INDIA · DESTINATION
India’s standout days.
Our pick of the 15 best kochi tours in India: what you actually see, how long each one runs, and what you can expect to pay.
Quiet non-mechanized Cochin backwaters cruise with a coir village stop and vegetarian banana-leaf lunch, plus pickup options from Fort Cochin.
Most Popular“Such a lovely experience! The boat ride was so relaxing, and the scenery awesome. Our guide was super nice and knowledgeable, and taught us a lot about Kerala. And then the lunch after the boat cruise was absolutely delicious!”
Private 4-hour tuk-tuk tour of Kochi’s Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, with colonial landmarks, spice markets, Jewish Town, and hotel pickup.
“thank you for the day tripp and discover. guide was kind and very helpful”
See Kathakali makeup, Kalaripayattu combat, and Theyyam ritual dance in Kochi with hotel round-trip transfers around $11.
“What an awesome experience! We got to see a detailed explanation from the basics of Kathakali, like the music, the make up and how the actors convey a range of emotions with just their face before seeing a full performance, just amazing. We also saw the Theyyam and Kalaripayattu presentations and they were incredible. The…”
Cochin to Alleppey shikara cruise: 3 hours gliding through Kerala backwaters with villages, palms, and paddy fields, with port pickup.
“This company has great communications. The tour guide was on time and I group was on our way. The mini bus to travel to the houseboat was comfortable. Our group of 10 had plenty of room. The houseboat was very interesting. There are 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on board as they also use this…”
Cruise Fort Kochi by tuk-tuk with an English-speaking driver, Chinese fishing nets, palaces, synagogue, spice markets, and flexible stops.
“Fantastic. Our first day in Kochi after long flight. We were exhausted but wanted to get out for a few hours and see the sights. Zak provided us with a very memorable afternoon to suit our needs.”
A 4-hour Fort Kochi port tour packed with Chinese Fishing Nets, Portuguese churches, Dhobi Khanna, Jew Town, and Paradesi Synagogue.
“Our guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable, kind, friendly, helpful. We cannot remember his name but we remember he told us he was a Roman Catholic and had a much loved 11 year old daughter. His English was totally perfect. We learned a lot of history from this excellent guide and we would highly recommend this…”
Private overnight houseboat cruise from Kochi to Alappuzha backwaters, with AC cabin, 3 Kerala meals, scenic village cruising, and easy transfers.
“Had a magical day on the Aleppey Backwaters! We were picked up from Fort Kochi by our driver and had a comfortable 2 hour ride to the office and our starting point. On the boat, we got 3 delicious meals, the beds were VERY comfortable and one highlight was also that we had the chance…”
A 2-hour Kochi street-food walk with vetted tastings, sweet-making stops, and chai in a clay pot with strong local context.
“Satish is a great guide and spoke very good English. He showed us the Fort Kochi sights and many record breaking artifacts as well as explaining local food dishes. Make sure you are hungry as there is loads of food to try.”
A private Fort Kochi tuk-tuk day tour with an English local guide, 10+ stops, skip-the-line entry, and flexible pacing for $10.
Private Cochin–Alleppey houseboat cruise with a slow backwater ride, Keralan lunch, pickup service, and a $85 per person price.
“Too costly, not worth the money.”
Pedal through Fort Kochi on a 3-hour heritage route with Chinese Fishing Nets, forts, palace murals, Dhobi Khana laundry, and more for $27.
Kochi backwaters by bamboo-pole shikara, village craft stops, and a traditional Kerala Sadya lunch with hotel pickup and drop.
“Very beautiful and natural landscapes in a remote area highly traditional, the team was smiling and close to us at all time”
2-hour guided walk in Kochi’s Jewish Town: churches, Royal Mattancherry Palace, cemetery, Paradesi Synagogue, plus markets.
“I was disappointed. When I leaned about the Jewish heritage in Kochi, I was excited to learn more. The tour was two hours and the first hour was at the Dutch Palace learning more about Kochi, than the Jewish migration. We then went to the Synagogue and the guide had very little knowledge on the…”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk shore tour with cruise pickup to Fort Kochi and Mattancherry highlights, led by an English guide.
“We liked exploring the city via tuktuk. The driver took us to shops he had arranged deals with, for example we went to a spice shop and on the opposite side of the road a different spice shop offered the same wares at half price. In one instant the shop owner wanted to kick out…”
Fort Kochi heritage walk with Biju: spice trade stories, ginger warehouses, papadam and candle-making, Chinese nets, Jew Town and more.
“We had a brilliant morning with our tour guide Biju. It was great to hear about the lives of local people living in Kochi today and throughout history and about the turbulent history of the colonies. We were lucky enough to see a very quiet side of the town (due to a strike) and despite…”
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