates on the quote.
From Chennai to Kerala: overnight trains, short flights, two road routes
Overnight trains from Chennai Central
- Alleppey Express (22639): departs Chennai Central at about 8.55 pm daily; reaches Ernakulam Junction around 8.40 am and Alappuzha around 10.40 am. Running via Salem, Coimbatore and Palakkad, it is the train for a backwater holiday – the houseboat jetty is about 10 minutes from Alappuzha station.
- Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram Mail (12623): departs at about 7.30 pm daily; Kottayam about 7.45 am (for Kumarakom and Thekkady), Kollam about 9.45 am and Thiruvananthapuram Central about 11.20 am. Use it for Kovalam, Varkala or a temple-first plan.
- Other options: several more daily and weekly trains from Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore reach Kerala via Palakkad or via Madurai and Nagercoil. Times above are as published in late 2026; we confirm them when booking.
Flights from Chennai International (MAA)
- To Kochi: several non-stops a day, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- To Thiruvananthapuram: IndiGo alone runs three non-stops a day in the winter schedule, about 1 hour 10–25 minutes.
- To Kozhikode: fewer non-stops; we check availability for Wayanad or Malabar trips.
- Timing tip: a morning flight to Kochi lets you reach Munnar the same afternoon; a morning flight to Thiruvananthapuram puts you on Kovalam beach before lunch.
Driving from Chennai
| Destination | Road | Distance (approx.) | Hours (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palakkad | Vellore – Krishnagiri – Salem – Coimbatore – Walayar | 545 km | 9 |
| Kochi | As above, then Thrissur | 690 km | 11–12 |
| Thekkady (Kumily) | Trichy – Madurai – Theni – Cumbum | 600 km | 10–11 |
| Munnar | Trichy – Dindigul – Theni – Bodi ghat | 590 km | 11 |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Madurai – Tirunelveli – Nagercoil | 720 km | 12–13 |
The Theni route is the more interesting drive: vineyards at Cumbum, then a climb over the Western Ghats into Kerala's cardamom hills. The Bodi ghat to Munnar has hairpin bends and should be driven in daylight. For most families we suggest breaking the journey at Madurai or Coimbatore.
Three ways to do Kerala from Chennai
The night-train weekend – 2 nights in Kerala, 2 on the train
- Thursday night: Alleppey Express from Chennai Central after dinner.
- Friday: arrive Alappuzha mid-morning; freshen up at a day-use room; board a private houseboat at noon and cruise Vembanad Lake; night on board.
- Saturday: check out after breakfast; drive to Kumarakom for a lake resort, a country-boat ride through narrow canals and an Ayurveda massage.
- Sunday: Fort Kochi by road (about 2 hours) – Mattancherry, Jew Town, the fishing nets; dinner, then an overnight train from Ernakulam back to Chennai.
- Monday: back in Chennai in the morning.
South to north – 5 nights, fly in to Thiruvananthapuram
- Day 1: morning flight Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram; Padmanabhaswamy Temple darshan (traditional dress); evening at Kovalam.
- Day 2: Poovar estuary boat ride and golden beach; Ayurveda session.
- Day 3: Varkala cliff and Papanasam beach; Jatayu Earth's Centre on the way.
- Day 4: north to Alleppey; private houseboat night.
- Day 5: Fort Kochi and an evening Kathakali performance.
- Day 6: fly Kochi–Chennai.
The Ghats road loop – 7 nights by car
- Day 1: Chennai to Madurai (about 7½ hours); evening at Meenakshi Amman Temple.
- Day 2: via Theni and Cumbum to Thekkady; spice garden visit.
- Day 3: Periyar boat ride; drive to Munnar in the afternoon.
- Day 4: Munnar – Eravikulam, Mattupetty, Top Station.
- Day 5: down to Alleppey for the houseboat.
- Day 6: Guruvayur temple via Kochi; overnight in Thrissur.
- Day 7: Palakkad fort and the Kalpathy heritage street; overnight in Coimbatore.
- Day 8: drive home to Chennai (about 8 hours).
Each plan is fully private: we can add Kanyakumari to the second, swap Madurai for a Coimbatore start in the third, or stretch the weekend version with Munnar.
Pongal, school breaks and Sabarimala: timing a Kerala trip from Tamil Nadu
- Pongal (mid-January): Bhogi, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kaanum Pongal give most Chennai families four days off, and January is Kerala's driest month. It is also peak demand on Chennai–Kerala trains; book on the day the reservation window opens, about two months ahead.
- Half-yearly holidays (late December): Tamil Nadu schools break around Christmas and New Year. Great weather, highest prices – Munnar and Thekkady usually have rooms when beach hotels do not.
- Quarterly exam holidays (late September – early October): a short break that matches Kerala's post-monsoon green season, with full waterfalls and moderate rates.
- Summer vacation (April – May): the coast is hot, so build the trip around Munnar, Thekkady and Vagamon, with one houseboat night. The monsoon usually reaches Kerala around early June.
- Deepavali (early November): a long weekend for many; Kerala is drying out after the north-east monsoon showers.
- Sabarimala season (mid-November to mid-January): lakhs of devotees from Tamil Nadu travel to the hill shrine. Trains from Chennai, roads near Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, and hotels around Erumeli are crowded. Leisure routes via Kochi, Munnar and Alleppey are less affected, but book trains early.
Kerala by month for Chennai travellers
| Month | Kerala | Chennai comparison | Train demand from Chennai |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Dry, sunny; cold Munnar nights | Mild, pleasant | Very high around Pongal |
| February | Dry | Warming | Normal |
| March | Hot coast, mild hills | Hot | Normal |
| April | Humid, thunderstorms | Very hot | High after board exams |
| May | Hot, showers late | Peak heat (Agni Nakshatram) | High; hills busy |
| June | Monsoon begins | Hot, some rain | Moderate |
| July | Heavy rain; Ayurveda season | Humid | Low |
| August | Lighter rain; Onam season | Humid | High around Onam |
| September | Green, clearing | Humid | Moderate; quarterly break |
| October | Short showers | North-east monsoon begins | Moderate |
| November | Dry season starting | Heaviest rain of the year | High; Sabarimala starts |
| December | Dry, pleasant | Rain easing | Very high |
An interesting point for Chennai: your city's wettest weeks (November and early December, the north-east monsoon) are when Kerala is drying out, so a Kerala trip can be an escape from waterlogged streets as well as a holiday.
Tamil food, language and tips for Chennai families
Food that feels close to home
Chennai travellers adjust to Kerala food faster than anyone. Idli, dosa, sambar and rasam are standard breakfasts and lunches across the state, and in Munnar, Kumily and Palakkad many restaurants are Tamil-run. The differences are in the details:
- Rice: Kerala prefers matta, a red parboiled rice. If the family wants ponni-style white rice, we ask hotels to keep it.
- Oil and coconut: coconut oil and grated coconut appear in most dishes. Ask for gingelly or refined oil if you prefer.
- Coffee: Kerala is a tea state. Filter coffee is available at good hotels and Tamil-style tiffin centres, but not everywhere – carry instant decoction if you cannot do without it.
- Vegetarian and Brahmin households: the Kerala sadya is fully vegetarian, Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad have traditional Tamil vegetarian hotels, and the houseboat cook will skip onion and garlic if told.
- Non-veg: try karimeen pollichathu, prawn roast, chicken varutharacha curry and Malabar biryani in the north.
Language
Malayalam is close enough to Tamil that many words carry over, and Tamil is spoken widely in the tea and cardamom hills and by most drivers on the Coimbatore and Theni routes. You will rarely need English outside hotels.
Practical tips
- Train arrivals are in the morning; we arrange a day-use room or early check-in if your houseboat or hotel opens later.
- Temples – Padmanabhaswamy, Guruvayur, Ettumanoor – require veshti for men and saree or churidar for women; shirts off for men at some.
- Munnar needs a light sweater from November to February; Chennai clothes are fine everywhere else.
- Kerala's alcohol rules differ from Tamil Nadu's; houseboats and many hotels have restrictions – ask before you pack.
- If driving, fuel up in Tamil Nadu; carry FASTag balance for the Salem and Walayar tolls.
Why Chennai travellers choose Vibrant Holidays for Kerala
- Train-aware planning: we book the Alleppey Express or the Mail with your package and time the houseboat, day-use rooms and pick-ups to your arrival.
- Planned in Ahmedabad, booked on WhatsApp: there is no Chennai office; our team handles everything on phone and WhatsApp and sends PDFs of the itinerary, vouchers and invoice.
- Private car and your own dates: no coach, no shared timetable. Extended families travel as a private group in a Tempo Traveller or two cars.
- Live prices and clear extras: what you see on the packages below is what they cost today.
- Trusted since 2015: IATA-accredited; member of TAAI, TAFI, ADTOI and IATO; recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. 24x7 support during the trip; office open Monday to Saturday.
Browse all Kerala packages, family holidays and tour packages from Chennai, or look further afield with Andaman from Chennai.
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Get a Free Quote WhatsApp 9089090790Kerala tour from Chennai: FAQs
How much does a Kerala tour package from Chennai cost?
Our Kerala packages currently start at ₹15,500 per person for 3 nights. Most of our Kerala packages fall between ₹23,500 and ₹40,000 per person. The final cost depends on the travel month, hotel category, number of travellers and whether flights from {$from} are added. Open any package below to see exactly what is included, or ask us for a quote with flights.
Which train goes from Chennai to Alleppey?
The Alleppey Express leaves Chennai Central at about 8.55 pm daily and reaches Ernakulam Junction around 8.40 am and Alappuzha around 10.40 am the next morning, travelling via Salem, Coimbatore and Palakkad. It is ideal for a houseboat holiday, as the jetty is close to the station. We confirm the current timing when booking.
How long is the flight from Chennai to Kochi?
About 1 hour 15 minutes non-stop from Chennai International Airport, with several flights a day. Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram is similar, with IndiGo alone operating three daily non-stops. Fares are usually low, but they rise sharply around Pongal, the summer vacation and Christmas.
Can I reach Thiruvananthapuram overnight from Chennai?
Yes. The Chennai–Thiruvananthapuram Mail leaves Chennai Central at about 7.30 pm and reaches Thiruvananthapuram Central at about 11.20 am, stopping at Kottayam and Kollam on the way. It suits Kovalam, Varkala and temple-first itineraries, and Kottayam is a convenient drop for Kumarakom. Book 2AC or 3AC early around Pongal and the Sabarimala season.
How far is Munnar from Chennai by road?
About 590 km via Trichy, Dindigul, Theni and the Bodi ghat, which takes around 11 hours. Many families break the journey in Madurai. The last stretch is a steep hill road best driven in daylight. Alternatively, take the train to Ernakulam and drive four hours up to Munnar.
Can we do a weekend trip to Kerala from Chennai?
Yes, thanks to the overnight trains. Leave on Thursday night on the Alleppey Express, spend Friday night on a houseboat and Saturday at Kumarakom, see Fort Kochi on Sunday and take a night train back, reaching Chennai on Monday morning. You take only one day of leave.
Is Pongal a good time to visit Kerala?
Yes. January is Kerala's driest and most pleasant month, with cool Munnar mornings and calm backwaters. The catch is demand: trains and flights from Chennai fill quickly, so book train tickets as soon as reservations open about two months ahead, and confirm hotels early.
Does the Sabarimala season affect a Kerala tour from Chennai?
Partly. From mid-November to mid-January, trains from Chennai to Kerala and the roads around Pathanamthitta, Erumeli and Kottayam are crowded with devotees. Holidays routed through Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady and Alleppey are usually fine, but book trains earlier than normal and avoid Kottayam-area hotels on peak pilgrimage weekends.
Is Tamil understood in Kerala?
Widely, especially in Munnar, Kumily near Thekkady, Palakkad and the border districts, where many residents speak Tamil at home. Drivers on our Chennai routes usually speak Tamil too. Malayalam shares much vocabulary with Tamil, so Chennai travellers rarely face a language problem.
Will Chennai families find familiar food in Kerala?
Mostly. Idli, dosa, sambar and rasam are common, and Tamil vegetarian hotels operate in Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram and the hill towns. Kerala uses red matta rice and coconut oil by default, and filter coffee is less common. We ask hotels for white rice or another oil if you prefer.
Can we combine Guruvayur and Padmanabhaswamy temples with sightseeing?
Yes. Guruvayur fits on the way between Kochi and Thrissur, and Padmanabhaswamy suits the first or last day when flying through Thiruvananthapuram. Both enforce a dress code, veshti for men and saree or churidar for women. A six-night plan covers both temples, Munnar, Thekkady and the backwaters.
What is the best time for a Chennai family to visit Kerala?
September to March for the full circuit. In April and May, during school holidays, choose Munnar and Thekkady, which stay cool. November is a smart choice for Chennai in particular: your city's heaviest rain coincides with Kerala's dry season starting.
