The Award-Winning Tour Specialist with 14 Consecutive TripAdvisor Awards
The Award-Winning Tour Specialist with 14 Consecutive TripAdvisor Awards
For travellers from Australia
Private, fully guided Kerala holidays for Australians, with your own car and driver, hand-picked hotels and a trip designer who answers on your time zone.
Is Kerala good for Australians?
Kerala suits Australians who want India without the big-city rush: tea hills in Munnar, wildlife in Thekkady, an overnight houseboat on the Alleppey backwaters, and beaches at Varkala and Marari. Most of our Australian guests spend 8–14 nights, fly into Kochi with one stop in Asia or the Gulf, and travel between October and March.
Every Iris Holidays trip is private: your own air-conditioned car and English-speaking driver, hotels you approve before booking, and a named trip designer in Kochi. We are a Government of India–approved tour operator based in Kochi.
Popular with Australians
Every trip can be changed: add a beach stay, swap hotels or extend into Tamil Nadu. Prices are per person, twin share, excluding international flights. These are packages with a published review from an Australian guest.
Getting there
Fly into Kochi (COK), which is closest to Munnar and the backwaters. Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) works if you are starting in the south at Kovalam or Varkala.
| From | Usual connection | Total travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney (SYD) | One stop in Asia or the Gulf | Varies by airline and season |
| Melbourne (MEL) | One stop in Asia or the Gulf | Varies by airline and season |
| Brisbane (BNE) | One stop in Asia or the Gulf | Varies by airline and season |
| Perth (PER) | One stop in Asia or the Gulf | Varies by airline and season |
Visa
Australian passport holders need a visa for India. Most use the online e-Tourist Visa. Always apply on the official Government of India website, never through look-alike sites.
It should be valid for the trip, with blank pages for the arrival stamps.
On the official India e-Visa portal. Choose the e-Tourist Visa.
We suggest 3–4 weeks before travel so there is time to fix any problem.
Carry the e-Visa approval (ETA) with your passport. You arrive at Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram on it.
“Our trip had a rough beginning because I forgot to get a visa, which made us miss four days of travel.”
Robert Patridge · Macleay Island · Jan 2024 · Read the review · We now send every Australian guest a visa reminder with the itinerary.
When to go
Tap a month to see what it is like. School-holiday months are marked, as prices rise around them.
Best weather Good, getting hot Monsoon AU hols Australian school holidays (approx.)
Reviews from Australia
Sydney · Solo Travellers · Sep 2026
Wonderful 4-Day Solo Kerala Tour Experience
Great organisation and communication throughout. Sara was great in tour design and support, Sanju the driver/guide was an experienced driver on the crazy roads here, making me feel quite safe. He was also flexible, suggested many things and very punctual.Thank you to these two individuals in particular who mad my trip…
Sydney · Private Groups · May 2026
Wonderful Kerala Holiday Experience
My wife and I went on the 4 Days Best of Kerala tour and loved the experience. We were met on arrival at Kochi Airport by Vijeesh the manager and then driven to Munnar by our driver Sanoop who also acted as our guide for the 4 days. On arrival in Munnar we went on a jeep tour of the Munnar mountains viewing lakes and…
Perth · Solo Travellers · May 2025
A Scenic Kerala Tour
I had an amazing experience with Iris Holidays! From the start, communication was smooth, and Sangeetha helped customise my Kerala tour with ease. My driver, Lalan, was punctual, professional, and truly went above and beyond—from arranging laundry to helping with payments and adjusting my itinerary without hassle…
Sydney · Families with Kids · Apr 2025
Best South India Family Trip
We spent a month exploring South India as a family with Iris Holidays, and it was unforgettable! Arun organized everything smoothly, and our driver Anoop felt like family—safe, caring, and full of great suggestions. From Goa to Marari Beach, every stop was special.Spotting a tiger in Kabini, exploring Hampi, and…
Sydney · Honeymooners & Couples · Nov 2024
Great tour of Kerala
We had a customised 4night/5 day tour through Munnar and Thekkady. We had a fantastic time.Our driver, Vipin, was excellent - he knew the windy roads well, took us to all the best sightseeing and was very friendly and fun. We went to all sorts of cool stops, but the highlights were definitely the two national parks…
Sydney · Private Groups · Sep 2024
family tour in kerala
Had an amazing time, a truly relaxing vacation. Iris holidays did an amazing job of making our vacation hassle free. From the time we were picked up at the airport till we were dropped off, our Driver Afzal was amazing - sharing little tidbits of history as we passed places, very accomodating to stop when the kids…
Macleay Island · Senior Citizens · Jan 2024
Chennai Kerala South India Trip
Our trip had a rough beginning because I forgot to get a visa, which made us miss four days of travel. But our driver, Mr. Shajeer, was great. He knew a lot about Kerala. We went from Chennai to Cochin and saw beautiful temples and buildings. Mr. Shajeer even invited us to his home to meet his wife and have a drink…
Brisbane · Families with Kids · Feb 2017
Amazing Kerala Tour from Australia
Overall the trip was amazing! The online service was prompt and helpful. Babus Kindness , helpfulness and punctuality exceeded our expectations . All hotels , resorts and activities were truly enjoyable . Thanks to Iris Holidays for providing a great way to see Kerala. Babauraj was exceptionally great and the…
Australia · Honeymooners & Couples · Jun 2015
Places to see in Kerala Review
Mohan was a great driver and showed all kerala tour places in the tour brochure. In Kodanad we were expecting baby elephants and not only big elephants . Houseboat was wonderful and we had great experience and staff was very friendly. Hotel was beautiful and exceeded our expectations. It was truly a great tour and we…
Australia · Families with Kids · Apr 2015
Kerala Tour Planner Experience & Review
Very good hotels in Munnar, Thekkady and houseboat . Great scenery and experience and you are mong the best Kerala Tour Planners that we came across. Simi at Iris Holidays arranged our 10N tour through southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu (Cochin-Munnar-Thekkady-Kumarakom-Alleppey-Kovalam-Kanyakumari-Trivandrum), commencing…
Australia · Families with Kids · Jan 2015
Beauty of Kerala Review
We had a beautiful experience in Kerala. Our driver Vijeesh was the most helpful and courteous. He was extremely friendly, really courteous and mostly helpful and made our trip winderful and enjoyable. The Kerala tour experience was really wonderful . Boooked Best of Kerala in January 2015
Sydney · Honeymooners & Couples · Jan 2015
Best of Kerala Review
Excellent services by both your staff Jeeva and Ansu. They were always pleasing and comfortable ensuring that our trip was great. We never expected such a professional and good service . We had many particular requirements like staying with a Christian family, visiting a friend's ancestral home and temple, stay with a…
FAQs
Yes. Australian passport holders need an Indian visa. Most apply online for the e-Tourist Visa on the official Government of India site. We suggest 3–4 weeks ahead. See the visa steps above.
With the long flight, plan at least 7–9 nights. That covers Munnar, Thekkady, a houseboat night and a beach. Two weeks lets you add Varkala, Kumarakom or a short Ayurveda stay at a relaxed pace.
October to March is dry and comfortable, with December–January busiest (and dearest). June to September is monsoon: green, quieter, good for Ayurveda and cheaper. April–May is hot and humid.
Private tours that Australian guests have booked with us start from ₹14,850 per person (about A$222), twin share, excluding international flights. Your quote shows the exact AUD figure.
Kerala is one of India's most visited and relaxed states. With a private car and driver you are never relying on public transport. Use normal travel care with valuables and check the Smartraveller advice for India before you go.
Your quote shows the price in AUD and in INR. Ask your trip designer about the deposit and the balance when you enquire. We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers medical evacuation; buy it in Australia before you fly.
Yes. Your driver meets you at arrivals at any hour, and we track your flight. Most connections from Australia land late, so we keep the first day light.
Page last updated: 23 October 2026
Free plan in AUDWe visit and verify all resorts in Kerala that we suggest to you so that guests like you can have a VERY warm & comfortable about an awesome holiday. We won’t suggest anywhere that we haven’t been to and tried ourselves. When you book online or call us, we share the kind of insider low-down we'd give to our best friends about destinations and hotels. Rest assured: when you book with us, every last detail is taken care
Only Tour Company in Kerala with 2500+ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reviews on TripAdvisor over 14 years from multiple customers from multiple countries. Consistency Matters!
We are approved after verification by Govt of India & Govt of Kerala
Chauffeur driven vehicle for you 24X7
We handpick our hotels & houseboats
Our award-winning, personalised private trips provide incredible insights and insider tips from last 15 years of experience of crafting tours in Kerala, passionately bringing alive unique and exclusive experiences for you.
Certificate of Excellence Award for the past 13 Consecutive Years from 2014 to 2026
Our tours are consistently recognized by prestigious organizations across the travel industry and TripAdvisor. We have won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence from 2014 till 2022 consecutively for 9 consecutive years. We design our unique tours based on extensive knowledge of Kerala tourist destinations strives to offer personalized top-notch service.
