One Unhurried Meal on the Water
A day cruise is built around a single, unhurried meal. You board late morning, a cold drink arrives on the deck, and lunch is cooked in the galley while the boat works its way through the canals. There is no dinner or breakfast on a day cruise - just the meal that matters most, eaten with the backwaters going past.
The Alleppey day cruise package includes a welcome drink on boarding, a full Kerala lunch of white rice, sambar, fish fry, chicken curry, aviyal, mezhukuperatty, thoran, green salad, curd, papad and pickles cooked fresh on board, and evening snacks of tea or coffee with banana fritters and onion pakoras. There is no dinner or breakfast because a day cruise does not include an overnight stay. Vegetarian alternatives such as paneer curry are prepared on request.
Welcome Drink
On boarding
Something cold on the deck as you board, before the boat pulls away from the jetty and the canals open up.
- Vegetarian
Welcome drink
Lunch
Mid-cruise
The full Kerala plate, cooked in the galley while the boat is moving. Aviyal - the mixed vegetable and coconut dish at the centre of a Kerala meal - sits alongside fish fry and chicken curry, with rice, curd, papad and pickles to round it out.
- Vegetarian
White rice
- Vegetarian
Sambar
- Non-vegetarian
Fish fry
- Non-vegetarian
Chicken curry
- Vegetarian
Aviyal
- Vegetarian
Mezhukuperatty
- Vegetarian
Thoran (stir-fried vegetables with coconut)
- Vegetarian
Green salad
- Vegetarian
Curd
- Vegetarian
Papad
- Vegetarian
Pickles
Evening Snacks
Late in the cruise
Tea or coffee with hot banana fritters and onion pakoras, served before the boat turns back towards the finishing point.
- Vegetarian
Tea or coffee
- Vegetarian
Banana fritters
- Vegetarian
Onion pakoras
Add-On Dishes You Can Pre-Order
Celebrating something, or want the backwaters' best seafood on the table? These are cooked fresh on board alongside your usual menu.
Jumbo prawns roast
Roasted in a thick Kerala masala
Crab masala
Backwater crab, cracked and cooked to order
Duck roast
Kuttanadan style, slow-roasted
Add-ons are charged on top of your package and need to be ordered at least a day before the cruise, so the crew can buy them fresh that morning. Ask our team for current prices and availability.
A note on the menu
Menus may vary slightly depending on the houseboat, seasonal availability, and the selected package. Specific menu items can be confirmed with our team before your trip.
Plan the Rest of Your Trip
All Alleppey Houseboats
Browse the full fleet with live prices and availability.
Deluxe, Premium & Luxury
What actually changes between the three categories.
Alleppey Day Cruise
A few hours on the backwaters with lunch on board.
Overnight Houseboat Stays
Sunset cruise, a night moored, misty morning.
Honeymoon & Couple Houseboats
Private charters for two, with candlelit dinners.
Kerala Houseboat Packages
Multi-day trips built around a backwater cruise.
Day Cruise Menu FAQs
Is lunch included in the Alleppey day cruise?
Yes. A full Kerala lunch - white rice, sambar, fish fry, chicken curry, aviyal, mezhukuperatty, thoran, green salad, curd, papad and pickles - is cooked on board and included in the day cruise price. There is no separate food charge.
Are evening snacks included on a day cruise?
Yes. Tea or coffee with banana fritters and onion pakoras is served towards the end of the cruise, before the boat returns to the finishing point.
Is vegetarian food available on a day cruise?
Yes. Most of the lunch is already vegetarian - rice, sambar, aviyal, mezhukuperatty, thoran, salad, curd, papad and pickles. Tell us when you book and the chef prepares paneer curry or a vegetable stew in place of the fish and chicken.
Why is there no dinner or breakfast on the day cruise menu?
A day cruise runs for a few hours during the day and does not include an overnight stay, so the package covers a welcome drink, lunch and evening snacks. Dinner and breakfast are part of the overnight packages on our Deluxe, Premium and Luxury boats.
Is the food cooked on the boat?
Yes. The boat carries its own kitchen and chef, and lunch is cooked while you cruise rather than brought on board ready-made.
Ready to Taste Kerala from the Backwaters?
Choose your houseboat and let us take care of the rest.