Kochi Auto Rickshaw Tour: Chinese Nets & Mattancherry

Ride through Fort Kochi at your own pace, stopping where you want

A private auto rickshaw tour of Kochi takes you through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry on a flexible route tailored to your interests. The driver picks you up, and you decide which sites to linger at: the Chinese Fishing Nets, Mattancherry Palace, Jew Town, the cathedral and churches, or the markets and eateries scattered through both neighborhoods. Coffee or tea is included. The tour runs three to four hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Mattancherry1h
2. Chinese Fishing Nets15m

Explore Fort Kochi and Mattancherry

• Visit Santa Cruz Cathedral
• See St Frances Church
• Explore Vasco de Gama Square
• View Dutch House and Cemetery
• Observe Laundry area
• Tour Mattancherry Palace
• Walk through Jew Town
• Visit Jain Temple
• Enjoy eateries and shopping
• Watch Chinese Fishing Nets
• Take photos or join fishermen

The experience

The auto rickshaw is how locals move through Kochi's narrow lanes and crowded streets, so you'll see the city the way residents do instead of from a bus window. Your driver picks you up and takes you to Fort Kochi first, where the tour covers Santa Cruz Cathedral, St. Francis Church, Vasco da Gama Square, the Dutch House and Cemetery, and the laundry, but the route is flexible, so if one site doesn't interest you, you skip it and spend the time elsewhere. The rickshaw stops wherever you want to photograph, shop or just stand and watch.

Mattancherry is the second half of the day. The neighborhood holds Mattancherry Palace, Jew Town with its spice warehouses and antique shops, and a Jain Temple, plus dozens of cafes and restaurants if you want to eat. The Chinese Fishing Nets are the iconic stop: massive wooden structures that fishermen have operated for centuries using a cantilever system that takes a coordinated pull to raise. You can watch from the shore or, if you want, get involved in the work and feel how much effort goes into pulling the nets.

Coffee or tea comes during the tour. Museum entrance fees are separate, so if you want to go inside Mattancherry Palace or another site, you pay at the door. Children from age five ride along. Infants sit on an adult's lap. The whole thing is built around what you want to see, not a fixed schedule, so the pace and the stops are yours.

What’s included

• Private auto rickshaw with driver.
• hotel or location pickup.
• coffee and/or tea during the tour.

Before you book

Lasts 3h–4h, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 13.17 per person, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (5 to 10 years): free · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight 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 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Kochi Tuk Tuk Tours

Is this one for you?The rickshaw moves slowly enough to see the street life and stop whenever something catches your eye, but the tour covers ground. Three to four hours takes you through both Fort Kochi and Mattancherry without feeling rushed. Choose this if you want to move at your own pace and skip what doesn't interest you, rather than follow a fixed itinerary.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years): free. Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What are the Chinese Fishing Nets and what do I actually see there?

The Chinese Fishing Nets are massive wooden structures introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century, now a symbol of Fort Kochi. Fishermen operate them using a cantilever system that requires coordinated effort to pull in the catch. You watch them work or can get involved in the process yourself to see how the traditional fishing culture that has lasted for centuries actually functions.

Can I choose which sites to visit, or is the route fixed?

The route is entirely flexible and tailored to your interests. Your driver takes you to Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, but you decide which attractions to stop at (the cathedral, the palace, Jew Town, the nets), and how long to spend at each one. If a site doesn't appeal to you, you skip it and use that time elsewhere.

What's included in the tour price?

Pickup from your location and coffee or tea during the tour are included. Entrance fees to museums and palaces are not included and are paid separately at each site if you choose to enter.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs three to four hours depending on which sites you visit and how long you spend at each stop.