Day trips from Kochi
Once you’ve done Fort Kochi and Ernakulam, some of Kerala’s best half- and full-day escapes sit within easy reach — backwater villages, the state’s largest waterfall, a riverside pilgrimage town and a first-class bird sanctuary. These are excursions from Kochi, not parts of the city.
India’s first model eco-tourism village — backwaters, Chinese nets and slow island life, ~12 km from Kochi.
Birthplace of Adi Shankara — a riverside pilgrimage and heritage day trip on the Periyar, ~40 km from Kochi.
Kerala’s largest waterfall — the “Niagara of South India” — and the Vazhachal rapids, a full-day forest trip from Kochi.
No night travel — the forest checkpoints close to vehicles around 6:30 pm IST. Plan to be out before dusk.
Kerala’s first bird sanctuary and the Bhoothathankettu reservoir — a birding & nature day trip near Kothamangalam.