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.
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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.
Varkala right now and the next 7 days
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Varkala, 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 Varkala · Janardanaswamy Temple & Papanasam beach
- TravelTrain: Bengaluru → Varkala Sivagiri₹1,180
- 11:00Janardanaswamy Temple & Papanasam beachFree
- 13:30Sivagiri MuttFree
- Day 2 The full cliff walk, north to Black Beach
- Day 3 Ponnumthuruthu island temple
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Varkala on the map
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The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Varkala · Open in Google Maps ↗
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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 17 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.
Varkala 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.
- 11:00Janardanaswamy Temple & Papanasam beach1 h · free · Two thousand years old. Ashes are scattered on the beach below — be respectful.
- 12:30Lunch break
- 13:30Sivagiri Mutt1 h 30 m · free · The samadhi of Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer who mattered enormously to Kerala.
- 05:45The full cliff walk, north to Black Beach1 h 30 m · free · Do it at sunrise before the cafés open. The best free thing here.
- 07:45Sunrise yoga on the cliff1 h 30 m · ₹400 each · Drop-in classes at half a dozen places through the season.
- 10:15Kappil backwater and beachHalf day · ₹200 each · Where the backwater meets the sea, 8 km north. Rent a pedal boat.
- Lunch on the way
- 08:00Ponnumthuruthu island temple3 h · ₹300 each · Reached by canoe across a backwater lake. Almost nobody goes.
- 13:00Lunch break
How to get to Varkala
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Train Cheapest
₹1,18016526 Kanyakumari Express, 20:10 → 10:37 daily: 3A about ₹1,180, Sleeper about ₹445 (ConfirmTkt, 5 Nov 2026). The station is about 2.7 km from the cliff; about 35 of 93 trains on the Kollam line stop here, and Vande Bharat and Rajdhani do not.
Flight + train
₹8,000TRV is the closest airport; reserved second-sitting train seats to Varkala are about ₹50–75.
Getting around once you're there
On foot
FreeThe cliff is one path, end to end in twenty minutes. This is the whole town.
Scooter
₹400For Kappil backwaters and the beaches north.
Auto
₹100Cliff to town, or to Sivagiri.
Local train
₹50Kollam, Trivandrum and Kappil are short hops; reserved second sitting is about ₹50–75, unreserved is less.
Where to stay in Varkala
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Dorm
₹500/nightSeveral good ones with rooftops. This is a long-stay town.
Cliff room
₹1,300/nightSea view, sea noise, and a balcony. Book ahead for late December only.
Homestay
₹1,100/nightTen minutes north, half the noise, better food.
Ayurveda resort
₹4,500/nightGenuine practitioners and complete frauds sit side by side. Check credentials.
What to eat, and what it costs
Kerala veg meals in town
₹60Walk down from the cliff and pay a third. Unlimited, on a banana leaf.
Cliff café plate
₹280You are paying for the view over the Arabian Sea. Once a day is reasonable.
Grilled fish, chosen from ice
₹220Ask the price per piece before it goes on the grill.
Banana fritters and chai
₹40From the stalls at the top of the steps, at four in the afternoon.
Places to visit and things to do in Varkala
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
The full cliff walk, north to Black Beach
FreeDo it at sunrise before the cafés open. The best free thing here.
Janardanaswamy Temple & Papanasam beach
FreeTwo thousand years old. Ashes are scattered on the beach below — be respectful.
Sivagiri Mutt
FreeThe samadhi of Sree Narayana Guru, a social reformer who mattered enormously to Kerala.
Kappil backwater and beach
₹200Where the backwater meets the sea, 8 km north. Rent a pedal boat.
Sunrise yoga on the cliff
₹400Drop-in classes at half a dozen places through the season.
Ponnumthuruthu island temple
₹300Reached by canoe across a backwater lake. Almost nobody goes.
Day trips and next stops
Local train
Thiruvananthapuram & Padmanabhaswamy
₹30Local train
Alleppey
₹80Train north
Kanyakumari
₹120Train south
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- 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.
Ways to spend less
- 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.
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
Varkala 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 Varkala?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec. 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 I reach Varkala?
Train: Bengaluru → Varkala Sivagiri, 14.5 h, about ₹1,180 one way. Flight + train: → Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), then 45 min train, 1 h + 45 m, about ₹8,000 one way. Bus: Bengaluru → Thiruvananthapuram, then local, 14 h + 1 h, about ₹2,000 one way.
How much does a 3-day trip to Varkala cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹2,700 on a shoestring, ₹4,800 mid-range or ₹9,600 in comfort over 3 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is train (Bengaluru → Varkala Sivagiri) at about ₹1,180 each way.
How many days do you need in Varkala?
3 days is right for most people. That covers Janardanaswamy Temple & Papanasam beach, Sivagiri Mutt, The full cliff walk, north to Black Beach, Kappil backwater and beach without rushing.
Is Varkala good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 5, couples 5, families 4, groups 3. It works well for families. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Varkala?
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.
Will my phone and cards work in Varkala?
Phone signal: Full coverage. Cards and UPI: Cliff cafés yes, town patchily. Cash: Stalls and autos.
Guides for Varkala
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Varkala Nearest Railway Station: Varkala Sivagiri, Trains by Class and the Ride to the CliffVarkala Sivagiri (VAK) is 2.7 km from the cliff. Bengaluru: 16526, 3A ₹1,180. Vande Bharat and Rajdhani skip it; use…Read the guide →
Gokarna vs Varkala: Which Beach Trip Is Right for You?From Bangalore, a weekend costs about ₹4,900 in Gokarna vs ₹5,500 in Varkala. Gokarna: emptier beaches. Varkala:…Read the guide →
Budget Honeymoon Places in India: 15 Underrated Picks, with the Cost for Two15 underrated honeymoon places in India, by mood, each instead of a famous name. Four nights for two from ₹13,200,…Read the guide →
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 →Similar underrated places
Kovalam & PoovarA lighthouse beach with the original Kerala beach-tourism infrastructure, and a backwater-meets-the-sea…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
PoovarA golden sandbar where the Neyyar river meets the Arabian Sea, reached only by boat through mangrove…From ₹1,300/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
Marari BeachA quiet fishing village beach near Alleppey where the catch comes in by hand-pulled net at dawn, and the…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
Kannur & MuzhappilangadIndia's only drive-in beach, a coastline of forts and looms, and Theyyam — a ritual performance that turns…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Feb, Oct–Dec
Bekal & KasaragodA circular laterite fort on a headland, empty beaches either side of it, and theyyam performed in village…From ₹900/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec
Udupi & MalpeA hexagonal basalt island offshore, the temple kitchen that invented the masala dosa, and a beach with no…From ₹900/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–DecTreks near Varkala
Golden Valley, PonmudiEasy · Half day · Sep–MarFrom ₹0 at the base
AgasthyakoodamHard · 2 days · Jan–Feb onlyFrom ₹3,000 at the base
Gavi forest trekModerate · 1 day · Oct–AprFrom ₹1,500 at the baseSacred places near Varkala
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 17 October 2026 · Photo: Lukas Vacovsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Ganesh Mohan T · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Krissubh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Alexey Komarov · CC BY 3.0 · source · Photo: Krissubh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
