Alappuzha backwaters launch sunset cruise on 6 October

The Alappuzha backwaters launched a new sunset cruise on 6 October 2026, giving visitors to Alappuzha, India, an evening route across Vembanad Lake and rural Kuttanad. The State Water Transport Department operates the service from the Alappuzha boat jetty area, with the route passing through Punnamada Lake.

Sunset cruise starts across the Alappuzha backwaters

The service was inaugurated on 6 October 2026 by G Sudhakaran, a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, according to the launch report. The operator is the State Water Transport Department, known as SWTD, and the full regular service began immediately after the inaugural trip.

The daily cruise leaves Alappuzha at 5.30pm and returns at 7.30pm. Its published route runs through Punnamada Lake and continues via SAI, Mangalassery, Kuppapuram and Punchiri Jetty before returning to the dock. The boat used for the service is See Kuttanad, a double-decker passenger vessel that has been adapted for the evening journey.

How the new service uses Vembanad Lake

Punnamada Lake is part of the Vembanad water system and is associated with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. The route therefore connects a newly introduced evening service with one of the best-known waterways in the Alappuzha backwater landscape.

The cruise also gives the wider Kuttanad area a direct role in the itinerary. The Kerala Tourism description of the region identifies Alappuzha with a network of lakes, rivers and canals, including Punnamada, Vembanad and the Pamba River. In practical terms, the new route is not a separate attraction away from the waterways: it uses the same connected landscape that shapes transport and tourism in the district.

See Kuttanad links Alappuzha with its waterways

The State Water Transport Department introduced the cruise as part of a wider public water-transport programme. The boat leaves in the evening rather than following the daytime pattern of the existing passenger service, creating a later route through the lake and canal landscape.

The inaugural journey on 6 October 2026 was shorter than the regular service and travelled to Punchiri Jetty before returning. The published daily route is the two-hour operation through Punnamada Lake, SAI, Mangalassery, Kuppapuram and Punchiri Jetty.

Visiting Alappuzha backwaters: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The sunset cruise began on 6 October 2026 and operates daily from the Alappuzha boat jetty area.
• The regular service departs at 5.30pm and returns at 7.30pm, with the route passing through Punnamada Lake and Kuttanad waterways.
• The vessel is See Kuttanad, a double-decker passenger boat used for the evening service on Vembanad Lake.
• The journey is water-based and includes lake and canal sections rather than a land trail or a fixed viewpoint.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

Searching for Alappuzha backwaters on social platforms

These links open searches for Alappuzha backwaters on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Alappuzha backwaters

When did the sunset cruise start at the Alappuzha backwaters?

The State Water Transport Department launched the service on 6 October 2026. The full daily service began immediately after the inaugural journey.

Where does the sunset cruise travel?

The route starts in Alappuzha and passes through Punnamada Lake, SAI, Mangalassery, Kuppapuram and Punchiri Jetty before returning to the dock.

What are the Alappuzha backwaters?

They are a connected water landscape of lakes, rivers and canals around Alappuzha, including Vembanad Lake, Punnamada Lake and parts of Kuttanad.