Kochi · KOCHI CITY SIGHTSEEING & HIGHLIGHTS TOURS
11 reviewed
Kochi rewards a day that hops between islands, from Fort Kochi’s nets to Mattancherry’s spice godowns to the Ernakulam waterfront. Here are the best Kochi sightseeing tours: which cover the highlights in a half day, which add a backwater cruise, and what each costs.
Ride a private tuk-tuk through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry with hotel pickup, colonial churches, spice markets, and Jew Town.
“Got to see a lot in the time spent which was great. The guide Suhail was happy to answer any questions I had. Very good experience 😊”
Private tuk-tuk tour of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry with flexible start times, pickup, and local guiding. Coffee/tea included.
“Zakki is the best driver. We had so much fun and it made our trip. Would recommend to anyone else who is travelling around cochi”
Kochi in one day: small-group highlights with an English guide, Kochi Castle and Makino garden tickets, plus public transit.
“Miya was a wonderful guide in Kochi! She was extremely knowledgeable and fun to be around. We saw many sites and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. She was very attentive to what we wanted to do and changed the planned itinerary accordingly. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting to have a real authentic taste of Kochi!”
A 2-hour morning walk in Fort Kochi with Chinese fishing nets, the fish market, and colonial streets, guided by Ajita’s story-led history.
“Exceptional tour with Ajita. Learnt so much. Ajita shared personal stories that you can't read about in guide books or online. It really brought kochi to life and I'd highly recommend this activity.”
Tuk-tuk Kochi Old City tour from Fort Kochi with a guide, sunset view, Kerala cultural shows, and martial arts in about 3 hours.
“This trip is overpriced . Moreover it was written that this trip was inclusive of martial arts and cultural ( kathakali - traditional dance forn of kerala ) . However later it was found that these cultural shoes had to be extra paid to get entry...approx 500 rs per show extra. Hence there was breach of clarity from viator.”
Private Kochi tour by taxi with timed museum and monument stops, included entrances, and a flexible local guide from Fort Kochi to Mattancherry.
“The guide missed 5 itinerary locations, and we had to cover all admission fees ourselves. He prioritized unscheduled stops at shops, likely to earn commissions, and was visibly annoyed when we didn’t buy anything. This ruined our one day in Kochi, to such an extent that we’ve requested a full refund.”
4-hour Fort Kochi port tour: Chinese fishing nets, St Francis and Santa Cruz churches, Mattancherry Palace murals, Paradesi Synagogue.
“Informative and knowledgeable guide. Sunil went out of his way to accommodate variations in our itinerary. We were early off the ship and he was already waiting as arranged. Our group of 6 have a much better understanding of Cochin and its history as a result of a great tour”
Private half-day tour of Fort Kochi with a local guide, AC pickup, major landmarks, and entry fees included for most stops.
“The 2hrs drive to the river, 2hrs on the river boat and 2hrs driving back was perhaps two much of driving. The lunch in the Romana hotel was good, just soulless. Perhaps staying on the boat overnight would have been a preferred option. The Lijo Jose guide was excellent. Attentive and full of useful information. Would recommend.”
Cruise-shore trip from Kochi port: houseboat or canoe backwaters, Chinese fishing nets, Fort Kochi and Mattancherry sights with easy pickup.
“Good tour, tour guides were great - bus/coach was good and cool and water was provided - boat trip was good and although I didn’t eat the lunch, every one else did - some going back for seconds, with no complaints/criticisms that I heard. When they say the trip there and back is 3-4 hrs, they were spot on - just beware of that time commitment.”
Private 4-hour Kochi tour by tuk tuk with hotel pickup, Fort Kochi highlights, palaces, synagogues, and spice shops for $42.
“Biju kindly explained various things to me using slow English so that I could better understand the Japanese. It was very nice to tour around Fort Kochi efficiently and safely in a short time. I also had a lot of photos taken. The problem was that I didn't really know where I was going with all of it, probably because of my English.Auto-translated”
Walk Kochi’s Sunday Market with an English guide, eat local favorites at Hirome Ichiba, then enjoy Kochi Castle views.
“lovely day spent with Norio in Kochi. He is very proud and knowledgeable about his city and was great at showing us the best of the things to see. The Sunday market and Castle were great. Thank you you made it a special day”
