4, 5 or 6 Days? How Long Your Kerala Honeymoon Should Be
How many days do you need for a Kerala honeymoon? Compare 4, 5 and 6-day itineraries with routes, driving times and prices per couple.
“How many days do we need for Kerala?” is one of the most common questions we hear from honeymoon couples. Too short and you spend most of the trip in a car. Too long and you may run out of leave or budget. The right length depends on how much you want to see and how much you want to simply relax together.
Here is how 4, 5 and 6-day Kerala honeymoons compare, with a sample itinerary for each.
Quick answer
- 4 days (3 nights): the minimum for a proper Kerala honeymoon. Covers Munnar and a houseboat night.
- 5 days (4 nights): the sweet spot for most couples. Hills, spice country and backwaters without rushing.
- 6 days (5 nights): the complete experience, with a relaxing beach day at the end.
Driving distances in Kerala look short on a map, but hill roads are slow. Kochi to Munnar takes around 4 hours, Munnar to Thekkady around 3 to 4 hours, and Thekkady to Alleppey or Kumarakom around 4 hours. Planning your days around these drives is what separates a relaxing honeymoon from a tiring one.
4-day Kerala honeymoon itinerary
Route: Kochi, Munnar, Alleppey or Kumarakom, Kochi
- Day 1, Kochi to Munnar: pick-up from Kochi airport or railway station. Stop at the Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls on the way. Check in and relax.
- Day 2, Munnar: tea gardens, the tea museum, Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point and a viewpoint at sunset.
- Day 3, Munnar to the backwaters: drive down to Alleppey or Kumarakom and board your private houseboat around noon. Cruise, candlelight dinner and flower-bed decoration.
- Day 4, Kochi: breakfast on board, quick Fort Kochi sightseeing and evening drop at the airport.
Good for: couples with limited leave who still want the two signature Kerala experiences: tea hills and a houseboat. Our 4-day Kerala tree house honeymoon follows this route, with special stay options in Munnar.
The trade-off: two long driving days out of four. Thekkady and the beaches are left out.
5-day Kerala honeymoon itinerary
Route: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey or Kumarakom, Kochi
- Day 1, Kochi to Munnar: arrival and scenic drive with waterfall stops.
- Day 2, Munnar: a full, unhurried day of sightseeing, or a lazy morning at your resort followed by afternoon sightseeing.
- Day 3, Munnar to Thekkady: a beautiful drive through cardamom hills. Spice plantation walk and an evening Kathakali or Kalaripayattu show.
- Day 4, Thekkady to the backwaters: morning boat ride on Periyar Lake if you wish, then drive to Alleppey or Kumarakom for your private houseboat night.
- Day 5, Kochi: Fort Kochi and departure.
Good for: most honeymoon couples. You see three very different sides of Kerala and still have downtime every day. This is the route of our 5-day Kerala package, available with standard, deluxe, premium and luxury honeymoon stays.
6-day Kerala honeymoon itinerary
Route: Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey or Kumarakom, Kovalam or Varkala
- Day 1: Kochi to Munnar.
- Day 2: Munnar sightseeing.
- Day 3: Munnar to Thekkady.
- Day 4: Thekkady to Alleppey or Kumarakom, private houseboat night.
- Day 5: drive to Kovalam or Varkala for a beach day, sunset by the sea and a relaxed dinner.
- Day 6: departure from Trivandrum airport, which is closer to the beaches than Kochi.
Good for: couples who want to end the honeymoon slowly, with no long drive on the last morning. See our 6-day Kerala package and the 6-day luxury version with premium resorts.
4 vs 5 vs 6 days compared
| 4 days | 5 days | 6 days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munnar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thekkady | No | Yes | Yes |
| Private houseboat night | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Beach | No | No | Yes |
| Pace | Busy | Balanced | Relaxed |
| Typical price per couple (without flights) | From about ₹35,000 | From about ₹37,000 | From about ₹45,000 |
Want more than 6 days?
With 7 or 8 days, you can add Wayanad in the north, Vagamon’s meadows, an extra night in a Kumarakom lake resort, or two beach nights instead of one. Longer trips also let you add special stays, like a pool villa in Munnar or a treehouse, without feeling rushed.
Tips for planning the right length
- Avoid more than one long drive per day. Kerala is best enjoyed slowly.
- Check your flight times. A late-evening arrival effectively turns a 5-day trip into a 4-day trip.
- If you have to choose between an extra destination and an extra night somewhere you love, choose the extra night.
- Keep the houseboat night towards the end of the trip, when you are rested and ready to enjoy it.
Tell us how many days you have and where you are flying from, and we will suggest the best route for you. Browse all our Kerala honeymoon packages to start.
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.
