Alleppey Boating: Boat Ride Options and Prices
Alleppey boating comes down to one question: how much time do you have? We book private boats from 2 hours to 21 hours, and each length suits a different boat. A shikara is right for a few hours in the narrow canals. A houseboat is right for a full day or a night on the water.
Every boat ride on this page is private — you book the whole boat for your group — and all of them leave from the jetty at Punnamada Finishing Point in Alleppey.
Compare
Every boat ride we book
- Shikara, 2 hours
- ₹2,000 per boat
- Shikara, 3 hours
- ₹3,000 per boat
- Shikara, 4 hours
- ₹4,000 per boat
- Houseboat day cruise
- 6 hours, 11 AM – 5 PM
- Houseboat overnight
- 21 hours, 12 PM – 9 AM
- Houseboat night stay
- 5:30 PM – 9 AM, moored
Shikara rides: 2 to 4 hours
A shikara is a small covered boat with sofa seating. Because it is narrow, it can enter village canals only about five feet wide, which houseboats cannot reach. The captain and fuel are included in the price.
2 hours — ₹2,000
Village canals, the Nehru Trophy snake boat race track, and the narrow channels of Kuppapuram. The shortest ride we book, for a tight schedule.
3 hours — ₹3,000
The canals of Vilakkumaram and Kainakary, the wooden bridges of Kuttamangalam, then out onto Vembanad Lake for the sunset. Best between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
4 hours — ₹4,000
Deeper into Kuttanad: the C Block paddy fields below sea level, water lilies, and a stop at a village toddy shop. Best at 6:00 AM or 11:30 AM.
More detail is on the shikara price page.
Houseboat day cruise: 6 hours
From 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on a private houseboat with a captain and cook. The route crosses Punnamada and Vembanad Lake and passes the R Block and C Block paddy fields before returning through the island canals. See the houseboat day cruise.
Overnight houseboat: 21 hours
Board at 12:00 PM, cruise all afternoon, moor near a village for the night and cruise back in the morning. Five meals are cooked on board. Prices depend on the boat size and your dates; see the overnight stay.
How to choose
- Two to four hours free: a shikara. It sees more of the small canals per hour than any other boat.
- A whole day free, sleeping elsewhere: the houseboat day cruise.
- You want the evening and the morning on the water: the overnight stay.
- You want the open lake at sunset: the 3-hour shikara, or any houseboat trip.
- You want narrow village canals: a shikara. Houseboats stay in the wider channels.
Many guests combine two: an overnight houseboat one day and a short shikara ride the next, for the canals the big boat cannot reach.
Booking a boat ride
Send your date, preferred time and group size on WhatsApp. A 25% advance holds the boat, and the rest is paid when you board.
FAQ
Boat ride questions, answered.
What is the cheapest boat ride in Alleppey?
Our 2-hour shikara ride at ₹2,000 for the whole boat, including the captain and fuel.
Are the boat rides private?
Yes. Every shikara and houseboat trip is booked for your group only.
Where do the boat rides start?
From the jetty at Punnamada Finishing Point in Alleppey.
What is the best time for a boat ride?
For the sunset over Vembanad Lake, a 3-hour shikara from about 4:00 PM. For quiet canals, early morning.
Tell us how much time you have.
We will suggest the right boat and confirm the price on WhatsApp. 25% advance, balance when you board.