Christmas and New Year Honeymoon in Kerala: Where to Stay and What It Costs
Plan a Christmas or New Year honeymoon in Kerala: best places to stay, a 6-day itinerary, peak season costs and booking tips to avoid overpaying.
Christmas and New Year are among the most romantic times to be in Kerala. The weather is at its best, the hills are cool and misty, the backwaters are calm, and towns like Fort Kochi light up for the festive season. It is also the busiest and most expensive fortnight of the year. If you are planning a honeymoon for late December, this guide covers where to go, what it costs and how to book it without paying more than you need to.
Why Kerala is perfect for a Christmas or New Year honeymoon
- Weather: December is dry and pleasant along the coast, with daytime temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s °C. Munnar and the other hill stations are cool, and nights in Munnar can get properly cold.
- Festive atmosphere: Kerala has a large Christian community, and Christmas is celebrated with stars hung outside homes, midnight mass at historic churches and plum cakes in every bakery.
- New Year in Fort Kochi: the Cochin Carnival runs in the days leading up to New Year, ending with the famous burning of the Pappanji effigy at midnight on Fort Kochi beach.
- Resort celebrations: most good resorts host special Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinners, often with music and decorations.
Where to stay for a festive Kerala honeymoon
Munnar: for a cool, cosy Christmas
Misty tea gardens, crisp evenings and a warm room with a view. Munnar in late December feels the most “Christmassy” of anywhere in Kerala. A valley-view pool villa or a jacuzzi suite here is our most requested honeymoon upgrade for the festive season.
Alleppey or Kumarakom: a quiet houseboat night
If you want to escape the crowds for a night, a private houseboat on the backwaters is ideal. Christmas evening with a candlelight dinner on deck is hard to beat. Book early, as private boats for 24 to 26 December and 30 December to 1 January sell out first.
Fort Kochi: for the New Year countdown
If you want to be part of the celebrations, end your trip in Fort Kochi for New Year’s Eve. The carnival atmosphere, the heritage streets and the beachfront countdown make for a memorable start to the year together.
Varkala or Kovalam: a beach New Year
For couples who would rather welcome the New Year by the sea, the cliffs of Varkala and the beaches of Kovalam have a relaxed festive mood, with beachside cafes and resort parties.
A sample 6-day festive honeymoon itinerary
- Day 1: arrive in Kochi and drive to Munnar.
- Day 2: Munnar sightseeing: tea gardens, Eravikulam National Park (check opening dates, as it closes during the Nilgiri tahr calving season, usually in early spring), Mattupetty and viewpoints. Christmas dinner at your resort.
- Day 3: slow morning, then drive to Thekkady for spice gardens and a boat ride on Periyar Lake.
- Day 4: private houseboat night at Alleppey or Kumarakom, with candlelight dinner and flower-bed decoration.
- Day 5: Fort Kochi heritage walk, Chinese fishing nets at sunset and the New Year countdown.
- Day 6: departure from Kochi airport.
The order can be flipped depending on whether you want Christmas in the hills or New Year in Fort Kochi.
What a Christmas or New Year honeymoon costs
Expect to pay noticeably more than in November or February for the same hotels. Three things push up the price:
- Peak-season room rates: resorts charge their highest rates from roughly 20 December to 5 January.
- Compulsory gala dinners: many resorts add a mandatory Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve gala dinner charge per person. This is often missing from cheaper quotes and appears later as an “extra”.
- Flights: fares to Kochi rise sharply for the holiday weeks, especially from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
Our quotes for festive dates include gala dinner charges where they apply, so the price you see is the price you pay.
How to book a festive honeymoon without overpaying
- Book three to four months ahead. Most of our December couples confirm by September or October. By November, the best pool villas and private houseboats are usually gone.
- Shift your dates slightly. Travelling from 18 to 23 December or from 2 January onwards can save a lot while keeping the festive feel.
- Book flights early. Ask us to quote with flights included and lock them in as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Splurge on one special night. Pick one stay, such as a pool villa or a glass-covered private houseboat, for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, and keep the other nights simpler.
- Ask what’s included. Gala dinners, peak surcharges and houseboat decorations should all be in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kerala crowded during Christmas and New Year?
Popular spots like Munnar, Fort Kochi and Alleppey are busy, especially on 25 December and 31 December. A good itinerary uses early starts and quieter stays to keep it relaxed.
Will it be cold in Munnar in December?
Days are pleasant and nights are cold, sometimes dropping to single digits. Pack a light jacket and something warm for the evenings.
Can you arrange a special celebration?
Yes. We regularly arrange cakes, room decoration, candlelight dinners and couple photoshoots for Christmas and New Year honeymoons.
Planning a December honeymoon? See our Kerala honeymoon packages or the 6-day luxury Kerala package, and send us your dates early to secure the best stays.
Plan your trip with Golden Compass Holidays
Golden Compass Holidays is a Kochi-based travel agency with over 12 years of experience planning Kerala honeymoons, family holidays and tours across India and abroad. We use private houseboats and quality 3-star or better stays, can include flights from your city, and accept card payments. Call +91 80868 00096 or send us an enquiry with your dates and budget, and our team will share a detailed plan.
Sherin Francis is the Managing Director of Golden Compass Holidays, a Kochi-based travel agency she has led since November 2012. She oversees how every Kerala honeymoon, family holiday and India or international tour is planned and priced, and the guides on this site come from the day-to-day work of her team.
