Kochi Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Kochi

Walk the old quarter of Fort Kochi

Kerala's first European township grew up at Fort Kochi, in the west of the city, and Portuguese, Dutch and British rule each left buildings in its lanes. Inside St Francis Church, a 16th-century Portuguese foundation, is the tomb of Vasco da Gama. Our Kerala Backwaters Tour — 7 days gives its first afternoon to a walk here with a local guide.

Watch the Chinese fishing nets

Local fishermen still work the Chinese fishing nets on the Fort Kochi shore by traditional methods; in Malayalam they are cheenavala. The Backwaters Tour's first-day walk goes to see them, and the Kerala family holiday includes them on its arrival day.

See Kathakali, make-up first

Kathakali was traditionally played through the night; visitors now see a few hours. Our Kathakali performance in Kochi seats you early to watch the faces being painted, with commentary, then stages a narrated scene to live percussion and singing; the evening runs two to two and a half hours, all year round. On the Backwaters Tour it fills the first evening when timings allow.

Add a Kalaripayattu demonstration

Kalaripayattu, Kerala's martial art, is practised in a kalari, a sunken training pit. Our Kalaripayattu show is about an hour of forms, sparring and weapons, the flexible urumi sword among them, in Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram, and it can share a Kochi stay with Kathakali. Both are among Kerala's performing arts.

See Mattancherry's palace and synagogue

Mattancherry, beside Fort Kochi, has the Dutch Palace, an Archaeological Survey of India museum known for murals of Hindu myths, with portraits of Kochi's rulers in its former coronation hall. In a corner of Jew Town, the Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568, has hand-painted blue willow-pattern floor tiles brought from Canton and 19th-century glass chandeliers from Belgium.

Cross the harbour by ferry

A ferry links Fort Kochi with Ernakulam, on the mainland, in about 15 minutes, a short crossing from the old town to the modern city. Another runs to Vypeen island, the way to Cherai beach.

Swim at Cherai beach

Cherai, on Vypeen about 24 km from Ernakulam, blends sea and backwater, the district administration notes: a beach for a relaxing swim, with coconut groves behind it, Chinese nets along it and dolphins often seen offshore. Take the ferry to Vypeen, a bus to Cherai Junction, then an auto-rickshaw.

Visit Hill Palace

Built in 1865 by the Maharaja of Cochin, Hill Palace is Kerala's largest archaeological museum, 49 buildings on 54 acres about 12 km from Ernakulam and 2 km from Tripunithura station. Beyond its sculptures, coins and royal collections, the grounds hold a heritage museum, a deer park and a children's park.

Time a visit for the Biennale or New Year

Every two years, contemporary art takes over Fort Kochi and Mattancherry for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, from December into the spring, with Aspinwall House at its heart. Fort Kochi also marks every New Year's Eve with a carnival that the district says draws thousands.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

Book the Kathakali evening or the Kalaripayattu show on its own, or slot it into any Kochi stay. Our three tours give Kochi one night apiece. The Backwaters Tour does most with it, with a local guide for the old town and Kathakali that evening when timings allow. On the Kerala Ayurveda Retreat — 10 days, Kochi gets only a first-afternoon walk before Munnar and the treatment days, while the 10 Days South India Tour Package finishes here: you leave an Alleppey houseboat in the morning and walk Fort Kochi that afternoon. Compare them on Kochi tour packages.

When to go for these

IMD's long-term averages give Kochi under 50 mm of rain a month from December to March, while June and July each top 600 mm; October brings about 330 mm, more than September's 295. It is warm in every month, with average highs between about 30°C and 33°C, so keep long walks for the cooler ends of the day. Kathakali, staged in halls, runs in every season, and Biennale editions open in December.

Planning tips

Avoid Fridays for Mattancherry: the palace museum closes that day, and the synagogue shuts on Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The synagogue opens from 10 am to noon and 3 to 5 pm, and visitors go in barefoot. Arrive at Kathakali in time for the make-up, which is easy to miss. Fort Kochi is about 36 km from the airport by the district's figure, so allow for traffic before a flight. For the sights themselves, read our Kochi travel guide.