3 Days in Alleppey – The Ultimate Travel Guide

You cannot not think of backwaters and houseboats when you talk about Alleppey (also known as Alappuzha). I was very excited to visit Alleppey, the place that I had heard about since I was a kid. I imagined myself relaxing on a houseboat in the tranquility of the backwaters as the sun sets.

PS: This was just an imagination, I did not actually do it 😅

Chilling on a canoe in Alleppey (no there was no sunset)

Alleppey was the 8th stop of my South India tour. I toured the city with Alex, who I met at Poornodaya. Alex is a person of faith, so in addition to the backwaters and beaches of Alleppey, we also visited a few temples.

This is the ultimate travel guide that you will ever need to plan your trip to Alleppey.

How to reach Alleppey?

If you are coming from far, you can take a flight to Kochi (Cochin International Airport), which is around 80 km from Alleppey. From Kochi, you can either take a bus, train, or taxi to Alleppey. You can also rent a two or a four-wheeler and drive to Alleppey.

We were visiting Alleppey from Kottayam, so we first took a bus from Kottayam to the Thirunakkara bus stand. Then we took an auto-rickshaw (or tuk-tuk) to Kanjiram Boat Station from where we caught our ferry to Alleppey. 

Ferry from Kanjiram leaves twice a day to Alleppey. You can check the latest timings on the official website or confirm from the locals.

The ticket fare is just Rs 15 for the ferry ride, and it drops you at Alleppey boat station, right in the city center.

PS: The ferry ride is pleasant, and you’ll get your first backwater experience as well.

Kanjiram boat station Me and Alex as we set on our ride to Alleppey Open backwaters as seen from the ferry

Where to stay in Alleppey?

Alleppey is full of backpacker hostels, guesthouses, and BnBs, so you’ll not find difficulty in choosing the best place for you.
We were in Alleppey during the off-season, because of which most of the accommodations were empty and also cheaper than the regular rates. Alex and I stayed at Carpe Diem, located in a residential society at a walkable distance to the Alleppey Beach. The first thing that we noticed when we entered our hostel was its peaceful locality and the white paint on its walls that reflected positivity.
We stayed in a 10-bed mixed dorm, and I was particularly impressed by the clean room and sheets that still smelled of detergent.
Nets were put on each bed to protect from mosquitoes and other insects.
Each room looked onto a balcony with a view of the locality and the green trees.
Paul, who is also the co-owner of the property, helped us with tips on touring the city. He also arranged for the backwater tour for us. Common area of the hostel Dorm room where we stayed in Inside the room Patio outside the room View from the patio With Paul

Things to do in Alleppey

If you are not in a rush and want to spend your time leisurely in the city, here is a list of activities that you can do, and the places that you can visit in 3 days in Alleppey.

Spend a relaxing time at Alleppey Beach

As I mentioned above, Alleppey Beach was within walking distance from our hostel. So the first thing that we did after freshening up was walk to the beach.

Staring into the sea infinity – Alleppey Beach The beach was less crowded than usual because of the off-season, and it was also cleaner than what I had expected. The waves were fierce at the time and crashed right on the beach. So we avoided playing with the water and instead took a walk along the shore.
The first thing that you will notice at Alleppey beach is an old and broken pier that extends farther into the sea. It is quite a sight!
We spent our first evening at the Alleppey beach and watched the sun go down, reflecting its shimmering golden on the browns of the sand and whites of the waves. The old broken pier at the Alleppey beach People walking by the beach as the sun calmly sets down The next day we decided to sit and read by the beach. We walked to the Alleppey beach, and further towards Pozhiyoram beach. The waves were as fierce as the last evening, so we decided to sit a little farther from the sea.
It was the first time that I just sat down by the beach and did nothing, but only listened to the waves, and quietly pondered. Sitting by the Alleppey beach on a sunny morning

Watch the sunset at Marari Beach.

If you are looking for a much quieter beach in Alleppey, this one is for you. Mararikulam (or Marari) beach is around 15 km from Alleppey beach, and you can either hitch-hike or take a bus from Alleppey town to the Mararikulam village. Take a 5-minute walk from the Mararikulam bus stop, and the stunning views of the beach and backwaters will astound you.

Backwaters at Marari Beach View of backwaters by the Marari beach The quieter side of Marari Beach Looking eagerly at the fierce waves of Marari Beach Taking a stroll by the beach The fierce waves of the Marari Beach

Since it is a little far from the main Alleppey town, the beach is less crowded and even cleaner than the Alleppey beach. One can easily spend an entire evening here watching the waves crash at the shore, and the sun softly go down.

Sun reflecting its light on the golden sands of the beach Sunset scene at the beach

Take the Alleppey backwater Canoe tour

If you are wondering why didn’t I spend a night in a houseboat in Alleppey – houseboat stays tend to be quite expensive for solo budget travelers.

Houseboat on Alleppey backwaters Although we experienced riding on Alleppey backwaters on our way from Kottayam, Alex was eager to go on a canoe tour that includes riding through narrow canals along with the open waterways.
Paul booked the canoe village tour through Oscar Cruise, and the ride cost us Rs 800 per person (discounted rate due to off-season). Canoe ready to leave for the backwater tour View of backwaters from Canoe Laali, our canoe rider, in the background

The tour starts at 8:30 am when a motor-boat takes you to a nearby village, where you first have Kerala-style breakfast at a local’s place. The actual canoe tour starts after that, and it lasts for four hours with a snack-break in between. Post that you have lunch at the same place where you had breakfast in the morning, and get ready to leave for the main town.

Lunch at a local’s home after the ride

The canoe takes you through narrow canals and streams, passing through many villages. The most enjoyable part for me throughout the ride was observing the routine village life of the locals – everyone busy in their daily chores, undisturbed by tourist boats passing by their houses, doing laundry, cleaning utensils, and catching fish.

Passing through villages during our canoe tour

Try a Toddy

Toddy is the local alcohol of Kerala made of coconut and palm. If you are doing a canoe tour, you can ask your boat rider to buy you some on the way. We bought a 1-liter bottle of toddy for 200 Rs that 3 of us from the group shared.
PS: Toddy is best consumed fresh when it is prepared in the morning because it gets bitter and stronger with time. We got Toddy in this bottle from a local shop

Watch the world-famous Snake boat race

Alleppey hosts around 15 snake boat races throughout the year, of which the Nehru Trophy Boat race is most famous. If you are in the city during the time of the race, you can witness one of the most enjoyable boat races. All villages of Alleppey district compete in the race, and you can see a 100 people seated on one boat rowing strenuously in synchronization. It’s a captivating sight!
If you are not able to watch the actual race, you can still see the practice, which starts a month before the race. Snake boat race practice

Visit the revered temples of Alleppey

Right in the city center of Alleppey, you’ll find many adorned temples.
The first temple that we visited was the Mullakkal temple. It was hosting a dress-up ceremony of a God’s idol for its new home(or temple). Many priests were playing music on the traditional instruments while a few of them were chanting and performing the ceremony. It was glorious. Inside Mullakkal temple Priests dressing the idol in Mullakkal Temple Priest playing traditional musical instruments during the ceremony Gardens surrounding Mullakkal temple

Next, we went to Kidangamparambu Sree Bhuvaneswari Temple, which was just a 10-minute walk from the Mullakkal temple. This temple was architecturally rich, with many gods carved on the temple walls. There was some function happening here as well, so we left quickly after paying our respects.

Inside Sree Bhuvaneswari Temple Many idols adorning the walls of the temple

All in all, we were able to cover many places of Alleppey in 3 days, and also spend some quiet leisure time.