Activities and things to do in Thekkady/Periyar

The park opens at 6 AM and entry tickets are sold only up to 5 PM. All visitors except those staying in the reserve or camping are expected to leave by latest 5:30 PM. The various day programmes and activities in the reserve start by 7:30 AM. If you are going on a private vehicle, there is a separate entry charge of Rs.50 (LMV) and Rs.200 (Heavy Vehicle).  Below we have furnished the details of the entry ticket charges for your perusal.

Indian National Rs.33
Indian Children (5-11years) –rs.5
Students (Bonafide Indian) – Rs.5
Foreign Nationals – Rs.450
Foreign Children (5-11years) – Rs.105

This 1½-hour boat trip around the lake is the main way to tour the sanctuary especially if you are not inclined to take a guided walk. You are likely to spot boars, deer, birdlife and I personally have spotted elephant groups every time. However, you will appreciate that it is more of a cruise and that wildlife-spotting is a matter of chance. While September to February is a good time to see animals, March-May give the best spotting chances as the wild approach the waters more frequently in summers. 

Booking Boating Tickets & Charges:

The typical boat ride charge is INR 225/Adult, INR 50/child (below 11) and INR 38 to carry a camera on board the boat.

This 2.5 hour trek is led by trained tribal guides through different nature trails taking visitors on a ringside view of the forest. On this experience, trekkers will definitely get to see many birds, butterflies and some animals but don’t expect much. The trails are certainly delightful as they take you 4-5 kms through marshy grasslands, evergreen and moist, deciduous forests. 

Booking Nature Walk:

The programme is offered in six time slots as detailed above. It is ideally done in groups with a trained interpreter accompanying a group size of min 4 and max 6 @ Rs.200/person (min Rs.800/trek). Bookings for this programme can be done at the Eco-tourism Information centre at Thekkady. This experience does not necessary require pre-booking but you can contact them at 04869 224571. We advise you to buy leech proof socks especially if you are trekking in the monsoon season. 

Elephant rides in Thekkady are organised by both private players and the Forest Department. The base experience is a 30 minute safari on top of a tusker and photo session as you make your way through a spice plantation. The spice scented air will refresh you. There are also options for the strong hearted which take you through forest interiors to get a thrilling close view of other animals. Longer programmes (1 -1.5 hours) will also include bathing/shower with the elephant, feeding baby elephants, timber dragging and more.

Elephant ride charges:

There are multiple locations outside the reserve like Elephant Junction, Elephant Park and Tusker Trail offering this experience in Thekkady. There are Govt. Approved Rates for these activities as detailed below: Elephant Safari + Photo session (30 mins) – Rs.350/person, Elephant Safari + Elephant Shower (1 hour) – Rs.1000/person, Elephant Safari + Elephant Shower (1.5 hours) – Rs.1500/person. There is no need to pre-book but if you are traveling during peak season there might be a queue for this experience.

For what it is worth, spice planation tours will transform your idea of spices.  Experienced guides escort you around gardens keeping you excited along the way with bits of information and even demonstration of the healing power of spices. By the time you are done, you would have discovered some Keralan culinary secrets, spice farming practises and got introduced to the world of ayurvedic medical preparations.

These are also the best places to shop for authentic and good quality spices, spice powders and oils at reasonable prices. With multiple spice gardens around Thekkady, it is important that you avoid the shallow touristy gardens and chose genuine plantations with passionate guides. 

In this one hour experience, you will witness in front of your eyes an astonishing and unique martial art. You will amazed by the agility, flexibility and forms of self defense on display here. Travellers get to watch this art form in a specially designed gallery called Kuzhikalari. It has been built such that views get a clear vision from a safe seat.

The evening performance at Kadathanadan Kalari Centre is very popular and you purchase tickets from their box office any time during the day. You can also book online at https://www.thekkadytourism.in/

informative tea factory guided tour. The tour covers tea estates, tea-making process and tea-tastings in the end. You can also buy some good quality tea from the outlet outside the factory. This tour is definitely recommended and will give you something to think about next time you have a cuppa.

If you are on a Kerala tour, plan this tea factory visit on the way from Thekkady to Alleppey as it is located in Vandiperiyar (17 km from Thekkady). They can be contacted @04869 252233 for further information.

Gavi is a major off-the-track destination (40 km from Thekkady town) which is under Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC). It is an eco-tourism project and involves local people as guides, gardeners and cooks. The activity options include a Jungle Jeep Safari, treks and or stay in a forest mansion. Check out the details of options below

Jungle Jeep safari (Day Trip)

Timing: 5:30 am – 4 pm (round trip from Thekkady)

Activities: Open jeep safari, trekking, boating/canoeing in Gavi Lake, breakfast/lunch in Jungle mansion

Price: INR 2500/person from Thekkady

This trip without jeep safari start at 12 pm from Gavi for Rs 1250/person

Green Mansion Jungle Lodge (Stay over)

This experience involves stay in a the unique Green Mansion at Gavi.

Timing: Check-in at @ 2pm (24 hours)

Activities: Row boat ride, cardamom plantation visit, viewpoint and stay at Mansion. Early morning enjoy a 2.5 hour jeep safari for wildlife spotting

Price: INR 2500/person (full board)

Jungle Camping (Stay over)

Another unique feature of Gavi is camping in the forests. One can pitch a tent in the camping site, which is a rarity in many Indian forests. As the dusk stretches into the silence of the night, one can feel the presence of wildlife in the middle of nowhere

Activities: Same as Jungle Lodge

Price: Rs. 12000 for 4 persons (min 4)

Swiss Cottage Tents (Stay over)

This offers the experience of staying in permanently pitched cottage tents in the forest.

Activities & Timing: Same as Jungle Lodge

Price: Rs. 3000/person (full board)

Booking Gavi Experiences:

You can use your own vehicle to reach Gavi, but advance bookings have to be done to get vehicle permit. As Gavi is restricts the entry of tourists to 100 persons a day, it is essential that you plan for Gavi experiences and book them well in advance. All the aforementioned activities can be booked directly through the website as per details furnished below:

Website: http://gavi.kfdcecotourism.com/

Email: gavi@kfdcecotourism.com

Contact: +91 99474 92399

Kindly note that the experience in general is great but don’t expect the creature comforts of a hotel for your stay here.

If you have more than a day in Thekkady, we certainly recommend this experience. The concept of bamboo rafts was devised by the tribals in the reserve for their use. This is a combined trekking and rafting tour which takes you through some of the most scenic catchment areas of the Periyar Tiger reserve. The package comes with 4 km forest trek followed by rafting. Both give opportunities to encounter the wildlife up-close (in the forest and at the river bank). An armed guard and 4 guides will accompany a maximum of 10 tourists. Tea, snacks and packed lunch will be served en route.

Booking and options for Bamboo rafting

Only children of 12 years and above are allowed to participate in this activity. There are basically two options: Full day and Half day Bamboo rafting. 

Full day bamboo rafting (9 hours)

Full day bamboo rafting is from 8AM – 5PM and will cost Rs. 1500/person (min 2 pax). The trek will be for 6 hours and rafting for 3 hours will all meals during the trip. 

Half day bamboo rafting (5 hours)

Half day bamboo rafting has two slots 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The activity will cost Rs.1200/person (min 2 pax). The trek will be for 3.5 hours and rafting for 1.5 hours will all meals during the trip.

Bookings for this programme can be done at the Eco-tourism Information centre at Thekkady on your arrival here. However, Bamboo rafting has limited slots every day, so we recommend that you pre-book for which you can contact them at 04869 224571 and make payment in advance to hold the bookings. You also get the help of private players who will make the booking/payment process hassle-free for a minor fee.

The Periyar Tiger Trail is a protection-oriented trekking programme in which you will be trekking 20-35km depending on the route taken. You will be guided by locals who were once poachers and have now turned protectors of the forests. In this programme you stand a good chance of encountering a variety of wildlife like the Nilgiri Langur, the Giant Squirrel, herds of elephants and if you are lucky, you may even spot a tiger. You will stay in camps set up next to water sources and will get to learn a lot about the wild and adventure stories from your guides. The team consists of a maximum of 5 visitors, 5 guides and 2 forest officials.

Booking the Periyar tiger trail:

You can choose the one night camp or two night camp of the tiger trail. The one night camp starts at 9 am and end by noon the next day and the price Rs. 4000/- per person (Min Rs. 6000/- per camp). The two night camp comes at @Rs. 6000/- per person (Minimum Rs. 9000/- per camp). This activity will suit only medically fit nature lovers and don’t expect much of the creature comforts to be available.

Bookings for this programme can be done at the Eco-tourism Information centre at Thekkady on your arrival here. However, as only 20 travellers are allowed to participate in the tiger trail every week, we recommend that you pre-book. The centre can be contacted at 04869 224571 and make payment in advance to hold the bookings. Seek the help of private players if necessary. 

Become jungle guard for a night, when you join for this 3 hour trek through the forest. Your group will join an armed forest guard and two protection watchers as part of a team protecting the jungle during the night. It is a slightly adventurous but highly rewarding wildlife experience. A rare opportunity to see night active animals like mouse deer, nocturnal bird species, civets and flying squirrel makes this activity exciting. Explore the limits of your senses-sight, hearing and smell and take in the totally different world of nocturnal jungle life.

Booking Jungle Scout:

The programme is offered in three time slots (7pm -10 pm, 10pm – 1 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm). It is ideally done in small group size of min 2 and max 5 @ Rs.750/person (min Rs.1500/trek). Bookings for this programme can be done at the Eco-tourism Information centre at Thekkady. This experience does not necessary require pre-booking but you can contact them at 04869 224571. We advise you to buy leech proof socks especially if you are trekking in the monsoon season.

Border Hiking is designed as a conservation-oriented trek which covers circuitous terrains and altitudes ranging from 900m to 1300m. The trek starts at 8 AM in the morning and ends in the evening. The trekking route is through the habitats of elephant, sloth bear, gaur, birds and butterflies. Guides and armed forest guards will accompany the group. A maximum of 10 participants in two different groups are given permission for border hiking on any given day.

Other trekking options

Many resorts outside the reserve have their own trek paths which they organise daily. There are numerous privately organised treks which can range from 2 days to 10 days based on your requirement. Trekking tours/Active vacations are organised connecting hill destinations like Thekkady, Vagamon, Munnar etc. So if you are looking for a more elaborate trekking programme, our team will be happy to help.

Booking Border hiking

Prior permission from the wildlife authorities are required to trek in Periyar wildlife sanctuary. For Border hiking it is advisable to book in advance with the eco-tourism office at 04869 224571. It cost Rs.1000/person (min Rs. 4000/trip). Daily treks are also organised by the Kerala forest authorities though popular routes.Travellers signing up for this must be ready for a physically straining full-day trek and it will only suit hike enthusiasts.

With Kathakali being the face of Kerala Tourism, it is surely something you should treat yourself to when you come here. There are evening shows organised throughout the state and at Thekkady as well. This performance is a guided experience where the story is narrated in a way you understand the performance. Also the make-up and dressing for the art can be seen if you arrive a bit in advance. 

The evening performance at Mudra Cultural Centre is very popular and you purchase tickets from their box office any time during the day. You can visit their website at http://mudraculturalcentre.com/. If you are not much of a cultural connoisseur give this activity a miss as you are likely to get bored. For culture lovers, it is a delight. 

This village tour package begins at Vincent’s house a traditional medical practitioner. You will then see the process of pappad making, an indispensible part of the Kerala meal at Rajeev’s place. As the day progress you will see beekeeping, be served a traditional meal, Home-made chocolate making followed by a spice farm visit. You will also meet traditional cane craftsmen. This will surely be a unique and informative experience.

This experience is available in 5 different versions which can be customised to your liking by adding in options like elephant rides and tribal dance. Bookings for VLE Thekkady can be done through the responsible tourism office of Kerala Tourism. Contact them for booking office at number +91 4869 222025. You will have to book in advance so that arrangements can be done. We can also help customise this experience for you.

The day starts with a small brief on the routes and your quality geared cycles. On this experience, professionals lead you through spice gardens, thick evergreen forests and cardamom estates. The ride takes you to a spice plantation where you will learn about different spices, their medicinal value and cultivation techniques. After that we stop a suitable spot for picnic lunch and proceed further to cardamom estates.

Other than day biking trips, for a cycling enthusiasts there are 3 day mountain biking trips connecting Munnar and Thekkady or even 10 day tours covering major destinations in Kerala. Day trips are advisable for travellers who prefer moderate difficulty.

Tribal heritage is a two hour programme that takes you to tribal hamlets and the tribal heritage museum. You will get a chance to visit the households of Mannan tribe which are grey-thatched houses in the dense forests. This is a fantastic opportunity for close interaction with the tribal community. The tribal heritage museum is well worth a visit. It features fishing gear, tribal agricultural practises, hunting gear and more. This programmes under accompanied by tribal guides will be memorable.

The tribal dance organised in the evening gives an exclusive opportunity to witness the rich cultural heritage of Paliyan and Mannan dancers. Costumes, musical instruments are introduced and the event concludes with photo sessions. It is organised 6 pm – 7pm (Rs.300/person) every day at Vanashree Auditorium, Anavachal.

The package called ‘Bullock Cart Discoveries’ includes a visit to the farmlands of a village in the valleys beyond the Periyar Tiger Reserve in a bullock cart. An optional coracle ride on the lake is also provided in the package. A guide will accompany you in this visit to the farmlands.  

Such a visit provides insight into traditional ways of farming and the culture and lifestyle of the people there. At the village, there are vineyards, fields with diverse agricultural crops such as mangoes, tamarind, onions etc as well as flowers like the sunflower, the jasmine and so on. You can book this experience with the eco-tourism office on reaching Thekkady. It costs Rs.500/person (min Rs. 1000/trip).