Experience tropical coasts and rich cultural heritage on this tour following India’s historic Spice Route from Mumbai to Kerala, staying in exceptional hotels and enjoying breathtaking journeys on the Konkan Railway and unwinding on the beach resorts of Goa

Your immersive rail tour of Kerala and the Konkan Coast begins at London Heathrow, where we meet the Tour Manager and the rest of the group before our direct flight to Mumbai.

With its spectacularly lush scenery, golden coast and serene waterways, the southern state of Kerala is renowned as one of India's most beautiful. Our journey will take us from the colourful city of Mumbai to Goa before we board the famed Konkan Railway for a breathtaking journey along the stunning Konkan coast to Mangaluru. Throughout our journey, we get to experience the local way of life on Kerala's winding canals and plantations, taste local flavours and encounter centuries of fascinating history.

Arriving in India this morning, we transfer to our five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Mumbai is a lively, colourful city, but today's itinerary is a relaxed one, giving you time to unwind after your long flight. You might like to use the hotel's wellness centre, visit the spa or enjoy a bite to eat.

In the evening, we reconvene for dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants. As you get to know your fellow travellers over your first meal, you can look forward to tomorrow's explorations of Mumbai.

Waking before sunrise today, we set out on a special tour of Mumbai with a local guide. As our driver navigates the streets, we watch this colourful city come to life, visiting a lively fish auction, a fragrant flower market and bustling vegetable stalls. Exploring early in the day gives us the chance to experience a side of Mumbai few visitors get to see.

Returning to the hotel, we enjoy a late breakfast together, reflecting on the morning's highlights. After the meal, you have a few hours of free time. Whether you choose to relax at the hotel or explore Mumbai on your own, we gather in the afternoon for a tour of the city's highlights.

One of Mumbai's key sights is Mani Bhavan, or 'Jewel House', a museum and memorial dedicated to Mahatma Ghandi and the headquarters of his political movements. Another highlight is Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, the world's largest open-air laundry, where you can see row upon row of colourful laundry hanging out to dry. During the tour, we drive past Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a UNESCO-listed Victorian railway station, and the Gateway of India, an immense triumphal arch, before returning to our hotel for dinner.

Known for its breathtaking beaches, deep forests and blend of Portuguese and Indian culture, Goa is the perfect place to relax and unwind after our time in busy Mumbai. We leave our hotel in the city after breakfast, heading to the airport for our brief flight to Goa.

On arrival, we check in to our five-star hotel on Vainguinim Beach. Surrounded by palm trees, this luxurious hotel overlooks the Arabian Sea on one side and a lush garden on the other. You have a free afternoon to enjoy the hotel's facilities or soak up the sun on the terrace. You might like to use the spa and wellness centre or take a dip in the outdoor pool.

In the evening, we enjoy dinner at the hotel, looking forward to tomorrow's free day in Goa.

After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, the rest of the day is free. With an excellent location on Vainguinim Beach, a stretch of coastline known for its peaceful atmosphere and soft sand, our hotel is the perfect setting for a day of unwinding.

You might like to spend the day relaxing on the beach under an umbrella, soaking up the sun's rays as the waves crash on the shore. Another option is to make use of the hotel's amenities, including the fitness centre, yoga practice room or the spa, where you can enjoy a massage or beauty treatment. With a range of restaurants serving everything from Portuguese-inspired dishes to slow-cooked barbeque at the hotel, you don't have to travel far to find a bite to eat.

In the evening, we gather for dinner together in the hotel restaurant.

In the morning, we set out by coach to visit some of Goa's most famous sights. Our tour takes us to the UNESCO-listed Basilica of Bom Jesus, built by the Portuguese after the conquest of Goa. Portuguese occupation in Goa lasted for more than 400 years and had a profound effect on the state's architecture, cuisine, language and music. Another highlight is the Museum of Christian Art, the first of its kind in Asia, dedicated to Goa's artistic and cultural heritage.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we set off on a walking tour of Panjim's Old Latin Quarter, a UNESCO-listed area famed for its colourful houses, narrow lanes and Portuguese architecture. Strolling through this beautiful part of town is like stepping into Goa's colonial past.

In the evening, we transfer to the station, ready to embark on a journey along the Konkan Railway, an engineering marvel once thought impossible to build because of the Konkan Coast's rugged terrain and intense monsoons. Arriving in Mangaluru late at night, we check in to our hotel.

After breakfast, we enjoy a full day sightseeing guided tour of Mangaluru's top sights. One highlight is St. Aloysius Chapel, an extraordinary Victorian-era temple built by Jesuit missionaries. Designed to resemble Rome's Sistine Chapel, the church's interior walls are covered in beautiful frescoes. We also visit the Sultan Battery watchtower, built to defend the area from English invasion, and Kadri Temple, a pyramid-shaped light blue temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism.

After the tour, you have free time to find lunch independently. You might like to seek out some seafood, one of Mangaluru's specialities. We see a few more of the city's key sights in the afternoon, including the busy vegetable market and the Church of Miracles. Established in 1680, it is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in the city.

In the evening, we reconvene for dinner at the hotel.

Waking early this morning, we transfer to the station for our train to Kochi with a packed breakfast. Our route takes us along the coast, offering incredible views of the sparkling Arabian Sea on one side and green palm trees on the other.

Kochi was once an important spice trading center, earning the nickname 'Queen of the Arabian Sea'. Today, the city is a fast-growing commercial hub with heaps of fascinating history. Arriving around midday, we check in to our hotel. You're welcome to find lunch independently before we head into Kochi's historic Old Town for a guided tour of Kochi's Paradesi Synagogue. Built in 1568 for Kochi's community of Sephardic refugees from Spain and Portugal, it is the oldest active synagogue in India. Afterwards, we tour the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese as a gift to the King of Kochi and later renovated by the Dutch.

In the evening, we enjoy a mesmerising Kathakali performance. Kathakali is a uniquely Keralan form of theatre which weaves together graceful gestures and facial expressions to tell a dramatic story, accompanied by live music and singing. Enjoy this experience of local cultural heritage before we return to the hotel for dinner.

After breakfast, you have free time in Kochi until the afternoon, when we have a guided tour of the city's key sights. One highlight is Hill Palace, an archaeological museum and palace where you can get a glimpse into the area's history and view beautiful artefacts, including a gold crown gifted by the Portuguese.

We also see Kochi's famous Chinese Fishing Nets, a row of suspended nets standing in a line on the beaches. Introduced in the 14th century by a Chinese explorer, these nets are lowered into the water and lifted again in a slow rhythm. Another highlight is St. Francis Church, a 16th-century Anglican church, and Dhobi Khana, a public laundry facility where all the washing is done by hand.

In the early evening, we tour Kochi harbour by boat, enjoying an all-encompassing view of the city we spent the day exploring. After our cruise, we return to the hotel for dinner.

Boarding a coach after breakfast, we head for Thekkady, stopping on the way at a rubber plantation in Kanjirappally, a region famous for its plantations, relaxed pace of life and multicultural heritage. The plantation we visit is owned by a local family, and it allows us to glimpse another way of life in Kerala, beyond the busy city of Kochi or the serene backwaters.

During our time at the plantation, we learn how varieties of spices, coffee, rubber and pineapples are grown and make their way to the market. We take a gentle walk through the estate, learning from the experts at work processing the sap, brewing coffee and growing spices and fruit. Later, we eat an outdoor lunch next to the old estate and the beautiful forest (weather permitting).

After our visit, we board our coach and continue to Thekkady, where we check in to our hotel before dinner.

Enjoying breakfast in our beautiful surroundings, we then embark on a boat trip on Periyar Lake. Located in a large wildlife sanctuary, the lake was created by a dam, submerging a forest. As we explore the environment's diverse flora, including tree stumps that jut out above the water, look out for wildlife including elephants, bison, sambar deer and, if we're lucky, tigers. 

After our boat safari, we head back to the hotel for a late breakfast and enjoy a few hours of free time. In the afternoon, we head to a spice plantation for a fascinating tour and a stroll through the plantation. Known as the 'Spice Capital of India', Kerala is famous for growing a wide range of spices including pepper, vanilla, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric.

On our tour, we learn about cultivation, harvest and processing spices, and get to see techniques like peeling and drying cinnamon and hand-pollinating vanilla. We also enjoy lunch on the plantation before returning to our hotel in the afternoon.

Waking early, we take our packed breakfast with us as we board a coach to Alleppey. Our final destination is Kumarakom, one of the most popular destinations in India. Arriving in Alleppey, we board a 'Kettuvallam' houseboat for a cruise through the tranquil backwaters.

This network of lagoons and canals is home to water lilies, lotus flowers and water hyacinths, with towering pines and teak trees lining the shore. These routes, once used to transport spices and rice between Kochi and Kuttanad, are now awash in natural beauty and more than 150 species of birds.

We glide across Vembanad Lake - India's longest freshwater lake - before entering a maze of canals and rivers on our way to Kumarakom. Lunch, tea and coffee are served as we drift through these scenic waterways towards our hotel for the next two nights. Our hotel is on the lakeshore and offers a slice of paradise in this spectacular region. We settle in with dinner on arrival.

Today brings a guided walking tour of the serene backwater village of Kumarakom for a taste of rural life among the canals. As you walk along the peaceful lanes, relax and soak in the serenity of your surroundings. During the tour, we enjoy tasting a toddy, a traditional Kerala beverage extracted from a coconut tree.

Returning to the hotel, we enjoy a late breakfast before taking a coach to Alleppey. Here, we board a train to Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. Sit back and relax as we pass through lush green countryside, rolling hills and rustic villages.

Arriving in the late afternoon, we transfer to our hotel, where we enjoy dinner.

This morning's explorations take us to the southernmost point of our journey. After breakfast, we board a train to Nagercoil and connect by coach to Kanyakumari, a coastal town at the tip of the Indian peninsula.

Named after the Virgin Goddess, Kanyakumari is a popular pilgrimage centre. After lunch at a local restaurant, we head to Kanyakumari's most recognisable symbol: the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Standing about 1640 feet from the shore, this immense edifice was built in 1970 to mark the place where Swami Vivekananda, a renowned Hindu monk and philosopher, is said to have attained enlightenment.

Later, we visit the beautiful Gandhi Memorial Mandapam, which commemorates the spot where an urn containing his ashes was displayed for public viewing before immersion. In the evening, we head back to our hotel in Kovalam for dinner.

After breakfast at the hotel, the rest of the day is free. Perched on a cliffside overlooking the Arabian Sea, our five-star hotel is a peaceful place to spend the last full day of your holiday.

You're welcome to enjoy the hotel's many luxurious amenities, some payable locally. These include a spa, outdoor swimming pools, fitness studio, restaurants, expansive vegetable garden and a variety of activities including archery, tennis, badminton, table tennis and billiards. With private access to the beach, you might also choose to spend the day unwinding on a sun lounger, enjoying the fresh sea breeze.

In the evening, we gather for a final dinner at the hotel restaurant, reminiscing about the wonderful memories we have made on the journey.

Throughout this spectacular holiday, we explored the abundant greenery, sparkling coast and picturesque canals of India's Konkan Coast and Kerala. In Mumbai, we watched the colourful streets come to life before flying to Goa for a day of relaxation on the Arabian Sea. Boarding the Konkan Railway, we journeyed along the coast, admiring incredible views of the sea and the immense Western Ghats. We experienced the local way of life on Kerala's serene waterways and plantations, tasted local flavours and witnessed fascinating cultural traditions and performances.

After breakfast at our hotel, we transfer to the airport for our connecting flight to Mumbai. From here, we board our flight back to London, where your Indian journey reaches its conclusion.

Our Classic range is what we're known for. Enjoy curated moments with plenty of inclusions. Centrally located hotels, premium travel options and engaging group tours with a seasoned expert are included. You'll be in groups with an average of 20-25 travellers and a maximum of 30*. *Scandinavian and Worldwide tours are on average 30-35 and a maximum of 40.

If your tour is marked as Small Group, enjoy a more immersive holiday experience, exploring with a like-minded group of just 22 travellers on average.

The Konkan Railway connects India's commercial capital, Mumbai, and Mangalore. This 741-kilometre line is characterised by its stunning scenery, a combination of winding rivers, imposing mountains and deep valleys.

An architectural marvel, the Konkan Railway was created by Indian engineers in a project of unprecedented scale, becoming a testament to human engineering and the natural world. This railway is a synthesis of both of these elements, and has become a major artery for the commercial lifeblood of India.

This beautiful 5-Star resort is set amidst landscaped gardens that offer a lovely view over Kochi harbour. There's a choice of five on-site restaurants and eateries, each serving delicious cuisine ranging from Thai to Italian. There's also a jetty bar, a 24-hour gym, a spa, a beauty salon and an outdoor swimming pool. Air-conditioned guest rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TV, minibar, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

Facing the serene Vembanad Lake, this 4-Star resort features old Kerala homes made in the centuries-old 'tharavadu' style. Guests stay in a collection of picturesque bungalows. At Vembanad Grill guests can enjoy the catch of the day, or enjoy open-air dining at Aymanam Restaurant. Another restaurant, Ettukettu, features rustic ambience of the ancient architectural style of Kerala and serves a variety of cuisines. Guests can opt for treatments at the Ayurveda centre, and learn more about Kerala's culture by witnessing performances of local art forms. Villas and bungalows are equipped with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, safety deposit box, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

Surrounded by mountains and spice plantations, this unique 4-Star resort boasts modern amenities in a quiet, natural setting. Check in and savour a delightful herbal tea that you can custom-make yourself. Enjoy the leisure facilities on offer, including tennis and badminton courts, an outdoor pool and a library. There's also a restaurant and a bar where you can relax in an authentic setting. Resembling a traditional village with thatched-roofed cottages, all accommodation comes equipped with private verandah, free Wi-Fi, safety deposit box, minibar, kettle, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

Situated in the upscale Cuffe Parade, this 5-star hotel offers a seamless blend of heritage and modern elegance. Guests enjoy a wide range of international cuisines in the hotel's three restaurants, including Konkan Café, which serves coastal specialities, and the Trattoria, where diners can watch their pizzas being prepared in the open kitchen. Guests can use the fitness centre or visit Jive Spa for a selection of signature treatments. Offering views of either the sea or the cityscape, guest rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TV, air conditioning, ironing equipment, minibar, tea & coffee-making facilities and hairdryer.

Located on Vainguinim Beach in Panaji, this 5-star hotel overlooks the Arabian Sea on one side and a lush garden on the other. Guests can soak up the sun on the terrace, use the spa and wellness centre or take a dip in the outdoor pool. With six restaurants, cafés and bars, the hotel serves everything from Portuguese-inspired dishes to slow-cooked barbeque and Indian cuisine. Light and airy guest rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TV, air conditioning, ironing equipment, tea & coffee-making facilities, minibar, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

In the heart of Mangaluru, this 4-Star hotel combines coastal charm and cosmopolitan flair. Guests can enjoy global flavours at Mynt, which offers North Indian, Italian and pan-Asian dishes. Wink serves signature cocktails, and Memories of China offers East Asian dishes. Guests can enjoy the outdoor pool and gym. Guest rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TV, air conditioning, ironing equipment, tea & coffee-making facilities, minibar, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

Situated on a cliff with panoramic views of the Kovalam shoreline and the Arabian Sea, this 5-Star hotel features whitewashed walls, red-tiled roofs, and panoramic sundecks. The Tides restaurant serves Pan-Asian specialties and grilled seafood dishes, while The Terrace is a buffet restaurant offering indoor, outdoor, and pool view seating. Guests can enjoy the spa, outdoor swimming pools, fitness studio, expansive vegetable garden and a variety of activities including archery, tennis, badminton, table tennis and billiards. Rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TV, ironing equipment, minibar, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries.

Extend your holiday by making alternative flight arrangements. Please call us to discuss your ideas and requirements.

Flight upgrades are available. For information regarding the types of upgrades offered by the airlines we use, call our expert team for details.

Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West End or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your return to London, you would like to break your journey with an overnight stay before continuing home.

We can book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick, or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. If you require a quote for single occupancy at any of the hotels, please contact us on 01904 734 805.