Kerala Tour with Culinary

Arrive at Cochin International Airport or Railway Station, where our representative will meet you and assist with a smooth private transfer to your hotel. After check-in, take some time to rest and acclimatise after your journey.

In the evening, proceed for a harbour cruise along Cochin’s historic waterfront, one of the most atmospheric ways to experience the city. As the boat glides through the harbour at sunset, observe traditional fishing boats, modern cargo vessels, and colonial-era buildings lining the shore. This cruise offers a gentle introduction to Cochin’s long maritime history, shaped by Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders.

Cochin is considered the culinary gateway of Kerala due to its diverse influences and thriving markets, and it features prominently in many curated Kerala cultural tours and food-focused journeys.

Return to the hotel for rest.

Overnight stay in Cochin.

After breakfast, begin the day with a guided visit to Cochin’s local fish and spice markets, where fresh seafood, dried fish, coconut, spices, and seasonal produce are traded daily. Interactions with vendors and guided explanations help you understand how core ingredients like curry leaves, black pepper, tamarind, coconut oil, and dried chillies form the foundation of Kerala cuisine.

Later, explore the heritage quarters of Fort Kochi, walking through colonial streets that reflect centuries of cultural exchange. This area has played a major role in shaping Kerala’s culinary evolution and remains an important stop on many Kerala heritage tour packages.

In the afternoon, attend your first guided cooking class, led by an expert chef. You will be introduced to Indian cooking techniques, spice blending, preparation methods, and regional variations. This is a hands-on session where you actively participate in preparing select traditional dishes rather than simply observing.

The experience concludes with a shared meal, allowing you to savour the dishes you have prepared and better understand flavour balance in Kerala cooking.

Overnight stay in Cochin.

After breakfast, check out and drive to Periyar (Thekkady), a region renowned for its spice estates, forested hills, and wildlife reserves. The journey gradually transitions from coastal plains to cooler interiors, offering changing landscapes along the way.

On arrival, check into your hotel set amid natural surroundings. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxed walk through the nearby Spice Village, observing everyday life and small-scale cultivation practices. Periyar has historically been central to Kerala’s spice trade and continues to feature prominently in many Kerala spice plantation tours. In the evening attend the second cooking class on this tour that will help you learn more about the Indian dishes when cooked with traditional spices.

The rest of the evening is free to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Overnight stay in Periyar.

After breakfast, visit a guided spice plantation, where experts explain the cultivation and medicinal uses of cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and other herbs. These ingredients are not only integral to Kerala cuisine but also form the backbone of traditional Ayurvedic practices.

Here you would be attending your third cooking class on this tour. During the class, the chef gives you hands-on lessons in cooking using fresh indigenous spices. This can be really tricky but under the watchful eyes of our mentor, we are sure you will develop the knack of using them in perfect, selective – making for a delicious recipe.

Later, proceed for a boat safari on Periyar Lake, one of the calmest ways to experience Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. As the boat moves quietly across the lake, keep an eye out for elephants, deer, birds, and other wildlife along the forested banks.

The remainder of the day is free for relaxation at your hotel or independent exploration of the surroundings at a leisurely pace.

Overnight stay in Periyar.

After breakfast, check out and drive to Kumarakom, a tranquil backwater destination located on the shores of Vembanad Lake. Compared to Alleppey, Kumarakom offers a quieter, more nature-oriented backwater experience, making it ideal for slow travellers.

Check into your backwater resort on arrival. The rest of the day is kept at leisure—enjoy views of the lake, take gentle walks through lush surroundings, or simply unwind. Kumarakom’s cuisine is closely tied to freshwater fish, rice, and coconut-based preparations, adding depth to your ongoing culinary journey.

Overnight stay in Kumarakom.

After breakfast, visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, a haven for migratory and resident birds. Walk along wetland trails and observe the region’s rich biodiversity, especially during peak migratory seasons.

Later in the day, attend a culinary demonstration focused on traditional Kerala recipes. This is the final class of the tour and by now, you would have mastered quite a few Indian styles of cooking. This session highlights regional cooking styles, the use of coconut in various forms, slow-cooking methods, and the balance of flavours typical in Kerala households. Unlike restaurant cooking, the emphasis here is on everyday home-style techniques.

The evening is free to relax at your resort, enjoy the peaceful backwaters, or simply rest.

Overnight stay in Kumarakom.

After breakfast, drive to Mararikulam, a quiet coastal village known for its clean beaches and traditional fishing culture. On arrival, check into your beachside resort.

In the afternoon, take a leisurely walk through nearby villages to observe coastal life—traditional fishing nets, coconut groves, simple homes, and everyday routines shaped by the sea. Later, attend a seafood-focused cooking demonstration, where expert chefs showcase the preparation of classic Kerala seafood dishes using freshly sourced local ingredients.

This session provides insight into coastal flavours that differ distinctly from inland Kerala cuisine, offering a well-rounded understanding of the state’s food diversity.

Overnight stay in Mararikulam.

After breakfast, check out from the resort and drive back to Cochin Airport or Railway Station for your onward journey.

Your Kerala Tour with Culinary concludes with enriched knowledge of regional cooking traditions, hands-on culinary experiences, and lasting memories of Kerala’s landscapes, spices, backwaters, and coastal life.