Best places to visit in Kerala

31 curated destinations in Kerala, each with its honest season window: when to go, when it is merely fine, and when to stay away.

When to visit Kerala

Curated places in Kerala that are in peak season, by month. Tap a month for the whole country.

January, February, November and December put the most of Kerala in peak season. April the fewest, with 0.

All 31 destinations in Kerala

Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
Venice of the East - houseboats through the backwaters

Peak: Nov to Feb

Lakes Culture
Aranmula Kerala
Snake-boat village on the Pamba that still casts metal mirrors

Peak: Dec to Feb

Culture Heritage Offbeat
Athirappilly Falls Kerala
An 80ft waterfall curtain at its thundering best in monsoon

Peak: Jun to Sep

Waterfalls Trek
Bekal Kerala
A fort above a quiet, uncrowded north Kerala coastline

Peak: Nov to Feb

Beach Heritage Offbeat
Fort Kochi Kerala
Colonial port town of fishing nets, spice lanes and art

Peak: Dec to Feb

Heritage City Culture
Gavi Kerala
Cardamom-forest eco camp deep inside Periyar tiger country

Peak: Nov to Feb

Offbeat Wildlife Lakes
Guruvayur Kerala
Kerala's busiest Krishna temple and its elephant yard

Peak: Nov to Feb

Spiritual Culture
Kakkayam Kerala
Mist-locked dam valley and waterfalls above Kozhikode

Peak: Oct to Feb

Offbeat Lakes Waterfalls
Kannur Kerala
Theyyam heartland, Asia's longest drive-in beach

Peak: Dec to Feb

Beach Culture Offbeat
Kanthalloor Kerala
Rain-shadow orchard village of apples, dolmens and sandalwood

Peak: Sep to Feb

Offbeat Mountains Culture
Kovalam Kerala
Crescent lighthouse beach, Kerala's original resort town

Peak: Dec to Feb

Beach
Kumarakom Kerala
Vembanad Lake birding village and backwater resort belt

Peak: Nov to Feb

Lakes Wildlife
Marari Beach (Mararikulam) Kerala
Shore-seine fishing beach with coir villages and no promenade

Peak: Nov to Feb

Beach Offbeat
Munnar Kerala
Tea-carpeted hill station, Kerala's iconic highland escape

Peak: Oct to Feb

Mountains Trek
Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu) Kerala
Canoe canals through eight islets where Kallada meets Ashtamudi

Peak: Nov to Feb

Offbeat Lakes Backpacker
Muziris Heritage (Kodungallur) Kerala
Lost Roman spice port with the Cheraman mosque and synagogues

Peak: Dec to Feb

Heritage Culture Offbeat
Nelliyampathy Kerala
Orange-and-tea hills above Palakkad with the Seetharkundu drop

Peak: Nov to Feb

Mountains Offbeat Trek
Nilambur Kerala
World's oldest teak plantation and the Nedumkayam rainforest

Peak: Nov to Feb

Offbeat Wildlife Culture
Paithalmala Kerala
Grassland summit on the Kodagu border, Kannur's rooftop

Peak: Oct to Feb

Offbeat Trek Mountains
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Kerala
Teak-and-tiger reserve reached through Tamil Nadu, shut in monsoon

Peak: Nov to Feb

Wildlife Trek Offbeat
Ponmudi Kerala
Trivandrum's easy-reach hairpin-bend hill station

Peak: Nov to Feb

Mountains Offbeat
Silent Valley National Park (Mukkali) Kerala
Untouched rainforest saved from a dam, entered only by permit

Peak: Dec to Mar

Wildlife Offbeat Trek
Thalassery (Tellicherry) Kerala
Biryani, a British fort and Kerala's only drive-in beach

Peak: Nov to Feb

Culture Heritage Beach
Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary) Kerala
Salim Ali's richest peninsular birding forest on the Periyar

Peak: Nov to Mar

Wildlife Offbeat
Thekkady (Periyar) Kerala
Periyar Tiger Reserve - boat safaris around a forest lake

Peak: Dec to Feb

Wildlife Trek
Thenmala Kerala
India's first planned ecotourism site, built round a dam reservoir

Peak: Dec to Feb

Offbeat Trek Lakes
Thrissur Kerala
Kerala's percussion capital and the ground zero of Pooram

Peak: Nov to Feb

Culture City Spiritual
Vagamon Kerala
Quiet rolling-meadow hills - Kerala's answer to Scotland

Peak: Oct to Feb

Mountains Offbeat Trek
Valiyaparamba (Nileshwar backwaters) Kerala
Sandbar island between four rivers and the Arabian Sea

Peak: Nov to Feb

Offbeat Lakes Culture
Varkala Kerala
Cliffside beach town with yoga shalas and sunset cafes

Peak: Dec to Feb

Beach Backpacker Spiritual
Wayanad Kerala
Misty Western Ghats plateau of wildlife and spice gardens

Peak: Oct to Feb

Wildlife Mountains Trek

By theme in Kerala

Offbeat (19)Culture (11)Trek (10)Wildlife (8)Lakes (7)

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Kerala?

Across the 31 curated destinations in Kerala, January, February, November and December are the months with the most places in peak season. April has the fewest, at 0.

How many places are worth visiting in Kerala?

This catalogue lists 31 in Kerala, chosen for the landscape or the heritage rather than for size. Plain cities are deliberately left out unless the trip is the heritage itself. The strongest themes here are offbeat (19), culture (11), trek (10), wildlife (8) and lakes (7).

What kind of places are in Kerala?

19 offbeat, 11 culture, 10 trek, 8 wildlife and 7 lakes. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.

When to visit Kerala

All 31 destinations in Kerala

By theme in Kerala

Common questions

Other states and union territories