Munnar tea plantation trek with forest walk: Kerala tea plantations ☕ Kerala hills, India

Hi there!

Munnar is known for tea plantations, and one way you can see more of these Kerala tea plantations is through a tea plantation trek!

When you get to Munnar you’ll probably see these types of tea plantation treks called “soft trekking.”

It’s not all that intense, but you should be prepared for a long day of walking.

For more of a “real” trek from Munnar, have a look to the Meesapulimala Trek that’ll come with an overnight camping experience in the Western Ghats.

With a tea plantation trek, you’ll be walking through the hills on roads and trails through forests and past spices, and then of course through the tea plantations.

With the guided tour that I signed up for, the walk through tea plantations was just a part of the day.

So even a full-day tour that’s called a tea plantation trek is really more than just a walk through tea plantations. (Kind of like how a canoe tour on the Kerala backwaters is more than just a canoe ride! And, they both come with FOOD!)

For more of the best things to do in Alleppey and the Kerala backwaters, see kayaking, cycling, and the ferry.

If you’re doing a backpacking trip through Kerala, you can go to Munnar conveniently from Cochin or Alleppey. From Alleppey, consider taking the ferry in part from Alleppey to Munnar on the Kerala backwaters! You can also get to Munnar from Bangalore.

So now…

What happens on a Munnar tea plantation trek?!

This can vary by tour, but this is what my Munnar trekking experience was like!

Jeep ride to the starting point of the trek

I did my tea plantation trek through the guesthouse I was staying at, so there was a jeep pick-up right at the guesthouse.

It was about a 10-15 minute ride to the start of the walk, and we started around 9:30am.

Start the walk!

Take a short break

Once we reached the first real scenic view point of tea plantations, we were given a short break of about 15 minutes or so to take in the scenery.

This was one of 2 rest breaks that were incorporated on the walk.

The other break came with small snacks and tea.

Walk through tea plantations!

Keep walking!

You may also come across different kinds of fruit as you walk through the forest.

You can ask your trekking guide whether it’s safe to eat!

You also may have the chance to try different spices as you come across them as well.

Leave the forest

At around 3pm we made it out of the forest and on to one of the main roads.

From there, we were taken by jeep for a 10-15 minute ride to a cute little home.

EAT!

And that’s where we had some very good homestay food!

After lots of walking, you’ll no doubt be ready to eat!

After we finished eating, that is basically the end of the tour, and we were given a ride back to where we started.

How much does a tea plantation trek cost?

When I did this tour through the Green View Holiday Inn guesthouse (partner website), the cost was 800 rupees (US$11).

I think that’s around the going rate for a full-day tea plantation trekking tour like this.

With this price, the lunch meal and small snacks were included.

The food provided might not be enough to keep you energized for a full day of walking, so it could be a good idea to bring some of your own snacks and water along.

Where to stay in Munnar

Put in future dates below to see cost of hotels in Munnar!

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Do you need to have a guided tour in order to walk through Munnar tea plantations?

Because the tea plantations in Munnar are private property, guided tours are basically the only way to actually walk through the deeper parts of the tea plantations.

You can always walk on the main roads that pass by tea plantations though, as you will get on a bus ride to Munnar from Alleppey!

HAPPY MUNNAR TEA PLANTATION TREKKING!