Kochi itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Kochi, day by day: Santa Cruz Basilica, St. Francis Church, the Paradesi Synagogue and Mattancherry Palace first, then Hill Palace, Marine Drive, St. Mary's Basilica and the Ernakulam Shiva Temple as you add a day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Kochi in 1 day
Day 1
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi
Gothic-style Catholic basilica in Fort Kochi with a pastel interior and painted ceilings, dating from the Portuguese era and rebuilt in 1887.
St. Francis Church, Kochi
Fort Kochi church built in 1503, among the oldest European-built churches in India and the first burial place of Vasco da Gama.
Paradesi Synagogue
Synagogue of 1568 in Jew Town, Mattancherry, with hand-painted Chinese floor tiles, chandeliers and old Torah scrolls.
Mattancherry Palace
Portuguese-built palace of about 1555 known as the Dutch Palace, with Kerala murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
Marine Drive, Kochi
Waterfront promenade in Ernakulam along the backwaters, popular for evening walks, boat rides and views of the harbour.
National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam
Marian shrine on Vallarpadam island and a major Catholic pilgrimage site in Kerala, reached by road or ferry.
Kochi in 2 days
Day 1
Hill Palace, Tripunithura
Former palace of the Kochi royal family in Tripunithura, now Kerala's largest archaeological museum, set in landscaped grounds.
Marine Drive, Kochi
Waterfront promenade in Ernakulam along the backwaters, popular for evening walks, boat rides and views of the harbour.
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica
Syro-Malabar Catholic cathedral basilica in Ernakulam, a large church and the seat of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
Ernakulam Shiva Temple
Major Hindu temple in central Ernakulam dedicated to Shiva, with festivals, rituals and a large annual temple festival.
Day 2
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi
Gothic-style Catholic basilica in Fort Kochi with a pastel interior and painted ceilings, dating from the Portuguese era and rebuilt in 1887.
St. Francis Church, Kochi
Fort Kochi church built in 1503, among the oldest European-built churches in India and the first burial place of Vasco da Gama.
Paradesi Synagogue
Synagogue of 1568 in Jew Town, Mattancherry, with hand-painted Chinese floor tiles, chandeliers and old Torah scrolls.
Mattancherry Palace
Portuguese-built palace of about 1555 known as the Dutch Palace, with Kerala murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam
Marian shrine on Vallarpadam island and a major Catholic pilgrimage site in Kerala, reached by road or ferry.
Watch: Kochi
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Kochi
November to February is the most comfortable, with cooler, drier weather. March to May is hot and humid, and the monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain, though it is also green and quiet. The Cochin Carnival around New Year's Eve fills Fort Kochi, and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale of contemporary art runs from December to March in some years.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Kochi on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Kochi on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Kochi on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Kochi with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for India from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Kochi with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Kochi
- Fort Kochi and Mattancherry are best explored on foot or by bicycle; the sights are close, and a ferry links Fort Kochi with Ernakulam.
- Cover shoulders and knees for churches and temples, and expect to remove your shoes at temples and the synagogue.
- The Paradesi Synagogue is closed on Saturdays and on Jewish holidays, and Mattancherry Palace closes on Fridays; check opening days before you set out.
- Photography is restricted inside the synagogue, Mattancherry Palace and many temples.
- Ferries are a cheap and pleasant way to cross the harbour between Fort Kochi, Ernakulam and Vypin.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Ernakulam Shiva Temple: Dileep Kumar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hill Palace, Tripunithura: Ashwin Kumar from Bangalore, India, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Marine Drive, Kochi: Augustus Binu : flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mattancherry Palace: Ranjithsiji, CC BY-SA 4.0
- National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam: Captain, GFDL
- Paradesi Synagogue: jeem from Saint Louis, United States, CC BY 2.5
- Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi: Rabe!, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Francis Church, Kochi: Ranjith Siji, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica: Rahul Payyappilly, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
