Cochin Shore Excursions from Cruise Terminal
Recommended by 91% of travelers
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Kochi, India
- 4 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
While docked in the Cochin cruise port, explore the city from your ship on this worry-free shore excursion. Depending on the date you book, follow one of three itineraries. Either, make a stop in Fort Kochi to see St. Francis Church, go on an adventure through the backwaters of Kerala during this houseboat tour, or cruise down a river in a houseboat, and visit the giant Chinese fishing nets.
- Houseboat cruise in Aleppey
- Take a houseboat cruise down a river in Kerala
- Eat a traditional Keralan lunch onboard the boat (selected tours)
- Stop in the Fort Kochi region to go exploring
- See St. Francis Church and the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
- Catch sight of the Chinese fishing nets near Fort Kochi Beach
- Round-trip transport is included
What's Included
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Buffet lunch (For Houseboat & Canoe Tour -Morning Cruise Only)
- Driver/local guide
- River Cruise (for Houseboat & Shikara Tour only)
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Tea/Coffee /Snacks (For Houseboat & Canoe Tour -Afternoon Cruise Only)
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Lunch/Snacks (For City tour)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Sagarika Cochin International Cruise TerminalX789+9CV, Willingdon Island, Kochi, Kerala 682003, India
Cochin Port (Ernakulam Wharf Berth /Pier) ,BTP Berth /Pier ,Cochin Port Cruise Terminal Directions: Our staff will be waiting at Cochin Port - ships berth/pier holding a "VIATOR" sign board with Blue Umbrella
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Your shore excursion from Cochin begins with pickup from the cruise boat, where you board a tour vehicle for the drive to Alleppey (also known as Alapuzha). Depending on the date you travel, experience one of three itineraries.
Step aboard a houseboat for a leisurely sail through the inland waterways of Kerala. Relax as you glide past scenes of riverfront life, such as paddy fields, coconut palms, and traditional wooden houseboats. Enjoy attention from the onboard staff, who serve a traditional Keralan lunch of rice, fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes should you travel on the first itinerary.
At the end of your houseboat tour, go ashore near Fort Kochi to tour the area with a guide. See St. Francis Church, the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, and the Chinese fishing nets near Fort Kochi Beach before drop-off back at the cruise port.
The second itinerary you could follow encompasses the houseboat tour in the itinerary above, however, lunch is replaced by traditional snacks and tea and coffee. Fort Kochi is not visited on this itinerary.
Finally, if traveling on the third itinerary you receive a comprehensive tour of Cochin and Mattancherry. Visit the Dutch Palace built by Portuguese settlers and famous for its stunning murals depicting tales from Hinduism. Then, visit the Jewish Synagogue and stroll the Jewish quarter. Later, transfer to Fort Kochi for a short walking tour and visit St. Francis Church before being returned to the cruise ship terminal where your tour concludes.
Step aboard a houseboat for a leisurely sail through the inland waterways of Kerala. Relax as you glide past scenes of riverfront life, such as paddy fields, coconut palms, and traditional wooden houseboats. Enjoy attention from the onboard staff, who serve a traditional Keralan lunch of rice, fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes should you travel on the first itinerary.
At the end of your houseboat tour, go ashore near Fort Kochi to tour the area with a guide. See St. Francis Church, the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, and the Chinese fishing nets near Fort Kochi Beach before drop-off back at the cruise port.
The second itinerary you could follow encompasses the houseboat tour in the itinerary above, however, lunch is replaced by traditional snacks and tea and coffee. Fort Kochi is not visited on this itinerary.
Finally, if traveling on the third itinerary you receive a comprehensive tour of Cochin and Mattancherry. Visit the Dutch Palace built by Portuguese settlers and famous for its stunning murals depicting tales from Hinduism. Then, visit the Jewish Synagogue and stroll the Jewish quarter. Later, transfer to Fort Kochi for a short walking tour and visit St. Francis Church before being returned to the cruise ship terminal where your tour concludes.
1
Kochi (Cochin)
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Chinese Fishing Nets
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Fort Kochi
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Mattancherry
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
5
Alleppey Backwaters
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 7 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Synagogue /Palace are closed on Friday /Saturdays and Jewish holidays
- Operates in all weather conditions; please dress appropriately
- Please note: This itinerary includes visit to a church, therefore modest and respectful clothing that covers the shoulders and knees is recommended; no casual clothing such as jeans, sportswear, joggers, or sneakers
- Infants must sit on laps
- At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time, and re-boarding time
- Most travelers can participate
- Please note: staff/guide will be waiting at ships berth/pier holding "VIATOR" sign board with "BLUE UMBRELLA" Tour Departure as per the time selected during the booking . Please report 5 mins before
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 999 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 45 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
jeffrey_g, Apr 2026
Our guide, Shihab, was absolutely amazing. He was extremely friendly, humorous and engaging. He kept up the energy the entire trip. His knowledge was exhaustive. He had so much information about everything. We made several non scheduled stops which he did at passenger requests or to enrich the trip. The driver was skilled. Very comfortable. The houseboat was an amazing experience. The trip was beautiful. The chef prepared food on the boat was great, just delicious and plentiful. We saw more than others did the same tour through the cruise line. Best part of our trip so far!
Ailsa_L, Feb 2026
This was an excellent afternoon tour. Jude was our guide. He spoke fluent English and was very attentive and informative. Pick up from the cruise terminal was easy, and we set off in an air conditioned minibus. The afternoon tour included 2 boat trips, the local bus and a rickshaw. We saw a lot but it was relaxed and we even had time for a drink in a local cafe. We would highly recommend this tour, many thanks.
Margaret_C, Feb 2026
The tour was very informative. The guide spoke good English. We had a good time. I highly recommend.
Lisa_H, Nov 2025
Fantastic tour, with local theme.
Jude the tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable and happy to answer all our questions. We were picked up on time and back to the ship in plenty of time
JAY_K, Nov 2025
Because of construction of a new expressway from Cochin to Aleppo, the bus ride from the cruise port to the houseboat was 2 hours due to bad roads and detours. The houseboat was very nice and the staff were very friendly. However, the advertisement for the trip showed photos that implied narrow waterways. For much of the tour we were out in a wide lake with nothing to see except other house boats.
Mark_F, Nov 2025
An excellent tour - Shihab was very knowledgeable, informative with a great sense of humour, who we would highly recommend.
Tammy_B, Nov 2025
Great tour. Great guide. Loved experiencing the local ferry, local bus and 2 Turk Tuk rides. Walked around between transports and saw all the sights. Highly recommend.
kimcrosser, Nov 2025
A kind bus ride to the boats added time to see the city and hear commentary from the guide. We had a convenience stop along the way. Local guide was knowledgeable.
Leslie_G, Feb 2025
Tour guide was great with lots of information whilst looking after our safety. We saw many sights, smells and tastes of this interesting city! So much to see and do. Thank you Viator. We will have done 5 of your tours including Mumbai and each time you have been excellent with great pick ups at each stop
Christopher_C, Feb 2025
This was an excellent tour with a knowledgeable English speaking guide who showed us around the sights by a mixture of minibus and walking.
As it was a Sunday we could not enter the churches we visited but the guide was able to describe their history.
Helen_S, Feb 2025
Kumar is a delightful guide . He did his upmost to make sure we enjoyed our trip , chatting about his upbringing and Kerala and took short stops to show us places of interest. The driver was also friendly and drove safely .
The ‘canoe ‘ is a small boat and was ideal as we could go into the smaller waterways . We got out of the boat and walked at times .
The vegetarian lunch was at a hotel and was fabulous.
Can definitely recommend this tour and the fantastic guide .
Zaida_C, Feb 2025
Our tour was wonderful. We saw many interesting historical sites. Cochin has beautiful modern houses in town. Gorgeous, luscious vegetation. Our tour guide was friendly and full of interesting information. It was truly a great experience.
Philip_D, Dec 2024
Our guide, Jay, and driver, Lally, showed us the real side of Cochin with visits to the fish market, trip on the ferry, a delightful walk along the sea front with the Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church, a synagogue, Mattancherry Palace, a Turk-yuk ride followed by a trip on a local bus. In not much over 4 hours we had seen so much of the local culture and people. Excellent.
David_P, Dec 2024
We arrived really late and the weather was terential rain and the tour guide made the tour. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny, enthusiastic infact he was brilliant, Connected with everyone on the bus. And even though we were late he showed us eveything. He is definitly in the right job!
angduxbury, Dec 2024
Our tour guide was excellent and we learned a lot about the local history of Cochin and during the 2 hour journey to and from the boat trip. This was too long for us.
The boat experience was excellent and we were served some of the best food we have tasted. I will always remember watching the women washing their cloths in the river and will now reduce the length of my wash cycle as a result!
If the journey hadn't been so long, zi would have given 5 stars!
Brian_M, Dec 2024
The boat trip was very nice but was spoilt by the 4 hour coach ride to and from the ship, which was not advised when booking. Guides and all staff were very nice people.
Tatjana_S, Dec 2024
The best shore excursion we’ve had so far! Our guide Jude was very knowledgeable eloquent, and approachable. We had a real, full-on local experience. In addition to the historical attractions, we went to the open laundry, took public bus & rickshaw rides and walked through the back alleys. Kochi is such a hive of humanity & blend of cultures. Amazing experience.
Stephen_D, Nov 2024
Nice trip out. The cruise on the boat was very nice and hilled. The worst part is the drive to the boat
Marianne_B, Nov 2024
Another very disappointing trip in India and a waste of time and money. The Houseboat was old and not very appealing. The lunch was fair, and the lake ride relaxing. That was it. Did not see anything in Cochin as promised. Just a very brief stop to see one Chinese fishing net. No time for shopping or exploring. So sad. We should get our money back. A taxi tour of old and new Cochin from the port would cost a fraction of what we paid and given us a chance to see the city
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Madam,
Good Day !!
Thanks for the review and Happy to know that you liked cruise on the lake and Lunch on Boat .
Regarding the stop at Fort Kochi ,the tour option you had booked titled " Houseboat Cruise & Chinese Net" it is very much clear tour includes Houseboat cruise and chinese nets stop ,that what was mentioned and that what we provided .
Sorry to say this ,in a 7 hour tour neither us or any tour operator can provide full sightseeing of fort kochi with Aleppey Houseboat cruise.
We provided what we published and we kept our Promise .
I agree taxi to Fort kochi would cost less than the tour ,but you wont be visiting Aleppey or do a Hosueboat cruise on backwater for that price.
If your main interest was city sightseeing you should have booked 4 hours sightseeiing tour which would have cost only less than half of city tour
Once again ,we are taking you review in a positve wasy and will try to provide much more information on our tour description ,so that guest will have clear picture of the tour
Cheri, May 2024
This company is great! I made an unintentional mistake by double booking this tour and didn’t realize it until getting to the tour. Although they probably didn't have to, they refunded me the 2 extra tickets. Very honorable of them and wanted to let others know this! As for the tour, the van used for the 2 hour ride there and 2 hours back made for a long, rough ride. The actual houseboat trip was wonderful and so relaxing. The food buffet made on board was excellent.. Thank you, Carnival Tours!
Francesca_J, May 2024
We had a fun day today, so sorry we were late clearing customs but we made it in the end. Met our guide Sebastian who was a wealth of information and happy to answer our questions. Our driver Jodi was amazing, safe and ruthless, zipping through the streets to get us to the backwaters. Once on the boat, we had a lovely leisure ride for almost 2hrs. Then headed to a small restaurant for snacks before driving back to the port. For some reason i thought the snacks would have been served on the boat cos that would have made for a nice tea with the sunset...
Unfortunately we did not get to see the fishing nets on this tour due to time constraints but we saw a few others while passing on the bus.
Debra_p, Apr 2024
The houseboat ride was fun and the food provided was good. Our guide, ,however, had a lot to be desired when we weren’t actually at a site. When we got on the bus for a 2 hour drive each way he welcomed us and then told us that we were on vacation and he didn’t want to bother us with details or history of the city. Despite gasps well the attached picture says it all. Oops no place to post picture of our sleeping guide
Jacqueline_W, Apr 2024
The guide Babu was really informative and he worked hard to make the trip great for all of us. The houseboat experience was great and we might come back to India and stay for a couple of nights on the houseboat. The Chinese Nets were interesting and I bought some gifts from the shop that we visited. We had a great day and it was well worth the money. Thank you Babu for giving us a great experience.
Moon_L, Feb 2024
Enjoyable and very relaxing. The local lunch was excellent. Highly recommended. Tour operator was excellent. Professional on time services
John_R, Feb 2024
The only downside for this excursion was an approx 2 hour ride each way, through tortuous traffic, due to road construction work getting to the Backwater start point. The backwater motorised canoe was excellent, sailing along the canals. Lunch was included.
TimR_C, Feb 2024
The houseboat tour was wonderful.
Very relaxing and worth doing. Our
guides were excellent and the lunch was very good.
Nicola_W, Feb 2024
This was a great way to experience life in the backwaters of Kochi. It was a small group of 12 people and we travelled by minibus from the port. Although the journey was around 2 hours, the guide made the time pass quickly by sharing lots of information about the local culture.
The backwater experience was super and again, the guide went out of his way to ensure the experience was maximised.
Lunch was provided at a super local restaurant with a sharing platter of Indian dishes which were delicious. We stopped off at Fort Kochi on the way back to the port to see the Chinese fishing nets in action.
A really great trip with a fantastic guide (I just wish I could remember his name!).
C_S, Jan 2024
Guide was pleasant and knowledgeable and provided a great tour and accommodated our wishes. We were very pleased with the experience and highly recommend the service
John_m, Jan 2024
Very boring tour. The houseboat was unimpressive. We went up the lake past many exact same boats. The worst part of the tour was a 2 hour ride each way in the most uncomfortable small bus we have ever ridden in. The seats seemed made for children and I’m not a big guy, a/c was minimal. On the brighter side, our guide Tommy was excellent and tried to make the trip more tolerable.
Jane_G, Dec 2023
An enjoyable, full day trip, seeing the Chinese fishing nets and then a trip along the back waters in a traditional house boat.
28 anxious travellers when our return coach wouldn't start, but this was remedied by the professional guides from Carnival Cruise ( Tommy and his friend), and a replacement coach was provided.
Both Tommy and his friend were knowledgeable and interesting guides.
Would recommend this trip.
From $85.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Attractions in Kochi, India
- Chinese Fishing Nets Tours & Tickets
- Fort Kochi (Fort Cochin) Tours & Tickets
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- Kerala Backwaters Tours & Tickets
- Kerala Folklore Museum Tours & Tickets
- Hill Palace Museum Tours & Tickets
- St. Francis Church Tours & Tickets
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