--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Alappuzha, India | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Alappuzha, ranked: a houseboat on the backwaters, the public ferry through Kuttanad, canoes in Kainakary, the beach and lighthouse, and the Nehru Trophy." url: https://wimup.com/city/alappuzha type: City guide updated: 2026-10-18 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Alappuzha Alappuzha, India · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read Alappuzha is a canal town on the Kerala coast, with the sea on one side and Vembanad Lake and the paddy of Kuttanad on the other. Come for the backwaters: a night on a houseboat, a ferry with commuters, a canoe in the side canals. ## Quick answer Alappuzha is the gateway to the Kerala backwaters, and two or three days covers it. Spend one night on a houseboat across Vembanad and Punnamada, then take the public ferry or a canoe into the narrow canals of Kuttanad. Give the other day to the beach, the 1862 lighthouse and Marari, and add Ambalappuzha for its temple pudding. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb - **Ideal length:** 2 to 3 days - **Budget per day:** $30–150 - **Language:** Malayalam, with English used across tourism - **Getting around:** Autos in town, State Water Transport ferries and shikaras on the canals, a taxi for Marari and the temples - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.dtpcalappuzha.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Alappuzha ### 1. Spend a night on a houseboat Backwaters · Finishing Point, Punnamada, Alappuzha, Kerala, India The kettuvallam, a thatched rice barge turned floating bedroom, is the reason most people come. A night on board covers Punnamada, Vembanad and the Kuttanad canals, usually with a cook and Kerala meals on board. - **Time:** One night - **Cost:** Priced per boat, by the number of bedrooms - **Best at:** Late afternoon on the lake - **Tip:** Book through a licensed operator and agree the route, meals and air-conditioning hours before you board. Links: [Website](https://www.dtpcalappuzha.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Take the public ferry to Kottayam Ferry · SWTD boat jetty, near the KSRTC bus station, Alappuzha, Kerala, India The State Water Transport boat crosses Kuttanad with commuters and schoolchildren, past paddy, churches and canal-side houses. It is the cheapest backwater trip there is, about two hours one way. - **Time:** About 2 hours each way - **Cost:** A public ferry fare - **Best at:** The morning boat, when Kuttanad is busiest - **Tip:** Timetables change. Confirm the day's departures at the jetty and keep small notes for the ticket. Links: [Website](https://swtd.kerala.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Paddle the Kainakary canals by canoe Canoe · Kainakary, Alappuzha, Kerala, India Houseboats stay on the wide water. A shikara or a hand-paddled canoe slips into canals only a few metres across, past kingfishers, duck flocks and village kitchens. This is the backwater at its closest. - **Time:** 2 to 4 hours - **Cost:** Priced per boat - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Choose a paddled canoe over a motor shikara for the quietest canals and the best birding. ### 4. Watch the sunset from Alappuzha Beach Beach · Beach Road, Alappuzha, Kerala, India A long sand beach with the iron stumps of the old pier running into the sea, the last of the port that made the town. Families crowd it at dusk. The water is rough, so treat it as a walk, not a swim. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Pair it with the lighthouse two streets back, then eat at the stalls along Beach Road. ### 5. Climb the 1862 lighthouse Landmark · Near Alappuzha Beach, Alappuzha, Kerala, India Alappuzha's lighthouse was lit in 1862 under Travancore and still guides ships. Climb the spiral stairs for a view over the palms to the sea, then see the small lamp museum at its foot. - **Time:** 45 minutes - **Cost:** Small ticket, extra for a camera - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Shoes come off at the door, and the steps are narrow and steep. Links: [Website](https://lighthouse.nic.in/kochi/alappuzha-lighthouse?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. See Kuttanad farmed below sea level Landscape · Kuttanad, Alappuzha, Kerala, India Kuttanad grows rice one to two metres below the sea, behind earth dykes, with fish and ducks in the same water. FAO lists it as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. The ferry and the canoes both cross it. - **Time:** Half a day - **Cost:** Free from the road or the ferry - **Best at:** Planting and harvest seasons - **Tip:** Ask your boatman to stop at a paddy dyke so you can see the fields lie lower than the canal. Links: [Website](https://www.fao.org/giahs/giahs-around-the-world/india-kuttanad-farming-system/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. Watch the Nehru Trophy snake boat race Festival · Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha, Kerala, India Snake boats with around a hundred oarsmen each race on Punnamada each August, in Kerala's best-known regatta. It dates to Nehru's 1952 visit. The 2026 race ran on 22 August, four days before Thiruvonam. - **Time:** A full day - **Cost:** Ticketed stands, booked online - **Best at:** The afternoon finals - **Tip:** Book a stand ticket on the official site and arrive by late morning; the lake shore fills early. Links: [Website](https://nehrutrophy.nic.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. Taste the palpayasam at Ambalappuzha Temple · Ambalappuzha, Alappuzha, Kerala, India The Sree Krishna temple at Ambalappuzha is known across Kerala for its palpayasam, a rice and milk pudding made as the noon offering. It is about 14 km south of town, an easy auto or bus ride. - **Time:** 1 to 2 hours - **Cost:** Free; the payasam is a paid offering - **Best at:** Around the noon puja - **Tip:** Kerala temples set their own dress and entry rules. Check them at the gate before you go in. Links: [Website](https://travancoredevaswomboard.org/2012/07/08/ambalappuzha-sree-krishnaswami-temple/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Swim and slow down at Marari Beach Beach · Mararikulam, Alappuzha, Kerala, India A fishing-village beach north of town, quieter and cleaner than the town beach, where wooden boats land the catch in the morning. Resorts sit behind the dunes, but the sand stays open to all. - **Time:** Half a day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Morning, when the boats come in - **Tip:** There are few cafés on the sand. Bring water, or eat in the village behind it. ### 10. Visit Krishnapuram Palace Palace · Krishnapuram, Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Kerala, India An 18th-century Travancore palace in Kerala style, now a state archaeology museum. Its draw is the Gajendra Moksham, among the largest murals found in Kerala, on the ground floor. - **Time:** 1 to 2 hours - **Cost:** Small ticket - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Closed on Mondays and national holidays. Links: [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/alappuzha/krishnapuram-palace?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best backwater trips in Alappuzha Three more ways onto the lakes and canals, after the houseboat and the ferry. 1. **Muhamma to Kumarakom ferry** (Ferry · Muhamma): The public boat across the widest part of Vembanad, to the bird sanctuary shore. 2. **Pathiramanal island** (Island · Vembanad Lake): A wooded bird island in Vembanad, about 1.5 km by boat from Muhamma. 3. **Thanneermukkom Bund** (Viewpoint · Thanneermukkom): The 1970s barrier that splits the lake into salt and fresh water. Best at sunset. ## Best beaches near Alappuzha Three more stretches of sand north of town, after Alappuzha and Marari. 1. **Arthunkal Beach** (Beach · Arthunkal): The shore beside the basilica, busiest during the January feast. 2. **Andhakaranazhi Beach** (Beach · Pattanakkad): Where an estuary meets the sea, a local favourite at sunset. 3. **Thumpoly Beach** (Beach · Thumpoly): A fishing beach just north of town, quiet outside weekends. ## Best temples & churches in Alappuzha Temples and churches across the district, each with a festival worth timing a trip around. 1. **Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple** (Temple · Mullakkal): The town-centre temple, whose Chirappu festival fills December. [Website](https://keralatourism.org/temples/alappuzha/mullakkal?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Mannarasala Sree Nagaraja Temple** (Temple · Haripad): A serpent temple in a forest grove lined with carved snake images, led by a priestess. 3. **St Mary's Basilica, Champakulam** (Church · Champakulam): By tradition founded in AD 427, with a rock cross dated to 1151. 4. **St Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal** (Church · Arthunkal): A seaside church whose January feast draws pilgrims from across Kerala. [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/alappuzha/arthunkal-church?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 5. **Chettikulangara Bhagavathy Temple** (Temple · Mavelikara): Home of the Kumbha Bharani and its towering kettukazhcha floats. ## Best heritage sites in Alappuzha Four pieces of the town and district beyond the lighthouse and palace. 1. **Revi Karunakaran Memorial Museum** (Museum · Kommady): A private family collection of decorative art beside the highway. Closed Mondays. [Website](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/alappuzha/revi-karunakaran-memorial-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Karumadi Kuttan** (Monument · Karumadi): A black granite Buddha, rare in Kerala, kept by the state archaeology department. [Website](https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/karumadi-kuttan-alappuzha/461?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **International Coir Museum** (Museum · Kalavoor): The Coir Board's museum of the fibre the town was built on. 4. **The old pier** (Ruin · Alappuzha Beach): Iron stumps of the 19th-century pier, all that is left of the port. ## Best restaurants in Alappuzha Biryani, puttu and Kuttanad duck, at local prices. 1. **Halais Restaurant** (Biryani · Mullakkal): A big, busy town institution for biryani and Arabian plates. 2. **Thaff Restaurant** (Kerala · Alappuzha): Kerala non-vegetarian cooking and biryani. Crowded on weekends. 3. **Avees Puttu House** (Kerala · Punnapra): Puttu, duck roast and karimeen on the highway south of town. ## Best backwater villages near Alappuzha Four villages on the water, each reached by boat or a short drive. 1. **Kainakary** (Village · Kuttanad): Canals, paddy and duck farms, the base for canoe trips. 2. **Champakulam** (Village · Pamba river): A river village with an old basilica and the first race of the boat season. 3. **Muhamma** (Village · Vembanad Lake): The lakeside jetty for Pathiramanal and the ferry to Kumarakom. 4. **Mararikulam** (Village · Coast): The fishing village behind Marari Beach. ## Best day trips from Alappuzha Three trips across the lake, up the coast or down the canals. 1. **Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary** (Birds · Kottayam district): Fourteen acres on the far shore of Vembanad, best for migrants from November to February. [Website](https://incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/kumarakom/kumarakom-bird-sanctuary?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Fort Kochi** (Heritage · Kochi): Chinese fishing nets, churches and spice warehouses, about two hours north by road. 3. **Kollam by tourist boat** (Cruise · Kollam): An eight-hour canal cruise south past Amritapuri, run in season. Check the dates. ## Festivals & annual events in Alappuzha (2026) - **Arthunkal Perunnal** (Jan): The St Sebastian feast at Arthunkal, its main day on 20 January. - **Chettikulangara Bharani** (Feb or Mar): Floats as tall as temple towers, on Bharani day in the month of Kumbham. - **Ambalappuzha Arattu** (Mar or Apr): The Sree Krishna temple festival, with Velakali martial dance. - **Champakulam Moolam boat race** (Jun or Jul): The first snake boat race of Kerala's season, on the Pamba. - **Nehru Trophy Boat Race** (Aug): The great regatta on Punnamada; in 2026 it ran on 22 August. - **Onam** (Aug or Sep): Kerala's harvest festival; Thiruvonam fell on 26 August in 2026. - **Payippad Jalotsavam** (Aug or Sep): Three days of boat racing near Haripad during Onam. - **Mullakkal Chirappu** (Nov to Dec): Eleven days of processions and fireworks at the town temple. ## Must-try dishes in Alappuzha, India - **Karimeen pollichathu**: Pearl spot fish, spiced and cooked in a banana leaf. - **Kuttanad duck roast**: Duck from the paddy flocks, slow-roasted in coconut and spice. - **Appam and stew**: Lacy rice pancakes with a mild coconut milk stew. - **Kappa and meen curry**: Tapioca with a red fish curry soured with kudampuli. - **Ambalappuzha palpayasam**: The temple's slow-cooked rice and milk pudding. - **Chemmeen roast**: Prawns dry-roasted with shallots and curry leaves. - **Kakka irachi**: Lake clams stir-fried with coconut. - **Kallu (toddy)**: Fresh palm sap, sold in the toddy shops along the canals. ## Alappuzha transport & airports - **Cochin International Airport** (COK): The nearest airport, about 83 km north on NH 66, around two hours by taxi. Trivandrum is about 149 km south. [Website](https://www.cial.aero/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Alappuzha station** (Rail): On the coastal line between Ernakulam and Kayamkulam, with trains to Kochi and Trivandrum. An auto runs you into town. [Website](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **State Water Transport ferries** (Boat): Public boats from the jetty by the bus station run to Kottayam, Kumarakom and the Kuttanad villages. [Website](https://swtd.kerala.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Autos, taxis and KSRTC buses** (Local): Autos cover the town. KSRTC buses run up and down NH 66; take a taxi for Marari and the temples. [Website](https://online.keralartc.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Alappuzha at a glance - **Country:** India - **State:** Kerala - **District:** Alappuzha - **Population:** 174,164 in the municipality (2011 census) - **Also called:** Alleppey - **Lake:** Vembanad, the longest lake in India - **Farming:** Kuttanad, rice grown below sea level - **Lighthouse:** Lit in 1862 - **Language:** Malayalam - **Currency:** Indian rupee (INR) - **Time zone:** IST (UTC+5:30) - **Best months:** November to February; June to September is monsoon ## Interesting facts - Lord Curzon is credited with calling Alappuzha "the Venice of the East". - Kuttanad's rice fields lie one to two metres below sea level. - Nehru gave the silver snake boat trophy after watching a race here in 1952. - The Thanneermukkom Bund, finished in the 1970s, keeps salt water out of Kuttanad. - Karumadi Kuttan is a rare Buddha statue in a state of temples and churches. ## Alappuzha travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Alappuzha? Two or three. One night on a houseboat, a morning on the public ferry or in a canoe through Kuttanad, and a day for the beach, the lighthouse and Marari. Add Ambalappuzha and Krishnapuram if you have a third. ### When is the best time to visit Alappuzha? November to February is dry and the most comfortable. The monsoon runs from June to September, when the paddy is green and the boat races start, but rain can cut a houseboat day short. ### Is a houseboat or a canoe better? Both. The houseboat is the overnight experience on the big water. A canoe or small shikara reaches the narrow village canals a houseboat cannot enter. Many visitors do a night on a houseboat and a morning in a canoe. ### How do you get to Alappuzha from Kochi? By road on NH 66, about two hours from Cochin International Airport, or by train from Ernakulam on the coastal line. Taxis wait at the airport, and KSRTC buses run the highway all day. ### When is the Nehru Trophy Boat Race? In August on Punnamada Lake, on a date the organisers set each year. The 2026 race ran on 22 August. Stand tickets are sold online on the official Nehru Trophy site. ## Nearby guides - [Munnar](https://wimup.com/city/munnar.md): Day trip · 10 picks - [Mysore](https://wimup.com/city/mysore.md): India · 10 picks - [Jaffna](https://wimup.com/city/jaffna.md): Sri Lanka · 10 picks - [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 88 cities Part of the [India guide](https://wimup.com/country/india.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md) ## Sources - [Alappuzha tourism board](https://www.dtpcalappuzha.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Take the public ferry to Kottayam (official site)](https://swtd.kerala.gov.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Climb the 1862 lighthouse (official site)](https://lighthouse.nic.in/kochi/alappuzha-lighthouse?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See Kuttanad farmed below sea level (official site)](https://www.fao.org/giahs/giahs-around-the-world/india-kuttanad-farming-system/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Watch the Nehru Trophy snake boat race (official site)](https://nehrutrophy.nic.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Taste the palpayasam at Ambalappuzha (official site)](https://travancoredevaswomboard.org/2012/07/08/ambalappuzha-sree-krishnaswami-temple/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Visit Krishnapuram Palace (official site)](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/alappuzha/krishnapuram-palace?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Mullakkal Rajarajeswari Temple (official site)](https://keralatourism.org/temples/alappuzha/mullakkal?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [St Andrew's Basilica, Arthunkal (official site)](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/alappuzha/arthunkal-church?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Revi Karunakaran Memorial Museum (official site)](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/alappuzha/revi-karunakaran-memorial-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Karumadi Kuttan (official site)](https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/karumadi-kuttan-alappuzha/461?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary (official site)](https://incredibleindia.gov.in/en/kerala/kumarakom/kumarakom-bird-sanctuary?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Cochin International Airport (official site)](https://www.cial.aero/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Alappuzha station (official site)](https://www.irctc.co.in/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Autos, taxis and KSRTC buses (official site)](https://online.keralartc.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.