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“cruise and the local guide were very good , enjoying the peaceful and quite time. lunch was very tasty local food. The journey to the start of the cruise was long and not mentioned before”
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.
“It was a nice experience. Well organised and relaxing. The guides were pleasant and the meal was different but nice - a chance to savour some of the culture.”
A low-impact backwaters day from Kochi with a quiet non-motor boat, village walk, craft demos, and an included vegetarian lunch.
“Had a nice experience on this tour. It’s a pretty simplistic and relaxing tour. They even helped organize a munnar day trip for me the following day which was great also. Thanks guys.”
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.
“Additional to the Tour we booked a guide. And he really was worth the money. The guide gave us a lot of Information and was very polite.We where picked up in time at the Port and went to the backwaters. There we had a nice Tour on boat. At the end we asked for a…”
Hourly shikara cruise through Alleppey backwaters from Rajiv Boat Jetty, with canals, villages, lake views, and optional photo help.
“The views and overall experience was Ok.”
Experience Kochi’s backwaters by bamboo-pole shikara, visit village workshops for coir and weaving, and enjoy a traditional vegetarian Sadya lunch.
“What a wonderful experience!! The boat ride was so beautiful and peaceful, we got to see so many local villagers and small farms. The guide Aria was so knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. The lunch, prepared by the local villagers, was absolutely delicious!!! We got to see some handmade coconut leaf weaving and…”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk plus a one-hour backwaters cruise from the cruise terminal, with key sights, included entry fees, and pickup.
“We had an eventful day and our driver ASHKAR TUKTUK has shown us many sights, also hidden attractions. He speaks very good English with very less accent. If we asked him for special shopping locations he drove us there and helped us with negotiations. We can highly recommend the ASHKAR TUKTUK tour.”
Houseboat backwaters from Kochi with Chinese fishing nets, cruise-port pickup, lunch and bottled water. Calm Kerala shore day.
“Long journey but worth it. Very serene cruise with a lovely lunch. Beautiful scenery and interesting wildlife.”
Fort Kochi harbor cruise to Mattancherry: Chinese fishing nets, palace and synagogue views, dolphin chances, plus a short heritage walk.
“The boat ride was fun. The host could have provided more information about the architecture we saw. He did an excellent job with the on land tour especially in Mattancherry.”
Quiet Cochin backwaters tour with no-motor canoe time, banana-leaf vegetarian lunch, village crafts, and chai with snacks from Fort Kochi.
“Très bon moment. Départ à l’heure, depuis Fort Kochi, pour environ 1h de route vers les backwaters plus au sud. Puis balade en bateau sans moteur pendant environ 2h. Repas végétarien (très bon) dans le village puis une nouvelle balade en bateau, plus petit cette fois pour se promener dans un canal. On recommande.”
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 were worried that an entire day on the Backwaters would be too much. We were also concerned that it would be very touristy because we'd read reports of so many houseboats. Instead we were blown away. We had an absolutely brillRead more”
Private 2-day Alappuzha houseboat cruise from Cochin, with Kerala meals onboard, backwater views, and a quiet night at sea.
“A nice boat trip, with beautiful views and a really nice atmosphere. The crew was super friendly and gave you all the space you needed to feel comfortable on the boat. The hygiene could have been a bit better, but it was acceptable. The cooking was excellent, we ate delicious food. It's a quiet place…”
From the Fort Kochi lanes to the backwaters and the tea hills, every way in.
