Alleppey Tourist Places: 12 Best Places to Visit in Alappuzha

Short answer: Alleppey’s tourist places are mostly on the water. The backwaters themselves, seen from an overnight houseboat or a day shikara from Punnamada or Finishing Point, come first. Then Alappuzha beach and its old pier, Marari beach 12 km north, Kumarakom bird sanctuary across Vembanad lake, Pathiramanal island, Krishnapuram Palace 49 km south (closed Mondays) and the Nehru Trophy snake-boat race in August. One houseboat night plus one day on land covers the twelve places below.

Where is Alleppey, and how do you reach it?

Alappuzha, still called Alleppey by most travellers, is a canal town on the coast 55 km south of Kochi and 155 km north of Thiruvananthapuram. It sits on a narrow strip between the Arabian Sea and Vembanad lake, Kerala’s largest, and the canals the British cut through the town in the 19th century for the coir trade give it the “Venice of the East” tag that every guidebook repeats. The Kuttanad rice country behind it lies below sea level, which is why the houseboat routes pass fields with the water above them.

Alappuzha railway station is on the coastal line between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram; from Delhi, the Kerala Express stops here, and from Ernakulam it is about an hour by train or 1.5 hours by road. Kochi airport is about 85 km and two hours away. KSRTC buses run every few minutes from Ernakulam and from Kottayam, which is the nearest station for Kumarakom. From Munnar it is a four- to five-hour drive; see our Alleppey to Munnar guide for the route in the other direction.

Within the town, autos and the canal ferries do the job. The houseboat jetties are at Punnamada (Finishing Point), about 3 km from the station, and at a few private yards around it.

Alleppey tourist places at a glance

Houseboat and shikara prices are market ranges, not fixed tariffs; they move with the season and the number of boats sitting idle at the jetty on the day. Sanctuary and palace fees are from Onmanorama (2021 revision) and trawell.in listings checked on 30 October 2026, so expect small increases.

How should you see the Alleppey backwaters?

You have three choices. The overnight houseboat (kettuvallam) is the classic: a converted rice barge with one to four air-conditioned bedrooms, a crew of three, lunch, tea, dinner and breakfast, cruising from about noon to sunset across Vembanad lake and along wide canals, anchoring overnight near a village, and returning by 09:00. One-bedroom deluxe boats run roughly ₹7,000–12,000 a night, premium boats ₹12,000–20,000 and luxury boats more (boatsnbeds.com, checked 30 Oct 2026); add 25% or so for 20 December–5 January. Our Alleppey houseboat guide explains the categories, what “upper deck” and “premium” actually buy you and how to check a boat before paying.

The shikara or country canoe is the better way to see village life. These small boats go where houseboats cannot, into canals a few metres wide past houses, churches, duck farms and schoolchildren being ferried to class. Three to four hours in the morning or late afternoon is ideal; agree the price and route on the jetty first. The public ferry is the cheapest of all: the Alappuzha–Kottayam route crosses the lake in about 2.5 hours for a few tens of rupees, and the Alappuzha–Kollam tourist boat takes about eight hours through the southern backwaters.

In our experience, the best combination for a first visit is a houseboat night followed by an early-morning canoe ride before you leave. The Kerala backwaters guide compares Alleppey with Kumarakom, Kollam and Poovar if you are deciding where to base.

Which beaches should you visit near Alleppey?

Alappuzha beach is the town’s evening gathering place: a wide, brown-sand beach with the ruined 1862 sea bridge (the old pier from the coir-export days), a 19th-century lighthouse you can climb in the afternoons for a small fee, a small amusement park and rows of snack stalls. Swimming is not safe here because of the surf and currents; come for the sunset and the atmosphere.

Marari (Mararikulam), 12 km north, is the beach to stay on. It is a long, clean fishing beach with coconut palms to the sand, a handful of resorts and homestays behind the dunes (the Marari Beach Resort is the well-known one; we name it as an example), and fishermen hauling in nets at dawn. Pair a Marari night with the houseboat night and you have a two-night Alleppey stay that is relaxed rather than rushed. Andhakaranazhi, further north, and Thottappally, to the south where the spillway meets the sea, are quieter still.

What is there to see on the Kumarakom side of the lake?

Kumarakom is a cluster of islands on the eastern shore of Vembanad, 30 km from Alleppey by road via Changanassery or an hour across the lake by boat. It is where the resort stays are (Kumarakom Lake Resort, Coconut Lagoon and the KTDC Waterscapes are the names most people know; again, examples rather than partners) and where you find the Kumarakom bird sanctuary, a 14-acre patch of mangrove and marsh with egrets, herons, darters, kingfishers and, from November to February, migrant teal and Siberian cranes. Entry was raised to ₹100 for Indian adults in 2021 (Onmanorama, 24 Sep 2021); go at opening, around 06:00, as the birds disperse by mid-morning.

Pathiramanal (“sands of midnight”) is a 10-acre uninhabited island in the lake between Alleppey and Kumarakom, reached by boat from Muhamma jetty or from Kumarakom. It is a bird roost with a short trail; houseboats often stop here. Vembanad lake itself, 96 km long and the venue for the boat races, is the thing to watch at sunset from either shore. Aruvikkuzhi waterfall, 18 km from Kumarakom in rubber-plantation country, is a short drive for a splash in the monsoon.

What else is worth a stop around Alappuzha?

• Krishnapuram Palace, Kayamkulam (49 km south): an 18th-century Travancore palace in classic Kerala style with gabled roofs and narrow corridors, now an archaeology museum. Its 49-square-metre Gajendra Moksham mural is the largest single mural found in Kerala. Open 09:30–16:30, closed Mondays, ₹10 for adults (trawell.in, checked 30 Oct 2026). Combine it with Varkala if you are heading south.
• Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna temple (14 km): a 15th–17th-century temple known for its sweet palpayasam offering and, in April–May, the Ambalappuzha Arattu festival.
• St Mary’s Forane Church, Champakulam: one of the oldest Syrian Christian churches in Kerala, on the Pamba river in Kuttanad; the Champakulam Moolam boat race in June–July starts the snake-boat season.
• Mullakkal Rajarajeswari temple and Mullakkal street: the town’s main shopping street and temple, busy in the evening.
• Revi Karunakaran Museum: a private museum of crystal, porcelain and ivory built by a coir-trading family; closed Mondays, modest fee, an hour on a rainy afternoon.
• Coir factories along the canals: coir (coconut fibre) is Alappuzha’s historic industry and several small units welcome visitors.

When should you visit Alleppey, and how does it fit a Kerala trip?

October to March is the season: dry, 24–32°C, with the clearest water and sunsets. December is the busiest month and houseboats sell out around Christmas; book two to three weeks ahead. April and May are hot and humid but workable in an air-conditioned boat. June to September is monsoon, when houseboats still run between showers and rates drop sharply; the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, held on the second Saturday of August in most years (22 August in 2026, per the Alappuzha district website), is the one event that fills the town in the rains. Our Kerala in December and best time to visit Kerala guides cover the months in detail.

Most itineraries place Alleppey after Munnar and Thekkady and before a beach or the flight home from Kochi: see our 5-day Kerala trip plan, the 7-day Kerala itinerary and the Kerala honeymoon trip plan. Costs for the houseboat and the rest of the trip are broken down in our Kerala trip cost guide, and the rest of the state is in Kerala tourist places.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top tourist places in Alleppey?

The backwaters by houseboat or shikara, Alappuzha beach and its old pier, Marari beach, Kumarakom bird sanctuary and Pathiramanal island on Vembanad lake, Krishnapuram Palace at Kayamkulam, Ambalappuzha temple and the Kuttanad paddy villages. In August, the Nehru Trophy snake-boat race on Punnamada lake is the event to see.

How much does an Alleppey houseboat cost?

A one-bedroom deluxe houseboat with air-conditioning and all meals costs roughly ₹7,000–12,000 a night in season, premium boats ₹12,000–20,000 and luxury boats more. Prices rise by about a quarter from 20 December to 5 January and fall in the monsoon. The rate is per boat, not per person, so two couples sharing a two-bedroom boat pay less each.

Is one night enough in Alleppey?

One houseboat night covers the backwaters, and that is what most 5–7 day Kerala itineraries allow. Two nights, with the second at Marari beach or in Kumarakom, let you add a village canoe ride, the bird sanctuary and the beach. Krishnapuram Palace is a stop on the way south rather than a reason to stay longer.

What is the best time to visit Alleppey?

October to March, with dry weather and the best light on the water. December is peak and the most expensive. April–May is hot but fine on an air-conditioned boat. June–September is monsoon, cheaper and green; the Nehru Trophy Boat Race in August is the one reason to come in the rains.

How do I reach Alleppey from Kochi or Delhi?

From Kochi airport it is about 85 km and two hours by road; from Ernakulam, trains take about an hour and KSRTC buses about 1.5 hours. From Delhi, fly to Kochi or take the Kerala Express, which stops at Alappuzha. Kottayam station, 35 km away, is the nearest for Kumarakom.

Alleppey or Kumarakom, which is better?

Alleppey has the houseboat jetties, the town, the beach and the lower prices, so it suits first-time visitors and budgets. Kumarakom is quieter, resort-based and better for a lake-view stay with the bird sanctuary nearby. Many couples do a houseboat from Alleppey and a resort night in Kumarakom, since the boats cross the same lake.