One day covers Alleppey if you start at 08:30: the Mullakkal temple, a shikara ride of about two and a half hours into the backwaters from 09:00, the Revi Karunakaran Museum, lunch, the Coir Museum, then Alappuzha Beach and the lighthouse in the late afternoon. It is about 26 km by cab, back by about 16:30. Avoid Mondays, when the museum and the lighthouse are closed.
The Mullakkal temple early, a shikara ride of about two and a half hours from Punnamada into the backwaters, the Revi Karunakaran Museum, lunch, the Coir Museum north of town, then Alappuzha Beach and the lighthouse. About 26 km by cab, back by about 16:30. Not on a Monday, when the museum and the lighthouse are closed.
The main goddess temple of Alappuzha town, in the old market street, with a large banyan tree and stalls of flowers and lamps round its gate. The Mullakkal Chirappu festival in December fills the street with lights and stalls.
Tip: Shoes come off at the gate; men may be asked to remove their shirts in the inner shrine. Morning closing times vary from 10:30 to noon, so go early.
A canopied shikara boat from the Nehru Trophy finishing point on Punnamada Lake into the narrow canals of the Kuttanad backwaters, past paddy fields below the water line, village homes, churches and toddy shops on the banks. A small boat goes where the big houseboats cannot.
Tip: Agree the hours and the route before you board; rides are priced by the hour, usually with a two-hour minimum. Ask for the narrow canals, not just the open lake.
One of India's largest private museums, built by the Karunakaran family, who made their fortune in coir. It holds ivory carvings, Swarovski crystal, Lladro and Meissen porcelain, Chinese jade, Tanjore paintings and old Kerala furniture, in rooms modelled on Kerala houses.
Tip: Closed on Mondays. Entry is around Rs 150 to 200, among the highest in Kerala, and photography is limited inside.
A small museum of the Coir Board at Kalavoor, north of town, on Alappuzha's old trade: coconut husk turned into rope, mats and carpets. It shows the steps from husk to fibre to loom, with old tools and woven pieces.
Tip: Thirty minutes is enough. Buy your ticket at the counter; there is no online booking.
The town beach, with the iron posts of a pier more than 150 years old running out into the sea, from the days when Alappuzha was a busy port. Vijaya Beach Park at the north end has rides and food stalls in the evening.
Tip: The sea is rough here; do not swim. The beach park at the north end opens in the afternoon.
A lighthouse from 1862 a short walk from the beach, painted in red and white bands, with a small museum on lighthouses at its foot. The climb up the spiral stairs gives a view over the town's coconut palms, the canals and the sea.
Tip: Closed on Mondays. Afternoon hours vary between listings, so the safest time is between 15:00 and 16:30.
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The Alappuzha to Kochi highway and the town centre are slow at the morning and evening rush, and Kuttanad roads are narrow, so allow extra time. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Call or message a local Alleppey operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
Pickup from Kochi, Alleppey, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom, Kovalam, Varkala, Kollam, Trivandrum, Thiruvananthapuram, Guruvayur, Triprayar, Cherai
Pickup from Alleppey · based in Alappuzha
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple | About 05:00 to 10:30 and 17:00 to 20:00, every day | Early morning, before it closes at about 10:30. | 20 min |
| Shikara ride from the Finishing Point | Boats from early morning; cruising stops at about 17:30? | Morning, when the water is calm and the light is soft. | 2 h 30 min |
| Revi Karunakaran Memorial Museum | 09:00 to 17:00; closed on Mondays and national holidays | Late morning, out of the heat. | 1 h |
| International Coir Museum | About 09:30 to 17:00; one listing says closed on Mondays? | On the way to Marari Beach. | 30 min |
| Alappuzha Beach | Open air, all day? | Late afternoon into sunset. | 1 h 10 min |
| Alappuzha Lighthouse | 09:00 to 11:45 and 14:00 to 17:30; closed on Mondays; some listings give 15:00 to 17:00 for the afternoon | Mid-afternoon, then down to the beach. | 30 min |
The highlights, yes: a shikara ride in the backwaters, the Revi Karunakaran Museum, Alappuzha Beach and the lighthouse. The Ambalapuzha temple, Kuttanad and Marari Beach need a second day.
Around 09:00, when the water is calm and before the midday heat. The plan allows about two and a half hours, enough to get into the narrow canals off Punnamada Lake.
Tuesday to Sunday. Listings agree on the afternoon from 15:00 to about 16:30 but differ on the rest, so the plan reaches it at about 15:55, after the beach.