Kochi has earned a spot on Booking.com’s “2026 Must-Visit Places,” a data-driven ranking of destinations expected to attract international travellers next year. The city is the only location from India on the list.
The platform stated that the ranking highlights destinations likely to draw interest from travellers seeking local culture, regional cuisine, and authentic experiences. “Travellers are planning journeys around personal interests, memories, and cultural curiosity,” Booking.com said, signalling a shift toward more personalised and meaningful travel.
As part of this global selection, Kochi joins Mui Ne (Vietnam), Bilbao (Spain), Barranquilla (Colombia), Philadelphia (USA), Guangzhou (China), Sal (Cape Verde), Manaus (Brazil), Munster (Germany), and Port Douglas (Australia). The city offers a layered travel experience, combining colonial history, creative energy, backwaters, and spice-driven cuisine.
Kochi: A Coastal City with Maritime Heritage
Kochi developed through centuries of maritime trade connecting Portugal, the Netherlands, West Asia, and nearby coastal towns. Today, art spaces, street murals, waterfront promenades, and traditional cuisines continue this cultural trajectory.
Visitors move seamlessly between colonial-era lanes, backwater scenes, and modern clusters, allowing for slow-paced exploration without abrupt shifts.
How to Arrive
Air: Cochin International Airport lies about forty minutes from central areas and connects to major Indian cities as well as several transit points in West Asia and Southeast Asia.
Rail: Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town stations provide regular long-distance services.
Road: Inter-state buses and taxis link Kochi with nearby destinations such as Munnar, Alleppey, and Kumarakom.
When to Visit
Clear skies and moderate temperatures from October to March attract the largest number of visitors. The monsoon season from June to September brings lush greenery and quieter streets, though humidity rises during this period.
What to Explore in Kochi
1. Fort Kochi and Old Streets
Fort Kochi forms the historical core of the city. Narrow lanes lead past tiled houses, murals, and church facades toward the waterfront lined with Chinese fishing nets. St. Francis Church, built in the sixteenth century, stands alongside the Indo-Portuguese Museum, providing a sense of the city’s layered history. The combination of architecture and waterfront activity allows visitors to connect past events with the present environment.
2. Jew Town and Mattancherry
A short distance from Fort Kochi, Mattancherry features antique shops, spice godowns, and restored warehouses. The Paradesi Synagogue, dating to 1568, anchors the area. Smaller lanes carry aromas of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom from spice stalls, creating a continuous sensory experience that complements Fort Kochi’s historical streets.
3. Kochi–Muziris Biennale
From December 2025 to April 2026, the city hosts the Kochi–Muziris Biennale across multiple venues. Installations, theatre performances, and exhibitions appear in heritage buildings and open courtyards. Outside Biennale months, independent galleries maintain a steady programme, integrating contemporary art into the city’s ongoing cultural rhythm.
4. Backwater Routes
Waterways provide a different perspective of the region. Half-day and overnight cruises pass through coconut groves and small settlements, offering a slower pace than busy streets. These routes highlight daily life and landscapes shaped by centuries of interaction with water, forming a natural continuation of the urban experience.
5. Marine Drive and Nearby Islands
Marine Drive functions as a public promenade overlooking the harbour. Ferries travel to Willingdon Island, Vypeen, and Bolgatty, where colonial-era structures and quiet walking paths provide space for leisurely exploration. The islands extend the city experience from historical streets to peaceful natural surroundings.
6. Food and Local Kitchens
Culinary experiences link history and culture with daily life. Dishes such as Karimeen Pollichathu wrapped in banana leaf, fish curry with tapioca, and coconut-based stews illustrate centuries of trade influence. Street stalls selling banana fritters and appams, along with nearby toddy shops, provide opportunities to engage with regional flavours and local routines.
7. Cultural Performances
Evening performances of Kathakali, demonstrations of Kalaripayattu, and exhibitions in churches and museums allow visitors to explore artistic and spiritual traditions. These activities continue the thread connecting streets, waterways, and culinary experiences, creating a coherent sense of place.
Where to Stay
Fort Kochi provides heritage lodges, boutique properties, and restored homes along older lanes. Ernakulam features larger hotels, commercial districts, shopping areas, and metro connections. For quieter retreats, eco-conscious accommodations and houseboats in backwaters or on islands allow direct engagement with the natural environment.
Why Kochi Stands Out in 2026
The city combines coastal routes, historical quarters, a dynamic art calendar, and culinary practices rooted in centuries of trade. Visitors can choose a tight itinerary or a leisurely pace, moving from streets and galleries to backwaters and natural landscapes, experiencing the full range of Kochi’s history, culture, and environment.
Founded in 2016, The Traveller Trails is a print and digital magazine and a trusted source for current news, trends, analysis, opinions, interesting blogs, videos and exclusive interviews from every corner of the world.
