10 daysIndiaAges 18–40
10 days · Goa, Hampi & Kerala Backwaters
Goa, Hampi & Kerala Backwaters is a 10-day group trip for solo travellers aged 18 to 40 who want South India's beaches, ruins and backwaters without three weeks to spare. You start on Goa's beaches in Anjuna and Palolem, cross to the boulder-strewn temple ruins of Hampi, fly south to Fort Kochi's fishing nets and a night on a Kerala houseboat, and finish on the red cliffs of Varkala. Your Trip Host is with the group throughout.
Updated
From, per person
$1,225 / £919 / €1,075 / A$1,740 / CA$1,730 / NZ$2,160 / ₹1,17,600
Free to reserve
Sarthak's best travel memories come from going solo: hostel dorms, a new activity most days, new cultures and new food. SoloNomads grew out of that.
Sarthak travels with every group, from the first day to the last, so there's always someone on hand to sort things out when plans change and to make sure nobody gets left out.
In every country, a licensed local agency and licensed local guides look after the ground services, so you get local know-how too.
Anjuna to Varkala, 7 stops in 10 days.
7 stops
10 days
Day 1
We meet at our guesthouse in Anjuna, North Goa, in the afternoon. Once everyone's settled in, we walk down to the beach for the sunset and a group dinner at a beach shack, where your Trip Host talks through the ten days ahead.
Day 2
A morning walk to Chapora Fort for the view over the river mouth, then free time on Anjuna and Vagator's beaches. The flea market runs on Wednesdays in the season and grew out of Goa's 1960s hippie scene, so when the day falls on a Wednesday we spend the afternoon there. On other days the afternoon is free for the beach. The evening is free for Anjuna's beach clubs and cafes.
Day 3
A scenic drive south to Palolem, on South Goa's quieter coast, taking in the change from Goa's party beaches to its calmer bay. Once we've settled into our beach huts, the afternoon is free to swim or nap under the palms, and in the late afternoon a kayak trip runs along the coast to Butterfly Beach.
Day 4
An early start for the 07:00 Amaravati Express from Madgaon. It climbs the Braganza ghat past the Dudhsagar Falls viaduct and reaches Hosapete at about 14:30, a journey of roughly 7 hours 30 minutes. From there it's a short drive to Hampi village, where the boulder-strewn ruins of the Vijayanagara empire come into view for the first time. We watch the sunset from Hemakuta Hill.
Day 5
A full day with a licensed local guide around Hampi's ruins: the living Virupaksha Temple, the stone chariot at Vittala Temple, the Royal Enclosure and the Elephant Stables. Vittala's hall of "musical" pillars is roped off now, so we look but don't tap. In the afternoon we take a coracle ride on the Tungabhadra River if the weather and river level allow. These round paddled boats have been used here for centuries.
Day 6
A free morning to hire a bicycle, cross the river to the villages around Anegundi, or simply rest before the journey south. After an early group dinner we board the Hampi Express at Hosapete at 21:10, in 2nd-class AC, where each berth has its own curtain.
Day 7
The train reaches Bengaluru at about 05:45, and after breakfast we transfer to the airport for a short flight to Kochi, included in the trip. We're in Fort Kochi by early afternoon for a walk past Portuguese, Dutch and British-era buildings down to the shore, where we watch the giant Chinese fishing nets at work as the sun sets. In the evening we watch a Kathakali performance, arriving early to see the performers paint their faces.
Day 8
A morning walk through Mattancherry's palace murals, the old Jewish quarter and the spice warehouses of Bazaar Road, followed by a Kerala home-cooking class. We then drive south to Alleppey and board our houseboats at noon, cruising the canals and lakes of Kuttanad with lunch cooked on board. Houseboats here don't cruise after dark, so we moor for the night by about 17:30, and dinner is served on board too.
Day 9
After breakfast on board, we switch to small paddled canoes that slip into the narrow canals the houseboats can't reach, past village homes, churches and rice paddies, with lunch in a lakeside homestay. In the afternoon we drive on to Varkala, where red laterite cliffs drop straight to the Arabian Sea. The evening is free to walk the clifftop path and watch the sunset from one of its cafes.
Day 10
A free morning on Varkala's cliffs and Papanasam Beach below them before the trip ends after breakfast. Trivandrum airport (TRV) is about 1 to 1.5 hours away by road, so book flights leaving from around 15:00 onwards.
Prices are per person, and reserving is free. A date goes ahead once about 10 travellers have joined. You pay nothing until then. Once it's confirmed, we send you an invoice for the full price, and you have 7 days to pay it (or until the trip starts, if that's sooner).
21 Nov – 30 Nov 2026
AvailableStart of the season, before the Christmas surgeMax 16 people
Price
$1,225 / £919 / €1,075 / A$1,740 / CA$1,730 / NZ$2,160 / ₹1,17,600
9 Jan – 18 Jan 2027
AvailablePeak season, after New YearMax 16 people
Price
$1,275 / £956 / €1,120 / A$1,810 / CA$1,800 / NZ$2,250 / ₹1,22,400
6 Feb – 15 Feb 2027
AvailableBest all-round weather. Goa Carnival is expected on 5 to 9 February, so Goa is busierMax 16 people
Price
$1,275 / £956 / €1,120 / A$1,810 / CA$1,800 / NZ$2,250 / ₹1,22,400
You reserve your spot for free and pay nothing to join. Reservations close 7 days before departure. Once enough travellers have signed on, usually around 10, we confirm the departure and email you a confirmation with an invoice for the full trip price. You pay it by bank transfer within 7 days, in US dollars, pounds, euros, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars or Indian rupees.
Yes, that's who this trip is for. You're paired with a same-gender roommate, or you can pay a supplement for a private room where it's available.
Solo travellers aged 18 to 40. Most people come on their own, and some come with a friend. The maximum for each departure is shown with its dates, and it's never more than 16.
The Trip Host travels with the group for all 10 days, looks after the group's trains, flight and check-ins, and is the person you go to if anything goes wrong. In Hampi and Fort Kochi, a licensed local guide leads the walks.
It starts at our guesthouse in Anjuna, North Goa, in the afternoon of Day 1, and we send the address when you book. Goa has two airports: Mopa (GOX) is closer to Anjuna, about 30 km away, and Dabolim (GOI) is farther south. Ola and Uber aren't officially permitted at Mopa, so book an airport taxi or a pickup in advance. The trip ends in Varkala after breakfast on Day 10. Fly out of Trivandrum (TRV), about 1 to 1.5 hours away, on a flight from about 15:00. Kochi (COK) is at least four hours by road.
Hampi has no direct link to Kerala. The overnight Hampi Express to Bengaluru, then a short flight to Kochi, is the simplest way to join the two without losing a day on the road. We book 2nd-class AC, where each berth has its own curtain and you get sheets, a blanket and a pillow. It's the only night we spend on a train.
From November to March, the dry season in Goa, Hampi and Kerala. Goa's beach shacks are open, the sea is calm enough for kayaking and Kerala's rains have mostly eased. We don't run it over Christmas and New Year, when Goa is at its busiest and prices peak, and not after March, when Hampi gets very hot.
Yes. Most nationalities need a visa for India, and most can apply for an e-Visa online on the official site, indianvisaonline.gov.in. You also have to complete India's free online e-Arrival card within 72 hours before you land. Rules change, so read our India visa guide for your passport before you book flights.
A traditional Kerala kettuvallam with twin-share cabins, run by a registered Alleppey operator. All meals on board are included, and the crew shows you where the life jackets are kept. Houseboats moor by about 17:30, so evenings are quiet.
Sixteen meals are included. A thali or a curry in a local restaurant costs about 200 to 500 rupees, and a Goan or Kerala beach-shack meal a bit more. Budget roughly 1,000 to 1,500 rupees a day for the meals that aren't included, plus drinks.
A soft bag or backpack rather than a suitcase, because of the train and the houseboat. Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees for temples and churches, and a scarf. Swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen and a hat for Goa, Kerala and Varkala, shoes that slip on and off easily, and a small padlock for the sleeper train.
Travel insurance is a condition of joining, and it must cover medical treatment and evacuation. You need to be averagely fit: there's plenty of walking and some uneven ground among Hampi's boulders and temples, plus heat and humidity most of the year. Check vaccinations with a travel health clinic or your doctor at least six weeks before you go. The NHS fitfortravel site and the US CDC keep up-to-date advice for India.
Ask here and someone on the team will email you back within 1 to 2 business days.
From
$1,225 / £919 / €1,075 / A$1,740 / CA$1,730 / NZ$2,160 / ₹1,17,600