Kochi Tuk Tuk Tour: Fort Kochi & Mattancherry with Pickup

Ride through centuries of Portuguese, Dutch and Jewish history in a tuk tuk

A private tuk tuk tour of Kochi takes you through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry to see the Chinese fishing nets, colonial churches, Paradesi Synagogue, Mattancherry Palace and the Dutch Cemetery. Hotel pickup is included. The tour runs between 2 and 5 hours depending on which package you choose, and covers the layered history of the region: Portuguese traders, Dutch occupation, Jewish refuge and the Maharaja's rule all left their mark on the streets and buildings you pass.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each5 stops

1. Chinese Fishing Nets10m
2. Mattancherry Palace20m
3. Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica15m
4. St. Francis Church15m
5. Dutch Cemetery5m

Explore Fort Kochi and Mattancherry

• See Chinese Fishing Nets at Vasco da Gama Square
• Visit Paradesi Synagogue and Jew Town
• Walk along Princess Street and Loafers Corner
• Tour Mattancherry Palace and view murals
• View Pierce Leslie & Co. colonial mansion
• Visit Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
• Explore St. Francis Church
• See Paradesi Synagogue historic features
• Visit Dutch Cemetery tombstones

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup and heads straight to the Chinese fishing nets at Vasco da Gama Square, where massive cantilevered nets (erected between 1350 and 1450 by traders from Kublai Khan's court) are still lowered into the water by hand. The square itself is lined with stalls selling fresh seafood and tender coconut, so you can watch the nets work while the guide explains how they arrived on the Malabar Coast and why they've stayed for nearly 600 years.

From there the tuk tuk moves through the narrow streets of Fort Kochi, stopping at St. Francis Church (India's oldest European church, built in 1503 by Portuguese friars and later restored by the Dutch), and Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, which was rebuilt in stone after the British demolished the original in 1795. You'll see Princess Street with its European-style colonial residences and the Pierce Leslie building, a 19th-century coffee merchant's office that shows Portuguese, Dutch and local influences in its carved doors and waterfront verandahs. The guide walks you through Jew Town and the Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568 after the Maharaja gave shelter to Jewish traders fleeing Arab attacks. Inside are hand-painted floor tiles from Canton, Hebrew inscriptions and scrolls of the Old Testament. Mattancherry Palace comes next (originally built by the Portuguese in 1557 and renovated by the Dutch), where murals depict scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The tour often ends at the Dutch Cemetery, consecrated in 1724, where tombstones mark the graves of hundreds of Europeans who shaped the region's colonial history.

The tuk tuk itself is part of the experience. It's the local way to move through these tight colonial lanes and gives you a closer view of the street life than a larger vehicle would. Parking fees are covered, so there's no extra cost at each stop. You can choose between a shorter half-day version or a longer full-day package depending on how much time you want to spend at each site.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• parking fees at each site.
• tuk tuk transport through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.

Before you book

Lasts 2h–5h, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 10.80 per person, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 70 years) · Senior (71 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 12 years): free · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 44 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Gods Own Kochi Tuk Tuk Tour

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and delivers the commentary as you ride, so you follow the history of each stop without needing to read plaques or walk at a separate pace. Choose this if you want the colonial and Jewish history of Kochi explained while you move through the streets rather than standing still at each site.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (6 to 12 years): free; Infant (under 6): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the Chinese fishing nets and why are they in Kochi?

The Chinese fishing nets at Vasco da Gama Square are massive cantilevered structures erected between 1350 and 1450 by traders from the court of Kublai Khan. They're still operated by hand the same way, lowered into the water to catch fish, and have remained a fixture of the Kochi waterfront for nearly 600 years because of their efficiency and the skill required to work them.

How old is St. Francis Church and what happened to it over the centuries?

St. Francis Church was built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars and is India's oldest European church. It was reconstructed in stone masonry, then restored by the Dutch in 1779, converted to an Anglican church by the British in 1795, and is now governed by the Church of South India. Vasco da Gama was buried here in 1524 before his remains were moved to Lisbon.

What can you see inside Paradesi Synagogue?

Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568, contains hand-painted willow-patterned floor tiles from Canton in China dating to the mid-18th century, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament, and ancient scripts on copper plates. It's the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth and was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1664 after being destroyed in a Portuguese raid.

What does Mattancherry Palace display?

Mattancherry Palace holds beautiful murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Dutch maps of old Kochi, royal palanquins and coronation robes of former Maharajas, and period furniture. The palace was originally built by the Portuguese in 1557 and renovated by the Dutch in 1663.

Does the tour include transportation from my hotel?

Yes, hotel pickup is included in the tour price. The tuk tuk will collect you from your accommodation and return you there at the end.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs between 2 and 5 hours depending on which package you select: a shorter half-day option or a longer full-day version that allows more time at each stop.