Cochin Shore Excursion from Cruise Port: Four itineraries

Four different routes through Fort Cochin, each timed to get you back to the ship on time

A group shore excursion from Cochin Cruise Port with four itinerary options designed around cruise ship arrival and departure times. Choose a backwater houseboat cruise with lunch, a motorized canoe tour, a walking tour of colonial Fort Cochin, or a local-transport exploration combining ferry, bus and tuk-tuk rides. All routes include the Chinese fishing nets and port pickup and drop-off.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Chinese Fishing Nets10m · entry included
2. Mattancherry1h · entry included

Cochin Shore Excursion Highlights

• Pick up from cruise terminal
• Visit Chinese fishing nets
• Backwater cruise by houseboat or canoe
• Lunch on board or at hotel
• Visit Santa Cruz Basilica and St Francis Church
• Visit Dutch Palace, Jew Town, and Synagogue
• Return to cruise terminal

The experience

The tour operator meets you at the cruise terminal with a sign and blue umbrella five minutes before departure, and times the entire route so you're back at the berth before re-boarding. That means the itinerary adjusts to your ship's schedule, not the other way around. You provide the ship name, docking time and re-boarding time at booking, and the guide works backward from there.

The four options split between water-based and land-based routes. The houseboat tour takes you on a backwater cruise with lunch served on board and a stop at the Chinese fishing nets in Fort Cochin. The canoe option swaps the houseboat for a motorized covered shikara with a vegetarian lunch at a hotel and the same nets visit. Both water tours run in the morning or afternoon, and tea, coffee and snacks come with the afternoon departure. The two land routes both visit the Chinese nets, Santa Cruz Basilica, St Francis Church, the Dutch Palace, Jew Town and the Jewish Paradesi Synagogue. The city tour covers these sites by air-conditioned vehicle. The local tour uses a mix of walking, local ferry, local bus and tuk-tuk to move between them.

Note that the Synagogue and Palace close on Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The church requires modest dress covering shoulders and knees: no jeans, sportswear, joggers or sneakers. A live English-speaking guide leads all departures, and the tour operates in all weather, so dress for the conditions you'll meet on the water or in the streets.

What’s included

• Driver and live English-speaking guide.
• air-conditioned vehicle (city tour only).
• port pickup and drop-off from the cruise terminal.
• river cruise on houseboat or motorized canoe (water tours only).
• buffet lunch on board the houseboat or at a hotel (water tours only).
• tea, coffee and snacks on afternoon water cruises.

Options for this experience

2 options

Houseboat Cruise & Chinese NetGuide in English · Available from 25 Oct 2027Lasts 7 hours and includes lunch. Itinerary A: Combined group tour with a houseboat cruise, lunch and a visit to the Chinese fishing nets (departure time depends on the option selected).

Backwater houseboat tour onlyGuide in English · Available from 29 Nov · 08:00Backwater houseboat tour only, with lunch for the morning cruise and tea/snacks for the afternoon cruise, without a visit to the Chinese nets. Lasts 6 hours.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesSundayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Carnival Tours Kochi

Is this one for you?Choose the houseboat tour for the longest immersion in the backwaters with lunch included; pick the canoe option if you prefer a shorter, more intimate waterway experience; select the city tour to cover Fort Cochin's landmarks efficiently in one afternoon.

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Top questions

What are the Chinese fishing nets in Fort Cochin?

The Chinese fishing nets are large cantilevered structures that have operated in Fort Cochin's harbor for centuries, lowering and raising nets by hand to catch fish. They're a working landmark and a major stop on all four itineraries.

Can I do the backwater houseboat tour if I have limited time before my ship departs?

Yes, the tour is timed to your ship's re-boarding time, which you provide at booking. The operator plans the entire route to get you back to the cruise terminal with time to spare, whether you choose the morning or afternoon houseboat departure.

What's the difference between the houseboat and canoe tours?

The houseboat tour is a larger vessel with lunch served on board. The canoe tour uses a motorized covered shikara with a vegetarian lunch at a hotel afterward. Both visit the backwaters and the fishing nets, and both include tea, coffee and snacks on the afternoon cruise.

Do I need to dress a certain way for the church visit?

Yes. The church requires modest clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. Avoid jeans, sportswear, joggers and sneakers. This applies to the city tour and the local tour, both of which include St Francis Church.

Which itinerary should I pick if I want to see the most landmarks?

The city tour and the local tour both visit six sites: the Chinese nets, Santa Cruz Basilica, St Francis Church, the Dutch Palace, Jew Town and the Jewish Paradesi Synagogue. The city tour travels by air-conditioned vehicle. The local tour mixes walking, ferry, bus and tuk-tuk rides through the old city.