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South India · India
Varkala
A red laterite cliff with cafés along the top, a clean beach below it, and a train station fifteen minutes' walk away.
Varkala is the only place on the Indian coast where a cliff meets a swimmable beach, which is why the café strip along the top works and why it has never needed to become Goa. Springs run out of the cliff face onto the sand. The temple end of town is a serious pilgrimage site where ashes are scattered, so the two halves of Varkala have almost nothing to do with each other.
Instead of Kovalam. Best for solo travellers, couples and families. Best months: Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec.
When to go
November to March is the season. June to September is heavy monsoon — the cliff path floods, most cafés close, and the sea is unswimmable.
Getting there
One-way ticket price per person — double it for the return, which is what the cost example below uses. The cheapest sensible option is marked.
| Option | Notes | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train CHEAPEST Anywhere in South India → Varkala Sivagiri | The station is 2 km from the cliff. Almost every Kerala express stops. | varies | ₹900 one-way |
| Flight + train → Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), then 45 min train | TRV is the closest airport and the local train is ₹20. | 1 h + 45 m | ₹8,000 one-way |
| Bus Bengaluru → Thiruvananthapuram, then local | Long. The train is better in every way. | 14 h + 1 h | ₹2,000 one-way |
| Auto, last leg Station → North Cliff | Fix the fare. It is a walkable 2 km with a light bag. | 10 min | ₹120 one-way |
What it actually costs
Example for a couple, 7 days, mid-range, starting from Bengaluru. Return transport, a bed each night, three meals a day, local travel and entry tickets are all included. This is one example, not a quote — use the live planner to price your own dates, party size and budget style.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Return train (Train one-way ₹900 × 2 × 2 people) | ₹3,600 |
| Beds, food, local travel & tickets (7 days, mid-range) | ₹18,368 |
| Total for the couple | ₹21,968 |
Getting around
| Option | Notes | Suits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| On foot | The cliff is one path, end to end in twenty minutes. This is the whole town. | Solo, Couple, Group, Family | Free |
| Scooter | For Kappil backwaters and the beaches north. | Solo, Couple, Group | ₹400/day |
| Auto | Cliff to town, or to Sivagiri. | Family | ₹100/trip |
| Local train | Kollam, Trivandrum and Kappil are all a few rupees away. | Solo, Couple, Family | ₹20/trip |
Where to sleep
| Tier | Notes | Suits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorm Hostel · North Cliff | Several good ones with rooftops. This is a long-stay town. | Solo, Group | ₹500/night |
| Cliff room Guesthouse · North Cliff | Sea view, sea noise, and a balcony. Book ahead for late December only. | Couple, Solo | ₹1,300/night |
| Homestay Family home · Odayam / Thiruvambadi | Ten minutes north, half the noise, better food. | Couple, Family | ₹1,100/night |
| Ayurveda resort Treatment stay · Varkala | Genuine practitioners and complete frauds sit side by side. Check credentials. | Couple, Family | ₹4,500/night |
Eating
Excellent. Kerala meals are vegetarian by default and cost ₹60 in town. The cliff cafés cater to every diet including vegan, at four times the price.
| Tier | What | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹60 | Kerala veg meals in town | Walk down from the cliff and pay a third. Unlimited, on a banana leaf. | ₹60 |
| ₹280 | Cliff café plate | You are paying for the view over the Arabian Sea. Once a day is reasonable. | ₹280 |
| ₹220 | Grilled fish, chosen from ice | Ask the price per piece before it goes on the grill. | ₹220 |
| ₹40 | Banana fritters and chai | From the stalls at the top of the steps, at four in the afternoon. | ₹40 |
What to actually do
| Activity | Notes | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| The full cliff walk, north to Black Beach | Do it at sunrise before the cafés open. The best free thing here. | 1 h 30 m | Free |
| Janardanaswamy Temple & Papanasam beach | Two thousand years old. Ashes are scattered on the beach below — be respectful. | 1 h | Free |
| Sivagiri Mutt | The samadhi of Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer who mattered enormously to Kerala. | 1 h 30 m | Free |
| Kappil backwater and beach | Where the backwater meets the sea, 8 km north. Rent a pedal boat. | Half day | ₹200 |
| Sunrise yoga on the cliff | Drop-in classes at half a dozen places through the season. | 1 h 30 m | ₹400 |
| Ponnumthuruthu island temple | Reached by canoe across a backwater lake. Almost nobody goes. | 3 h | ₹300 |
More of Varkala
What goes wrong here, and how to do it cheaper
What goes wrong:
The sea has a strong undertow and there are drownings every season. Swim between the flags at Papanasam.
The cliff edge is unfenced and erodes. Do not walk it drunk at night.
Alcohol rules in Kerala change often; many cliff cafés serve discreetly or not at all.
How to do it cheaper:
Eat lunch in the town, not on the cliff. ₹60 against ₹280 for a better meal.
Stay at Odayam, ten minutes north — same sea, half the price, no music.
The local train is ₹20 to Kollam or Trivandrum. Nobody uses it and it runs all day.
Nearby
| Place | How | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kollam & the backwater ferry 40 km | Local train | Full day | ₹30 |
| Thiruvananthapuram & Padmanabhaswamy 50 km | Local train | Full day | ₹30 |
| Alleppey 110 km | Train north | Onward | ₹80 |
| Kanyakumari 140 km | Train south | Full day | ₹120 |
Money & connectivity
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Cash | Stalls and autos. |
| Card & UPI | Cliff cafés yes, town patchily. |
| Mobile signal | Full coverage. |
| ATMs | Town and the north cliff. |
When is the best time to visit Varkala?
Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec is the best window. November to March is the season. June to September is heavy monsoon — the cliff path floods, most cafés close, and the sea is unswimmable.
How do you get to Varkala?
The cheapest sensible option is train (Anywhere in South India → Varkala Sivagiri), around ₹900 one-way per person.
How much does a trip to Varkala cost?
For a couple travelling mid-range for 7 days from Bengaluru, budget roughly ₹21,968 total — return transport, stay, food, local travel and entry tickets. Shoestring and comfortable budgets run lower and higher; use the live planner on tripunder.com to price your own dates and party size.
Plan your own Varkala trip
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Open the planner →Costs are indicative ballparks for budget travel and change with season and demand — always check live fares and rates before you book; the live planner links straight to where you'd book each piece. Photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons, credited above and in full at /credits/. Trip Under features underrated destinations only, is reader-planned, and takes no affiliate commission on any booking link.