Golden Triangle, Rajasthan & Kerala
north and south, one journey

Because flying back to Delhi at the end would cost you a full day and gain you nothing. Kochi has good international connectivity, usually through a Gulf hub or via Delhi or Mumbai, so you book an open-jaw or multi-city ticket rather than a return. It is worth telling your airline or agent this before you book — retrofitting an open-jaw afterwards is expensive.

Yes, provided the northern half is disciplined, which is why this itinerary is shaped the way it is. Delhi gets one sightseeing day, there is no Jodhpur and no Pushkar, and Jaipur to Udaipur is flown rather than driven. That buys nine days in Kerala, which is what the south needs to be more than a token add-on. If you want the fuller Rajasthan run as well, that is a twenty-one day trip and we will build it.

The northern half is deliberately compressed. The twelve-day itinerary drives Jaipur to Jodhpur via Pushkar and spends two nights in Jodhpur; this one skips both and flies straight to Udaipur, which frees more than three days. If Rajasthan is what you want, take the twelve-day. If you want one trip that covers both halves of India, take this one.

Two domestic flights — Jaipur to Udaipur, and Udaipur to Kochi, the latter connecting through Delhi or Mumbai. Everything else is by private car: Delhi to Agra about 230 km on a motorway, Agra to Jaipur about 240 km, then in Kerala Kochi to Munnar about 130 km of hill road, Munnar to Thekkady about 110 km, Thekkady to Alleppey about 140 km and Alleppey to the coast about 25 km. Kerala distances are short but the roads are winding, so allow the time.

No. You connect, usually through Delhi or Mumbai, and it makes for a long travel day — which is why nothing is scheduled at the end of it. We build a real connection buffer, because missing that connection would cost you a night in Kochi and a day of the Kerala half.

No, and that is deliberate. You have a private car and chauffeur in the north and a different one in Kerala. A Rajasthan driver has no advantage on a Munnar hill road and does not speak Malayalam; a Kerala driver knows the region, the roads and the weather. Both are yours alone for the duration.

October to March works for both, which is what makes this itinerary practical. Rajasthan is warm and clear then, and Kerala is dry and pleasant. April to June is very hot in the north. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Kerala — beautiful, green and much quieter, and some travellers deliberately choose it, but the backwaters and hill roads behave differently and we would talk it through with you first.

Almost completely. Different landscape, language, religion mix, architecture, climate and cuisine. Rajasthan is desert, forts and wheat-and-dairy cooking; Kerala is coast, water and hills, with coconut, curry leaf and fish. That contrast is the entire argument for combining them in one trip rather than seeing more of one region.

You board a converted rice barge around midday with its own crew and cook, cruise the Kuttanad channels through the afternoon, and moor for the night in a quiet backwater — boats are required to stop by evening rather than cruising after dark. Meals are cooked on board, usually including the day’s fish. Air conditioning generally runs at night when the generator is on. Boats range from simple to genuinely luxurious and we describe exactly what you are booking.

Elephants are seen regularly from the lake boat, along with gaur, sambar and wild boar. Tigers are present in the reserve but very rarely seen, and we would not suggest otherwise. Periyar is a beautiful forest and a lake safari rather than a big-cat park — if tigers are what you want from India, that belongs in a Ranthambore or Madhya Pradesh itinerary, and we have one.

Yes. Jaipur and Udaipur both have former royal residences, restored havelis and grand heritage properties, and Udaipur in particular has island palaces. What is available depends on your dates and category, and we name the actual properties in your written quotation before you pay.

Different in character rather than lesser. Fort Kochi has restored colonial-era heritage houses; Munnar has plantation bungalows and estate stays that are more memorable than any resort; Thekkady has forest-edge lodges; and the coast has beach resorts and Ayurvedic retreats set in coconut groves. Kerala luxury is quieter and more low-rise than Rajasthan palace luxury.

It works very well as one — three nights in Udaipur, a private houseboat and two nights on a quiet beach give it the right shape. We would usually add a private dinner or two and upgrade the room category at Udaipur and on the coast. Tell us it is a honeymoon when you enquire and we build it accordingly.

Generally yes. The north has the most walking — Amber Fort, Fatehpur Sikri if you include it — and Kerala is gentle throughout. The two considerations are the winding hill roads to Munnar and Thekkady, and the step onto and off the houseboat. Both are manageable and we plan around them if you tell us in advance.

Layers for Rajasthan, where winter nights are genuinely cold, and light breathable clothing for Kerala, which is warm and humid year-round. One warm layer for Munnar, which sits at altitude and can be misty and cold in the morning. Modest dress for temples in both regions. The laundry gap between the halves is about nine days, so plan accordingly.

Both regions handle vegetarian and vegan travellers easily — India is the best country in the world for it. Kerala is strong on fish and seafood, and also on Jain and vegan cooking if that is what you need. Tell us about allergies, gluten and any restriction at the enquiry stage and we brief the hotels and the houseboat crew in advance rather than on the day.

Most nationalities need an Indian e-Visa applied for online in advance. Requirements, fees and processing times change, so check the Government of India e-Visa portal for your own passport before booking flights. Note that your visa must cover the whole trip, which is longer than most India holidays.

There is no fixed price. Seventeen days spans a very wide range depending on your travel dates, hotel category, room type, party size, the standard of houseboat, and which experiences you add. Send us your dates and party size for an itemised written quotation with named hotels, usually within one working day.

You share your dates and preferences, we send a tailored itinerary and quotation, and we revise it until it is right. A deposit secures hotels and domestic flights, with the balance due before travel. Every booking comes with a GST invoice and a written cancellation policy, given to you before you pay anything.

Four to six months for October to March travel. On a trip this length the constraint is usually the combination — the best rooms in Udaipur, a good houseboat and the right beach property for the same dates. Domestic flight fares also rise closer in.