Things to do in Kochi | From someone who spent 3 months there

I just ended 6 months traveling India and Kochi was the place that I unexpectedly called home for 3 months. I planned for 4 days and just kept on extending and it was honestly one of the hardest places to leave during my 10+ years of travel.

And since I loved it so much, I can’t stop talking about it and showing it to people who have never heard of Kerala and Fort Kochi. So here goes another post, this time on the best things to do in Kochi.

What is Fort Kochi like?

Fort Kochi has a slow, relaxed pace that makes it easy to spend time in. It’s compact and walkable, with colorful colonial streets, art galleries, churches, cafés, and the famous Chinese fishing nets along the waterfront.

People come here for the history, the laid-back atmosphere, and the mix of cultures that you still feel in the architecture and food. It’s less about ticking off attractions and more about wandering, soaking up the vibe, and taking things slowly — which is exactly what makes it so easy to fall for.

Best things to do in Kochi

Wander the main streets and waterfront

Walk Princess Street

The most famous street in Fort Kochi for a reason! It’s a small walking street with beautiful colorful buildings, cafes, restaurants and shops. This will probably be your first stop in Fort Kochi and it will not let you down. 

Chinese Fishing Nets

Just a short walk from Princess Street you will find the giant Chinese Fishing nets. An old tradition still kept in Kochi and a really unique thing to witness that you won’t find anywhere else.

Fort Kochi Beach walk (sunset)

Along the water there’s an entire walking path that is specially beautiful at sunset. Locals and foreigners gather here at sunset time and besides having more people at this time it is a really relaxing way to end the day with beautiful scenery.

Explore history & culture

Jew Town & Paradesi Synagogue

No visit to Kochi is complete without visiting the famous Jew Town. It’s a great place to just take a walk in the photogenic streets or to shop for some local clothes and some souvenirs to take home. 

You can also visit the Paradesi Synagogue that is stunning inside.

Visit Dhobi Khana, a traditional open-air laundry site

Dhobi Khana is a traditional open-air laundry area that still operates today. It’s a very local, working space rather than a tourist attraction, which is exactly what makes it interesting. It gives you a small glimpse into everyday life in Kochi beyond the tourist areas.

I found this place while going on a little Tuktuk tour and my driver was the best and took me to this place. I am definitely more of a traveler that likes to get local spots instead of just checking off tourist landmarks. 

This was such a great experience! Getting to talk to the locals who work here daily, who were so welcoming and happy to see a tourist. Seeing how their day looks like and how an open air laundry looks like. They still do everything by hand and it is such a unique experience if you are looking into seeing a bit more of local life instead of just tourist attractions.

Mattancherry Palace

A beautiful, historical place worth a visit — and easy to combine with Jew Town and the Paradesi Synagogue, since they’re all close together.

Timings: Monday to Sunday, 10am–5pm (closed Fridays)

Entry: 20 INR

St. Francis Church

Right in the heart of Fort Kochi, this one was special for me as a Portuguese — it was built by the Portuguese and is one of the oldest European-built churches in India. Kochi is also where Vasco da Gama lived, and he was later buried on the grounds of this very church.

Timings: Monday to Saturday, 9am–5pm (closed Sundays)

Entry: Free

Santa Cruz Basilica

Also in the heart of Fort Kochi, this is probably one of the most beautiful Christian buildings in the city — and a mandatory stop if you’re visiting.

Timings: Monday to Sunday, 9am–1pm & 3pm–5pm

Entry: Free

Cafés & slow travel

Coffee culture in Fort Kochi is unexpectedly strong! They have so many beautiful aesthetic cafes and restaurants & that should definitely be part of your itinerary. 

Fort kochi is a place to embrace slow life and not a 20k steps a day kind of destination. 

Here are some of my favorite cafes in Fort Kochi that are worth your time: 

• Kashi Art Cafe 
• Kochi Capital Cafe 
• French Toast Cafe
• TeaPot cafe 
• Club House

Getting around & local experiences

Take the water metro

The water metro in Kochi is an experience you can’t miss. It costs only 40 INR for a ticket between Fort Kochi and High Court for a 15 minute journey. It is the best way to avoid traffic and so much cheaper than taking an auto between the two places.

Get an auto driver for the day

You definitely don’t need one as Kochi is very walkable and also easy to take an auto from A to B. But I did it and it was one of my favorite things. I had a funny driver and he showed me around the main places and it was such a great experience to have a local to explain to me things I wouldn’t know if I had explored by myself.

Evening experiences

Watch a Katakhali performance

This was one of my favorites and definitely belongs on this list of best things to do in kochi. The performance it’s beautiful and it was so special to be able to have this experience and witness something that is so local to Kerala and so unique. Have never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world and highly recommend you to experience it too.

Go out and have some fun

Fort Kochi isn’t a party area and going out means pretty chill nights. Honestly it was perfect for me because I felt safe enough to go out and it was great that everything closes by midnight.

If you want a more chill experience go to Cochin Fort. For me the best place to go at night. It’s a really cool place, background music (sometimes they have live music), you have food & drinks and it’s a great place to just go meet people and chat with friends. 

If you are looking for a bigger place, music and some karaoke and pool table to play for free go to Club18. It’s not a dancing party club don’t worry. It is more of a social place. 

Festivals worth knowing about

If you’re into art, it’s worth looking into the Kochi-Muziris Biennale — India’s biggest contemporary art festival, which turns the whole city into a living gallery. It runs every two years from around mid-December to the end of March, so it’s worth checking if your dates line up.

Christmas is also a big deal in Kochi — the city gets beautifully decorated and is known for one of the largest lit Christmas trees in Asia. Just keep in mind that December is the busiest and most expensive time to visit, with accommodation prices going up.

Best day trips from Kochi

Athirappilly Falls

About 60–70km from Kochi (roughly a 1.5–2 hour drive), Athirappilly is the largest waterfall in Kerala and often called the “Niagara of India.” At around 80ft high, set against thick forest, it’s a popular day trip for nature lovers — and you might spot wildlife like hornbills and Malabar giant squirrels in the surrounding Sholayar forest range.

I didn’t personally make it here during my time in Kochi, but it’s consistently one of the most recommended day trips from the city, so it deserves a mention if you’re planning your itinerary.

It’s said to be at its most powerful during and just after the monsoon (roughly June to January), while the dry months from February to May leave it much less impressive. If you’re looking for a proper nature escape from the city, this is the one most travelers add to their list.

BOOK your Athirappilly Waterfalls Tour Here!

Munnar 

If there’s one place almost everyone recommends visiting in Kerala, it’s Munnar. This hill station sits high in the Western Ghats, around 130km from Kochi — but don’t let the distance fool you, the winding mountain roads mean it takes around 4 hours to reach.

Munnar is famous for its endless rolling tea plantations — misty green hills stretching as far as you can see, cool mountain air, and some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Kerala. You can tour the tea estates, visit a tea factory or museum, and take in viewpoints that feel almost unreal.

While some people do it as a long day trip from Kochi, I’d personally say Munnar deserves more time. With the drive each way, staying at least one or two nights lets you actually slow down and enjoy it, rather than spending most of your day in a car. If you have the time in your Kerala itinerary, it’s absolutely worth building in properly.

Alleppey 

Alleppey is hands down one of the best places to visit from Kochi. Again, since I loved it so much, I’d definitely tell you to spend at least two days in Alleppey instead of just doing a day trip. But, if you are short on time make sure you still manage to squeeze Alleppey into your Kerala itinerary as this is truly one of the best day trips from Kochi and one of the best things to do in Kochi.

BOOK your Alleppey Tour here!

Kerala backwaters 

No visit to Kochi is real until you’ve experienced the magic of the backwaters of Kerala. If you don’t have time to do any other day trip from Kochi then this one is the one you can’t miss!

BOOK your Kerala Backwaters tour Here!

Practical info for visiting Kochi

Getting around

Fort Kochi is small and very walkable — you can reach most of the main spots on foot. For anything further or when it was too hot, I used autos booked through Uber or Rapido, which give fixed prices and save you from haggling. You can also take the water metro or a ferry across to Ernakulam, which is a cheap and scenic way to get around.

Best time to visit Kochi

The most comfortable time to visit Fort Kochi is winter, roughly October to February, when the weather is cooler and drier. From June to September is monsoon season with heavy rain, and from March onwards it starts getting hot and humid.

Safety

I felt genuinely safe in Fort Kochi, both during the day and walking back at night. Like anywhere, it’s worth being a bit more aware around bar areas late at night, but overall it’s one of the easiest places I’ve travelled solo.

Also, don’t forget that anything can happen during your travels and it’s always important to stay safe with a good travel insurance that will cover you in case something does happen! I recommend SafetyWing – been using it for years and it’s the one I recommend to everyone.

Costs

Fort Kochi is one of the more touristy parts of Kerala, so prices are slightly higher than elsewhere — but I wouldn’t call it expensive.

There are lots of food options, and many are western rather than traditional Indian, especially around Princess Street. The western places are excellent, but they do cost more than local food.

Personally, I usually spent around €5–10 on a meal out, but you can eat much cheaper if you stick to local restaurants. It really depends on how you like to travel and eat.

Where to stay in Fort Kochi

Okay, let’s talk accommodation — because this is the kind of decision that can genuinely make or break your time in Kochi.

Here’s the thing: Kochi is big, and it’s split by a river. On one side you’ve got Ernakulam (the modern, busy, commercial part of the city), and on the other side you’ve got Fort Kochi — the old colonial part, with the narrow streets, the cafes, the street art, the Chinese fishing nets, all of it.

If you book somewhere in Ernakulam thinking it’s “close enough,” you’re going to spend a chunk of your trip on ferries and tuk-tuks just trying to get to the actual nice part. Save yourself that headache. Stay in Fort Kochi.

I spent 3 months here, so I got to know it pretty well — and I stayed the entire time at The Hosteller Fort Kochi Ocean Edge.

Final thoughts on the best things to do in Kochi

For me, Fort Kochi was the easiest possible introduction to India — and one I ended up not wanting to leave. It’s calm, walkable, full of character, and there’s enough to see and do to keep you busy without ever feeling overwhelming.

It’s the kind of place that rewards slowing down. Wander the streets, sit in cafés, watch the fishing nets, let the days go by. If you’re after non-stop action and nightlife, this probably isn’t the place for you. But if you want somewhere relaxed, full of history, and easy to explore — especially as a first stop in India or as a solo traveller — Fort Kochi is hard to beat.

I came planning to stay a few days and ended up staying for months. That probably says it all.

Read my other Kochi Guides 🤍

Is Kochi worth visiting? My honest review in 2026

Is Kochi safe for women traveling alone?