Why Kochi is trending in 2026 – and what to do when you visit

KOCHI, India – Once the heart of the global spice trade, Kochi is reinventing itself for the modern traveller. Its maritime history, serene nature and wellness offerings are drawing global attention, and Booking.com named it one of the top 10 must-visit places for 2026. Here are 10 things to do in and around the Indian city.

1. Stay in affordable luxury

The five-star Taj Malabar Resort & Spa (from 16,750 rupees or S$225 a night) is located on Willingdon Island, India’s largest man-made island. Here, cruise liners dock against grand colonial-era buildings and wide, quiet avenues feel far removed from the mainland bustle. Rooms open onto sweeping harbour views. Inside, classic interiors feature wood-beamed ceilings and polished wood furnishings.

Steeped in maritime history, Brunton Boatyard by CGH Earth (from 15,300 rupees a night), built on a restored Victorian shipyard, is the ideal base in Fort Kochi for heritage-tracing travellers.

2. Learn about history on a walking tour

As a historic melting pot of Dutch, Portuguese and Jewish influences, Kochi is a living archive best explored through The Kochi Heritage Project’s storytelling walks. Its flagship “A Queen’s Story, Fort Kochi” trail traces the journey of the ancient Indian Ocean port.

Other options include culinary and bicycle trails, tapestry weaving workshops and the offbeat The Loafer’s Guide to Fort Kochi, a 90-minute walk through Fort Kochi’s most iconic streets, photogenic corners, and hidden heritage spaces, designed for backpackers and curious travellers. Tours start at 999 rupees.

3. Catch the Kochi-Muziris Biennale

South Asia’s largest contemporary art festival, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, has transformed the city into a global cultural hub since 2012, drawing artists and visitors into colonial-era warehouses and spice godowns repurposed as galleries. A one-week pass to the last edition, held from December 2025 to March 2026, cost 1,000 rupees.

4. Feast on local flavours

Splurge at Armoury Cafe in Brunton Boatyard, where I try the fish fillet wrapped in banana leaf, coated in pollicha masala, a thick, aromatic spice blend and served with kallappam, a rice pancake (1,050 rupees), followed by cardamom kulfi, a frozen dairy dessert (500 rupees).

We try Sadya at the hotel – a meticulously choreographed vegetarian feast served on a fresh banana leaf, moving through spicy, sour and sweet flavours in sequence – from earthy matta rice to nectar-like payasam, or pudding.

The Jetty Restaurant in Fort Kochi is a signature restaurant at Hotel Forte Kochi which serves a dependable mix of Kerala, pan-Indian, and continental dishes such as grilled meat and seafood, as well as curries. Prices for mains range from 500 to 800 rupees.

For a hands-on experience, Maria’s South Indian Cooking Class takes place at her home in Burgher Street, where participants prepare a selection of Kerala dishes in an intimate, small-group setting.

5. Go cafe-hopping

Kochi’s cafe scene reflects its creative pulse, and many have books on loan for patrons to read there.

Kashi Art Cafe serves fresh organic produce and draws an international crowd. Nearby, David Hall Gallery Cafe occupies a restored 17th-century Dutch building, known for lush greenery and cultural programming, including art exhibitions and painting and papermaking workshops.

For something more atmospheric, Lila Curated Experiences – part gallery showcasing local artists, part cafe – is set within a 400-year-old colonial building. An addictive kunafa bird’s nest chaat (420 rupees) and prawn moilee with flaky parottas (650 rupees) make a strong case for lingering.

6. Catch a Kathakali show

Kerala’s world-renowned classical dance-drama is defined by performers’ elaborate make-up, expressive facial movements and silent storytelling. Their transformation alone is worth arriving early for.

Head to the Kerala Kathakali Centre for an evening of storytelling. Shows, including the make-up and artistry process, cost 600 rupees and typically last around two hours.

7. Shop for spices and textiles

Based on Booking.com’s 2026 trend report, 74 per cent of travellers are looking for keepsakes for their home kitchens. In Kochi’s historic Jew Town, the traditional spice trade has evolved into a design-led experience, where hand-painted spice jars, Malabar pepper tins and locally crafted cookware are popular souvenirs. Prices are often flexible, with gentle bargaining part of the ritual.

For textiles, head to photogenic Princess Street and Peter Celli Street, lined with boutiques such as Hibiscus Heroes, where I pick up an eco-printed shirt (3,410 rupees) made with a botanical dyeing technique.

Check out Suee’s “Spice Route” collection – handloomed textiles embroidered with chilli peppers, black pepper and coconut tree motifs. Ela India sells block-printed clothing and upcycled handkerchiefs from recycled fabric offcuts (1,100 rupees for three, S$15), while Niraamaya specialises in ayurvastra, organic fabrics infused with ayurvedic herbs and oils.

Also worth a browse is One Zero Eight by Save the Loom, a multi-brand concept store in a centuries-old Portuguese villa, which was launched after the deadly 2018 Kerala floods to support local artisans.

8. Ride the water metro

Kochi’s Water Metro is Asia’s first water transport system of its kind, inaugurated in 2023 and recognised with an honourable mention at the 2026 Global Sustainable Transport Awards. Its electric-hybrid fleet reclaims the city’s ancient waterways as a scenic, spontaneous way to island-hop. Prices for rides range between 20 and 40 rupees a trip.

Back on land, open-air tuk-tuk tours offer a lively way to weave through the city’s neighbourhoods, typically lasting three to six hours, priced between 700 and 1,700 rupees for a three to four hour tour.

9. Embrace hushed hobbies

Track migratory birds at Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, kayak at sunrise in the waters around Kadamakudy Islands or head to Kumbalangi, a designated eco-tourism village for coir spinning, coconut leaf weaving and crab farming in the mangroves (3,600 rupees a person for a seven-hour tour).

Explore Kerala’s backwaters on a village punting boat cruise (1,500 rupees a person for a one-hour cruise) at Valanthakad Island on the Vembanad backwaters, with stretches of mangroves left untouched.

10. Glow up

Kochi is the historic gateway to Kerala’s ayurvedic heritage, a 5,000-year-old healing tradition believed to balance mind, body and spirit through medicated oils, herbal treatments and rhythmic massage.

At Zoe Integrated Wellness, I tried an abhyanga – a traditional oil massage that is said to stimulate lymphatic flow, enhance circulation and restore balance (3,000 rupees for one hour). For something lighter, go for an hour-long coffee salt scrub at Iyami Living instead (2,500 rupees).