Kovalam and Varkala Travel Guide: The Best Beaches of South Kerala
Kovalam and Varkala are the two best-known beach destinations in southern Kerala. Kovalam is a group of sheltered bays near the state capital, with resorts and Ayurveda centres. Varkala, further north, is famous for its red cliffs above a long golden beach. Both are ideal places to rest at the end of a Kerala or India tour.
Kovalam and Varkala at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | South Kerala, near Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) |
| Nearest airport | Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) |
| Distance from airport | Kovalam about 30 minutes, Varkala about 1.5 hours |
| Ideal stay | 3 to 5 nights |
| Best months | November to March |
| Known for | Beaches, cliffs, Ayurveda, seafood |
Why visit Kovalam and Varkala
Tropical shores
Warm sea and palm-lined beaches.
Ayurveda
Kerala's traditional wellness treatments, at their best here.
Varkala's cliffs
A rare and beautiful coastal setting.
Easy access
Close to an international airport.
Top attractions in Kovalam and Varkala
Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam
The main bay, with a red and white lighthouse you can climb.
Hawa and Samudra beaches, Kovalam
Quieter bays to the north.
Varkala Cliff and Papanasam Beach
Cliff-top cafes above a beach held sacred by Hindus.
Janardhanaswamy Temple, Varkala
An ancient temple above the beach.
Kappil Beach and backwaters
Where a lagoon meets the sea, north of Varkala.
Thiruvananthapuram
The Napier Museum and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple (open to Hindus only).
Poovar
An estuary of backwaters, mangroves and a golden sand bar.
Unique experiences in Kovalam and Varkala
Planning your beach holiday
Best time to visit Kovalam and Varkala
November to March is the best time, with sunshine and calm seas.
April and May are hot and humid.
June to September is the monsoon. The sea is rough, but it is the traditional season for Ayurveda treatments.
How to reach Kovalam and Varkala
By air: Thiruvananthapuram has flights from Indian cities and the Gulf.
From Alleppey: about 3.5 to 4 hours to Varkala or Kovalam.
From Kochi: about 5 hours by road, or by train.
How many days to spend in Kovalam and Varkala
3 nights: one beach, with a day of sightseeing.
5 nights: both, or a short Ayurveda programme.
7 to 14 nights: a full Ayurveda treatment.
Where to stay in Kovalam and Varkala
Kovalam has large luxury resorts, including The Leela and Taj, and specialist Ayurveda retreats. Varkala has boutique cliff-top hotels and yoga retreats.
Hotel choices depend on your dates and style of travel. Please check with our team for the best options and rates.
Food to try in Kovalam and Varkala
Fresh seafood grilled to order, Kerala fish curry, appam, and tropical fruit.
Shopping in Kovalam and Varkala
Beachwear, spices, handicrafts and Tibetan and Kashmiri goods along the Varkala cliff.
Practical tips for international travellers
Swimming safety
Currents can be strong. Swim only where lifeguards are present.
Dress guidelines
Beachwear is for the beach only. Cover up elsewhere.
Temple etiquette
Papanasam Beach is used for Hindu rituals. Be respectful at the temple end.
Ayurveda centres
Choose certified centres with qualified doctors.
Money
Carry some cash in Indian rupees for small shops and tips. Cards are accepted at hotels and larger stores.
Water
Drink only bottled or filtered water.
Staying connected
An Indian SIM or eSIM is useful for maps and messages. Our team can guide you on arrival.
Nearby places to combine with Kovalam and Varkala
Thiruvananthapuram, Poovar, Kanyakumari (about 2.5 hours from Kovalam), and the backwaters of Kollam and Alleppey.
Dream Day Tours favourites in Kovalam and Varkala
These are the experiences our own team loves most and recommends to our guests.
- Sunset from the Varkala cliff path
- An early swim at Samudra Beach in Kovalam
- A boat ride through the Poovar mangroves
Why travel with Dream Day Tours
- Government-approved company, founded in 2019 and based in Jaipur.
- Every tour is private and customised to your dates, interests and budget.
- Expert local guides and trusted company drivers.
- A dedicated manager reachable by phone, message or email from your arrival to your departure.
- Secure payment by credit card, bank transfer or Revolut.
Frequently asked questions about Kovalam and Varkala
Kovalam has more resorts and is closer to the airport. Varkala is more relaxed, with dramatic cliffs.
November to March.
Three to five nights.
Yes, in calm season and where lifeguards are present.
Yes. Alleppey is about 3.5 to 4 hours away.
Plan and customise your Kovalam and Varkala tour
Dream Day Tours operates private, customised tours to Kovalam and Varkala and across this region.
Our ready-made tour packages for this destination will be live on the website soon. Until then, please customise your tour using the booking form on this page, or send us an enquiry. Our team will get back to you with all the details.
Plan and customise your Kovalam and Varkala tour
Our team will get back to you with all the details.
EXCELLENT
Based on 38 reviews
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Tiffany PVerified
An absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish! We couldn’t be happier with the trip organized by Dreamday Tours. The service was impeccable, and we felt supported and well taken care of from the very beginning to the very end. Ashfaq was extremely responsive, helpful, and always available whenever we had a question or needed anything. The hotel he booked for us was perfect, and the restaurant at the hotel was also excellent. Everything was very well organized, which allowed us to simply relax and enjoy the experience without having to worry about the logistics. The two safaris were absolutely incredible and were definitely highlights of our trip. Of course, when it comes to wildlife, there is always an element of luck involved — something no agency can control or guarantee. But in terms of organization, communication, and overall service, Dreamday Tours was outstanding. We felt that we could completely trust them throughout the whole trip, and that made the experience even more enjoyable. It’s clear that they genuinely care about their clients and want everything to go smoothly. We highly recommend Dreamday Tours to anyone looking for a reliable, professional, and attentive agency. We are extremely happy with everything they organized for us and would absolutely book with them again!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Shyam SVerified
Udaipur trip Had an amazing experience on my Udaipur trip! Everything was well organized and the overall experience was smooth and enjoyable. Udaipur is absolutely beautiful, with stunning lakes, palaces, and scenic views. The trip was memorable, relaxing, and full of wonderful moments. Really happy with the overall arrangements and service. Highly recommended for anyone planning a trip to Udaipur! ❤️Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
John CVerified
Dream Day Tours Golden Triangle and Tiger Safari Tour is definitely worth booking! Review of Dream Day Tours - Golden Triangle plus Tiger Safari Tour This past June my wife and I traveled to India with one of my wife’s colleagues to visit her husband’s hometown in Assam, India. It was great seeing a part of India from the perspective of a family that lived there, but since this was my wife’s first time to India, we decided to book a tour to show her some other beautiful sites. And so, we booked a lovely tour through Dream Day Tours, which is based in Jaipur. It was called the Golden Triangle Tour with Tiger Safari. It was just the two of us on the tour, so Dream Day Tours catered everything to our needs and desires. To begin, we flew into Delhi and Dream Day arranged for a driver to bring us from the airport to the Welcomehotel by ITC in Dwarka. Excellent hotel with very good food. The next day, we started our tour with the driver that was assigned to us, Jeetu Singh. Jeetu was great and transported us to our various destinations for the entire tour. We were also provided with a local guide for Delhi, Aarif Sheikh. Aarif was an excellent guide. He gave us a lot of historical and cultural information and took us to Jama Masjid, which was a spectacular mosque built in the time of the Mughals in the 1600’s, and still used for prayer today. We also got a bicycle rickshaw ride in Chandni Chowk, which is a lively and colorful market nearby. We were also taken to a grand Sikh Temple and learned of the generosity of the Sikh’s to their pilgrims and temple visitors. We appreciated the visits to the monuments and museums that were made around the life and death of Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi. The next morning Jeetu brought us to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We were met there by our guide Vipin. The Taj is spectacular, and basically was the only site we visited in Agra. Vipin brought us to various places to see the Taj under different views and at sunrise and sunset. We had total access to the Taj and its grounds, and Vipin, an amateur photographer took many beautiful and romantic photos of us with the Taj as a background. In fact, he took such a beautiful photo of us that we both use it as our most recent FB profile page. He definitely has talent as a photographer! On our way from Agra to Jaipur, Jeetu had us visit Fatehpur Sikri, which was the capital of the Mughal empire under Emperor Akbar in the 1500’s. This was certainly worth the visit. And we also stopped at a step well, which was a structure that was used historically to provide water to the inhabitants of the area. It was really different, fascinating, and ingenious! In Jaipur, the Pink City, we were again provided with a guide that was very versed in Indian culture and history, Mr. Raghuveer. He immediately brought us the Hawa Mahal, or Wind Palace, which is an incredibly beautiful structure overlooking a large busy square. We were again brought there by the Dream Day Tours owner, Ashfaq, in the evening, to see its beauty at night. Phenomenal! We had stressed that, besides seeing traditional tourist sites, we wanted to get an experience that showed us some of what really goes on in Jaipur streets, so Mr. Raghuveer took us to the flower market, where we were showered with flowers. This seemed especially appropriate for us since we had just celebrated our 40th anniversary. It was wild, and the flowers were beautiful, and an Indian friend of ours said it was like we were getting married! Then we visited the extraordinarily ornate and expansive Amber Fort, which was built in the 1500s by a Hindu Raj that had a political alliance with the Muslim Moghul Emperor Akbar. Beyond beautiful! Didn’t think that could be topped, but then we were brought to the City Palace, which was unbelievable in its majesty! Other things that made the trip a super experience were seeing a real snake charmer and having a hands-on interaction with an elephant, which was very weird, very exciting, and a little unnerving! We were definitely in India, far from home! And since we were so far, my wife wanted to go on a tiger safari, which we did at the Ranthambore National Park. We were lucky enough to spot some tigers in their natural environment, and we also saw other wildlife like bears, crocodiles, wild boars, a slew of peacocks and peahens, and other big birds and wildlife! It was all good, and Ashfaq at Dream Day Tours made it all possible for us by coordinating our itinerary, providing us with excellent guides, great hotels (with dinners and breakfasts included most days), and providing us with our beloved driver, Jeetu, who got us to every site and more, and then to the airport in ample time to catch our flight home! Thank you, Dream Day Tours!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Menager SVerified
Tour Safari This agency helped me organize a safari tour in Ranthambore; they are very professional and accommodating. I highly recommend them!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Elena TVerified
An experience made possible only by them, fantastic in every way! I am truly happy to recommend this tour operator who has been incredibly accommodating towards me from the very beginning. They made the impossible possible, in the sense that I had little time but wanted to see too many things. With them, it was possible. Transfers and guides all for me, as I was traveling alone, and they were super friendly and efficient. They had breakfast ready for me in the car after a visit, they accommodated me in every way, and I arrived at the airport more punctual than ever despite the traffic to catch my return flight. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, especially to Ashfaq who personally welcomed me and was so, so patient. If you want to travel without worries and safely, choose this tour operator. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for my unforgettable experience. ❤️Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
thomas bVerified
Better than we could have imagined! This was the most well organised trip we could have asked for! Ashfaq and the team couldn't have done more to make the trip better - hotel was stunning, lifts to and from Safari on time (and aircon!) and the best Safari, 2 groups and 1 private ( we saw 7 Tigers). This was a trip tailored to us, made very special! Highly recommend Dream Day Tours if you want the best trip of a life time at a great price!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Julius HVerified
Good Experience We had a great experience. My friend and I booked the trip just two weeks before arriving in India, and they responded quickly and made everything possible. We shared what we wanted to see, and they created a plan around it. We also had a fantastic driver who was very kind and always made sure we had everything we needed, including water, soda, and beer.Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
William MVerified
Saw Tigers and Crocodiles! We did 3 safaris, on the first two we saw lots of wildlife including monkeys, deer, hyenas, peacocks and other birds, but no tigers… And then on the third, we were lucky enough to see on four separate occasions a tiger casually strolling through its natural habitat. We got close enough to take good photos and one even walked straight past the Jeep! We also saw a couple of crocodiles by the lake which topped it off. Very enjoyable experience!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Esmeralda MVerified
FANTA Hola!! Hi!! My husband and I went to India for 9 days and we couldn't have made a better choice than Day Dream Tours! They put together an incredible tour for us, with a guide in our language at each location, and they made sure everything was perfect! The safari in Rathambore was amazing and we even saw tigers! If you're planning a trip to India, don't hesitate to book with them. Besides having an incredible experience, you'll make some lifelong friends! Thank you!!!!!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Daniel NVerified
Incredible India Our organized round trip through India with Ahmed was absolutely perfect and exceeded all our expectations! The itinerary including Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park, and Agra was perfectly designed. We were able to experience India’s fascinating culture, impressive architecture, and breathtaking wildlife to the fullest. Every stop was a highlight in its own way! The hotels selected for us were excellent – very comfortable, clean, and thoughtfully chosen. It was clear that Ahmed places great value on quality and guest satisfaction. A very special thank you also goes to our driver, Malik. He was always punctual, professional, friendly, and drove very safely. We felt comfortable and well taken care of at all times. Ahmed was always available and responded immediately to all of our wishes. Even last-minute requests or spontaneous changes were arranged quickly and smoothly. This outstanding level of service truly made our journey extra special. Thanks to Ahmed and his team, we had a wonderful and unforgettable time in India. We are incredibly grateful for the perfect organization and can highly recommend this tour to anyone. Thank you so much for everything!Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
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