KOCHI · KERALA
Kochi’s best days out.
The 15 most popular backwater boat & shikara cruises in Kochi. The pick of what travellers actually book, with prices, run times and who runs each one.
Quiet, non-motor backwater cruise from Fort Cochin with a village craft stop for coir weaving and a vegetarian banana-leaf lunch.
Most Popular“The tour was well organised and thr guide Greeshma was very knowledgeable providing information and answering questions”
Glide Kerala backwaters from Kochi on a non-motorized punting boat, with Vaikom villages, banana-leaf veg lunch, and tea.
“Great experience. Slightly slow initially, but it was an enriching experience overall. Lunch was really good.”
Glide through Kerala backwaters on a non-mechanized country boat from Fort Cochin, with a village stop and vegetarian lunch included.
“really nice boat ride in a quiet part of the backwaters north of alleppey with great food at the end! guide was also very nice”
A low-impact backwaters day from Kochi with a quiet non-motor boat, village walk, craft demos, and an included vegetarian lunch.
“Quiet backwater far less touristy and a full day. Lunch authentic and really tasty. Fab day would recommend for authenticity”
A budget-friendly Shikara boat cruise through Alleppey backwaters, with flexible hours, narrow canals, and optional temple, massage, and food stops.
“Wonderful and relaxing 2 hour Shikara boat cruise through the Alleppey Backwaters. We were able to experience real village life with families fishing and farming rice paddies. Highly recommended to take shikara instead of Houseboat to experience the narrow canals and backwaters of Alleppey.”
Shikara canoe cruise from Cochin to Alleppey backwaters for paddy fields, village life, and calm canals, with easy port pickup.
“Really enjoyable day. Both driver and shikira driver were lovely. Would def recommend to anyone wanting to see the allepy backwaters.”
Hourly shikara cruise through Alleppey backwaters from Rajiv Boat Jetty, with canals, villages, lake views, and optional photo help.
“We had excellent experience it was really memorable.....sarun and jobin were excellent in terms of communication....very helpful and polite ..... and their service levels are highly professional !!!”
Experience Kochi’s backwaters by bamboo-pole shikara, visit village workshops for coir and weaving, and enjoy a traditional vegetarian Sadya lunch.
“Excepcional , lo aconsejo a todo el mundo. Un diez en todo”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk plus a one-hour backwaters cruise from the cruise terminal, with key sights, included entry fees, and pickup.
“Amazing tuktuk driver - friendly,knowledgeable, helpful & went out of his way to make some wonderful memories for us. Followed by a lazy meander around the backwaters for an hour - just us & the captain of his boat. Amazing day, and well spent.”
Houseboat backwaters from Kochi with Chinese fishing nets, cruise-port pickup, lunch and bottled water. Calm Kerala shore day.
“Friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to understand guides. Speakers on the bus in need of repair so it was a bit painful on the ears to hear their informative narration, which is why I docked 1 star. The houseboat experience was lovely. It’s about Read more”
Fort Kochi harbor cruise to Mattancherry: Chinese fishing nets, palace and synagogue views, dolphin chances, plus a short heritage walk.
“Fantastic short boat tour, we saw some of the main sites around the islands we were staying on. Our guide was very informative, he was able to answer every question I put towards him. Made our tour more enjoyable.”
Quiet Cochin backwaters tour with no-motor canoe time, banana-leaf vegetarian lunch, village crafts, and chai with snacks from Fort Kochi.
“Op de boot was het heel rustig en zenn aangenaam mooie natuur , eten krijgen bij hun thuis op een bananenblad zeer leuk en lekker je voelt je op je gemak. De backwaters was niet speciaal maar ook wel leuk om een kort tochtje te doen en hoe de mevrouw toont hoe ze van een…”
Backwater cruise from Cochin Port by shikara or houseboat, plus Fort Kochi Chinese fishing nets and a Keralan lunch or snacks.
“We enjoyed our trip very much. The boat trip was very good, and the Chinese Fisherman’s nets were interesting.”
Full-day canoe and shikkara cruise from Kumarakom at sunrise, with bird sanctuary, Kerala meals, village life, and optional toddy.
“We had an amazing day, starting at sunrise with a boat trip through the backwaters with Sanu, stopping for tea at a local shop and finding a wide variety of birds. After a couple of hours we returned to their base for a delicious Kerala style breRead more”
Private 2-day Alappuzha houseboat cruise from Cochin, with Kerala meals onboard, backwater views, and a quiet night at sea.
“Excellent service with a lovely captain George. We had amazing food and a relaxing cruise on the private houseboat. We had AC at night which was very needed and slept very well, with private toilet and shower on board. Option to do an extra boat tour around the smalls canals which I recommend doing! We…”
From the Fort Kochi lanes to the backwaters and the tea hills, every way in.
