Kerala is a young state on India's southern tropical Malabar Coast known for its greenery, wildlife reserves, tea and spice plantations, palm-lined beaches, and exotic cuisine. This peaceful region is famed for its backwaters and home to a network of hydro-highways for sightseeing cruises. Named “God’s Own Country”, Kerala's sights and culture offer a unique and unforgettable cycling experience.
There are no scheduled departures for this trip. But please send us an inquiry telling us when you'd like to go, how many people are in your group, and we'll get back to you shortly.
We had a superb trip. Our guide and driver were excellent. It was a fabulous way to see Kerala with an excellent combination of cycling, eating local foods and the Kerala backwaters cruise was amazing.
Very enjoyable ride with an excellent guide and driver. Nothing was ever too much trouble for him. Lots of food and drink. We didn't want for anything. The accommodation was excellent. Overall a great four days.
DestinationsIndia
Tour MeetsCochin, India
Fly in toCochin International Airport (COK)
Group Size2-16 riders
Water bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)Hotel pick upHotel drop offBike and helmetSnacks and drinks
International flightsVisa feesAlcoholTips
We ride approximately 209 kilometres in three and a half days of cycling. This tour is on dirt and paved roads with some climbing, but distances are not too strenuous. We have designed the route to take in the best of Kerala’s culture, countryside and wildlife, all while enjoying an active holiday. We will be riding above sea level but this ascent happens over several days allowing time for your body to adjust. The pace is easy, though there are some steep climbs and exhilarating descents, including one that’s 22 km long
The trip is fully supported and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of bottled water and fresh local fruits.
Biking Conditions: This trip is on dirt and tarmac roads and there is no technical riding involved on this tour. An air-conditioned support bus travels with the group to support us and participants can cycle as much or as little as they like and still enjoy the same views.
Our tour starts with picking you up from your central Fort Cochin hotel at 8 AM. After a trip briefing we are transferred to Puthankurisu where we hop on our bikes and ride to Paniyeli Poru, home to some of Kerala's most beautiful natural waterfalls. Poru in Malayalam means 'fight' and the waterfall was thus named because here the three tributaries of Periyar come together and seem to be engaged in a battle. There will be a few rises on our route, but nothing steep. We overnight at Whispering Waters, a serene riverside resort boasting a front row view of the surrounding rivulets and unspoilt nature.
Whispering Waters
Lunch, Dinner
Ride 55km
+420m
-410mAfter breakfast we continue our cycle tour in India with a ride to the ancient town of Thodupuzha. Passing fertile spice farms and rubber plantations along the way, we make our way to the historic town dating back to 300 BC when the Buddhist and Jain religions first made their inroads into Kerala. We will ride through undulating terrain, rubber plantations, forests, cross a river and visit a local village. Our destination today is Madaparambil resort – an exceptionally beautiful riverside resort.
River Banks Madapparambil ResortBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 48km+439m-412mContinuing on our journey, we transfer to Pala to begin cycling towards Kumarakom. We are rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding area as we ride through rubber and spice plantations. We soon arrive in Kottayam, also known as the Syrian Christian heartland of Kerala. Here grand churches dot the landscape with whitewashed facades and distinct guild ceilings. We finish our ride of the day when we hit the water's edge and the highlight of our tour. The backwaters of Kerala are expansive and the best way to explore their beauty is by sitting back and relaxing on a houseboat. Revamped rice barges, these boats now have modern amenities, including air con and a comfortable bed. What better way to see the lakes and lagoons as we leisurely cruise to meet our bikes again.
HouseboatBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 48km+798m-844mWe dock at Alleppey, and find our bikes waiting for us for the last leg of our bicycle trip. This morning's ride will be flat as we take an old canal road, passing historic buildings and taking in the serene view of this small city. We ride toward our final destination of Cochin, passing by fishing villages on the way. Now that our adventure cycling in India has come to an end, we enjoy a farewell lunch at Fort Cochin together. Those looking to extend their time here after our India bike tour will have plenty to see and do. Spend your time swimming at the beach, sailing through the backwaters, or shop the day away at the Broadway market stalls. We recommend staying at one of Cochin’s elegant heritage hotels rich with history and beautiful architecture.
Breakfast, Lunch
Ride 58km+209m-205mDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
The bikes are well-known makes of mountain bikes.
If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain bike, preferably with front suspension, and that it is in good mechanical order.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
There are no compulsory vaccinations although it is strongly recommended that you are vaccinated against Typhoid, and Hepatitis A and B. Tetanus and polio vaccinations should also be up to date at the time of travel. Please speak to your doctor/physician for the most recent information.
As India is such a large country, the climate and weather conditions vary across the vast region. However, the country is divided into six main climatic zones ranging from arid desert in the west, alpine tundra and glaciers in the north, and humid tropical in the southwest and the island territories.
We have tours in the following regions
Rajasthan: weather can be divided into four seasons - summer, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter. Summer from April to June is the hottest season with temperatures ranging from 32C to 45C. Monsoon extends from July to September with a slight drop in temperature but plenty of rain. The post-monsoon period is from October to November where the lowest temperatures can reach as low as 18C. From December to March is the cold season and the best time to visit Rajasthan. Temperatures range from 15C-18C with little or no humidity.
Kerala: mostly has a tropical wet climate, which can be divided into three seasons. Summer is from February to May and is generally hot and humid. Monsoon season begins in June till around October or November. December to January holds the best weather for travel as it is cooler and the rains have subsided.
Leh/Ladakh has a cold desert like climate with somewhat extreme conditions. summers bring in harsh direct sunlight at such high altitudes while winters can get as cold as below freezing point. Lowest ever recorded was -23C. May to August is the best time for tourists to enjoy the weather and everything it has to offer.
Sikkim: has a very temperate climate with enjoyable 5 seasons. Depending on the location and altitude, the weather can vary. In Summer, the lowest temperatures reach 13C up to 28°C while in winter Temperature between 0C to 13C. The monsoon season hits around June to September.
Meals are included in the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, and D = dinner. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water and energy-restoring drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer and alcohol are available, but NOT included in the price.
SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for traveling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveler of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars a day for incidentals. Included entrance fees are those for the listed sites and national parks that are part of the itinerary. Any other site fees are not included.
The currency is the Indian rupee (Rs) and there are ATMs in major cities and most towns that take international cards. However, we suggest that you withdraw money at the airport at the start of your tour. During the tour, our guide will inform you of the ATM locations in different cities.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
The information in this document is given in good faith, and covers the average range of conditions likely to be found on this trip. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, however, we will always do our best to adhere to this original itinerary
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**We just returned from a 4 day guided cycling tour in part of Kerala land. It was absolutely top notch. Our guide, Shibu, was amazing. Total proficiency and knowledge of the route. Along with his colleague Renju, who drove the bus that accompanied us the entire journey. They took care of e v e r y t h i n g ! The bikes were ready every morning with tires full, water bottles full etc... The entire trip was just as promised. Great hotels , amazing staff everywhere. Fascinating routes and scenery. Highly recommended company. SpiceRoads certainly know their business **