Alleppey Houseboat Rates for 2 Hours
Many people search for Alleppey houseboat rates for 2 hours. Here is the straight answer: we do not hire houseboats by the hour. Our shortest houseboat trip is the 6-hour day cruise, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If you have two to four hours, the right boat is a shikara — and it will show you more of the backwaters in that time than a houseboat would.
By time available
What to book for the time you have
- 2 hours
- Shikara · ₹2,000 per boat
- 3 hours
- Shikara · ₹3,000 per boat
- 4 hours
- Shikara · ₹4,000 per boat
- 6 hours
- Houseboat day cruise
- Overnight
- Houseboat, 12 PM – 9 AM
Why houseboats are not hired by the hour
A houseboat is a large, slow boat. In two hours it would barely leave Punnamada Lake and come back. It also comes with a cook and a kitchen, which make sense for a meal or a night, not a short ride. And a houseboat is too wide for the narrow village canals, which are the most interesting part of the backwaters to see in a short time.
What 2 hours on a shikara looks like
Our 2-hour shikara ride costs ₹2,000 for the whole boat, with the captain and fuel included. It goes from Punnamada Finishing Point past the Nehru Trophy snake boat track and into the narrow canals of Kuppapuram village, some only about five feet wide, and returns along palm-lined canals. See the shikara ride price page for the 3 and 4-hour routes.
Rates for 6 hours
Six hours is our houseboat day cruise: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on a private houseboat with a captain and cook. It crosses Punnamada and Vembanad Lake, passes the R Block and C Block paddy fields and returns through the island canals of Rani, Chithira and Marthandam.
Cost per hour, compared
A shikara works out at ₹1,000 an hour for the whole boat on every duration. A houseboat is priced per trip, not per hour, because the cook, meals and crew come with it. If what you want is time on the water rather than a meal or a night, the shikara is the better value for a short trip.
When a houseboat is worth it
- You want lunch cooked on board while you cruise
- You are travelling with elderly relatives who need a bathroom and a shaded room
- You want to see Vembanad Lake and the paddy fields at an unhurried pace
- You want a night on the water — see the overnight stay
How to book
Send your date, time and group size on WhatsApp. We confirm the boat and price, and a 25% advance holds it.
FAQ
Hourly rate questions, answered.
Can I hire a houseboat for 2 hours in Alleppey?
We do not hire houseboats by the hour. For 2 hours, our private shikara ride is ₹2,000 for the whole boat.
What is the shortest houseboat trip?
The 6-hour day cruise, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Is the day cruise private?
Yes. The whole houseboat, with its captain and cook, is booked for your group only.
How much is a boat ride per hour?
Our shikara rides work out at ₹1,000 per hour for the whole boat.
Tell us how long you have.
We will suggest a shikara or a houseboat and confirm the price on WhatsApp.