Shikara or Houseboat in Alleppey?
In Alleppey, a shikara and a houseboat are two very different boats, and choosing a shikara or houseboat is one of the first decisions when planning a trip. A shikara is a small covered boat for a few hours. A houseboat is a floating home with bedrooms, a kitchen and a crew, for a day or a night.
Neither is better. They show different parts of the backwaters, and many guests book both.
Compare
Shikara vs houseboat
- Time on the water
- Shikara 2–4 h · Houseboat 6–21 h
- Narrow village canals
- Shikara yes · Houseboat no
- Vembanad Lake
- Both
- Meals
- Houseboat only (cooked on board)
- Sleep on board
- Houseboat only
- Price
- Shikara from ₹2,000 per boat
Where each boat can go
This is the biggest difference. A shikara is narrow enough to enter village canals about five feet wide, under low bridges and past houses on the banks. A houseboat is too wide for those canals; it keeps to the lake and the larger channels.
So on a shikara you see village life close up: the canals of Kuppapuram, Kainakary and Kuttamangalam, the water lilies, the C Block paddy fields. On a houseboat you see the bigger picture: the open water of Punnamada and Vembanad Lake, the R Block and C Block paddy fields from the embankment, the island villages of Rani, Chithira and Marthandam.
Time and comfort
A shikara ride is 2, 3 or 4 hours on cushioned sofa seating under a roof. There is no bathroom or kitchen, which is fine for a few hours.
A houseboat has bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a dining area, a living area and a cook. You can spend six hours on a day cruise or 21 hours on an overnight stay without going ashore.
Food
On a houseboat the cook makes every meal on board: lunch, evening tea, dinner and breakfast on an overnight stay. On a shikara there is no cooking, but the 4-hour ride stops at a village toddy shop for Kerala food.
Price
Shikara rides are ₹2,000, ₹3,000 or ₹4,000 for the whole boat, for 2, 3 or 4 hours. Houseboats are priced per boat by the number of bedrooms and your dates; see the price guide.
What both boats share
Both leave from the jetty at Punnamada Finishing Point, both are private to your group, and both reach Vembanad Lake: the 3 and 4-hour shikara rides and every houseboat trip. Both are booked the same way, with a 25% advance to reserve and the rest when you board.
Which to choose
- A few hours free: shikara.
- You want the narrowest canals: shikara.
- You want a night on the water: houseboat.
- Travelling with elderly relatives who need a bathroom and shade: houseboat.
- Both: an overnight houseboat, then a short shikara ride the next day into the canals the big boat could not reach.
How to book
Send your plans on WhatsApp and we will suggest the right boat or combination. A 25% advance holds each booking; the balance is paid when you board.
FAQ
Shikara vs houseboat questions, answered.
Can a houseboat go into the narrow canals?
No. Houseboats are too wide. Only a shikara can enter the canals about five feet wide.
Is there a toilet on a shikara?
No. Shikara rides are 2 to 4 hours. Houseboats have attached bathrooms.
Which is better for sunset?
Both reach Vembanad Lake. The 3-hour shikara from about 4:00 PM is timed for the sunset; on an overnight houseboat you watch it from the deck.
Can we book a shikara and a houseboat together?
Yes. Many guests take an overnight houseboat and a short shikara ride on another day.
Not sure which boat? Ask us.
Tell us how much time you have on WhatsApp. 25% advance to book.