The sheer volume of beautiful places to visit in Kerala took me completely by surprise when I first traveled here. I thought Kerala was mainly known for beaches, and sure, beaches are a large part of tourist places in Kerala. But there’s SO.MUCH.MORE. to Kerala than beaches. Let me elaborate.
The whole long and skinny state of Kerala India has a scenic coast facing the Arabian sea on one side, one of the largest networks of backwater canals and lakes in the middle, and a massive mountain range in the east, bordering with Tamil Nadu. This combination makes for an incredible amount of beautiful and different landscapes within hours of each other.
If you are planning a trip to Kerala, this list of Kerala places to visit should help you get started. You can usually have your hotels organize transfers for you to get between some of the more remote places, and the train network connects a lot of the coast and main cities too. Fly into Tivandrum or Kochi airport and get exploring one of India’s true harmonious gems.
Wayanad: Top Place to Visit in Kerala for Mountains and Zen
Wayanad District is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Kerala for cooler temperatures and mountains. Located in the north of Kerala, Wayanad is not easy to get to, but it’s worthwhile! The closest airport is Calicut, or it’s just a 6-hour trip from Bangalore. They have their own tourism board where you can plan your adventure.
This high elevation hill station is home to beautiful mountain peaks, lots of trekking, rocky outcroppings, caves, breathtaking lakes, dams, and lots of sustainable farmland and plantations to explore (farm and spice tours are offered by a lot of hotels). Wayanad is also home to a large wildlife reserve where you can hope to spot elephants, tigers, and other native animals.
Where to Stay in Wayanad: There’s a slew of amazing nature hotels in this area, including lakeside properties, treehouses, and forest eco-lodges. I recommend Lake Rose Resort with a lively boutique resort with surreal Lake views, wooden cabins, and even a private spa suite.
Kovalam: for Beautiful Beaches
Kovalam is a cute beach town just south of Trivandrum airport that is a MUST-SEE of the places to visit in Kerala – for beach vibes, relaxation, and some sightseeing too. Kovalam has vast expanses of sandy beaches separated by outcroppings of large, smooth boulders that present great places to sit and watch the waves. Check my full Kovalam travel article here.
Kovalam has a main strip of shops and restaurants along Hawa/Lighthouse beach in the center, but many other fringe beaches that tend to be more secluded. There are also rivers and backwater lakes perfect for boat trips, plenty of Ayurveda resorts (including the famous Somatheeram – see more Kerala Ayurveda resorts here), a lively fishing village where you can experience the livelihood of local fisherman, and water sports too.
Where to Stay in Kovalam: For a lovely but affordable resort, definitely check out The Raviz Kovalam – you can’t beat the beach views from the room and infinity pool over the water. For a more affordable hotel, try Soma Palmshore.
Alleppey: For Backwater Culture
Alleppey, mainly known as Alappuzha, is one of the best-known places to visit in Kerala for backwater culture and houseboats. This is the largest backwater area in Kerala and connects to dozens of canals, lakes, and waterways – there’s even a public ferry to get around rather than a bus. This area is also known for being the birthplace of snake boat racing.
These wetlands are home to scores of cultural activities and also wildlife – especially birds. Locals practice crafts, coconut farming, toddy tapping, veggie farming, making lime from shells, fishing, duck farming, coir (coocunt just rope) making, and lots of houseboat tourism! rice paddies are also cultivated below sea level here. Everything here is a sight to see from the colorful boats to beautiful landscapes and trees… and the best way is from a houseboat!
Where to Stay in Aleppey: Check out Spice Routes Houseboats to stay on or tour around on a houseboat – they name each boat after a different spice!
Munnar: Best place to Visit in Kerala for Dramatic Mountain Peaks + Tea Fields
Within hours of arriving, I decided that Munnar was my absolute FAVORITE of the places to visit in Kerala due to its sheer natural beauty. The mountains here are sweeping and stunning, with dramatic rocky cliffs and boulders strewn throughout tea fields that stretch up to the highest peaks (you can actually visit the highest tea plantation in the world just outside Munnar).
Munnar is a dense rainforest and a high-elevation Hill Station that draws lots of domestic tourists when they want to escape the summer heat. Temperatures stay quite cool up here, and popular activities include hiking, adventure sports like kayaking and zip lining, touring tea plantations, and gazing out at beautiful views from a high perch.
Where to Stay in Munnar: Munnar has a HUGE amount of hotels and resorts to cater to the tourists who want to experience this unique heaven of Kerala. For a young community vibe, check out Tentgram Suryanelli – it’s outside Munnar but very close to the sunrise at Kolukkumalai Mountain. Expect hostel dorms, shard meals, nightly campfires an group activities. For a unique stay, check out the Munnar Treehouse at Bamboo Dale.
Cherai: A Culture and Beauty-Rich Region of Ernakulam
Cherai Region is one of the best places to visit in Kerala for lovely beaches, culture, and fascinating history that is VERY close to Kochi – within 30 km! Just north of the big city hub of Kochi is Cherai, which they call a ‘mini Kerala’ because it has access to so many of the best things to do in Kerala within one small area.
The beach is a small strip that’s no more than 1-200 meters wide, with waves on one side and backwaters on the other. The beach area is full of hotels and restaurants, and the backwaters have hop-on-hop-off boat tours and even tours of the fishing village and culture.
Inland, you have the first church, mosque, AND synagogue in all of India (due to the historic port Muziris here from 2000 years ago) and you can learn about how different religions arrived in India. There are also historic brahman houses and a Dutch palace with a fascinating story, and a Portuguese fort that is known as the first European building in India. Check out Cherai Tourism to book.
Where to Stay in Cherai: For a unique and boutique resort, stay at Maliekal Heritance Resort. This hotel is absolutely beautiful, with dark wood architecture and 13 completely unique rooms, including a 2BR heritage Kerala Villa, wood cabins (one with a private pool), and a loft with a view of the beach AND backwater. For something more classic and affordable, stay at Cherai Beach Resorts.
Thrissur: Kerala’s Capital of Culture
Thrissur is a perfect stop between Palakkad and Kochi on your Kerala itinerary to get a great dose of Kerala culture. This is because of the many vibrant festivals, spiritual teachings, Kerala performing arts centers, and sacred places there throughout its history. There are also a record number of temples around this city, and also churches, mosques, and more. The elephant festival takes place here at Vadakkumnathan Temple.
Thrissur is known for more than spritutial/religion and festivals, however. The area is very green with lots os expansive parks and even waterfalls to visit outside the city. Check out the Athirappilly waterfalls and more!
Where to Stay in Thrissur: For a lovely Ayurveda resort in a heritage Kerala property, stay at Niramayam Heritage Ayurveda hospital outside of Thrissur. For something SUPER central and budget-friendly, check out Wariyam Heritage.
Palakkad: For Green Pastures + Mountain Areas
Palakkad is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Kerala due to lots of history in the city and scenic beauty in the countryside. The city of Palakkad is fairly large, with Palakkad Fort, Hanuman Temple, and a bustling town center. Some famous temples in the area are the Viswanatha Swamy Temple from the 1400’s which holds an annual chariot festival.
Just outside of Palakkad are the Western Ghats – possibly the closest hill stations to a city in Kerala. If you venture just outside the city you can explore scenic places along the Kalpathy River and fog-kissed mountains towering over the Malapuzha Reservoir and Dam. There are wildlife reserves in the area and some trekking too.
Where to stay in Palakkad: Palakkad is known for having remote Ayurvedic resorts up in the mountains outside the city. If you are looking for some zen during an Ayurveda stay, check out Au Revoir Resort for wellness and incredible scenery by the Malapuzha Dam. Kairali is also a popular Ayurveda retreat (read about all ayurveda resorts here). To stay centrally in the city on a budget, check out Abudhabi Residency.
Marari Beach: For Coconut Grove-Lined Swimmable Beaches
Marari Beach is another one of the beautiful places to visit in Kerala to head to the beach. It’s not too far from Aleppey, but gives you a very beachy vibe if you prefer that to backwaters. The water here is very swimmable (unlike some of the southern beaches with big waves) so it’s popular for lazy days spent on the beach or at some great resorts in the area.
The whole beach here is lined with coconut groves, making it feel very tropical and scenic. There are a number of things to do in the area, such as bird sanctuaries and temples, but most opt to relax on the beach, watch the local fisherman doing their thing, or have spa treatments at their hotel.
Where to Stay in Marari Beach: I stayed at Xandari Pearl Beach Resort, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone to stay anywhere else! This resort is gorgeous, with 26 separate private villas that are massive with private backyards and pools. The price is very affordable for such a villa, too – starting around $100/night.
Kozhikode/Calicut: Places to Visit in Kerala For History, Beaches, and Birds
Kozhikode, formerly/still often known as Calicut, is a bigger coastal city in the North of Kerala worth visiting for many reasons. It has pristine beaches filled with lust greenery, but also beautiful countryside inland as well. Throughout the area there are dozens if not hundreds of bird species that are popular for birdwatchers to seek out.
Historically, Kozhikode was a significant port in the spice trade and is actually where Vasco de Gama first landed in India in 1498. Because of this there’s a deep colonial history and plenty of forts and old religious buildings to experience. There’s a huge fishing culture to experience also. This city has a bit of everything!
Where to Stay in Kozhikode: For affordable luxury, The Raviz Calicut always tops the list of the best tourist places in the area.
Kollam and Ashtamudi: For Beaches, Lakes + Folklore
Kollam is a rich area in culture and landscape. Sitting on the coast between Trivandrum and Kochi, Kollam boasts the beautiful Lake Ashtamudi with backwater beauty and also some amazing beaches that are surely some of the best places to visit in Kerala, especially Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach.
Munroe Island is also one of the most notable places to see in Kerala in the Kollam region – it’s a group of small islets around Lake Ashtamudi that you can see on a sunset cruise or houseboat trip. You can find plenty of historic monuments and temples in the area and even some waterfalls and beautiful areas inland.
Where to Stay in Kollam: For backwater luxury on Lake Ashtamudi, The Raviz Ashtamudi is an affordable luxury hotel. For beach vibes, try the Quilon Beach Hotel.
Thekkady: For Dense Forests, Scenery, and Wildlife
Thekkady is another beautiful tourist place in Kerala of a bit higher elevation, in the Idukki region near the Tamil Nadu border. The things to do in Thekkady mostly have to do with nature and wildlife.
In the area you will find Periyar National Park which is home to a lake famous for boating, a wildlife reserve, and a tiger reserve of the same name (the country’s largest tiger reserve). There’s also Elephant Junction wildlife area too. Safaris are a main activity here to see wildlife in Kerala!
Thekkady is also home to some spice plantations and teak plantations (the name Thekkady is derived from teak). There are also some temples and churches to visit in the area- all with beautiful views.
Where to Stay in Thekkady: The Amritara Shalimar Spice Garden is one of the best hotels in the area that also offers treks and plantation/tiger reserve tours.
Jatayu Earth Center, Chadayamangalam for Adventure Center + AMAZING Sculpture
I almost left this one out as it’s a specific destination, but I cant leave out the largest bird sculpture in the entire world on a list of the most amazing places to visit in Kerala. Jatayu Earth’s Center was built around a MASSIVE sculpture of Jatayu, a prominent bird figure in Indian folklore.
It’s true that it’s the largest bird statue in the world, but there’s so much more than that. The whole Earth center is sustainable and has tons of activities. There’s a 12D movie theater, zip lines, rappelling, trekking, and tons of other adventure activities within eyeshot of the incredible massive bird. This is an AMAZING sight to see in Kerala and one of the best tourist places.
Check out my video below about the story behind Jatayu and some more cool things about the center!
Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.