Wayanad Munnar Vagamon Tour Package

Route: Kochi (Airport / Railway Station) – Munnar (130 Kms / approx. 7 Hrs)

Upon arrival at Kochi (Cochin International Airport or Railway Station), your dedicated driver will welcome you and begin the Kerala Offbeat Hills Circuit. The 130 km drive to Munnar takes approximately seven hours and is itself one of the finest scenic journeys in South India. Leaving the coastal lowlands of Kochi, the road rises through rubber estates and rice paddies before entering the Western Ghats proper — the vegetation thickening, the air cooling, and the road beginning to wind with increasing drama. Stop at Cheeyappara Waterfalls — a wide, multi-tiered cascade visible from the road; and at Valara Waterfalls — a narrower but more powerful drop through a forested gorge. Continue past tea garden viewpoints that become more extensive and more dramatic as the altitude increases towards Munnar. The town itself sits at 1,600 metres in a valley where three streams — the Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundala rivers — converge, surrounded on all sides by tea-covered slopes. Check in to your resort, walk the town in the early evening, and settle in to the cool mountain air. Overnight in Munnar.

Experience of the Day

• One of Kerala's most celebrated scenic mountain drives — tea, mist, and waterfalls over 130 km and seven hours

• Cheeyappara and Valara Waterfalls — two distinct waterfall types within a few kilometres of each other on the Kochi–Munnar road

• The full vertical transition: coastal lowland to 1,600-metre Western Ghats in a single private drive

• The first cool Munnar air on arrival — a significant and welcome shift from coastal Kerala

• Munnar town evening walk — tea shops, local market stalls, the smell of cardamom in the air

Food — Where to Eat & What to Try

En-route Refreshment Stop: roadside chai stalls near Adimali — cardamom tea made with locally grown cardamom; the signature drink of the Munnar approach road.

Munnar Restaurants:

• Rapsy Restaurant — Kerala meals, appam with mutton or vegetable stew; consistently recommended

• Saravana Bhavan — South Indian vegetarian; clean and reliable

• SN Restaurant — Kerala and North Indian; family-friendly and affordable

• Tea Tales Café — fresh-brewed tea varieties, local chocolates, light bites

Must-Try:

• Fresh cardamom tea at a hill-road stall — especially good between Adimali and Munnar

• Homemade chocolates — a Munnar specialty unique to the tea region

• Appam with Vegetable Stew — Kerala's definitive comfort meal, universally available

• Idiyappam with Coconut Milk Curry — light, aromatic, and ideal after a long drive

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

• Where to Shop: Munnar Town Market, Tea Museum outlet (Day 2), local spice and chocolate shops along the main road

• What to Buy: Single-estate black tea, green tea, flavoured teas, fresh cardamom, pepper, cloves, handmade chocolates, essential oils, eucalyptus skincare products

Activities to Do

• Cheeyappara and Valara Waterfall stops and photography en route

• Sunset viewing from resort grounds or a nearby viewpoint

• Evening stroll through Munnar town market

• Optional: Ayurvedic foot massage at the resort after the long drive

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Pothamedu View Point (4 km from Munnar town) — panoramic three-valley sunset

• Blossom International Park — short walk from town; pleasant for families

• Top Station (32 km) — highest point on the Munnar–Kodaikanal road; views into Tamil Nadu plains

Route: Munnar – Eravikulam National Park – Tea Museum – Mattupetty Dam – Echo Point – Kundala Lake – Munnar Town

After breakfast, begin a full day exploring the best of Munnar. Start with Eravikulam National Park (Rajamalai), 3 km from the town — a UNESCO-listed park famous for its rolling high-altitude grasslands and as the primary habitat of the Nilgiri Tahr, a stocky wild goat found at this elevation almost nowhere else in the world. The park's landscape is strikingly different from the rest of Kerala — open moorland above the treeline, closer in atmosphere to a Scottish highland than a tropical forest. The Tahr are habituated to human presence and can be observed at close range on the marked walking paths. On a clear morning, the ridge views extend across multiple layers of Western Ghats. Continue to the KDHP Tea Museum — a working plantation museum that traces the history of the British-era tea industry in Munnar through archive photographs, antique machinery, and a demonstration of the full processing chain from fresh leaf to finished black tea. Walk through the Withering, Rolling, Fermentation, and Drying stages with a museum guide. Continue to Mattupetty Dam and Lake, a scenic reservoir at 1,700 metres surrounded by tea gardens and eucalyptus. Drive to Echo Point, where the natural acoustic phenomenon in the mist-filled valley is a simple but consistently memorable experience. Finally, visit Kundala Lake, the most alpine-feeling of Munnar's water bodies, with shola forest surroundings and optional shikara boating. Return to Munnar town for an evening market walk and tea tasting. Overnight in Munnar.

Experience of the Day

• Eravikulam National Park — open moorland; Nilgiri Tahr at close range on the grassland walking trail

• The Tea Museum — the full story of Munnar's British-era plantation economy in archive photographs and antique machinery

• Mattupetty Dam — a high-altitude reservoir; tea gardens visible on every surrounding slope

• Echo Point — one of those simple natural experiences that families and couples consistently remember

• Kundala Lake — the most serene of the Munnar water bodies; shola forest and calm water at dusk

Food — Where to Eat & What to Try

• KDHP Tea Museum café — fresh-brewed estate tea and light snacks directly from the plantation

• Saravana Bhavan — South Indian breakfast and meals; clean and reliable throughout the day

• Rapsy Restaurant — Kerala meals and fish curry for lunch

• Tea garden cafés along the circuit — fresh cardamom tea and banana fritters (pazham pori)

• Must-try: Kerala sadya on banana leaf (on request at select restaurants); puttu with kadala curry; Malabar parotta with egg roast

Shopping — Where & What to Shop

• KDHP Tea Sales Outlet (Tea Museum) — estate-fresh tea direct from the plantation; single-estate varieties not available elsewhere

• Munnar Town Market — spices, chocolates, and herbal products at plantation-area prices

• Local spice shops — freshly dried cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon bark, cloves

• What to Buy: Single-estate black, green, and white teas; fresh cardamom; Munnar chocolates; eucalyptus oil; bamboo products

Activities to Do

• Guided park walk at Eravikulam — Nilgiri Tahr spotting on the grassland trail

• Tea Museum guided tour — processing demonstration, archive photographs

• Boating at Mattupetty Lake (optional, payable on site)

• Echo Point acoustic experience and photography

• Shikara boating at Kundala Lake (optional, payable on site)

• Evening market walk and tea tasting in Munnar town

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Attukad Waterfalls (seasonal) — on the Munnar–Pallivasal road; less visited than the en-route falls

• Marayoor Sandalwood Forest (40 km) — Kerala's only natural sandalwood reserve; half-day extension

• Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary — drier eastern forest; good for birdwatching; requires advance planning

Route: Munnar – Wayanad (approx. 270 Kms / 7.5 Hrs) via Kothamangalam – Thodupuzha – Kalpetta

After breakfast, check out and begin the traverse from Munnar to Wayanad — 270 km through the full depth of the Western Ghats interior. This is one of the most atmospherically rich long drives in the Kerala circuit. The route descends from Munnar's tea plateau, passes through the Periyar River valley near Kothamangalam where the landscape opens into wide paddy plains and river-crossing bridges, then climbs again through the rubber and cardamom country of Idukki district before the final ascent to Wayanad's high forest plateau. A comfort stop at Kothamangalam or Thodupuzha provides a proper lunch break at a clean local restaurant. The approach to Wayanad is gradual and unmistakable — the forest thickens, the temperature drops, and the air changes quality as you enter the most consistently forested district in Kerala. Arrive by evening, check in to your jungle or treehouse resort, and spend the first Wayanad evening listening to the forest. Overnight in Wayanad.

Experience of the Day

• The full Western Ghats interior traverse — 270 km through forest roads, river valleys, and plantation estates

• The Kothamangalam valley — wide paddy plains and the Periyar River crossing; a completely different Kerala landscape from the hills above

• The approach to Wayanad — forest thickening and temperature dropping as the plateau arrives

• Treehouse or jungle resort arrival — the circuit's most unusual overnight setting; forest sounds from the first night in Wayanad

• A travel day with its own landscape value, not merely a transit stage

Food — Where to Eat & What to Try

• Lunch en route: clean restaurant in Thodupuzha or Kothamangalam — Kerala thali and filter coffee; ask the driver for the current local favourite

• Wayanad dinner: 1980's A Nostalgic Restaurant — traditional Kerala flavours in a comfortable setting; popular and reliable

• Wilton Restaurant (Kalpetta) — multi-cuisine; family-friendly and consistent

• Coffee Grove Restaurant (Vythiri) — calm setting, multi-cuisine

• Must-try on arrival: forest honey (available at government-certified stalls near Wayanad resorts), herbal tea infusions using local forest plants

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

• Roadside spice and honey stalls en route — organic black pepper, cardamom, and forest honey at the best prices in the circuit

• Kalpetta local market (on arrival) — bamboo handicrafts, tribal craft items, local spice mixes

Activities to Do

• Resort nature walk on arrival (where available)

• Sunset viewpoint near the resort if arrival allows

• Campfire or evening bonfire at the resort (subject to policy)

• Ayurvedic massage at the resort spa

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Pookode Lake (20 km from Kalpetta) — a natural freshwater lake in a forest clearing; pedal boating and lakeside walk

• Lakkidi View Point — the first major viewpoint on the Kozhikode–Wayanad road; dramatic valley panorama

Route: Wayanad – Edakkal Caves (25 Kms) – Phantom Rock (5 Kms) – Soochipara Waterfalls (18 Kms) – Karapuzha Dam (20 Kms)

After breakfast, begin a full day through Wayanad's most rewarding heritage and nature sites. Drive 25 km to the Edakkal Caves, located in a natural rock split in the Ambukuthi Hills above Ambalavayal — accessible by a moderately steep 45-minute trek through dry deciduous forest. The caves contain some of the most significant prehistoric rock art in India: Neolithic and Mesolithic petroglyphs dating back at least 5,000 years, depicting human figures, animals, wheels, and symbols that represent the earliest evidence of human settlement in the Western Ghats. Some carvings are believed by scholars to be from the Bronze Age, predating the Indus Valley Civilisation's peak. The trek itself, through the forest with views opening across the Wayanad plateau, is as rewarding as the destination. After the caves, drive 5 km to Phantom Rock — a natural rock formation in the hills whose silhouette closely resembles a human skull when viewed from a specific angle, set in dense forest with natural light filtering through the canopy. Continue 18 km to Soochipara Waterfalls (also called Sentinel Rock Waterfalls) — a three-tiered cascade dropping 200 metres through thick forest, with a clear natural pool at the base that is one of the finest swimming spots in Wayanad. A 15-minute walk through forest is required to reach the falls. End the day at Karapuzha Dam, the largest earthen dam in Kerala, where the reservoir stretches across a broad valley surrounded by forest-covered hills — a peaceful final stop for the afternoon before returning to the resort. Overnight in Wayanad.

Experience of the Day

• Edakkal Caves — 5,000-year-old Neolithic petroglyphs inside natural rock chambers; the oldest human heritage site in the K-series circuit

• The 45-minute forest trek to the caves — the approach is as rewarding as the destination; plateau views from the Ambukuthi ridge

• Phantom Rock — the natural skull formation; geological curiosity in a forest setting; excellent for photography

• Soochipara Waterfalls — a three-tiered 200-metre cascade through dense forest; the finest waterfall day in the Wayanad circuit

• Karapuzha Dam — quiet, spacious, with the reservoir reflecting the surrounding hills in late afternoon light

Food — Where to Eat & What to Try

• Breakfast at resort — request a packed lunch option for the full-day cave and waterfall excursion

• Near Edakkal: small local tea stalls near the cave trek base — cardamom tea and banana chips

• Wilton Restaurant or 1980's Nostalgic Restaurant for lunch or dinner on return to Kalpetta

• Near Soochipara: local food stalls sell tender coconut water and banana fritters — the ideal post-waterfall refreshment

• Must-try: Bamboo Rice Payasam (seasonal, available at tribal community stalls near Ambalavayal); Wayanad forest honey with warm rice; herbal tea from local forest plants

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

• Ambalavayal village market (near Edakkal) — tribal bamboo products, forest honey, organic spice mixes at source prices

• Kalpetta Town Market — handwoven tribal textiles, bamboo handicrafts, government forest produce shops

• What to Buy: Tribal bamboo craft (baskets, containers, instruments), certified forest honey, bamboo rice if available, handmade tribal jewellery, organic black pepper

Activities to Do

• Trek to Edakkal Caves — prehistoric petroglyph viewing and plateau views

• Phantom Rock photography stop

• Soochipara Waterfalls walk and swimming at the base pool (seasonal)

• Karapuzha Dam sunset viewpoint

Optional Nearby Excursions

• En Ooru Tribal Heritage Village — living Adivasi cultural experience; bamboo rice preparation, tribal music; near Ambalavayal (20 min from Edakkal)

• Wayanad Heritage Museum (Ambalavayal) — finest tribal artefact collection in Kerala; 2 km from Edakkal

• Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary or Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary — private jeep safari; elephant, gaur, and spotted deer

• Thirunelli Temple (35 km) — ancient Vishnu temple in deep forest; one of Kerala's most atmospheric temple settings

Route: Wayanad – Vagamon (approx. 250 Kms / 7 Hrs) via Malappuram – Thrissur – Kottayam district

After an early breakfast, begin the drive from Wayanad's high plateau southward to Vagamon — a 250 km journey through the descent from the northern Ghats into the central Kerala plains and a final climb into the Idukki hills where Vagamon sits. The route passes through the rubber estate lowlands of Malappuram district, crosses the Thrissur plains, and re-enters the hills via the Kottayam–Idukki road. A comfort stop for lunch breaks the journey well. Arrive at Vagamon in the late afternoon and proceed directly to the most immediately striking feature of the destination: the Vagamon Meadows. These are rolling open grassland hills of a scale and character almost unique in Kerala — unlike the forested hills of Munnar and Wayanad, Vagamon's meadows are wide, open, and grassy, with a quality of light and a depth of sky that has made the town one of South India's most established paragliding destinations. In the evening, walk through the Vagamon Pine Forest — a grove of Pinus caribaea trees planted decades ago that create a cathedral-like light and a complete change in sound from the open meadows. Overnight in Vagamon.

Experience of the Day

• The descent from Wayanad — forest giving way to rubber estates and coastal plains; a complete landscape change in 250 km

• First sight of Vagamon's meadows — rolling open grassland hills unlike anything else in the K-series circuit

• The quality of light on the Vagamon plateau in the late afternoon — particularly atmospheric before sunset

• Vagamon Pine Forest — cathedral-light filtering through Pinus caribaea; a completely different mood from the meadows

• The surprise of Vagamon's landscape after the forested days in Munnar and Wayanad — genuinely unexpected

Food — Where to Eat & What to Try

• Lunch en route: Thrissur town — Payammal Restaurant or clean local hotel; Thrissur is known for Elisseri (yam and lentil curry) and Unnakai (banana fritters with coconut filling)

• Vagamon: Green Meadows Restaurant — multi-cuisine with hill views

• Alphonsa Restaurant (Vagamon town) — Kerala meals; reliable and local

• Hill Bloom Restaurant — light meals, tea, and snacks near the meadows

• Must-try: Fresh local honey (Vagamon area has traditional beekeeping; honey is sold at roadside stalls), cardamom filter coffee, hot pazham pori in the cool hill air

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

• Local roadside stalls near Vagamon Meadows — homemade spices, local honey, handmade woollens

• Small village markets in Vagamon town — the most low-key shopping in the circuit; genuinely local, not tourist-oriented

• What to Buy: Local honey (Vagamon's most distinctive produce), homemade pepper and cardamom, handmade woollen shawls (useful in the cool evenings), herbal oils

Activities to Do

• Vagamon Meadows evening walk — the open grassland at the golden hour

• Pine Forest evening stroll — photography in the pine-filtered light

• Paragliding viewpoint visit (flights are weather and availability dependent)

• Resort bonfire or garden evening if available

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Vagamon Lake (5 km) — small reservoir in a forested bowl; peaceful and photogenic

• Murugan Hill Temple (3 km) — hilltop temple with panoramic views over the Kottayam plains

• Tea estate viewpoints near Vagamon — a different style of plantation from Munnar; smaller and more intimate

Route: Vagamon – Thangalpara (7 Kms) – Kurisumala Ashram (6 Kms) – Ulupuni Viewpoint (10 Kms, Private Jeep) – Departure via Kochi / Kottayam

After breakfast and checkout, begin a final morning exploring Vagamon's three most distinctive sites before departure. Drive 7 km to Thangalpara, a hilltop Muslim pilgrimage site reached by a short walk, with panoramic views over the Vagamon valley and the plains beyond. The site's name means 'the place of the dargah' in Malayalam and it is one of the most visited pilgrimage points in the Vagamon hills, with a spiritual atmosphere that is notably different from the Christian and Hindu sites nearby. Continue to Kurisumala — the most culturally unexpected destination in the Kerala Offbeat Hills Circuit. Kurisumala is home to a Cistercian Trappist monastery — the only monastery of this contemplative Christian order in India — founded in 1958 by Father Francis Mahieu, a Belgian monk, and Father Bede Griffiths, the English Benedictine who became one of the most significant figures in the Christian-Hindu dialogue tradition of the 20th century. The monks follow the Rule of St. Benedict adapted to the rhythms of the Indian ashram tradition. The monastery is set on a forested hill at 1,300 metres with sweeping views over the surrounding valley, and visitors are welcome to walk the hill trail and view the chapel. The monastic schedule must be respected. Proceed to Ulupuni Viewpoint — accessed by an off-road jeep track through the grassland hills — where the valley drops sharply and the view extends over multiple ridges of the Idukki and Kottayam plains. This is Vagamon's most dramatic viewpoint, and the jeep ride through the meadow track is a fitting final adventure before the journey home. Drive to Kochi Airport or Kottayam Railway Station for departure, completing the Kerala Offbeat Hills Circuit.

Experience of the Day

• Thangalpara — a Muslim pilgrimage hilltop with panoramic valley views; the quietest and most contemplative morning start

• Kurisumala — India's only Cistercian Trappist monastery; a genuinely unexpected encounter with contemplative Christian-Indian culture in a forest hill setting

• Bede Griffiths' legacy at Kurisumala — one of the 20th century's most significant interfaith figures; the monastery is part of that story

• Ulupuni Viewpoint by private jeep — the off-road meadow track and the sharp valley drop; Vagamon's most dramatic view

• The satisfying close of the three-hill circuit: Munnar's tea peaks, Wayanad's forest plateau, Vagamon's open meadows

Food — Where to Eat & What to Try

• Breakfast at Vagamon hotel before checkout

• Kurisumala area: small local tea stalls near the monastery approach — simple tea and biscuits in the hill air

• Departure lunch: Kottayam town on the route to the airport — one of Kerala's best fish curry towns; Syrian Christian cuisine (duck roast, fish molee) is Kottayam's culinary identity

• Must-try en route: Kottayam Meen Curry (fish curry) with kappa — a deeply local combination; Appam with duck roast at a Syrian Christian restaurant in Kottayam

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

• Last opportunity: Vagamon roadside stalls before departure — local honey, handmade spice mixes, woollen shawls

• Kottayam town (en route) — rubber products (Kottayam is Kerala's rubber capital), Syrian Christian bakery goods, local pickles and preserves

Activities to Do

• Thangalpara pilgrimage hilltop walk and valley photography

• Kurisumala Ashram hill walk, chapel visit, and forested monastery grounds

• Ulupuni Viewpoint via private off-road jeep track

• Final meadow photography at Vagamon before departure

Optional Nearby Excursions

• Vagamon Pine Forest — if not visited on Day 5 evening

• Vagamon Meadows paragliding — subject to wind conditions and operator availability; typically early morning

• Abraham's Spice Garden (Vagamon) — a working spice garden with guided walk; smaller and more personal than Thekkady