Home / Things to do
Almost everything below is on foot from our door — ask us at breakfast and we'll point you the right way, mark the shortcuts, and tell you where the locals actually eat.
Watch the cheena vala rise and dip along Vasco da Gama Square, buy the day's catch at the stalls beside them, and have a shack grill it for you while the sun goes down over the harbour.
An easy evening promenade with sea breeze, street snacks and ship-spotting — container ships and naval vessels glide surprisingly close on their way into the harbour.
Two of the town's great churches, minutes apart: St. Francis (early 1500s, Vasco da Gama's first burial place) and the pastel-painted Santa Cruz Basilica with its ornate interior.
Kerala's spectacular classical dance-drama. Arrive early to watch the performers apply their elaborate make-up — for many guests it's the highlight of the trip. Daily shows at cultural centres in town; we can book seats for you.
The "Dutch Palace" with its remarkable Kerala murals, then the antique shops, spice warehouses and the 1568 Paradesi Synagogue in Jew Town. Go by auto-rickshaw or a pleasant harbourside walk.
Ride the local ferry to Ernakulam or Vypeen for the price of a cup of chai, or take a half-day cruise into the backwaters north of the city. Full-day houseboat trips to Alleppey can be arranged from here.
Fort Kochi's most atmospheric streets are lined with art cafés, bakeries and seafood kitchens. Try a Kerala meal on a banana leaf at lunch and a seafood grill by night — we'll happily mark our family favourites on a map.
In Biennale years (roughly December to early April), the town's colonial warehouses fill with contemporary art from across the world — India's biggest art event, and much of it within walking distance.
With a day in hand: the Hill Palace at Tripunithura, Cherai Beach on Vypeen island, elephant spotting at Kodanad, or an early start to the Munnar tea hills. We can arrange a trusted car and driver.