Alleppey Houseboat Day Cruise and 1 Day Rates
An Alleppey houseboat day cruise runs from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You board at the jetty at Punnamada, cruise out across Punnamada and Vembanad Lake, pass the paddy fields of R Block and C Block, wind through the canals around Rani, Chithira and Marthandam, and are back at the jetty by 5:00 PM. The whole boat is yours for those six hours, with a captain and cook on board.
If you searched for Alleppey houseboat rates for 1 day, it helps to know that "one day" means two different things in Alleppey. Some operators mean this 6-hour day cruise. Others mean a 21-hour stay from noon until the next morning. This page covers the day cruise. For the version with a night on board, see the Alleppey houseboat overnight stay.
At a glance
Day cruise in six lines
- Boarding
- 11:00 AM, Punnamada
- Back at the jetty
- 5:00 PM
- Duration
- 6 hours
- Boat
- Private — no other guests
- Crew
- Captain and cook
- Booking
- 25% advance, balance at check-in
Day cruise rates
A day cruise is priced for the whole boat, not per person. The size of boat you need depends on how many are coming: each bedroom counts as space for 2 guests in the base price, and extra guests are charged per head. Children up to 5 years are free. Weekends, festival dates and the Christmas to New Year period cost more than an ordinary weekday.
What is included
- The whole houseboat for six hours, with its captain and cook
- A welcome drink when you board
- Drinking water
Route
Where the day cruise goes
Check-in 11:00 AM · Check-out 05:00 PM (6 Hours)
11:00 AM
Depart from Alleppey
Board at the jetty, welcome drink served
Afternoon
Punnamada Lake & Vembanad Lake
Kerala's largest lake — open water, wide skies
Mid-afternoon
R Block & C Block
Man-made paddy fields from the lake, cultivation below sea level — a rare sight
Late afternoon
Rani · Chithira · Marthandam
Villages, islands and narrow canals winding through coconut groves
Evening · Return
Kainakari → Alleppey
Back at the jetty by 5:00 PM
Who a day cruise suits
- Travellers with one free day in Alleppey between other stops in Kerala
- Guests who prefer to sleep in a hotel but want the backwaters in daylight
- Families with older relatives or small children who would rather not spend a night on the water
- Anyone who wants to try a houseboat before committing to a night on one
What you give up compared with an overnight stay
The day cruise covers the same afternoon route as the overnight trip. What it leaves out is everything after 5:00 PM: the evening on deck while the boat is moored near Kuppapuram village, dinner on board, the night on the water, and the early-morning run through Meenapally Kayal and Pallathuruthy.
Houseboats in Alleppey do not cruise after dark, for safety and so they do not disturb the fishing nets. So an overnight guest does not see more of the lake than a day guest — they get the evening and the morning. If the quiet hours matter to you, the overnight stay is the better trip. If they do not, the day cruise gives you the backwaters without the night.
If you only have two to four hours, a houseboat is the wrong boat. A private shikara ride is smaller, goes into canals houseboats cannot enter, and starts at 2 hours. Our page on houseboat rates for 2 hours explains the difference.
AC on a day cruise
On Deluxe houseboats, bedroom AC normally runs at night only, from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM, so it is off during a day cruise. If AC matters to you, choose a Premium houseboat, where bedroom AC is available on demand, or ask about the full-time AC upgrade on a Deluxe boat.
How to book
Send us your date, the number of adults and children, and whether you want a Deluxe or Premium boat on WhatsApp. We confirm the boat and the price, you pay a 25% advance to hold it, and the balance is paid when you board. Directions to the jetty are on our boarding point page.
FAQ
Day cruise questions, answered.
Is the houseboat day cruise private?
Yes. You book the whole boat, with its own captain and cook. No other guests are on board.
What time does the Alleppey houseboat day cruise start and end?
You board at 11:00 AM at the jetty at Punnamada and are back by 5:00 PM.
Is a 1 day houseboat the same as an overnight stay?
No. The day cruise is 6 hours with no night on board. An overnight stay runs from 12:00 PM to 9:00 AM the next morning and includes dinner, a night moored in the backwaters and breakfast.
Can a day cruise go to Kumarakom?
Kumarakom round trips are available for an extra fee. Ask when you book whether the route fits into a day cruise on your date.
Book a day on the backwaters.
Send your date and group size on WhatsApp. A 25% advance holds the boat; the rest is paid when you board.