Kottayam is not a postcard town, and that is the point. It sits on the Meenachil River between Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, about 66 km south of Kochi, and its character comes from schools, churches, presses and rubber estates rather than from monuments. The Church Missionary Society opened CMS College here in 1817, a printing press followed in 1821, and the town still carries the nickname City of Letters.
Most visitors pass through Kottayam on the way to Kumarakom, Vagamon or Alappuzha, which have their own Raahzo guides. Stay a day, and the town repays it. Thazhathangady, by the river, puts a very old mosque and a 16th-century church within a few minutes of each other; Cheriapally has restored wall paintings; the Old Seminary and CMS College explain the printing story; and Thirunakkara is the town's central Shiva temple. Further out are Ettumanoor's murals, Mannanam's hilltop monastery and Aruvikkuzhi's rain-fed waterfall.
It is a gentle place for parents and older travellers, if you plan for the humidity. Most sights are short, level visits, and distances are small. Go between November and February, when the air is driest, spread the churches and temples over mornings, rest after lunch, and keep the waterfall and plantation drives for a day when you have energy.
Before you plan
Kottayam at a glance
- Best months
- November to FebruaryNovember to February, when rain is lowest and nights are cooler; the monsoon (June to September) is wet and humid, and March to May is hot and sticky
- Ideal trip length
- 1 to 2 days for the town1 to 2 days for the town; 3 days if you add Ettumanoor, Mannanam and a waterfall or backwater outing
- Airport
- Cochin International AirportCochin International Airport (COK), roughly 90 km by road, about 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic; Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) is about 150 km south
- Railway station
- KottayamKottayam (KTYM) at Nagampadam, about 2.5 km from the town centre, on the Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam line
- Getting around
- AutosAutos, app or local taxis and hired cars; the KSRTC bus stand serves nearby towns; sights are short hops from the centre
- Daily budget
- Roughly ₹2,000 to ₹4,500 per person…Roughly ₹2,000 to ₹4,500 per person per day excluding hotel, for meals, local transport and entry fees; varies with car hire
- Senior comfort
- Good with planning: most sights are…Good with planning: most sights are short and level, but humidity, steps at waterfalls and hilltop churches, and busy roads need care
- Language
- Malayalam locallyMalayalam locally; English is widely understood in hotels, shops and at major sights
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Kottayam: January, February, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Kottayam itinerary
One good day
1 day in Kottayam
Start at Cheriapally in the morning, when the church is quiet and the paintings are easy to see, then drive to Thazhathangady for Valiyapally and the old Juma Masjid, with a short walk by the Meenachil River. Have a lunch of fish curry with rice or tapioca and rest for an hour. In the late afternoon, visit the Old Seminary or CMS College for the printing and schooling story, and finish at Thirunakkara Temple around lamp-lighting time if you wish to see the temple in the evening.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Kottayam
Begin at Cheriapally and Valiyapally, then walk to the old mosque at Thazhathangady. After lunch and a rest, visit the Old Seminary and CMS College, and close with Thirunakkara Temple at dusk.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Kottayam
Cheriapally in the morning, Valiyapally and the Thazhathangady mosque before lunch, a rest, then a slow walk along the Meenachil River.
Day-by-day plan →
