Alleppey 2 Days 2 Nights Package
Sharing houseboat · Hotel in town
A night on the backwaters, a canoe through the village canals, and a day south for palpayasam, a palace and the sea.
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Alleppey package2D / 2N
Check availabilityWhy this package
The Alleppey most packages drive past.
The canals houseboats can't reach
The houseboat stops at Kainakary, and a canoe takes you into village canals too narrow for any houseboat. Most packages we compared never leave the big boat.
Lunch where Alleppey eats
A toddy shop near Ambalappuzha, with karimeen, kappa and fish curry. The food is included. The toddy is optional, for over-23s only, and paid separately.
A day planned around opening hours
Ambalappuzha at noon for the palpayasam, Krishnapuram Palace in the afternoon, never on its Monday closing day, and back for the sunset.
Everything in writing
What's included, what isn't, when the boat anchors and how payment works, all on this page before you book.
Itinerary
Day by day.
Times are a guide; the houseboat times are fixed.
Day 1 · Backwaters and the houseboat
11:30 AM
Meet at Punnamada Finishing Point
Make your way to the Finishing Point jetty on Punnamada Lake, about 6.6 km from Alappuzha railway station. It is not the State Water Transport ferry jetty in town.
12:00 PM
Board the sharing houseboat
A welcome drink, then your own AC bedroom for the night. Lunch is served on board as the boat heads out across Punnamada and Vembanad, India's longest lake.
Afternoon
Paddy fields below sea level
The boat passes R Block and C Block, rice fields farmed 1.2 to 3 metres below sea level behind mud dykes. Kuttanad has been a FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System since 2013.
Afternoon
Kainakary: village walk and canoe
Step off at Kainakary, a village ringed by water where the boat jetty is the centre of daily life. Walk the village, see coir being made, then take a canoe through canals too narrow for a houseboat.
5:30 PM
Anchor for the night
Houseboats don't cruise after dark. The boat moors near Kuppapuram until 8:00 AM. Evening tea and snacks, then dinner on board.
Day 2 · Temple, palace and the sea
8:00 AM
Breakfast on the move
The boat cruises back past Meenapally Kayal and Pallathuruthy while breakfast is served.
9:00 AM
Check out, then the speedboat
Step off at Punnamada and onto a speedboat from the same jetty, for a fast run across the lake where the Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held every August.
10:00 AM
Drive south to Ambalappuzha
Your cab and driver for the day. Ambalappuzha is 14 km south of Alleppey, about 40 minutes from the jetty. Your bags ride with you.
10:45 AM
Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple
Darshan before the temple closes for the afternoon, then the palpayasam counter around noon. Arriving mid-morning gives you time for the queue.
12:45 PM
Toddy shop lunch
A kallu shappu near Ambalappuzha. Expect karimeen (pearl spot) fry, kappa (tapioca) with fish curry, and duck. Food included; toddy for over-23s, paid separately.
2:00 PM
Drive to Krishnapuram, Kayamkulam
About 33 km further south on NH66, roughly an hour.
3:00 PM
Krishnapuram Palace
A Travancore palace believed to date from the reign of Marthanda Varma (1729–1758), now a museum. Look for the Gajendra Moksham mural, one of the largest murals in Kerala.
4:00 PM
Back north to Alleppey
About 47 km, 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic on NH66.
5:30 PM
Alleppey Beach at sunset
The ruins of the old pier, and the lighthouse first lit in 1862. From November to January the sun sets around 6:00 PM.
6:30 PM
Check in at your hotel
Night 2 in a hotel in Alleppey town. Dinner tonight is on your own.
Next morning
Check out at the hotel's usual time and head on. Cochin International Airport is about 83 km away, around 2 hours by road; Alappuzha railway station is in town.
Highlights
Seven things you'll do.
Day 1, afternoon
Canal canoe at Kainakary
Kainakary is a small island village, and its boat jetty is where the day's news gets passed around. Houseboats stay on the wide water; the canoe slips into the side canals, past homes, washing steps and coir work.
Day 1
A night on the houseboat
Your own AC bedroom on a sharing houseboat, with every meal on board: welcome drink, lunch, evening tea and snacks, dinner and breakfast. The boat anchors from 5:30 PM to 8:00 AM.
Day 2, 9:00 AM
Speedboat on Punnamada Lake
A fast run across the lake that hosts the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. Kerala law requires every boat to carry a life jacket for each person on board.
Day 2, late morning
Ambalappuzha temple and palpayasam
Built between the 15th and 17th centuries, and where Guruvayur's idol was kept safe during Tipu Sultan's raids in 1789. Legend says Krishna, as a sage, beat the king at chess, and the debt is still paid in payasam.
Day 2, 12:45 PM
Toddy shop lunch
A kallu shappu is a toddy shop licensed by the state excise department, serving coconut toddy alongside Kuttanad cooking: fish, duck and tapioca. Come for the food; nobody has to drink.
Day 2, 3:00 PM
Krishnapuram Palace
A two-storey palace in the Kerala style, with gabled roofs, narrow corridors and dormer windows. The museum holds coins, bronzes, stone inscriptions and a Bible written in Sanskrit.
Day 2, 5:30 PM
Alleppey Beach at sunset
The pier dates from the port's 19th-century heyday and now stands in ruins. The lighthouse behind the beach, commissioned in 1862, is 28 metres tall.
What you pay for
Included, and not.
Included
- Night 1 on a sharing houseboat: your own AC bedroom, the deck and dining area shared
- All houseboat meals: welcome drink, lunch, evening tea and snacks, dinner and breakfast
- Drinking water on the houseboat
- Village walk and canoe ride at Kainakary
- Speedboat ride from Punnamada
- Cab with driver for all of day 2
- Toddy shop lunch on day 2 (food)
- Night 2 in a hotel in Alleppey town
More about the sharing houseboat.
Not included
- Travel to Alleppey and the jetty
- Toddy and any other drinks
- Palpayasam and other temple offerings
- Krishnapuram Palace entry and camera tickets
- Dinner on day 2 and breakfast at the hotel
- Tips and personal expenses
Price
How the price works.
Your price
- Priced per person, for your dates. Weekend and festival nights on the houseboat cost more.
- On the houseboat, each bedroom includes 2 guests and takes up to 4. Extra guests are charged per person.
- So 2 people take 1 bedroom, 4 take 2 and 6 take 3, or fewer bedrooms with extra guests.
- Children under 5 stay free on the houseboat. From 5 they count as an extra guest.
Paying and cancelling
- Pay 25% to reserve. Your booking is confirmed once the advance is paid and we send written confirmation.
- Pay the balance at houseboat check-in.
- Our standard terms: cancel 30 days or more before arrival for a full refund, 7 to 29 days for 50%, under 7 days for none. Service fees aren't refundable. The terms for your booking are stated before you pay.
Read the full booking terms.
Good to know
Before you go.
Temple dress code
Men take their shirt off before going in, and a mundu or dhoti is the norm. Women wear a saree or a salwar kameez. Footwear stays outside.
Non-Hindu guests
Temples run by the Travancore Devaswom Board have traditionally restricted entry for non-Hindus. If anyone in your group isn't Hindu, tell us when you book and we'll check the current rule.
Start any day but Sunday
Krishnapuram Palace is closed on Mondays, and day 2 includes the palace, so the package can't start on a Sunday.
Who the houseboat is for
Sharing houseboats take couples and families. Male-only groups aren't accepted, and there's at most one solo male traveller per boat.
The toddy shop
Families come for the food. The legal drinking age in Kerala is 23, so toddy is for over-23s only. Tell us if you'd rather not stop.
Best time to go
November to February is cool and dry. March to May is hot, around 33°C by day. June is the wettest month; rain continues through October.
What to pack
Light cotton clothes, a mundu or saree for the temple, sandals that come off easily, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent for the evening on the boat.
Getting there
Meet us at Punnamada.
Day 1 starts at Punnamada Finishing Point jetty at 11:30 AM. Directions to the boarding point.
From Cochin International Airport
About 83 km, around 2 hours by road to Punnamada. Land by 9:00 AM to make the 11:30 AM meeting time.
From Alappuzha railway station
About 6.6 km to Punnamada Finishing Point. From the KSRTC bus stand it's about 2.5 km. An auto-rickshaw is the easy way.
From Kochi city
About 55 km by road. Direct trains from Ernakulam Junction take about 50 minutes.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
How much does the Alleppey 2 days 2 nights package cost?
It's priced per person and depends on your dates, because weekend and festival nights on the houseboat cost more. Send us your dates and group size on WhatsApp and we'll give you the exact price. Children under 5 stay free on the houseboat.
Is the houseboat safe for kids?
Sharing houseboats are for couples and families, and children under 5 stay free. Every boat in Kerala must carry a life jacket for each person on board, and the boat is anchored from 5:30 PM to 8:00 AM. Keep small children with you on the open deck.
Is the AC on all night?
Your bedroom on the houseboat is air-conditioned. AC hours can differ from boat to boat, so we confirm them for your boat on WhatsApp before you pay.
Can we skip the toddy shop?
Yes. Nobody has to drink, and most people come for the food. Toddy is only for guests aged 23 and over and is paid separately. If you'd rather not stop at all, tell us when you book.
Can a group of friends book this package?
Couples and families can. Sharing houseboats don't accept male-only groups and take at most one solo male traveller per boat. Ask us about a private houseboat instead.
Which day can we start?
Any day except Sunday. Day 2 includes Krishnapuram Palace, which is closed on Mondays.
How do we get the Ambalappuzha palpayasam?
It's sold at the temple counter around noon, after the noon offering, first come first served. We reach the temple mid-morning so you have time for darshan and the queue. The payasam itself isn't included in the package price.
Is it okay to go in the monsoon?
Yes, if you don't mind rain. June to September is monsoon, with June the wettest month, and showers continue through October. Houseboats run through the season, but heavy rain can cut short the canoe ride and the beach sunset.
Where do we meet, and how do we get there?
At Punnamada Finishing Point jetty at 11:30 AM on day 1. It's about 6.6 km from Alappuzha railway station and about 83 km, roughly 2 hours, from Cochin International Airport. Getting to the jetty isn't included.
How do we book?
Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and group size. We check availability and send you the price. Pay 25% to reserve, and the balance at houseboat check-in.
Check your dates.
Send us your dates and group size. We check availability on the houseboat and the hotel, and reply with your price.