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Kochi, Trivandrum or Calicut: we match the airport to where you are staying, check every Gulf connection, and we’ll beat any quote*.
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Kerala is the long green strip of coast at India’s south-western tip, with the Arabian Sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other. It is a place of backwaters and houseboats, tea and spice hills around Munnar and Thekkady, quiet beaches at Varkala and Kovalam, and some of the best food in the country.
It is also home for a large Malayali community in Britain, from nurses and doctors in the NHS to families who have lived here for decades. Many of our Kerala bookings are people going back to Thrissur, Kottayam, Kozhikode or Kannur for Onam, Christmas, a wedding or to see parents.
The state has four international airports, more than most of India, so the right choice depends on where you are going. Landing at the wrong end can mean six or seven hours in a car, which is the last thing anyone wants after an overnight journey.
We’ve booked thousands of trips to India for UK families, and most of our business still comes from people who were sent to us by someone we looked after before.
I needed to fly to India urgently after finding out a family member was unwell. I called Patel Travel and they helped me find a suitable flight at short notice. They explained the different options and made a stressful situation much easier. Really grateful for their help.
Jay P. CroydonWe were travelling to India with my elderly parents and needed wheelchair assistance at the airport. The team at Patel Travel took care of the arrangements and helped us choose flights with convenient connection times. It was reassuring having someone we could actually speak to.
Chandani S. HarrowI usually book flights online, but thought I’d give Patel Travel a call before booking our family trip to India. They found us a better option than the ones I’d been looking at and explained the baggage allowances clearly. The whole process was straightforward and the service was excellent.
Hetal D. Leicester
Speak to a team that knows India inside out.
We’ll help with flights, visas, baggage rules and more.
Family visits, business travel or special trips — we’ll find the right options.
Not sure which flight suits your dates?
Tell us who is travelling and when. We will say honestly whether direct works, or which connection we would put our own family on.
Kochi (COK) is the busiest airport in Kerala and the natural choice for Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kottayam, Alappuzha and the hill stations of Munnar and Thekkady. Trivandrum (TRV) suits the capital, Kovalam, Varkala and the far south, and is also handy for families heading over the border to Kanyakumari.
Kozhikode (CCJ) is best for Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad, while Kannur (CNN) is closest for Kannur and Kasaragod. Tell us the town or village, and we will compare the options on total door-to-door time, not just the flight price.
The dry season, from November to February, is the most comfortable time to visit, with warm days and lower humidity. It is also the busiest, with Christmas and New Year particularly full because Kerala has a large Christian community and many families gather then.
Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival, falls in late August or early September and brings huge demand for flights from the Gulf and from Britain at the same time. Book Onam and Christmas months ahead if you can.
The south-west monsoon arrives in early June and the rain is heavy until about September. Fares and hotel prices drop, and it is a popular time for Ayurveda treatments, but some hill roads and beach shacks are affected.
Distances look small on the map but roads are slow. Kochi to Munnar is about four hours by car, and Kochi to Trivandrum is around five. Trains along the coast are a good alternative, and domestic flights link Trivandrum, Kochi, Calicut and Kannur with Bengaluru and Chennai.
A classic first trip combines the backwaters around Alappuzha or Kumarakom, the tea hills of Munnar, the wildlife sanctuary at Thekkady, and a few days on the beach at Varkala or Kovalam. Allow at least ten days to do it without rushing.
For more detail on each airport, see our guides to flights to Kochi and flights to Trivandrum. Combining Kerala with Bengaluru or Chennai? See flights to Bangalore and flights to Chennai.
Want it planned for you? Our Kerala tour and backwater tour combine flights, houseboats and hill stations in one booking.
Route details last checked 11 November 2026. Schedules change, so we confirm everything when we quote.
We work with all major airlines and can help with the best routes, stopovers and fares for your dates.
Fares to India move with the festival calendar and the school holidays. For Diwali, Navratri and the Christmas peak we would normally say book several months out; outside those windows there is far more flexibility. Call us and we will tell you honestly whether to book now or wait.
We work with all the major carriers on this route, both direct and one-stop. Which is best depends on your dates, your baggage and how much the stopover matters to you, which is exactly the sort of thing worth a two-minute conversation.
Yes. Multi-city is one of the things we are genuinely useful for - flying into one city and out of another often costs less than two separate returns, and it is awkward to book yourself.
We can point you to what you need for Indian visas and OCI, and flag anything on your itinerary that commonly causes problems at check-in.
Not at the moment. Every route has one stop, most often in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, where Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad fly on to Kochi and Trivandrum.
Kochi for central Kerala and Munnar, Trivandrum for the south and Kovalam or Varkala, Kozhikode for Malappuram and Wayanad, and Kannur for the far north.
Yes, with one stop. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad all fly from Manchester and connect to Kochi and Trivandrum on the same ticket.
November to February, when it is dry and warm. June to September is monsoon season, with heavy rain but lower prices.
Around Onam in late August or early September, and at Christmas and New Year. Book those dates as early as you can.
Qatar Airways via Doha and Etihad via Abu Dhabi fly into Kozhikode, so you can travel on one ticket. You can also connect through Bengaluru or Mumbai.
Rarely. Kannur is served from the Gulf by Air India Express and IndiGo, so it usually means two tickets. Kozhikode is often a simpler choice for north Kerala.
Speak to our India specialists for the best fares and personal advice.
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