Kochi to
Alleppey
"Land at Cochin. We take it from there — all the way to the backwaters and back."
Most travellers landing at Cochin International Airport spend a stressful hour figuring out transport, then arrive in Alleppey having already missed the best of the morning. This package fixes that — your cab is waiting at arrivals, your guide is local, your houseboat or beach resort is already booked, and your two days are planned so nothing is wasted.
Why This Package
The Best Way to Get from Kochi Airport to Alleppey
Cochin International Airport is Kerala's main gateway — the entry point for most international and domestic travellers heading to the backwaters. The problem is that Alleppey is 80 km south, and arriving without a plan means expensive shared cabs, generic hotel bookings made in haste, and a first day wasted on logistics instead of the lake.
This is the only package that starts at the airport gate and ends there too — covering every detail in between.
Zero transport planning
Your cab is pre-arranged at Cochin arrivals. No haggling, no apps, no shared buses. One message with your flight number and it's sorted.
Local guide from day one
Rahul the Guide and team are from Thathampally — the heart of the Nehru Trophy Ward. Every recommendation, every stop, every restaurant is local knowledge, not a brochure.
Houseboat or beach resort — your choice
Most 2-day packages lock you into one stay type. We offer both — sleep on the water on a kettuvallam, or wake up to the Arabian Sea at a beach resort in Alleppey or Mararikulam.
Two full days of real Alleppey
Day 1 is water — kayaking, Shikara, the backwaters. Day 2 is land — temples, museums, the local market, a real taste of Alappuzha life. Nothing is filler.
NIWS certified · safety first
All water activity guides are licensed by the National Institute of Watersports, Goa. Life jackets and full safety briefings on every activity. No experience needed.
Day by Day
Full 2-Day Itinerary
Every element is timed for the best version of each experience — kayaking at first light when the canals are still, the Shikara in the late afternoon when the haze lifts off the lake, temples in the cool of the morning.
Cab pickup — Cochin International Airport
Your driver meets you at the arrivals hall. Share your flight number when booking and we track it. The drive from Cochin Airport to Alleppey takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours through the scenic NH-66 coastal highway — your first glimpse of Kerala's landscape.
Check-in · Kayaking the canals
Settle into your houseboat or beach resort, then head straight to the backwaters. Afternoon kayaking through the narrow village channels of Punnamada — the canals that no houseboat or larger boat can reach. Full safety briefing, life jackets provided, no experience needed.
Premium Shikara ride — Vembanad Lake
Board a traditional wooden Shikara for a glide across Vembanad Lake as the afternoon light softens. Vembanad is Kerala's largest lake — at this hour it is calm, wide, and spectacular. This is the definitive Alleppey experience.
Traditional Kerala dinner · Overnight
Dinner of home-style Kerala food — karimeen (pearl spot fish), rice, coconut curries, proper Kerala meals. Then overnight on the houseboat rocking gently on the backwaters, or at your beach resort with the sound of the Arabian Sea outside.
Mullackal Temple · Sreekrishna Temple
Start Day 2 at Mullackal Rajarajeswari Temple — the spiritual heart of Alleppey, dating back over 1,000 years. Then Sreekrishna Temple in Ambalappuzha, famous throughout Kerala for its Palpayasam offering and its ancient classical art tradition.
Revi Karunakaran Museum · Coir Museum
The Revi Karunakaran Museum houses an extraordinary private collection of glass art, crystal and antiques. The Coir Museum tells the story of Kerala's 2,000-year-old coconut fibre industry — an art form that defines Alleppey's identity as much as the backwaters do.
Tourist Street Mullackal · Local market
Browse Alleppey's famous Tourist Street for spices, coir crafts, handloom, and Kerala souvenirs. Then a walk through the local market — your guide will point out the fish stalls, the toddy shops, and the Alleppey that tourists on houseboats never see.
Cab drop — Cochin International Airport
Direct cab transfer back to Cochin Airport. Drive time approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. We time the departure based on your flight — tell us your departure time when booking and we plan backwards from there.
Everything Covered
What's Included
Everything from airport to airport. Nothing left for you to arrange.
Airport cab pickup
Cochin arrivals → Alleppey
Airport cab drop
Alleppey → Cochin airport
1 night stay
Houseboat or beach resort
Kayaking
Punnamada backwater canals
Premium Shikara
Vembanad Lake
Meals during activities
Traditional Kerala food
Temple sightseeing
Mullackal · Sreekrishna
Museum visits
Revi Karunakaran · Coir
Local market walk
Tourist Street Mullackal
NIWS-certified guide
Throughout both days
Life jackets & safety gear
All water activities
Free photography
Guide assists throughout
Where You Sleep
Houseboat or Beach Resort?
Both options are available. Choose based on what you want to wake up to — still backwater water and paddy fields, or the Arabian Sea.
Houseboat Stay
Sleep on a traditional Kerala kettuvallam — a hand-woven bamboo and teak houseboat anchored in the Vembanad backwaters. Go to sleep with the water lapping at the hull. Wake up to mist rising off the lake, paddy fields stretching to the horizon, and a boatman bringing you chai. This is the original Alleppey experience, and nothing replaces it.
Beach Resort / Hotel
For those who prefer the sea over the lake — a beach resort or hotel at Alleppey beach or Mararikulam puts you steps from the Arabian Sea. Alleppey's beach is quieter than Kerala's other coastal towns, and Mararikulam is one of the state's least-crowded white sand shores. Wake up and walk straight to the water.
Day 1 On the Water
Backwater Activities
Day 1 is built around the backwaters — two activities that show you Alleppey at its two extremes: intimate and vast.
Kayaking
Paddle through the narrow village canals of Punnamada at your own pace. Coconut palms overhead, kingfishers darting across the water, fishermen pulling in nets. No prior experience needed.
Premium Shikara
A traditional wooden Shikara glides you across Vembanad Lake — Kerala's largest. Open, unhurried, spectacular. Late afternoon light on the water makes this the most photographed moment of the trip.
Day 2 On Land
Alleppey Sightseeing
Most people come to Alleppey for the backwaters and never see the town itself. Day 2 fixes that — temples over a thousand years old, one of Kerala's finest private museums, and the local market that feeds the whole district.
Mullackal Rajarajeswari Temple
The spiritual heart of Alappuzha — a Devi temple dedicated to Rajarajeswari, believed to be over 1,000 years old. The presiding deity is the guardian of Alleppey town and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in central Kerala. The temple's annual festival draws thousands from across the state.
Sreekrishna Temple, Ambalappuzha
Famous across Kerala for two things: the Palpayasam (rice pudding) offered daily at the sanctum — legend says it has been offered without break for centuries — and the Krishnanattam classical art tradition that was born here. A deeply sacred and culturally important site close to Alleppey.
Revi Karunakaran Museum
One of India's finest private museums — the personal collection of Alleppey businessman Revi Karunakaran. Extraordinary Venetian glass, Bohemian crystal, Belgian chandeliers, antique ivory and wood carvings assembled over decades. Not what you expect to find in a Kerala backwater town, which is precisely the point.
Coir Museum
Alleppey is the world capital of coir — coconut fibre rope and matting that has been made here for over 2,000 years. The Coir Museum in Alappuzha documents the full story: the retting pits, the spinning wheels, the trading history, and the industry that gave the town its economy long before tourism arrived.
Tourist Street Mullackal & Local Market
Tourist Street is Alleppey's best shopping strip — Kerala spices, handloom, coir craft, coconut shell products, and local condiments to take home. The adjacent local market is the real thing: fish, vegetables, toddy shops, and the unhurried rhythm of a Kerala market town doing its daily work.
Practical Information
Getting from Kochi Airport to Alleppey
Cochin International Airport (COK)
Located in Nedumbassery, approximately 75–85 km northeast of Alleppey (Alappuzha). Serves both international and domestic flights. Kerala's busiest airport and the main entry point for most visitors heading to the backwaters.
Drive time: 1.5 to 2 hours
The route via NH-66 passes through Cherthala and follows the Kerala coastline south to Alappuzha. Traffic is generally light outside Ernakulam city limits. Our driver knows alternate routes to avoid delays.
Share your flight number when booking
WhatsApp us your flight number, arrival time and terminal (domestic or international) when you book. Our driver tracks your flight in real time — if it is delayed, we adjust. You will not be left waiting.
Airport drop is timed to your flight
When booking, tell us your departure flight time. We plan Day 2's sightseeing schedule around it, ensuring you reach Cochin Airport at least 2 hours before departure with time to spare.
Best For
Who Should Book This Package
International travellers landing at Cochin who want a planned, guided Alleppey experience without researching every detail
Domestic flyers with 2 days to explore before continuing their Kerala journey
Couples and honeymooners who want a private, unhurried backwater experience — a houseboat night, a Shikara at dusk, local Kerala food
First-time Kerala visitors who want to see both the backwaters and Alleppey's cultural side in a single trip
Families travelling together who need transport, stay and activities all in one booking — no separate coordination
Photography travellers — the Shikara ride at golden hour on Vembanad, morning mist on the canals, and the houseboat deck at sunset are extraordinary frames
Your Local Guide
Led by Rahul the Guide
Rahul the Guide
Founder & Lead Instructor · Alleppey Kayaking Club
NIWS Certified · National Institute of Watersports, Goa
Rahul grew up on the backwaters of Thathampally — in the Kallupurackal Nehru Trophy Ward, the stretch of Punnamada Lake where the famous snake boat race is held every August. He has been paddling these canals his whole life. The certified part came later — a formal kayaking and lifesaving licence from the National Institute of Watersports in Goa. The local knowledge was always there.
When Rahul guides you through the Punnamada canals, stops to point out a purple swamphen nesting in the reeds, or recommends the fish curry at a particular local restaurant, that is not a scripted tour. It is someone who lives here, showing you where he lives.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Compare Packages
Other Tour Packages
Not arriving by flight? Or only have one day? We have packages for every situation.
Locally Rooted
About Alleppey Kayaking Club
Alleppey Kayaking Club is a family-run tour operator based in Kallupurackal Nehru Trophy Ward, Thathampally, Alappuzha, Kerala — the stretch of Punnamada Lake where the Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held every August. We are not an aggregator. We are not a travel agency. We are local people who paddle these canals every day and have been doing so for years.
Every package is guided directly by Rahul the Guide (Rahul Raj), certified by the National Institute of Watersports (NIWS), Goa. No middlemen, no commission-driven routing, no generic itineraries. You book with us, you go with us.
Ready to Book?
Land at Cochin.
We Do the Rest.
Share your flight number, your travel dates, and your group size. We will confirm availability, send you a price, and handle everything from airport to airport.
Alleppey Kayaking Club · Thathampally, Alappuzha, Kerala