Periyar is built around an artificial lake that drowned a forest in 1895, which is why the dead trees stand in the water and why the wildlife comes to the shore. The mass-market option is a crowded boat; the good option is the forest department's own bamboo rafting or border hiking programme, which takes small groups in with armed former poachers as guides. Book those directly, weeks ahead.
Compare Thekkady with another place →
When to go
September to March is the window, and December to February the best of it. April and May are hot and the lake drops; June to August is heavy monsoon with poor visibility.
Thekkady right now and the next 7 days
Loading the forecast…
Thekkady, planned for you
A satellite map for every day with each stop pinned in order, photos of the places, timings, what each part costs, where to sleep and eat, and a checklist. One PDF that works offline: print it, or send it to everyone going.
- Day 1 Arrive in Thekkady · Border hiking programme
- TravelFrom Munnar: Direct bus₹200
- 11:00Border hiking programme₹1,500
- Day 2 Bamboo rafting with forest guides
- Day 3 Lake boat cruise
₹49 once, 6 pages. Secure payment by Razorpay, instant download. Already bought? Get your download
Thekkady on the map
Tap anything in the list: the map zooms straight to it. Tap your starting city to see the way there.
The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Thekkady & Periyar · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Every price is what the bus, room or ticket itself costs. We take no commission and sell no packages, so this is what you pay booking each piece yourself.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Prices last updated 6 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book. Spot a wrong price? Tell us and we fix it.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Thekkady & Periyar in 3 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Border hiking programmeHalf day · ₹1,500 each · Walked with former poachers now employed as guides. The best thing here.
- Lunch on the way
- 05:45Bamboo rafting with forest guidesFull day · ₹2,500 each · Forest department programme, small groups, silent water at dawn. Book weeks ahead, directly.
- 08:00Lake boat cruise1 h 30 m · ₹300 each · The mass-market option. Take the 7 am slot or don't bother.
- 10:00Spice plantation walk2 h · ₹300 each · Cardamom, pepper, vanilla, nutmeg. Most homestays arrange it free.
- 13:00Lunch break
How to get to Thekkady
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Bus
₹300KSRTC runs frequently. Kumily is the town; Thekkady is the park gate.
Flight + road
₹8,400Madurai (IXM) is actually closer if you are coming from Tamil Nadu.
Getting around once you're there
On foot
FreeKumily town to the park gate is a two-kilometre walk through spice shops.
Auto
₹150Town to the boat jetty inside the park.
Bicycle
₹250For the plantation roads toward the Tamil Nadu border.
Jeep with driver
₹2,200For Vandiperiyar and the tea estates beyond.
Where to stay in Thekkady
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Homestay
₹1,200/nightDozens of them, most with spice gardens attached.
Forest lodge
₹4,500/nightKTDC properties inside the park. Book through the forest department, not an agent.
Plantation stay
₹3,200/nightCardamom and pepper estates, twenty minutes out, and much quieter.
What to eat, and what it costs
Kerala veg meals
₹80In Kumily town, unlimited, on a leaf.
Kerala-style chicken or fish curry meal
₹160Idukki cooking runs hotter and blacker with pepper than coastal Kerala.
Tourist-strip restaurant plate
₹220Near the park gate, double the price for the same food with an English menu.
Cardamom tea and pazhampori
₹40The spice here is grown in the hill behind the shop.
Places to visit and things to do in Thekkady
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Bamboo rafting with forest guides
₹2,500Forest department programme, small groups, silent water at dawn. Book weeks ahead, directly.
Border hiking programme
₹1,500Walked with former poachers now employed as guides. The best thing here.
Lake boat cruise
₹300The mass-market option. Take the 7 am slot or don't bother.
Spice plantation walk
₹300Cardamom, pepper, vanilla, nutmeg. Most homestays arrange it free.
Kalaripayattu and Kathakali evening
₹400Two shows nightly in Kumily. Touristy and genuinely good.
Gavi day trip
₹2,000An eco-tourism forest an hour away, permit-controlled, far emptier than Periyar itself.
Day trips and next stops
Munnar
₹200Direct KSRTC bus
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
₹250Bus across the border
Vagamon
₹200Bus via Kuttikkanam
Alleppey
₹250Bus via Kottayam
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- The forest department's small-group programmes sell out weeks ahead in season. Book before you travel or you get the crowded boat.
- Agents in Kumily sell 'park safaris' that are not forest department programmes. Book at the official counter.
- Leeches on every forest walk from June to September.
Ways to spend less
- Bamboo rafting at ₹2,500 is the single best wildlife experience in Kerala and most visitors never hear about it.
- Stay in Kumily town and walk to the gate — the in-park lodges cost four times as much.
- Buy spices from a plantation, not from the shops on the strip.
Say it in Malayalam
A few words go a long way, especially when you ask a price.
English is widely understood across Kerala.
The pronunciation is a simple guide, not a native recording. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Before-you-go checklist
Thekkady in pictures
Tap a photo to see it full size.
Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Thekkady & Periyar?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Sep–Dec. September to March is the window, and December to February the best of it. April and May are hot and the lake drops; June to August is heavy monsoon with poor visibility.
How do I reach Thekkady & Periyar?
Bus: Kochi/Kottayam → Kumily, 4–5 h, about ₹300 one way. Flight + road: → Kochi (COK), then 4 h 30 m, 1 h + 4 h 30 m, about ₹8,400 one way. Train + bus: → Kottayam, then 4 h bus, varies + 4 h, about ₹1,000 one way. From Munnar: Direct bus, 4 h, about ₹200 one way.
How much does a 3-day trip to Thekkady & Periyar cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹3,300 on a shoestring, ₹5,700 mid-range or ₹11,400 in comfort over 3 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is from munnar (Direct bus) at about ₹200 each way.
How many days do you need in Thekkady & Periyar?
3 days is right for most people. That covers Border hiking programme, Bamboo rafting with forest guides, Lake boat cruise, Spice plantation walk without rushing.
Is Thekkady & Periyar good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 4, couples 5, families 5, groups 4. It works well for families. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Thekkady & Periyar?
Straightforward — Kerala meals are vegetarian by default and every homestay will cook veg on request. Kumily's Tamil Nadu border position means good South Indian veg breakfast too.
Will my phone and cards work in Thekkady & Periyar?
Phone signal: Fine in town, nothing inside the reserve. Cards and UPI: Kumily town. Cash: Forest programmes and homestays.
Guides for Thekkady & Periyar
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Kerala Trip Plan for 5 or 7 Days, Without a Package: Routes and CostsA Kerala trip plan for 5 or 7 days, by train and bus, without a package: day-by-day routes and costs from about…Read the guide →
Best Places to Visit in December in India: 20 Picks by Region, with 3-Day Costs20 underrated places rated best for December in India, by region, each instead of a famous name. 3-day costs, snow,…Read the guide →
Christmas & New Year 2026: Two Long Weekends and a 10-Day BreakChristmas and New Year's Day 2027 both fall on Fridays. Leave plan for 3, 5 or 10 days off, rail booking dates, and…Read the guide →
Holidays 2027 India: Full Holiday List, Long Weekends and Cheap TripsIndia's 2027 holiday list from the official circular: all 17 gazetted and 32 restricted holidays with days, plus 8…Read the guide →Similar underrated places
MeghamalaiThe 'cloud mountain': a tea estate, a string of reservoirs and a tiger reserve at the end of a single…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Mar, Sep–Oct
VagamonRolling meadows, pine forest and tea estates at 1,100 m, with none of Munnar's queues and a paragliding…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec
Devikulam & EravikulamA sacred lake said to hold water from the Ganges, and the national park next door where you can walk…From ₹1,200/day · Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec
VattavadaTerraced vegetable and strawberry farms in a rain-shadow valley, 45 km past Munnar's tea, where the road…From ₹1,100/day · Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec
Courtallam & TenkasiThe 'spa of the south': nine waterfalls you stand under, a drizzle season called saaral, and the best…From ₹800/day · Jun–Aug
KodaikanalA lake you cycle around, shola forest you walk into, and a twelve-year flower bloom that draws people from…From ₹1,000/day · Sep–DecTreks near Thekkady
Gavi forest trekModerate · 1 day · Oct–AprFrom ₹1,500 at the baseKurisumala, VagamonEasy · Half day · Sep–MarFrom ₹0 at the base
Kolukkumalai sunriseEasy · Half day (pre-dawn) · Sep–MarFrom ₹2,500 at the baseSacred places near Thekkady
Make the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we don't sell packages or bookings, we take no commission, and we link to maps and official sites, never to booking sites. Every guide is free; our only paid products are optional downloadable trip plans and itineraries. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 6 October 2026 · Photo: Jonathanawhite at English Wikipedia · Public domain · source · Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Samson Joseph · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Arun Suresh · CC BY 3.0 · source · Photo: Mike Prince from Bangalore, India · CC BY 2.0 · source
.jpg){kind=link}