In today’s blog post, I’ll be sharing my Fort Kochi trip cost breakdown along with several money-saving travel tips.

Recently, I returned from a 4-day trip to Fort Kochi. It was my siblings, me, and a cousin. We didn’t hold back. We visited all the art cafes, ate at popular restaurants, explored tourist attractions, attended art shows, and more.

I spent a lot of money, and my share came to Rs. 23,500. It included flights, hotel, activities, etc.

For easy navigation, I’ve divided my Fort Kochi trip cost breakdown into the following categories:

• Flights
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Internal commuting
• Airport transfers
• Activities and entrance fees
• Souvenir shopping and others

NOTE:- Are you planning a trip to Fort Kochi, but don’t know what to see? Don’t fret. Simply follow my list of 12 must-visit places in Fort Kochi. Or refer to my Fort Kochi travel guide for hotel recommendations, travel tips, and more.

FLIGHTS

Flying is the most expensive but quickest way to travel.

I could have done the same trip by train for cheaper, but that would have added days to my vacation. Since that wasn’t doable, I had to settle for the quickest form of transportation.

Kochi is a port city, meaning it is well-connected to various cities in India. Therefore, finding a flight to Kochi from your hometown is easy.

The flights were the most expensive expenditure of my trip to Fort Kochi.

I’d checked the prices a month before my trip, and they were as low as Rs. 8,000. The people I was going to go with kept changing their minds until they finally said no.

I had to pay for a higher fare because of their indecisiveness.

I paid Rs. 10,000 for a round trip from Pune to Kochi.

NOTE:- The above fare is flexible. Depending on your hometown and the time of the year you’re travelling, the flight fares will differ.

I would have postponed my trip if the flights were cheaper, but Navaratri was approaching, so prices were even higher.

TRAVEL TIP:- Therefore, for cheaper fares, book your flights in advance.

I always prefer to travel on weekdays, because it’s a workday and there are fewer people around.

Also, most attractions are closed on weekends.

When I booked my flight tickets, I noticed fares were higher for weekends than weekdays.

TRAVEL TIP:- For cheaper fares, travel on weekdays rather than on weekends.

AIRPORT FOOD

My flights to and from Kochi had connections.

My flight to Kochi was at 2 a.m., and the connecting flight was within 50 minutes of arrival. I knew we wouldn’t have time to grab something at the airport. So, I’d packed chocolates, chips, and biscuits.

However, for my return, I had 6 hours in Hyderabad between my connecting flights. It was past dinner time, and the food at the airport was expensive.

We were in Hyderabad, so what better than Hyderabadi biryani for dinner? So, we ordered biryanis on Zomato.

TRAVEL TIP:- Carry snacks, as food at airports is pricey, or order from Swiggy and Zomato in between flights.

HOTELS

The next place where I spent money was on accommodations.

Fort Kochi offers a range of homestays, hostels, boutique hotels, and luxury stays. Depending on your budget, you can either splurge on luxury stays or save money by staying in hostels.

I preferred a boutique hotel, so I chose Hotel Napier Heritage on Lilly Street.

We were there for 4 days and 3 nights, which cost us around Rs. 16,000. My share came to Rs. 4,000 and included a complimentary breakfast.

The other hotel recommendations are — Solo Inn, Old Harbour, Hotel Fort Manor, Brunton Boatyard, the Killians, Ginger House, Tissa’s Inn, Mãi House Heritage Hotel, etc.

TRAVEL TIP:- You can save money by booking your stay in advance. We booked ours 15-20 days prior to our trip.

I travelled during weekdays, so the hotel cost us slightly less than it would on weekends.

I also saved money by travelling to Fort Kochi during the monsoons, as it was the off-season, and prices were lower.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you can come here without a hotel booking.

I was leaving Fort Kochi on Friday, which I was glad about.

That’s because the small town was bustling with tourists who had been absent during the week.

Large crowds of students and tourists from other cities were visiting Fort Kochi for the weekend.

TRAVEL TIP:- I’d recommend booking your hotels if you’ll be traveling during the weekend.

If it was crowded during the off-season, I can only imagine what it’s like during the peak season.

RESTAURANTS

Fort Kochi has an array of restaurants serving delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere.

Before my trip, my sister and I had researched the best places to eat in Fort Kochi.

Since exploring all of them wasn’t possible, we settled on a handful of them.

NOTE:- I’ve uploaded a post regarding the must-visit restaurants in Fort Kochi. Be sure to check that out.

Over the course of four days, we tried to dine at different restaurants.

I spent a total of Rs. 4,000 on lunches and dinners. This cost doesn’t include my visits to the various cafes. The Rs. 4,000 was solely for restaurants. I visited the cafes for desserts and coffee. The cost of which I’ve added in a separate section.

My hotel stay included a complimentary breakfast. That saved me a small chunk of money.

All our meals included two chicken curries, rotis or parothas, rice or biryani, and occasionally an appetizer.

Every bill was about Rs. 2,000. There were four of us, so my share came to Rs. 500.

TRAVEL TIP:- Always ask for regular water at restaurants, as each place charges differently for bottled water.

On the first day, the waiter offered us bottled water. I was exhausted and didn’t think much before opening the bottle.

When I saw the bill, they’d charged Rs. 80 for a Rs. 20 water bottle.

That same evening, another restaurant placed regular water from their filter on the table. It tasted the same as any bottled water, and it was free.

So, then onwards, we always requested regular water in all restaurants.

TRAVEL TIP:- Many restaurants close at 3 p.m. and reopen after 7 p.m.

So, if you’re planning a late lunch, make sure the restaurant is open.

CAFES

Fort Kochi has a huge cafe culture. You’ll find small artsy cafes on every corner.

While I wanted to visit them all, it would take more than 4 days.

As usual, my sister and I, mostly my sister, compiled a list of must-visit cafes in Fort Kochi.

The list was long, but we settled on a handful of them.

We visited 2 cafes a day, either for dessert or an afternoon coffee.

Over the course of four days, I spent Rs. 3,000 at cafes.

There were four of us. We would each order a different dessert and then share. This way, we were able to try different treats and pay only for our share.

TRAVEL TIP:- Some cafes have art galleries in the front and a cafe in the back. So, if you want to visit the cafes but not eat, simply stroll through the gallery, walk around the cafe, then leave. Or you could buy some artwork.

Places like Pandhal Cafe have new exhibitions, and the artwork is for sale. That can make for a memorable souvenir.

My hotel stay included a complimentary breakfast, or I would’ve visited more cafes.

But, on the bright side, thankfully it was. That’s because many cafes on my list opened after 10 a.m. I’m an early riser and have breakfast as early as 8:30 a.m.

Due to the early breakfast, we could begin sightseeing early before the hordes of tourists arrived.

INTERNAL COMMUTING

The lowest expenditure of my Fort Kochi trip cost breakdown is the internal commuting.

Everything in Fort Kochi is walkable. That’s what we did. We walked everywhere.

Over the course of 4 days, we took an autorickshaw only twice. That too, because Jew Town was 30 minutes away on foot.

Our hotel, Napier Heritage on Lilly Street, was within walking distance of all the cafes, restaurants, and tourist attractions.

Even if your hotel is further away, you can take the auto to any one attraction and walk to the others.

I took an auto to Jew Town for Rs. 80, and from there walked to Mattancherry Palace, the Paradeshi Synagogue, Spice Market, and the boating centre.

TRAVEL TIP:- Autos are cheaper on Ola, but they don’t accept rides for short distances.

When we wanted to go to Jew Town, the Ola drivers wouldn’t accept our ride, so we had to ask an auto driver outside our hotel.

He started saying that it would cost us Rs. 100. When we argued that Ola was offering a ride for Rs. 60, he settled for Rs. 80. The same happened when we wanted to return to the hotel after lunch.

My total cost of internal commuting over 4 days was Rs. 40.

Many auto drivers will shove a pamphlet of all the places to visit in your face. They’ll say that for Rs. 500, they’ll take you to all the places on the list.

It’s not a scam, but naive tourists tend to fall into their trap.I recommend taking their offer, only if you’re in Fort Kochi for a day.

TRAVEL TIP:- Also, a few auto rickshaws are available after sunset. Therefore, dine near your hotel.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Fort Kochi is 1½ hours away from the Kochi airport.

I could have saved a little money on airport transfers had I known certain things beforehand. Anyway, you can learn from my mistakes.

Upon exiting the airport, my brother got on Ola and booked a taxi to Fort Kochi. When he was trying to pin the pickup location, he realised the taxi fare dropped to half when you’re picked up outside the airport complex.

The late-night travel had left us tired, and we didn’t want to walk for long. So, we just called a taxi to the arrivals gate.

TRAVEL TIP:- If you walk a short distance past the toll booth and to the crossroads, the taxi fare drops to half.

A one-way taxi cost us Rs. 1,250.

On our last day, coincidentally, both my brothers were on Ola trying to find a taxi to the airport. That’s when they realised they showed different fares.

One was charging us Rs. 1,100, and the other Rs. 780.

Of course, we went along with the Rs. 780 cab. The driver was jolly and kind. He even waited while we bought some snacks for the plane. And he didn’t even charge us for waiting.

My share for two taxis was Rs. 520.

TRAVEL TIP:- Don’t pre-book your airport transfers. Book a taxi on Ola or Uber upon arrival, and don’t forget to compare the fares on everyone’s phones before ordering one.

For those travelling solo, the route by metro involves a few transfers, but it’ll save you money and be an adventure.

NOTE:- You can find the in-depth route in my Fort Kochi travel guide.

ACTIVITIES AND ENTRANCE FEES

Fort Kochi has a list of 12 must-visit places.

But, multiple places are free to visit, a few require entry tickets, and a couple are shows.

Over the course of 4 days, I spent Rs. 725 on activities and entrance fees.

Kathakali show	Rs.500
Mattancherry Palace	Rs. 5
Boating (1 hour)	Rs. 250 (my share)
Paradesi Synagogue	Rs. 20

TRAVEL TIP:- Reserve your seats for the Kathakali and Kalaripayattu shows the day before or the morning of. That’s because there are limited seats.

The Kathakali performance is followed by a Kalaripayattu martial arts show. I didn’t watch that, but if you’re interested, that’s an additional Rs. 400.

TRAVEL TIP:- Mattancherry Palace accepts cash, so don’t forget to bring change. I don’t recall seeing a UPI scanner at the ticket counter.

SOUVENIRS SHOPPING AND OTHER

The last and most essential expenditure of my Fort Kochi trip cost breakdown is the souvenirs and other shopping.

Souvenirs and other shopping were not included in our combined budget. We individually paid for our shopping.

I spent Rs. 1,000 on shopping.

I bought two fridge magnets, banana chips, a shirt, and some spices for my aunt.

My aunt wanted the traditional Kerala white saree with a gold border, so my cousin bought one for Rs. 3,500.

TRAVEL TIP:- Don’t ask your auto or cab drivers for suggestions for saree shopping. They’ll take you to high-end stores that pay them a small commission for bringing customers.

Fort Kochi is a tourist town receiving foreigners. So, many souvenirs are priced in their favour. A simple fridge magnet costs Rs. 120.

TRAVEL TIP:- Fridge magnets are better in Jee Town.

Another way you can save money is to avoid buying spices.

My aunt wanted them, so I bought some.

The vendors charge ridiculous amounts for small quantities of spices. I ended up buying six spices (each 100 grams) for Rs. 680.

TRAVEL TIP:- Don’t buy spices. They cost the same as back home.

The vendors will show you two packets, one of superior quality and the other of quantity. They look identical. You can’t tell the difference. And they’ll urge you to buy the superior product.

CONCLUSION

That concludes my Fort Kochi trip cost breakdown. Here’s a summary of my expenditure for 4 days in Fort Kochi.

Flights	Rs. 10,000
Hotel	Rs. 4,000
Restaurants	Rs. 4,000
Cafes	Rs. 3,000
Airport Transfers	Rs. 520
Internal communting	Rs. 40
Activities and tickets	Rs. 725
Souvenirs and shopping	Rs. 1000

I hope this was helpful. If you have any queries or suggestions, let me know in the comments.

I hope this ignites your wanderlust because

Money comes and goes, but time waits for no one.

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