How to reach Fort Kochi from Ernakulam Train Station

Reaching Fort Kochi from the Ernakulam train station is a tricky affair if you are looking for public transport. There is no direct bus. Taxi is the other option which certainly is not a budget option.

However, the cheapest option which not many people know is Ferry , I mean by boat.

There are two ferry points (called jetties) in Ernakulam- the Ernakulam Jetty and the High Court Jetty, about 1½km north of Ernakulam Jetty.

Fort Cochin (Fort Kochi) is 15 minutes away from Ernakulam by ferry.

Ferry Timings: The first boat leaves around 6 am and the last boat leaves around 9pm. Between the first and last service to Fort Cochin, the frequency of service is approx every 15-30 minutes.

Ernakulam Jetty

So how to reach Ernakulam Jetty? This is located at the south most periphery of the so called Marine Drive, facing the Cochin backwaters (Vembanad Lake).

Take one of those red colored city buses crisscrossing the Ernakulam city. You can get bus from Ernakulam Junction (called South railway station) as well as from the Ernakulam Town (called the North station) . Ask for bus via the Ernakulam Jetty bus stop.

Jetty is about 3km from either of the railway stations.

Fort Kochi Jetty

There are two ferry points in Fort Cochin, the Fort Kochi ferry station and the Fort Kochi-Vypin Junkar jetty.

From ernakulam you’ll be dropped at the  Fort Kochi ferry station. Jhankar ferry is about 1km away from this jetty which takes you to Vypin Island.

As you walk out of the jetty, you are on the Calvathy Road. Auto-Rickshaws wait in a queue right next to the jetty entrance. Or you can also get a local city bus to places in Fort Cochin.

Ferry Ticket: Ernakulam to Fort Cochin one way ticket cost less than 10. Tickets are sold at the counter in the ferry station building. At Ernakulam Jetty , get into the ferry station building. There are two counters. The counter on your left issues ticket to Fort Cochin, Willington Island and Mattancherry.  The one on the right issues tickets to Vypin. Queues are typically long during the peak hours.

Ferry Route: The boat crosses Cochin Backwaters, passes through a busy shipping channel and the harbors. The route goes around the Wellington Island and reaches  Fort Cochin, which is the first stop from Ernakulam. The boat then continues to Mattancherry Jetty (near the Jew Town) via a stop at Willington Island (Embarkation Jetty) .

Read my Fort Kochi Walking Tour Guide here.

Click here to read about the top 10 places to visit in Kerala