Kerala Tour Packages from Pune
A short night flight from Lohegaon or a train through the Konkan ghats – Kerala holidays for Pune families, couples and IT teams, planned around Diwali, May vacation and long weekends.
Pune has a peculiar advantage and a peculiar catch when it comes to Kerala. The advantage: Kochi is only about an hour and three-quarters away by air, and there are two railway routes south – one down the Konkan coast and one across the Deccan through Solapur and Coimbatore. The catch: the non-stop flights from Pune airport at Lohegaon have mostly run late at night, landing in Kochi in the small hours. A good Kerala plan from Pune starts by deciding how to handle that arrival, because it decides whether day one is wasted or useful.
This page is written for travellers leaving from Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the surrounding towns. It gives indicative package prices, a frank comparison of the night flight, a daytime connection, the Mumbai-airport option and the two trains, three itineraries designed around those arrival times, a calendar built on Pune's school and office holidays, and food notes for Maharashtrian vegetarian and non-vegetarian households. Your trip is planned by our team in Ahmedabad and booked on WhatsApp or phone; there is no Pune office. Every holiday is private – your own car and driver in Kerala, your own dates – and the packages listed further down 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 Pune.
Kerala trip cost from Pune: 2026 price bands
Kerala packages on our site begin at ₹15,500 per person today, with 24 itineraries live. Use the bands below as a yardstick, not a quote. They are indicative per-person ranges for two adults sharing a room, and they cover hotels with breakfast, a private air-conditioned car with driver from pick-up to drop, one houseboat night with all meals where listed, and GST. Travel between Pune and Kerala is not included.
| Route and length | Value hotels (3-star) | Upgraded (4-star / resorts) | Top-end (5-star / premium boat) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 nights: Munnar 2, houseboat 1, Kochi 1 | ₹15,000 – 19,500 | ₹21,000 – 27,500 | ₹34,000 – 49,000 |
| 5 nights: Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kochi | ₹18,500 – 24,000 | ₹25,500 – 33,500 | ₹42,000 – 63,000 |
| 6 nights: adds Marari or Varkala beach | ₹22,500 – 28,500 | ₹30,500 – 40,000 | ₹51,000 – 77,000 |
| 7 nights: Athirappilly, hills, backwaters, Kovalam | ₹26,500 – 34,000 | ₹36,000 – 47,000 | ₹61,000 – 94,000 |
Getting there from Pune, what to budget: a return non-stop Pune–Kochi ticket typically costs ₹7,500 to ₹14,000 per person when booked a month or so out. Expect ₹16,000 or more around Diwali, the May vacation and Christmas week. A 3AC berth on either Pune–Kerala train usually comes to roughly ₹2,000–2,700 one way, which makes the train attractive for a family of four or more.
Paid separately on the ground: Eravikulam and Periyar entry and boat tickets, cultural show seats, the Kolukkumalai jeep, extra Ayurveda sessions, lunches and dinners off the houseboat, and tips. We write an estimate for each into your quote. If you add an early-check-in night for a 3 am landing, that also shows as a separate line – it is worth paying for.
Pune to Kerala: night flights, daytime connections and two railway routes
Flying from Pune airport (PNQ, Lohegaon)
- Non-stop to Kochi (COK): IndiGo and Air India Express have been flying the route non-stop, about 1 hour 45 minutes. In the current schedules both departures are after midnight and land in Kochi between roughly 2.30 and 3.30 am. Timings change with each season, so we confirm them on your dates.
- Daytime alternative: a one-stop routing via Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Mumbai leaves Pune in the morning and reaches Kochi by early afternoon, 4–6 hours door to door. It costs a little more but saves a disturbed night – worth it with grandparents or small children.
- Thiruvananthapuram (TRV): generally one-stop from Pune. We use it as the exit airport when your trip ends at Kovalam or Varkala.
- Using Mumbai airport: Mumbai has many daytime non-stops to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. For Pune residents near the expressway, a 3–3½ hour cab to Mumbai can make sense on dates when Pune fares spike. We price both before you decide.
The two trains from Pune Junction
| Train | Route | Leaves Pune | Reaches Kerala | Time on board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pune–Ernakulam Superfast (22150) | Panvel, then the Konkan Railway via Ratnagiri, Madgaon and Mangaluru | About 6.45 pm, twice a week | Ernakulam Jn about 10 pm the next day | About 27 hours |
| Kanyakumari Express (16381) | Inland via Solapur, Salem, Coimbatore and Palakkad | About 11.20 pm, daily | Thrissur about 2.30 am, Ernakulam Town about 3.45 am on day three | About 28½ hours to Ernakulam |
The Konkan train is the scenic choice – rivers, tunnels and Goa's fields in daylight – and it arrives at a sensible hour for a hotel check-in. The Kanyakumari Express runs every day, which helps with dates, but it reaches Kerala in the middle of the night and continues to Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram in the morning. Times are as published in late 2026 and shift with timetable revisions and the Konkan monsoon schedule; we recheck at booking.
Can you drive from Pune?
It is roughly 1,150–1,250 km to Kochi either via Kolhapur, Belagavi and the coast or via Bengaluru and Salem – two long days of driving each way. Self-drive families sometimes do it as a road trip with a night in Goa or Gokarna, but for a 5–6 night holiday we recommend flying or the train and using our Kerala car and driver once you arrive.
Three Kerala plans built around Pune arrival times
Plan A – 5 nights, night flight in, daytime out
For couples and families with older children who are fine with a late night.
- Night before day 1: leave Pune on the post-midnight flight; our driver meets you at Kochi arrivals around 3 am. Sleep in an airport-area hotel booked from the previous night, so the room is ready on landing.
- Day 1: late breakfast, then an easy afternoon at Athirappilly and Vazhachal falls (about 1 hour from the airport). Back to the same hotel.
- Day 2: drive up to Munnar via Adimali; spice-shop and tea-factory stops on the way. Sunset at Pothamedu viewpoint.
- Day 3: Eravikulam National Park (closed for calving roughly February–March), Mattupetty, the tea museum and Kundala Lake.
- Day 4: drive to Alleppey by noon and board a private houseboat; cruise till anchoring in the evening.
- Day 5: drive to Fort Kochi; Mattancherry, the fishing nets and a Kathakali show.
- Day 6: one-stop daytime flight back to Pune, or stay out till the night non-stop.
Plan B – 6 nights, Konkan train down, fly home
- Day 1: evening departure from Pune Junction on the Ernakulam Superfast; dinner packed from home.
- Day 2: the full Konkan stretch in daylight; reach Ernakulam around 10 pm and transfer to a hotel near the station.
- Day 3: leisurely start; drive to Thekkady. Spice plantation tour in the afternoon.
- Day 4: Periyar boat ride or a bamboo-rafting trek, then on to Munnar in the afternoon.
- Day 5: Top Station and a tea-estate walk in Munnar.
- Day 6: down to Kumarakom for a lake-resort night with a sunset canoe ride instead of a houseboat – good for anyone uneasy sleeping on water.
- Day 7: Kochi sightseeing, then the flight to Pune.
Plan C – 4 nights, beaches and backwaters for couples
- Day 1: morning one-stop flight from Pune to Kochi; drive 1½ hours to a beach resort at Marari.
- Day 2: cycle through the fishing village, Ayurveda massage, beach evening.
- Day 3: 30-minute transfer to the Alleppey jetty; private houseboat with a candle-light dinner on deck.
- Day 4: drive south to Varkala; cliff-top café sunset.
- Day 5: fly from Thiruvananthapuram back to Pune (one-stop).
Any of these can be swapped around. The driver stays with you all through, so if a Pune family wants a slower morning after the night flight or the train, the plan bends to fit.
Fitting Kerala into the Pune calendar
Most Pune bookings fall into five windows. Each one suits a slightly different version of Kerala.
- Diwali break (November 2026): Lakshmi Pujan is on 8 November this year. Pune schools usually close for around two weeks, and Kerala is drying out after the north-east showers. Pune–Kochi seats for the Saturday and Sunday either side of Diwali go first; travelling midweek saves money.
- Christmas to New Year: top weather and top prices. If you can only travel then, choose Munnar and Thekkady over Fort Kochi, where hotel rates peak around the Cochin Carnival.
- After the March exams and in April: SSC and HSC families often leave as soon as papers end. The coast is getting hot, so keep two nights in Munnar.
- May vacation: the busiest family month. Build the trip around the hills, keep one houseboat night, and book Munnar family rooms by mid-March.
- Ganeshotsav aftermath and IT long weekends: many Pune professionals in Hinjewadi, Kharadi and Magarpatta take a Kerala break right after Ganpati visarjan in September, when hills are green and rates are low. A four-night plan with one day of leave fits most long weekends.
Rule of thumb for Pune: book six to eight weeks ahead for Diwali, Christmas and May; three to four weeks is enough the rest of the year.
Month-by-month Kerala guide for Pune travellers
| Month | Rain in Kerala | Hills (Munnar) | Backwaters and beaches | Pune fares and hotel rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Almost none | Cold nights, clear days | Ideal | High in the first week |
| Feb | Almost none | Clear; Eravikulam may close for calving | Ideal | High |
| Mar | Rare | Mild | Getting warm | Moderate; post-exam demand |
| Apr | Thunder showers | Pleasant escape | Hot and sticky | Moderate |
| May | Pre-monsoon late in month | Busy with vacationers | Hot | Rising; book early |
| Jun | Monsoon sets in | Misty, slippery trails | Rough days possible | Low |
| Jul | Heaviest | Waterfalls at full flow | Ayurveda season | Lowest |
| Aug | Easing | Green | Boat races in Alleppey | Low |
| Sep | Light | Lush and clear | Good | Good value after Ganpati |
| Oct | Afternoon showers | Good | Good | Moderate |
| Nov | Tapering | Good | Very good | Peak in Diwali week |
| Dec | Dry | Chilly mornings | Ideal | Highest after 20 Dec |
Maharashtrian food in Kerala, and other tips from Pune
What Pune families usually ask about food
Kerala cooking is rice-and-coconut based, which is closer to Konkan food than to the jowar-bhakri-and-varan meals of a Pune home. Vegetarians do well: breakfast of appam with vegetable stew, puttu with kadala curry or plain dosa, and lunch of a banana-leaf meal with sambar, avial, thoran and payasam. What is harder to find outside Kochi is chapati with a dry sabzi at dinner – tell us, and we ask each hotel and the houseboat cook to make it.
- Rice: local restaurants serve Kerala matta (red, parboiled) rice by default. If the family prefers white rice like at home, ask; most hotels keep it.
- Oil and spice: coconut oil is standard. We note sunflower oil or ghee on the vouchers if you prefer it. Spice levels are moderate – those who love a Kolhapuri kick should carry thecha or a chutney.
- Fasting days: for Ekadashi or Sankashti, carry sabudana, shengdana and rajgira; they are rarely stocked in hill towns. Fruit and tender coconut are everywhere.
- Jain and pure-veg: Kochi has North Indian and Gujarati vegetarian restaurants; Munnar resorts manage Jain food with notice. We put the requirement in writing.
- Non-veg: fish curry with tapioca, prawn roast and Malabar chicken are worth trying; houseboat cooks will buy karimeen or prawns at a village stop if you ask.
Packing and travel tips
- After the Pune winter, Munnar will not surprise you – a light sweater is enough from November to February. Keep a compact umbrella for any month.
- For a 3 am landing at Kochi, carry a change of clothes in hand luggage and a neck pillow; airport-area hotels are 10–20 minutes away.
- On the trains, pantry food is basic. Pack poha, thalipeeth or sandwiches for the first meal and buy fruit at Madgaon or Coimbatore.
- Temples at Guruvayur and Thiruvananthapuram insist on traditional dress; carry a dhoti or saree if a darshan is on the plan.
- UPI works widely, but keep some cash for jeep drivers and village shops.
Why book your Kerala trip from Pune with Vibrant Holidays
- Arrival-time planning: we build your first night around the Pune flight or train you actually take – early check-in for a 3 am landing, a station-side hotel for a 10 pm train arrival.
- Remote but responsive: trips are planned by our team in Ahmedabad and booked on WhatsApp or phone. You receive the day plan, vouchers and invoice as PDFs; there is no Pune office to visit, and you will not need one.
- Private by default: your own car and driver, your own dates. Several Pune families can travel together as a private group, with a Tempo Traveller and a multi-bedroom houseboat.
- Honest pricing: live package prices on this page; every extra listed before you pay.
- Since 2015: IATA-accredited; member of TAAI, TAFI, ADTOI and IATO; recognised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. 24x7 support while you travel; office open Monday to Saturday.
Browse all Kerala packages, family holidays and other trips from Pune, or compare with a shorter beach break on our Goa from Pune page.
Plan your Kerala trip from Pune
Tell us your dates, budget and who is travelling. We reply with a day-wise plan and a clear price, usually the same day.
Get a Free Quote WhatsApp 9089090790Kerala tour from Pune: FAQs
How much does a Kerala tour package from Pune 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.
Is there a direct flight from Pune to Kochi?
Yes. IndiGo and Air India Express have operated non-stop Pune to Kochi flights of about 1 hour 45 minutes. In recent schedules both leave Pune after midnight and land in Kochi in the early morning. If you prefer to travel by day, a one-stop routing via Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Mumbai takes about four to six hours.
Are there non-stop flights from Pune to Thiruvananthapuram?
Generally not; most Pune to Thiruvananthapuram itineraries connect via Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi. That is why we usually fly Pune families into Kochi and, on longer trips that end at Kovalam or Varkala, out of Thiruvananthapuram on a one-stop ticket so there is no backtracking by road.
Which train should we take from Pune to Kerala?
For scenery and a sensible arrival time, the Pune–Ernakulam Superfast via the Konkan Railway, about 27 hours, twice a week. For flexible dates, the daily Kanyakumari Express via Solapur and Coimbatore, which reaches Thrissur and Ernakulam Town in the early hours of the third day. We recheck timings when booking.
How do we manage a 3 am arrival in Kochi?
We book your airport-area hotel from the previous night so the room is ready the moment you land, and the driver waits at arrivals. Day one then becomes a rest morning and a short outing to Athirappilly falls, and the long drive to Munnar happens on day two when everyone is fresh.
Is it worth flying from Mumbai instead of Pune?
Sometimes. Mumbai has many daytime non-stops to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and in peak weeks its fares can be lower. Add a three to three-and-a-half hour cab ride and its cost, then compare. We price both options for your dates; for most Pune families the Pune flight still wins once the transfer is included.
When should Pune families book Kerala for Diwali?
Six to eight weeks before. Diwali falls on 8 November in 2026, school holidays run for about two weeks, and the Pune to Kochi flights on the weekends around the festival fill early. Midweek departures and good Munnar rooms are easier to get if you lock dates by mid-September.
Can we drive from Pune to Kerala?
You can, but it is about 1,150 to 1,250 km to Kochi, which means two full days of driving each way. It works as a road trip with stops in Goa or Gokarna. For a five- or six-night Kerala holiday, flying or taking the train and using a Kerala-registered car with driver is far more relaxing.
Will Maharashtrian vegetarians find suitable food in Kerala?
Yes. Vegetarian sadya meals, dosas, appam with stew and fresh fruit are available everywhere. Chapati and North Indian-style sabzi are easy in Kochi and at bigger hotels, and we ask hill resorts and the houseboat cook to make them at dinner. Carry fasting staples such as sabudana if you observe Ekadashi.
How many nights are right for Kerala from Pune?
Five nights covers Munnar, Thekkady, a houseboat and Kochi without rushing. Four nights is enough for Munnar and the backwaters, or for a couples trip to Marari and Varkala. Add a night if you take the train either way, or if you land on the post-midnight flight and want a proper rest.
Is Kerala a good option for a long weekend from Pune?
Yes, with one day of leave. Fly on the night flight, rest, and do a three- or four-night loop of Alleppey, Kumarakom or Marari and Fort Kochi, skipping Munnar, which needs more time. September, after Ganpati, and the Republic Day weekend are popular with Pune IT professionals.
Is the Konkan train comfortable for senior citizens from Pune?
Generally yes in 2AC or 3AC, and many seniors enjoy the daytime views. The journey is long, so we suggest the train one way and a flight back, a lower berth request at booking, and a hotel close to Ernakulam Junction for the first night. Pack light meals, as pantry food is basic.
