Things to Do in Kochi: What I Actually Loved After 3 Months

I had planned to spend four days in Kochi. I ended up staying for three months.

Kochi was my first stop during six months traveling around India, and somehow it became the place I called home for half of that trip. After more than 10 years of traveling, it was also one of the hardest places I’ve ever had to leave.

So if you’re looking for the best things to do in Kochi, these aren’t just places I rushed around seeing in two days. They’re the places, experiences and everyday things I actually enjoyed after spending months there.

What is Fort Kochi like?

Fort Kochi is slow, relaxed and very easy to settle into. Most of the places I went regularly were close together, so my days usually involved walking around, stopping at cafés, getting an auto somewhere, or ending up by the waterfront.

There are colonial streets, churches, art galleries, cafés and the Chinese fishing nets, but Fort Kochi never felt like a place where I needed to spend all day running between attractions.

That was actually one of the reasons I liked it so much. After three months there, some of my favorite days were the ones where I barely had a plan at all.

Best Things To Do in Kochi During The Day

Walk Princess Street

Princess Street is one of the main streets in Fort Kochi and somewhere you’ll probably end up walking through several times while you’re there.

It’s lined with colorful buildings, cafés, restaurants and small shops, and it was one of the areas I kept coming back to during my three months in Kochi.

Chinese Fishing Nets

The Chinese fishing nets are right by the waterfront and are probably the most recognizable sight in Fort Kochi.

You don’t need to plan loads of time for them, but they’re worth seeing while you’re already exploring this part of the city. They’re still used today and are one of those things that immediately make the Kochi waterfront look different from anywhere else.

Walk Along the Waterfront at Sunset

The waterfront gets much busier around sunset, with locals and travelers walking along the path and stopping by the water.

It became one of those easy things to do when I didn’t really have a plan for the evening. Just walk down, watch the sunset and see where you end up afterward.

Explore Jew Town and Mattancherry

Jew Town & Paradesi Synagogue

Jew Town is another area I’d definitely include while you’re in Kochi.

The streets are full of shops selling clothes, antiques and souvenirs, so it’s an easy place to spend an hour wandering around even if you’re not particularly interested in sightseeing.

You can also visit the Paradesi Synagogue while you’re there.

Visit Dhobi Khana, a traditional open-air laundry site

This was one of my favorite things I did in Kochi, mainly because I had no idea it even existed before my auto driver took me there.

Dhobi Khana is a traditional open-air laundry where people still wash and dry clothes by hand. It isn’t really a tourist attraction, which is exactly why I liked it.

The people working there were incredibly welcoming and happy to show me around, and I got to see a side of everyday life in Kochi that I never would have found by just following a list of tourist attractions.

This is much more my kind of experience.

Mattancherry Palace

If you’re already visiting Jew Town, Mattancherry Palace is nearby and easy to add at the same time.

I wouldn’t build an entire day around it, but if you’re interested in Kochi’s history, it makes sense to include it while you’re in this part of the city.

St. Francis Church

St. Francis Church was particularly interesting to me as a Portuguese traveler because it was originally built by the Portuguese and is one of the oldest European-built churches in India.

Vasco da Gama was also originally buried here before his remains were later taken back to Portugal.

It’s right in Fort Kochi, so it’s very easy to stop by while exploring the area.

Santa Cruz Basilica

Santa Cruz Basilica is another easy stop in central Fort Kochi and probably one of the most impressive churches in the area.

You don’t need much time here, but if you’re already walking around Fort Kochi, it’s worth going inside.

Go Coffee Hopping

This probably sounds ridiculous compared with all the temples, churches and historical sites you could be visiting, but coffee hopping genuinely became one of my favorite things to do in Kochi.

I was there for three months, so obviously I wasn’t sightseeing every day. A lot of my time was spent finding cafés, working, meeting friends and slowly developing favorites.

Fort Kochi has a surprisingly good café scene, so if you like coffee as much as I do, leave some room in your itinerary for doing absolutely nothing productive in a café for a while.

Take the water metro

The Kochi Water Metro is technically public transport, but I’d still put it on a list of things to do.

I regularly used the route between Fort Kochi and High Court. The journey takes around 15 minutes and cost me 40 INR, which is ridiculously cheap considering you’re also getting views from the water.

It’s also a much nicer way to cross over toward Ernakulam than sitting in traffic in an auto.

Get an auto driver for the day

You absolutely do not need to hire an auto driver for the day to explore Kochi.

But I did, and it ended up being one of my favorite experiences.

My driver was hilarious and took me around different parts of Kochi, including places like Dhobi Khana that I probably never would have found alone. More importantly, I had someone local explaining what I was actually looking at instead of me just wandering around taking photos of buildings with no idea what they meant.

For me, that made the whole thing much more interesting.

Best things to do in Kochi in the Evening

Watch a Katakhali performance

This was one of my favorite experiences in Kochi.

I’d never seen anything like Kathakali before, and it felt completely different from the usual sightseeing I’d been doing. The costumes, makeup, expressions and whole performance are so specific to Kerala that it genuinely felt like I was seeing something I couldn’t just experience anywhere else.

If you have one evening free in Kochi, I’d definitely make time for this.

Go out and have some fun

Fort Kochi is not a party destination, which was actually perfect for me.

Nights are generally pretty relaxed, and most places close around midnight. I felt comfortable going out here in a way I usually don’t when I’m traveling alone.

My favorite place was Cochin Fort. It’s very casual, usually has background music and sometimes live music, and people mostly go there to eat, have drinks and hang out with friends.

If you want somewhere a little bigger, Club18 has music, karaoke and a free pool table. It’s still more of a social bar than an actual nightclub, so don’t expect some massive party scene.

Kochi Festivals worth knowing about

If your dates line up, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale is worth knowing about. It’s a huge contemporary art event that takes over venues around Fort Kochi and Mattancherry every two years, with exhibitions and installations spread across the area.

The next edition is planned for 2027–2028, so check the dates before your trip.

Christmas is also a big deal in Fort Kochi. The streets get decorated, there are celebrations throughout the area, and December is one of the busiest times to visit.

Just expect accommodation to be more expensive around Christmas and New Year, so I’d book earlier if you’re visiting then.

Best day trips from Kochi

If you have more than a couple of days in Kochi, there are some really good places you can reach from the city. Some work as actual day trips, while others are places I’d personally give more time.

Athirappilly Falls

I didn’t personally make it to Athirappilly during my time in Kochi, so I’m not going to pretend I can tell you what the experience is like.

It’s around 1.5–2 hours from Kochi and is one of the most popular nature trips from the city, so it’s worth looking at if you want to get away from Fort Kochi for the day.

Munnar 

Munnar is another place people often visit from Kochi, but I wouldn’t personally treat it as a quick day trip.

The journey takes around four hours each way, so if Munnar is high on your Kerala list, I’d rather stay one or two nights than spend most of the day sitting in a car.

It’s known for its tea plantations and mountain scenery and would make much more sense as the next stop on a Kerala itinerary than something you rush through from Kochi.

Alleppey 

Alleppey was one of my favorite places in Kerala, and I’d absolutely include it if you have enough time.

You can visit from Kochi in a day, but I personally think it deserves at least two days. Staying longer gives you time to actually experience the backwaters rather than traveling there, doing a quick boat trip and immediately coming back.

If you’re short on time, though, a day trip is still better than missing it completely.

Kerala backwaters 

If you don’t have time to stay in Alleppey, then doing a backwaters trip from Kochi is probably the easiest way to experience this part of Kerala without changing hotels.

The backwaters were one of the things I loved most about Kerala, so I’d definitely prioritize this over trying to squeeze another sightseeing day into Kochi.

Practical info for visiting Kochi

Getting around

Most of Fort Kochi is easy to explore on foot. When it was too hot or I wanted to go somewhere further away, I usually booked an auto through Uber or Rapido, which gave me the price upfront and meant I didn’t have to bargain.

You can also use the Water Metro to cross over toward Ernakulam. I used it regularly and it’s cheap, quick and much nicer than sitting in traffic.

Best time to visit Kochi

The most comfortable months are generally October to February, when the weather is cooler and drier.

From around March it starts getting much hotter and more humid, while June to September is monsoon season and you can expect a lot more rain.

Safety

I felt genuinely safe in Fort Kochi, including walking around alone and coming back to my hostel at night.

The only times I felt slightly more aware were around bars late at night, but during everyday life Kochi was one of the easiest places I traveled solo in India.

If you’re traveling alone, I’d still recommend having travel insurance in case something does go wrong.

Costs

Fort Kochi is touristy compared with other parts of Kerala, so you can definitely spend more here if you’re constantly eating at Western-style cafés and restaurants.

That was basically me.

I usually spent around 5–10€ for a meal at the places I liked around Fort Kochi, but local restaurants can be much cheaper.

Where to stay in Fort Kochi

If most of the things in this post are what you’re coming to Kochi for, stay in Fort Kochi.

Kochi is much bigger than the little area most travelers picture. Ernakulam is the modern, busier side of the city, while Fort Kochi is where you’ll find Princess Street, the Chinese fishing nets, cafés, colonial streets and most of the places I’ve mentioned throughout this guide.

You can travel between the two, but I wouldn’t personally stay in Ernakulam and commute back and forth every day just to explore Fort Kochi.

I spent all three months at The Hosteller Fort Kochi Ocean Edge, so that was quite literally home for me while I was there.

FAQs About Things To Do in Kochi

Final Thoughts on the Best Things to Do in Kochi

Fort Kochi was my first stop in India and ended up becoming home for three months, so I think that says quite a lot about how I felt about the place.

It’s not somewhere you come for nonstop sightseeing or nightlife. The best part is slowing down a little — walking around, sitting in cafés, watching the fishing nets, taking an auto somewhere random and just seeing where the day goes.

I planned to stay four days and stayed three months. I really didn’t expect Kochi to become one of the hardest places for me to leave.

Read my other Kochi Guides

Is Kochi worth visiting? My honest review in 2026

Is Kochi safe for women traveling alone?

One day trip to Kochi | How to spend the perfect 24h in Kochi

Complete Kochi Guide for first time India visitors

Is Kerala the best place for solo travel in India?

Perfect 3 days Kochi itinerary for first-time visitors

The 4 Best Hostels in Kochi, India

How Many Days in Kochi Do You Really Need? My Honest Recommendation

The Hosteller Fort Kochi Ocean Edge Review: My Experience Staying for 3 Months

How a Random 4-Day Stop in Kochi Became an Entire Chapter of My Life

The Best Time to Visit Kochi (And When I’d Go Again) 2026

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