Kerala Tour Packages from Mumbai
Two hours by air or one scenic day on the Konkan Railway – Kerala holidays for Mumbai families, timed around the monsoon, the May vacation and Diwali.
From Mumbai, Kerala is close enough to treat as a long-weekend escape and different enough to feel like a real holiday. A Friday-evening flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International lands in Kochi in about two hours, and by Saturday lunch you can be on a houseboat in Alleppey. With a week, the same trip stretches to the tea slopes of Munnar, the spice country around Thekkady and a cliff-top beach at Varkala. Many Mumbai families also take the train at least one way: the Konkan Railway runs down the coast past Ratnagiri, Goa and Mangaluru, and the views from the window are part of the holiday.
This guide is written for travellers leaving from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. It sets out realistic package costs, which airport and which train to use, three day-wise plans built around Mumbai departure times, how the monsoon in Kerala relates to the monsoon at home, the Maharashtra school calendar, a month-by-month table and food tips for Marathi, Gujarati and Jain households. Trips are planned by our team in Ahmedabad and booked on WhatsApp or phone; each one is private, with your own car and driver in Kerala, and the packages below carry 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 Mumbai.
What a Kerala package from Mumbai costs (2026)
Right now our Kerala holidays begin at ₹15,500 per person, across 24 live packages. The ranges below are per person when two people share a room. They leave out the Mumbai–Kerala flight or train, and they cover hotel stays with breakfast, a private air-conditioned car and driver from arrival to departure, a houseboat night with full board where the route includes one, and GST.
| Plan | Budget (3-star) | Comfort (4-star) | Luxury (5-star) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 nights – Kochi, Alleppey houseboat, Kumarakom | ₹12,500 – 16,000 | ₹17,500 – 23,500 | ₹29,000 – 41,000 |
| 4 nights – Munnar, Alleppey, Fort Kochi | ₹15,000 – 19,000 | ₹21,500 – 28,000 | ₹35,000 – 50,000 |
| 5 nights – Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom, Kochi | ₹18,500 – 23,500 | ₹25,500 – 34,000 | ₹43,000 – 64,000 |
| 6 nights – adds Varkala, out of Thiruvananthapuram | ₹22,000 – 28,000 | ₹30,500 – 40,500 | ₹51,000 – 76,000 |
Airfare from Mumbai: because so many airlines fly Mumbai–Kochi, return fares are among the lowest of any Kerala route – often ₹6,500 to ₹12,000 per person if you book three to five weeks ahead. Mumbai–Thiruvananthapuram usually costs a little more. Fares jump in the May vacation, Diwali week and from 20 December to New Year, when ₹16,000–22,000 is common.
By train: a 3AC berth on the Konkan route to Ernakulam generally costs ₹1,900–2,600 per person one way, and 2AC ₹2,800–3,700. For a family of five this can be cheaper than flying even after an extra hotel night.
Not in the package unless you ask: park and boat tickets at Eravikulam and Periyar, a Kathakali or Kalaripayattu show, jeep rides to Kolukkumalai, extra Ayurveda sessions, meals outside the hotel, and tips. We put an estimate for each on your quote. Prices move most with three choices: hotel category in Munnar, houseboat class, and sedan versus Innova.
Getting from Mumbai to Kerala: airports and Konkan trains
Which Mumbai airport
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM): domestic flights leave from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 depending on the airline – check your ticket, because the two are a 20–30 minute drive apart in traffic. IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa between them run many non-stop Mumbai–Kochi flights a day, about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours.
- Navi Mumbai International (NMI): the new airport opened for commercial flights on 25 December 2025, and Kochi is among the domestic routes airlines have added from it. For families in Panvel, Kharghar, Vashi, Belapur or eastern Thane it can save an hour of road time. Routes from Navi Mumbai are still growing, so we compare both airports on your dates.
- To Thiruvananthapuram (TRV): non-stop flights from Mumbai run daily, about 2 hours. Use TRV when the trip ends at Varkala or Kovalam.
- To Kozhikode (CCJ): non-stop from Mumbai, useful for Wayanad and the Malabar coast.
- Best flight times: a departure before 9 am lets you reach Munnar the same evening. For a three-night trip, an evening flight on day one and an evening return on the last day gives you three full days in Kerala.
Trains along the Konkan Railway
- Netravati Express (16345): leaves Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Kurla) daily at about 11.40 am and reaches Ernakulam Junction around 12.20 pm the next day, then continues to Thiruvananthapuram Central by early evening. It also stops at Thane and Panvel, which is convenient for Navi Mumbai.
- LTT–Ernakulam Duronto (12223): the fastest option, about 22 hours, leaving LTT at night and reaching Ernakulam the following evening. It runs only on certain days of the week, so check before you plan around it.
- What the ride is like: the daylight stretch shows the Sahyadri tunnels, the Konkan rivers and Goa's paddy fields. Book 3AC or 2AC as soon as the reservation window opens; summer and Christmas dates fill within days.
- Monsoon timetable: each year, roughly from June to October, the Konkan Railway runs a slower monsoon timetable for safety, so the journey takes a few hours longer. Allow for this when booking the first hotel night.
Drive times inside Kerala
Kochi airport to Munnar about 4 hours; Munnar to Thekkady 3½ hours; Thekkady to Kumarakom about 3½ hours; Kumarakom to Alleppey jetty 1 hour; Alleppey to Varkala about 3 hours; Varkala to Thiruvananthapuram airport about 1¼ hours.
Three Kerala itineraries that start in Mumbai
3 nights – the long-weekend backwaters trip
- Day 1 (Friday): Evening flight from Mumbai to Kochi; transfer to a Fort Kochi heritage hotel; dinner by the harbour.
- Day 2: Early walk past the Chinese fishing nets and St Francis Church; drive 1½ hours to Alleppey; board a private houseboat at noon and cruise Vembanad Lake until it anchors in the evening.
- Day 3: Disembark after breakfast; short drive to a lakeside resort in Kumarakom; village canoe ride and an Ayurveda massage.
- Day 4 (Monday): Bird sanctuary walk at dawn; drive to Kochi airport (about 2 hours) for the afternoon flight home to Mumbai.
5 nights – family loop with the hills
- Day 1: Morning flight from Mumbai; drive up to Munnar with a tea stop at Cheeyappara falls.
- Day 2: Eravikulam National Park for the Nilgiri tahr, the Tata tea museum, Mattupetty Dam and a pedal boat on Kundala Lake.
- Day 3: Drive to Thekkady; spice plantation walk and a guided nature walk or bamboo rafting in Periyar; Kalaripayattu show at night.
- Day 4: Drive to Kumarakom; afternoon sunset cruise on the lake; stay in a resort with a pool for the children.
- Day 5: Drive to Kochi; Mattancherry Palace, Jew Town, and an evening at Marine Drive or Lulu Mall.
- Day 6: Fly Kochi to Mumbai.
6 nights – train down the coast, fly back
- Day 1: Board the Netravati Express at LTT, Thane or Panvel before noon; overnight on the train with home food packed for dinner.
- Day 2: Arrive Ernakulam around midday; check in at Kochi; evening Kathakali performance.
- Day 3: Drive to Munnar; afternoon at a tea estate and the Photo Point.
- Day 4: Top Station and Kundala in the morning; drive to Alleppey for the houseboat night.
- Day 5: Drive south to Varkala (about 3 hours); sunset from the North Cliff.
- Day 6: Beach morning; Jatayu Earth's Centre or Ponnumthuruthu island in the afternoon.
- Day 7: Padmanabhaswamy Temple darshan in Thiruvananthapuram (dress code), then fly to Mumbai.
All three plans can be stretched or shortened. Your car and driver stay with you throughout, so stops, start times and hotel choices follow your family's pace.
Monsoon timing for Mumbai travellers
Mumbai and Kerala share the same south-west monsoon, but Kerala gets it first. The rains usually reach the Kerala coast around 1 June, roughly ten days before they set in over Mumbai, and they ease in Kerala a little earlier in September. That timing shapes a few sensible choices:
- Last week of May: the final window for a dry Kerala trip before the vacation ends. Pre-monsoon showers are common, so keep the houseboat day flexible.
- June to August: heavy rain, very green hills, quiet roads and the lowest hotel rates – 25–40% below winter. Kerala's traditional Karkidakam season (mid-July to mid-August) is considered the best time for Ayurveda treatment, and resorts run special programmes.
- Flights in the monsoon: heavy Mumbai rain causes more delays than Kerala rain does. Choose a midday flight with a buffer rather than the last flight of the night.
- Houseboats in the rain: cruising continues on most days, but the Alleppey port authorities can stop boats in rough weather. We keep a Kumarakom resort on standby when warnings are issued.
- September: the best-value month. The rain is thinning, waterfalls are full, Onam celebrations have just finished, and Munnar is clear.
- After Ganesh Chaturthi: many Mumbai families travel in the two or three weeks after visarjan, when Kerala is fresh and prices have not yet climbed for Diwali.
Maharashtra school holidays and Kerala
- Summer vacation (early May to mid-June): the peak time for Mumbai families. The coast is hot, so build the trip around Munnar and Thekkady and keep one houseboat night. Book eight weeks ahead for Munnar resorts with family rooms.
- Diwali vacation: Lakshmi Pujan is on 8 November in 2026, and most Maharashtra schools break for about two weeks. Kerala is past its October showers by then, and this is one of the busiest weeks for Mumbai–Kochi flights.
- Christmas and New Year: perfect weather and the highest prices. Fort Kochi's Cochin Carnival around New Year is worth seeing; hotels near the beach go first.
- Long weekends: Republic Day, Holi, Gudi Padwa and Independence Day weekends are long enough for the 3-night backwaters plan above when combined with one day of leave.
- Board exam years: families with Class 10 or 12 students often travel straight after the March exams, when Munnar is still cool and rates are moderate.
Kerala weather and prices by month (from Mumbai)
| Month | Kerala weather | Suits | Price level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Dry; Munnar nights can drop near 5–8°C | All routes, couples | High |
| February | Dry and clear | Honeymoons, seniors | High |
| March | Warm coast, cool hills | Post-exam family trips | Medium |
| April | Humid coast; Vishu festival mid-April | Munnar and Thekkady | Medium |
| May | Hot, pre-monsoon showers late in the month | Maharashtra summer vacation | Medium-high |
| June | Monsoon onset; heavy rain | Ayurveda, rain lovers | Low |
| July | Peak rain; Karkidakam Ayurveda season | Treatment-focused stays | Lowest |
| August | Rain easing; Nehru Trophy boat race in Alleppey | Culture, backwaters | Low |
| September | Green and clearing; Onam season | Post-Ganeshotsav breaks | Medium-low |
| October | Short afternoon showers | Navratri and pre-Diwali trips | Medium |
| November | Dry season begins | Diwali vacation from Mumbai | High in Diwali week |
| December | Dry and pleasant | Christmas, Cochin Carnival | Peak from 20 December |
Food and practical tips for travellers from Mumbai
Vegetarian, Jain and non-veg households
Mumbai travellers adapt to Kerala food more easily than most, because the Konkan and Kerala coasts share coconut, rice and fish as everyday staples. Non-vegetarian families who love Malvani food usually enjoy Kerala's meen curry, karimeen pollichathu and Malabar biryani. Vegetarians eat well too: the Onam-style sadya on a banana leaf is entirely vegetarian, and appam with vegetable stew, idiyappam and puttu make good breakfasts. Udupi-style restaurants that will feel familiar from Matunga are found in Kochi and most towns.
For Gujarati and Marwari families from Mumbai, Kochi has pure-veg North Indian and Gujarati restaurants, and hotels in Munnar and Kumarakom cook Jain meals with notice. Coconut oil is the default cooking medium – if anyone prefers sunflower oil or ghee, we tell the hotels and the houseboat cook in writing. Fasting families should carry sabudana and rajgira; they are hard to find outside Kochi.
Practical tips
- Train food: pantry meals on the Konkan route are basic. Pack theplas, poli-bhaji or sandwiches for the first day; Madgaon and Mangaluru stations have decent snack stalls.
- Clothes: Mumbai summer clothing works on the coast, but Munnar needs a sweater from November to February. Carry a light raincoat in every month.
- Temples: Padmanabhaswamy and Guruvayur require a dhoti or mundu for men and a saree or salwar for women.
- Money: UPI works almost everywhere; keep some cash for boat rides, the Munnar jeeps and small tea stalls.
- Networks: Mumbai SIMs roam normally in Kerala, but signal fades on the Munnar ghats and in the backwater canals.
- Seasickness: houseboats are very stable; the winding Munnar road is the bigger issue. Carry medicine for children.
Why Mumbai families book Kerala with Vibrant Holidays
- Planned remotely, properly: our team in Ahmedabad plans your trip on WhatsApp and phone. There is no Mumbai office, and you never need one – day-wise plan, hotel vouchers and invoice arrive as PDFs.
- Air or rail, one itinerary: we book Mumbai or Navi Mumbai flights or Konkan Railway tickets with the package, so pick-up times match your arrival.
- Private trip, private car: no shared coach and no fixed calendar; extended families travel as a private group on their own dates.
- Real prices: packages on this page show live rates, and extras are listed with estimates before you pay.
- In business 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.
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Get a Free Quote WhatsApp 9089090790Kerala tour from Mumbai: FAQs
How much does a Kerala tour package from Mumbai 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.
How long is the flight from Mumbai to Kochi?
A non-stop Mumbai to Kochi flight takes about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours. Several airlines fly the route every day from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International, and flights also operate from the new Navi Mumbai airport. Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai to Kozhikode are also non-stop, at about 2 hours.
Can I fly to Kerala from Navi Mumbai airport?
Yes. Navi Mumbai International Airport began commercial flights on 25 December 2025, and Kochi is among the domestic routes airlines have added from it. It suits travellers from Panvel, Kharghar, Vashi and Belapur. Schedules from the new airport are still expanding, so we compare fares and timings at both Mumbai airports before booking.
Which train is best from Mumbai to Kerala?
The Netravati Express runs daily from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, with stops at Thane and Panvel, and reaches Ernakulam about 25 hours later before continuing to Thiruvananthapuram. The LTT–Ernakulam Duronto is faster at about 22 hours but runs only on some days. Both use the Konkan Railway, one of India's most scenic lines.
Is a 3-night Kerala trip from Mumbai worth it?
Yes, because the flight is only two hours. Take an evening flight to Kochi, spend a night in Fort Kochi, a night on an Alleppey houseboat and a night at a Kumarakom lake resort, and fly back on the fourth afternoon. Munnar needs at least one more night, as the drive is about four hours each way.
Should Mumbai travellers avoid Kerala in the monsoon?
Not necessarily. June to August brings heavy rain, but the hills are at their greenest, hotels are 25 to 40 per cent cheaper and the Karkidakam season is ideal for Ayurveda. Sightseeing is slower and some boat rides may stop on rough days. Avoid the monsoon if your priority is the beach.
What is the cheapest way to go from Mumbai to Kerala?
For a large family, the train is usually cheapest: a 3AC berth to Ernakulam costs roughly ₹1,900 to ₹2,600 per person. For two people, an advance Mumbai–Kochi flight can cost about the same once you count the extra day. Avoid booking flights for May, Diwali and late December at the last minute.
When should Mumbai families book Kerala for the May vacation?
Book by mid-March. Family rooms in Munnar resorts and two-bedroom houseboats are limited, and Mumbai–Kochi fares rise sharply in May. With Maharashtra schools closing in early May, the first three weeks of the month are the busiest; travelling in the last week of May is cheaper but brings pre-monsoon showers.
Is Kerala good for a Diwali trip from Mumbai?
Yes. By early November the north-east monsoon showers are fading, Munnar is clear and the backwaters are calm. Diwali falls on 8 November in 2026, which makes that week one of the busiest for Mumbai–Kochi flights, so book six to eight weeks ahead and consider travelling a few days after the festival.
Will Jain and pure-veg food be available in Kerala?
Yes. Kerala's sadya and breakfast dishes such as appam with stew are vegetarian, and Kochi has Gujarati and North Indian pure-veg restaurants. Hotels in Munnar and Kumarakom cook Jain meals with notice. We write your preference, including oil type, on every hotel and houseboat voucher.
Can we take the train one way and fly back?
Yes, and it is a popular choice from Mumbai. Take the Netravati Express down the Konkan coast, start sightseeing in Kochi, and fly home from Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram at the end. It saves a second long journey while keeping the view. We book the train, flight and hotels on one itinerary.
How many days do we need for Munnar, Thekkady and Alleppey from Mumbai?
Five nights is comfortable: two in Munnar, one in Thekkady, one on a houseboat or in Kumarakom, and one in Kochi before the flight back to Mumbai. With four nights, drop Thekkady. With six or seven, add Varkala or Kovalam and fly home from Thiruvananthapuram.
