Kochi, India: Self-Guided Walking Tour

The best things to do in Kochi include exploring Fort Kochi, visiting historic churches and palaces, and discovering the city’s connections with the spice trade and maritime cultures. Kochi’s heritage is especially visible in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, and the islands and neighbourhoods around Ernakulam. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Kochi with 87 narrated places, so you can discover the city while walking at your own pace.

What to See in Kochi

St. Francis Church

St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi has more than five centuries of history. Originally built in 1503, it is regarded as one of the oldest European churches in India. The church also remains associated with Vasco da Gama: his remains were first buried here before being moved to Lisbon fourteen years later. Today, the building stands as a reminder of the rival European powers that sought colonial control in the Indian subcontinent.

Santa Cruz Basilica

Santa Cruz Basilica is both a place of devotion and one of Kochi’s important heritage landmarks. It serves as the cathedral church of the Diocese of Cochin and combines Indo-European and Gothic architectural styles.

The Portuguese first built a church on this site in 1505 with permission from the King of Cochin. Pope Paul the Fourth elevated it to cathedral status in 1558. Although Dutch conquerors destroyed many Catholic buildings in Cochin during the seventeenth century, the cathedral was spared. British forces later demolished it in 1795, and a new structure was commissioned in 1887. The rebuilt church was consecrated in 1905, and Pope John Paul the Second proclaimed it a basilica in 1984.

Indo-Portuguese Museum

The Indo-Portuguese Museum is another Fort Kochi stop connected with the region’s European and local history. It is located in Fort Kochi, in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, India.

Mattancherry Palace

Mattancherry Palace is popularly known as the Dutch Palace, although it was originally built by the Portuguese Empire as a gift to the Kingdom of Cochin. The palace was later repaired during the Dutch period, which explains its better-known name.

This two-storey, square-shaped building has spacious rooms and Kerala mural paintings inspired by the artistic style used in Hindu temples. At its centre, a courtyard contains a temple dedicated to Pazhayannur Bhagavathi, the traditional family deity of the Cochin royal family.

The museum on the upper floor was established in May 1985. Its collection includes portraits of the kings of Kochi, palanquins, clothing, weapons, umbrellas, swords, stamps, and coins. A large hall displays full-length portraits of rulers who reigned from 1864 onward.

Paradesi Synagogue

In Mattancherry’s Jew Town, the Paradesi Synagogue—also called the Mattancherry Synagogue—remains an active place of worship. It is described as the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations and is the only one still in use of the seven synagogues once found in the area.

The synagogue stands beside the Mattancherry Palace temple, and the two complexes share a common wall. Its floor is paved with 256 Chinese porcelain tiles, each decorated with a different hand-painted image. Other historic objects include a copper plate associated with Bhaskara Ravivarman and dating from the year 1000, a golden crown donated by the Maharaja of Travancore in 1805, and silver lamps presented by Colonel Macaulay, a British resident.

Bolgatty Palace

Bolgatty Palace stands on Bolgatty Island, locally known as Mulavukad. Built by Dutch merchants in 1744, it is believed to be one of the oldest Dutch palaces outside the Netherlands. The palace was expanded over time, with gardens created around it, and once served as the residence of the governor of Dutch Malabar.

In 1909, it was leased to the British and later became a residence for British governors and the setting for the representative of the Cochin government. After India became independent in 1947, it became government property. It has since been transformed into a heritage hotel resort.

Hill Palace

Hill Palace in Tripunithura was once the official residence and imperial administrative centre of the Cochin Maharaja. Built in 1865, it is now the largest archaeological museum in Kerala.

The complex covers 54 acres and includes 49 buildings designed in a traditional architectural style. Its grounds contain an archaeological museum, a heritage museum, a deer park, a prehistoric park, and a children’s park. Rare medicinal plant species also grow on the campus, making Hill Palace much more than a single palace building.

Kerala Museum

The Kerala Museum in Edapally, also known as the Museum of Kerala History, is one of Kochi’s oldest museums of art and history. Managed by the Madhavan Nayar Foundation, a registered public charitable trust established in 1984 by R. Madhavan Nayar, it opened to visitors in 1987.

The museum has three galleries. The Museum of Kerala History is joined by the Dolls Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art, bringing together regional history, collections, and modern artistic expression.

Chendamangalam Synagogue

The Chendamangalam Synagogue, also known as the Kerala Jews Life Style Museum, preserves the story of an Orthodox Jewish congregation in Chendamangalam, a village in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. After being abandoned in the 1950s, the former synagogue was repurposed as a Jewish museum.

Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium

The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, or Kaloor Stadium, is one of Kochi’s major sporting venues. Opened in 1996, it is now especially associated with football and is the home ground of Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League and Forca Kochi FC.

The stadium also hosts exhibitions, cinema events, and political rallies. Its distinctive lighting towers are part of the venue’s identity: the floodlighting system was the first of its kind in India and provides lighting suitable for high-definition television broadcasts.

St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica

St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam was founded in 1112. It belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church and is also known as Nasrani Palli, Anchikaimal Palli, and Thekke Palli.

As of March 2026, the church is closed and under police protection because of a dispute between rebels in the Ernakulam-Angamaly diocese and the Syro-Malabar hierarchy. Holy Mass is restricted, and other prayers may be held only with special permission from the court.

Discover Kochi with a Self-Guided Audio Tour

A Kochi self-guided walking tour lets you explore the city without joining a group or following a fixed timetable. Neywo has two walking tours and one bus route in Kochi, with narration available in 11 languages.

The walking tours are:

• Spice Coast Landmarks: From Fort Kochi to Jew Town — 4.51 km, 116 minutes, and 8 narrated stops. The route includes the Indo-Portuguese Museum, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Mattancherry Palace, and Paradesi Synagogue.
• Ernakulam: A Dutch Palace, a Mangrove Refuge and a Forgotten Station — 3.42 km, 82 minutes, and 6 narrated stops. Stops include Bolgatty Palace, Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, Ernakulam Terminus, St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica, Broadway, and CSI Immanuel Church.

There is also the Ernakulam to Fort Kochi by Bus route, covering 22.9 km in 98 minutes with 5 narrated stops. It includes Edappally Juma Masjid, Changampuzha Park, St. Mary’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica, CSI Immanuel Church, Ernakulam, and Santa Cruz Basilica.

Download Neywo and explore Kochi with the free audio guide. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. After Kochi, continue exploring Kerala, or plan time in nearby Munnar and Thekkady.