Kochi, also known as Cochin, is a port city in Kerala, India where Chinese and Arabian traders established a thriving spice trade in the Common Era. Its history and fabulous shopping opportunities make Kochi a great place to stop and spend some time exploring before you set sail on a cruise of Kerala’s tranquil backwaters.
Kochi has been a port city since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbour and Arab, Chinese and European merchants quickly set up shop. Today, it’s split into the old and new city, with most of the best places to visit in Kochi located in Old Kochi.
We thought our day in Kochi was a great introduction to India and found it so interesting to learn about the colourful past of ‘God’s own country’, as the locals call it.
During our time in Kerala I worked with Globe Travel Centre who kindly arranged a local female tour guide to show us around Kochi’s top tourist attractions.
Fort Kochi’s top tourist places: What to see in one day
If you’re unsure how long to spend in Kochi, I found that one day was enough to cover Kochi’s main places of interest.
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1. Chinese Fishing Nets
Though mostly just a tourist attraction these days, the huge fishing nets can still be found on the northeastern shore of Fort Kochi. They’ve come to symbolise the melting pot of cultures travellers still find in Kochi today but the tale of how the nets came to be there – and who brought them – is still hazy.
You can pay to try your hand at helping the fishermen to manage the long bamboo and teak poles for a photo opp, if you so desire. In my opinion, the fishing nets are a bit of a tourist trap but still interesting to see at work.
2. The Fish Market
Fort Kochi’s fish market sprawls on the waterfront walkway close to the fishing nets, so you can’t miss it.
If you’d like to try some fresh seafood while you’re in Kochi, you can ask the fishermen at the market what the ‘cooking price’ is and barter with them until you agree on a price for barbecued fish. This is a cheaper way to taste local seafood if you don’t want to pay to eat it in one of the local restaurants.
3. Mattancherry Palace
Also known as the Dutch Palace thanks to the rulers who renovated it when they took over, this impressive building was a gift from the Portuguese to the Raja of Kochi in 1555.
The most breathtaking attraction inside the palace’s long halls, aside from the outfits and chariots on display, are the colourful murals depicting Hindu gods and goddesses as well as Indian epics.
4. Dhobi Khana Laundry
It might seem a bit weird to go and look at all of Kochi’s dirty washing, but the Dhobi Khana is a fascinating place to witness in action. The local hotels etc all send their laundry to this open-air community washhouse and the (mostly elderly) men and women working there get it clean in the outdoor ghats, repeatedly slapping it on a stone to work the filth out.
When it comes to ironing out creases, the workers have to pay for electricity so a lot opt for irons that use burning coconut shells as fuel instead.
You can make a donation that goes towards the upkeep of Dhobi Khana when you visit.
5. Pardesi Synagogue
This 450 year old synagogue was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, but rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took Kochi. Don’t forget to look down at the beautiful blue and white Chinese floor tiles, and up at the elegant chandeliers. Photography isn’t allowed, so you’ll have to use your imagination.
Our guide told us there are only two practicing Pardesi Jews left in the local area, but the synagogue is still one of the best places to go in Kochi. In fact, it’s the only active Synagogue in all of Kerala.
6. St Francis Church
Did you know that Kochi is home to the oldest European church in India? Inside St Francis Church, which dates back to 1503, you can still see Vasco da Gama’s tomb, though his remains have been moved back to Portugal.
We learned that Kerala is an incredibly diverse state and all religions get on peacefully. As our guide said, only politics causes problems!
7. Jew Town
Once home to Kochi’s Jewish community, the area around Synagogue Lane and Jew Town Road is a fantastic place to go shopping in Kochi.
There are antiques shops spilling over with all sorts of curiosities, lots of places selling cashmere and silk pashminas and a wonderful shop where you can see incense being made. They also sell essential oils used in designer fragrances for a fraction of the price you’d pay for the fancy bottles: we got a few fragrances at around £10 per bottle that smell as good as the ‘real thing’.
One of the places you have to stop in Jew Town is the spice market run by the women’s society. Almost entirely staffed by local females, the money from the shop goes towards promoting female empowerment.
8. Santa Cruz Basilica
Created by the Portuguese, Fort Kochi’s majestic neoclassical Catholic basilica dates to 1902.
Inside, the church has Gothic style architecture with painted ceilings depicting holy scenes.
9. Greenix Village Centre
As the sun went down, we headed to Greenix Village Centre to look around the cultural museum and watch a Kathakali performance. Kathakalī is a major form of classical Hindu performance art involving eye movements and gestures. It’s distinguished by the elaborate, colourful make-up, costumes and face masks that the traditionally male actors wear.
You can arrive up to an hour earlier than the main performance to see the thick, bold makeup being applied by the performers.
10. Local Restaurants
We had an excellent meal at a restaurant in Kochi called Seagull, which was directly opposite the cultural show. Kerala has a complicated history of being a dry state so you can’t buy alcohol everywhere. This place has a license so we washed down our delectable masala prawns with cold Kingfishers.
Best tours and activities you can book ahead for Kochi
Where to stay in Kochi
One of the best hotels in Kochi kindly hosted us for our time there. Xandari Harbour is a beautiful hotel on the waterfront, with an infinity pool and an award-winning onsite restaurant. If you’re looking to stay somewhere high-end in Kochi, I recommend this hotel.
You can search for other accommodation in Kochi using the booking.com map below.
Booking.comHow to get to Kochi
We flew to Cochin International Airport via Qatar with Qatar Airways. You can check flights from your nearest airport on Skyscanner.
Having a private transfer from the airport made our arrival in Kochi stress-free. Book a private transfer online to save money.
Getting around Kochi
Tuk tuks and rickshaws in Kochi typically cost 25 rupees per 1.5km. General advice is to avoid the drivers who hang around outside the luxury hotels and instead approach someone. Don’t go with the drivers who give you hassle!
I hope this guide to the most important places in Kochi is useful to anyone planning to spend a day there when they visit Kerala. We managed to pack all of the attractions in this list into one action-packed day.
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