Hi there!
You’re off to Thekkady!
GREAT!
There IS a bus that goes from Alleppey to Thekkady.
You’ll be able to find a bus at the Alleppey bus station that will take you to the Kumily bus station.
Along with the tips below for taking the bus from Alleppey to Thekkady, be sure to take a look at this ultimate Alleppey travel guide to plan the best trip ever to Alleppey!
How to get to Thekkady – Periyar – Kumily from Alleppey by bus
So, let’s talk…
ALLEPPEY…
…TO…
THEKKADY!
If you’re going in the opposite direction, there are also direct buses from Thekkady to Alleppey.
Alleppey to Thekkady train?!
Thekkady is in the hills, and there’s no train station nearby, which means Alleppey to Thekkady by train isn’t really an option.
Going by bus would be the most direct way to get to Thekkady.
But, if you want to leave Alleppey in style, then you can also get from Alleppey to Thekkady in part by ferry!
Alleppey to Thekkady taxi fare
It’s also a thing for tourists to hire a car with driver to get from place to place even when the drive is several hours long.
According to this Alleppey Beach guesthouse in 2019, the cost of a taxi from Alleppey to Thekkady is probably a little less than 4,000 rupees (US$60).
Now…
A bit more about getting from Alleppey to Thekkady by bus only
Alleppey bus station
Kumily bus station
Kumily is the main city for Thekkady and Periyar.
How long is the bus ride from Alleppey to Thekkady?
You can probably expect to be on the bus for around 5-6 hours.
How much does the bus ticket cost?
You can likely expect the ticket price for a public bus from Alleppey to Thekkady to cost around 130 rupees (US$2).
Now…
What time is the Alleppey to Thekkady direct bus?
According to the aanavandi website, there are a few timings for direct buses that you can take from Alleppey to Thekkady.
These timings are meant to give you an idea, and shouldn’t be used as an absolute!
These are the listed Alleppey to Kumily bus timings:
Note that these are local government buses so they do make a number of stops, but these buses wouldn’t require a transfer. Get on the bus in Alleppey, and then get off in Kumily!
So in talking about public buses, it’s direct in the sense that you only have to take a single bus. But they will still make stops along the way.
These buses also don’t require booking a ticket in advance. You’ll pay for your ticket once you get on the bus.
Confirm the bus timings
Don’t rely only on the aanavandi website to make your plans.
Basically, use it to get an idea for the kind of frequency you may be looking at for any given route.
In reality, there could be more or less bus timings. And, this is India, so buses can also be delayed.
You can also use the listed bus timings to get an idea for how long a bus journey may take for any given route. Again, a bus may take longer than what’s on the schedule.
If you’ll be arriving to Alleppey by bus, you may consider stopping by the Alleppey station master office and asking about bus timings to Thekkady before you head over to your guesthouse.
Otherwise, your Alleppey guesthouse will likely be able to help you out and tell you when a direct bus from Alleppey to Kumily is available.
Here are the best areas of Alleppey to stay based on what you’re looking for out of your trip.
How to get from Alleppey to Thekkady WITHOUT a direct bus
These are some other options to get to Thekkady if the direct bus doesn’t work out, or if you want to consider alternatives.
You can also get to Thekkady by taking 2 buses:
- Alleppey to Kottayam bus
- Kottayam to Kumily bus
There’s a good enough frequency of buses to Kottayam and to Kumily to make this a reliable option.
Or, also consider another option – Alleppey to Thekkady in part by ferry!
There’s no better way to arrive in Alleppey than by way of the Kerala backwaters! 😉
What it means to take a bus that doesn’t originate where you’re getting on
Another important thing to note about taking the public bus anywhere in Kerala is that you may want to avoid taking buses that don’t originate where you’ll be getting on.
If you don’t get on the bus at the point of origin, it could be full. This could end up being a less than pleasant travel experience, especially since you are traveling with luggage.
So if you know you’ll be taking a bus that’s already en route, just manage your expectations and realize that you may be forced to stand for part or all of the way to your next destination.
For the direct bus from Alleppey to Kumily, buses will generally originate in Alleppey. This means that you can likely find a seat.
When you’re not taking a direct bus, most buses on both journeys to Kottayam and Kumily do originate in Alleppey and Kottayam respectively, but there are a few buses that don’t.
2 quick tips for taking the bus to Thekkady from Alleppey
1. If you’re prone to motion sickness, don’t take the bus when it’s raining
Thekkady is in the hills. This means that the roads around Thekkady can be winding.
Rain means that the bus shutters will be closed.
One of the best ways to prevent motion sickness is by looking out the window. Which you can’t really do if all the windows are closed!
I don’t consider myself to be prone to motion sickness (I managed the bus to the Munnar hills just fine) but I felt like I was starting to feel a little nauseous as the bus was going through the hills to Thekkady in the rain.
2. Stay away from the windows when you’re around the Thekkady hills
Or, pay attention to whether you should stay away from the windows!
In parts of the ride, there’s really no shoulder.
And sometimes, the bus is right along the bushes and trees.
And some of those trees have branches sticking out. And when the bus with open windows brushes by these trees with branches sticking out, those branches can stick right into the bus.
I was whacked in the face by a branch and I was just happy it didn’t hit me in the eye.
HAPPY ALLEPPEY TO THEKKADY BUS RIDE!
To have the BEST time in Alleppey, be sure to take a look at the best things to do with one day in Alleppey!
For examples of general class train travel, see:
For examples of AC train travel, see:
For examples of local bus travel, see:
For examples of overnight bus travel, see:
- Pondicherry to Madurai
- Madurai to Kerala (South India)
- Mumbai to Udaipur
See more backpacking India travel tips!