Places to Visit in Kozhikode (Calicut): 30 Best Tourist Places

Two days covers the city and one nature run, and a third lets you add Wayanad. For sunset, skip the crowded main beach and head to Varakkal at West Hill, where local families go.

Tourist Places in Kozhikode at a Glance

Distances are by road from Mananchira in the city centre. Timings and fees are as of September 2026 and can shift with the season. Where a place has its own TravelTriangle page with full timings or ticket details, the name links to it.

Beaches and the Malabar Coast

Kozhikode's coastline runs about 70 km, and nearly every stretch has a story attached. The city beach is for evenings. Kappad and Beypore are for history. The north coast, past Koyilandy, is quieter and good for a half-day drive.

1. Kozhikode Beach

Kozhikode Beach is the city's waterfront on the Arabian Sea, 1.5 km from Mananchira, and it fills up from about 5 pm when office crowds walk down for the sunset. Look for the stumps of two old piers that stretch into the water, the lighthouse, Lions Park for children and the row of carts selling uppilittathu (fruit pickled in salt and chilli) and fried kallummakkaya (mussels). It is a walking beach, not a swimming one. The surf is strong, and lifeguards whistle people out of the water. Pair it with SM Street and Mananchira, which are both within 1.5 km. For opening hours on festival days, see our Kozhikode Beach timings page.

2. Kappad Beach

Kappad Beach lies 16 km north of the city, and a stone pillar on the sand records that Vasco da Gama landed here in May 1498. Some historians place the actual anchorage a little further north at Pantalayini Kollam, near Koyilandy, and it is worth knowing that before you pose by the memorial. The beach itself is rocky at one end, lined with fishing boats, and far calmer than the city beach. In 2020 it became one of India's first Blue Flag certified beaches, so the certified section has clean toilets, lifeguards and bins. Entry is free, and the beach is open every day in daylight. The Kappad Beach entry fee page lists parking and activity charges.

3. Beypore Port, Uru Yard and Pulimuttu

Beypore sits where the Chaliyar river meets the sea, 11 km south of the city. It is one of the oldest ports on the Malabar coast, and Tipu Sultan briefly renamed it Sultan Pattanam. The reason to come is the Uru, a large wooden dhow that Khalasi craftsmen here still build by hand, without drawings, mostly for buyers in the Gulf. A hull can take a year or more, and you can watch the work from the yard edge. Ask before taking photos. Then walk out along the Pulimuttu breakwater, which runs well over a kilometre into the sea and is the best sunset spot south of the city. The port area is open 7 am to 8 pm. Details on the sand are on our Beypore Beach page.

4. Varakkal Beach and Devi Temple

Varakkal is a small beach at West Hill, about 4 km north of the centre, beside the Varakkal Devi Temple. Local legend counts the temple among the shrines founded by Parasurama. The beach is where Kozhikode families go when the main promenade gets packed, and its sunset over the fishing boats is the best in the city.

5. Thikkodi Lighthouse and Drive-in Beach

Thikkodi, 35 km north, is one of the few places in Kerala where you can drive a car onto firm sand, along the Kallakath stretch. The rules on vehicles change with the tides and the season, so follow what the local police and beach wardens say on the day. The lighthouse looks out to Vellayamkallu rock, where many ships have run aground over the years. Late afternoon has the best light.

6. Payyoli Beach

Payyoli is a small coastal town 37 km north of Kozhikode, and the hometown of the sprinter P.T. Usha, who made the name famous across India. The beach is long, clean and almost empty on weekdays. It combines well with Thikkodi and Kolavi on a single north-coast drive.

7. Kolavi Beach

Kolavi, near Payyoli, is a nesting beach for Olive Ridley turtles. A local conservation group at Kolavipalam guards the nests and releases hatchlings, usually between November and February. Visit with the volunteers only, and never use a torch on the sand at night.

8. Vadakara Sand Banks

At Kottakkal near Vadakara, 48 km north, the Kuttiyadi river meets the sea and leaves a wide spit of sand between river and surf. It is a quiet spot for a late-afternoon walk, and the old fort ruins and Kunjali Marakkar museum at nearby Kottakkal make the drive worth it.

Heritage, Temples and the Old City

Old Kozhikode was the capital of the Zamorins, the rulers who traded pepper with Arab, Chinese and later Portuguese ships. Most of what survives from that era sits within 2 km of Mananchira, so you can cover it on foot or by auto in a morning. For the full list of shrines, see our guides to temples in Calicut and churches in Calicut.

9. Tali Shiva Temple

The Tali Shiva Temple, a kilometre from Mananchira, dates to the 14th century and was the Zamorins' own temple. It hosted the Revathi Pattathanam, a yearly debate where scholars competed for royal honours. Look for the copper-roofed two-storey shrine, the large tank and the wood carvings under the eaves. Darshan runs 4:30 to 11 am and 5 to 8:30 pm. Men wear a mundu and remove their shirts inside, and women wear a saree, salwar or long skirt. The nearby Azhakodi Devi Temple is another old city shrine worth adding if you have time.

10. Mishkal Mosque and Kuttichira

Mishkal Mosque was built around 700 years ago by Nakhuda Mishkal, an Arab trader who owned a fleet of ships. It is four storeys of timber with sloping tiled roofs and no minaret, a style older than the domed mosques of north India. The Portuguese set fire to it in 1510, and the charred top floor was rebuilt. The mosque stands in Kuttichira, a quarter of large old tharavad homes around a pond, 2 km from the centre. It is a working mosque, so visitors dress modestly and avoid prayer times, and non-Muslim visitors are usually shown the exterior and courtyard. Ask at the gate.

11. Mananchira Square

Mananchira Square is a landscaped park around a freshwater tank that a Zamorin had dug for the royal household. It is the city's evening meeting place, ringed by the Town Hall and the public library, with lawns and an open-air stage. The park opens 3:30 to 8 pm, and SM Street is a five-minute walk away.

12. SM Street (Mittai Theruvu)

SM Street stands for Sweet Meat Street, a name the British gave it after the halwa shops that still line it. Kozhikode halwa comes in a dozen colours and is sold by the kilo, alongside banana chips, spices, textiles and electronics. The street was pedestrianised and repaved in 2017, so walking it in the evening is easy. Our shopping in Calicut guide lists what to buy and where.

13. Pazhassi Raja Museum and Krishna Menon Museum

Both museums share a campus on East Hill, 5 km from the centre. The Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum, run by the State Archaeology Department, holds megalithic burial urns, bronze idols, old coins and models of Kerala temples. Next door, the Krishna Menon Museum keeps the personal effects of the statesman V.K. Krishna Menon, and its art gallery has paintings by Raja Ravi Varma. Hours are 9 am to 5 pm (last ticket at 4:30 pm), closed on Mondays and national holidays. Entry is INR 25 for adults and INR 5 for children.

14. Kallai River and the Timber Yards

Kallai, 3 km south of the centre, was once called one of the largest timber markets in Asia, with logs floated down the river from the Wayanad forests. A handful of sawmills still work the banks. An evening walk on the Kallai bridge shows the river, the yards and the fishing canoes heading out.

15. Lokanarkavu Temple

Lokanarkavu, near Memunda about 50 km north (4 km from Vadakara), is a complex of three shrines tied to the Vadakkan Pattukal, the northern ballads about the Kalaripayattu hero Thacholi Othenan. Warriors trained here, and the temple still hosts kalari demonstrations around festival time. The carvings on the gateway and the large tank are the highlights.

16. Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village

Sargaalaya, at Iringal near Payyoli and 40 km north of the city, is a government-backed crafts village on the banks of the Moorad river. Artisans work in open huts on coir, bamboo, pottery and handloom, and you can buy directly from them. The International Crafts Festival, usually held here around December and January, brings in craftspeople from across India and abroad. There is boating on the river too.

Waterfalls, Dams and the Western Ghats

An hour east of the city the land climbs into the Western Ghats, and the best nature days from Kozhikode happen here. Most sites are run by the Forest Department or Kerala Hydel Tourism, which means fixed day hours, small fees and closures on heavy-rain days. Start early and be back on the plains before dark. Our waterfalls in Calicut and hill stations near Calicut guides go deeper.

17. Thusharagiri Waterfalls

Thusharagiri, 50 km east near Kodanchery, is three waterfalls stacked up a forested slope. The first, Erattumukku, is a short walk from the gate. The tallest, Thenpara, drops about 75 m and needs a proper uphill trek. The name means snow-capped mountain, after the white spray. Flow is strongest from June to December, and treks are safest from October. Check our Thusharagiri Waterfall timings and Thusharagiri entry fees pages before you go, because hours change with the rain.

18. Kakkayam Dam and Urakkuzhi Falls

Kakkayam is a KSEB reservoir 51 km north-east of the city, inside the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. The last stretch climbs a forest ghat road through a check-post. Kerala Hydel Tourism runs the dam site in two sessions, 9 am to 1 pm and 1:30 to 4:30 pm, with entry at INR 30 per adult and INR 15 per child. A 15-minute speed boat costs INR 1,100 for up to five people. The Forest Department's walk to Urakkuzhi falls is separate, at INR 40 per adult and INR 20 per child. See Kakkayam timings and Kakkayam entry fees for the full rate card.

19. Peruvannamuzhi Dam

Peruvannamuzhi Dam holds back the Kuttiyadi river about 60 km north-east of Kozhikode. You can take a speed boat or row boat across the reservoir, walk the Smaraka Thottam garden planted in memory of freedom fighters, and look for birds along the forest edge. Kakkayam and Janakikkad are both close enough to combine in one long day. Confirm hours on our Peruvannamuzhi Dam timings page.

20. Janakikkad Eco-tourism

Janakikkad is a patch of forest on the Kuttiyadi river at Maruthonkara, run as an eco-tourism site by the Forest Department with local guides. Walks follow the river through evergreen forest, with a chance of seeing Malabar giant squirrels and hornbills. It works best as a morning add-on to Peruvannamuzhi.

21. Kakkadampoyil

Kakkadampoyil is a hill village about 50 km east, around 700 m up, on the border with Malappuram district. The road climbs through rubber and areca plantations to cool grassy slopes and viewpoints over the plains. Homestays here make it a good overnight if you want a night of mist without driving to Wayanad.

22. Kozhippara Falls

Kozhippara Falls is 4 km from Kakkadampoyil and technically just inside Malappuram district, but almost everyone visits it from Kozhikode. The water drops in steps over rock into shallow pools. Swimming is not allowed and the rocks get slick, so stay on the marked path. It is at its best from July to December.

23. Vellarimala

Vellarimala is a ridge on the Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram border, reached from Muthappanpuzha. The full trek crosses grassland, streams and the Olichuchattam falls, and takes a full day. It needs a Forest Department permit and a local guide. Go between October and February, never alone.

24. Vayalada Viewpoint

Vayalada, near Balussery about 35 km north-east, is a rocky hilltop with a wide view across the midland villages to the sea on a clear day. Locals call it the Gavi of Kozhikode. Arrive for sunrise, then continue to Thusharagiri or Kakkayam.

Wildlife, Mangroves and Backwaters

25. Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary

Kadalundi, 19 km south, is a cluster of small islands where the Kadalundi river meets the Arabian Sea. It became Kerala's first community reserve in 2007. Over 100 resident species and around 60 migratory species have been recorded, with terns, sandpipers, plovers and gulls peaking between November and April. Hire a country boat at high tide for the mangrove channels. The sanctuary is open 8 am to 5 pm with an INR 25 entry. Details on our Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary entry fees page.

26. Sarovaram Bio Park

Sarovaram Bio Park is a mangrove wetland along the Canoli Canal near Kottooli, 3 km from the centre. A wooden boardwalk loops through the mangroves, and pedal boats run on the canal. It is open 9 am to 6:20 pm with an INR 30 entry, and boating is charged separately. See Sarovaram Bio Park entry fees and Sarovaram timings.

27. Elathur

Elathur is a fishing village 12 km north on NH 66, where the Korapuzha river widens into backwater before the sea. Kayaking through the mangroves at sunrise is the draw, and the riverside is quiet enough to sit for an hour with tea from a roadside stall.

Family and Rainy-day Picks

The monsoon brings over 3,000 mm of rain to Kozhikode, so it helps to have indoor options. These four work for children and for wet afternoons.

28. Regional Science Centre and Planetarium

The Regional Science Centre and Planetarium, opened in 1997 at Jaffer Khan Colony, has hands-on science galleries and a 250-seat planetarium with a Carl Zeiss projector. It is open daily from 10 am to 6:30 pm (ticket sales stop at 5:55 pm) and closes only for Onam and Diwali. Entry is INR 50, entry plus planetarium is INR 75, and the combo with the 3D show is INR 100. The full list is on our planetarium entry fees page.

29. Hilite Mall and Snow Fantasy

Hilite Mall, on the Thondayad bypass about 7 km from the centre, opened in April 2015 with more than 200 stores over four floors. Inside it is Snow Fantasy, a sub-zero indoor snow park with real snow for sledding and snowball fights. It is the easiest monsoon rescue for families. Check Hilite Mall timings and Snow Fantasy ticket prices before you go.

30. Focus Mall

Focus Mall on Rajaji Road, opposite the KSRTC bus stand, opened in 2007 as Kerala's first shopping mall. It is smaller than Hilite but a short walk from Mananchira, and open 10 am to 9 pm. See Focus Mall timings. Film buffs can add Crown Theatre, a city cinema that opened as a drama house in 1935.

One Day Trip Places in Kozhikode: A City Route

If you only have a day, stay in the city and on the coast. This loop covers about 25 km and needs one auto or cab for the day.

Kozhikode in 2 Days

Spend day one on the city route above. On day two, pick a direction. Go east for Thusharagiri in the morning, then Kakkayam or Peruvannamuzhi for boating, and return via Thamarassery. Or go north along the coast through Kappad, Thikkodi, Payyoli and Sargaalaya, and finish at Lokanarkavu. The east route suits nature lovers from June to December. The north coast is better from October to March.

Day Trips and Places to Visit Near Kozhikode

• Wayanad. Kalpetta is about 72 km away, roughly 2.5 hours up the Thamarassery Churam, a ghat road with nine hairpin bends and a viewpoint at the top. Our Wayanad tour from Kozhikode turns it into an overnight.

• Thusharagiri, Kakkayam and Janakikkad loop. The three sit within 30 km of each other in the foothills. Leave by 7 am.

• Kadalundi and Kozhippara. Birds at high tide in the morning, then inland to Kakkadampoyil for the falls and a cooler evening.

• North coast. Kappad, Thikkodi, Kolavi, Sargaalaya and Lokanarkavu on NH 66, back by dinner.

For longer breaks, see weekend getaways from Calicut.

Best Time to Visit Kozhikode

October to March is the best time to visit Kozhikode. Days sit around 23 to 32 °C with low humidity, the sea is calm enough for beach evenings, and Kadalundi fills with migratory birds. The monsoon, from June to September, is the time for waterfalls, but beaches get rough and forest sites can close on red-alert days. April and May are hot and sticky. Our best time to visit Kozhikode page has the full month-by-month detail.

How to Reach Kozhikode and Get Around

• By air. Calicut International Airport (CCJ) is at Karipur, about 23 km from the city, with flights from Indian metros and the Gulf.

• By train. Kozhikode railway station (CLT) sits on the main west-coast line between Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.

• By road. NH 66 runs along the coast from Kochi and Mangaluru. KSRTC buses link the city to Bengaluru and Mysuru via Wayanad.

• Getting around. Autos run on the meter in the city, and app cabs work well. Private buses reach Beypore, Kappad and Thamarassery, but buses to the forest sites are infrequent and stop short of the gates, so for Thusharagiri, Kakkayam or the north coast, hire a car for the day.

Route details are on our how to reach Kozhikode page, with separate guides from Bangalore and from Hyderabad.

What to Eat, Buy and Where to Stay

You will eat Kozhikode's food between stops rather than as a stop in itself. Order Malabar dum biryani made with short-grain kaima rice, pathiri with chicken curry, unnakaya (plantain stuffed with egg and cashew) and kallummakkaya fry. Buy halwa and banana chips on SM Street. For a food walk, Kalaripayattu shows and an Uru yard visit, see things to do in Calicut.

For hand-picked stays, see resorts in Calicut.

How We Built This List

We started from the places Kozhikode's own District Tourism Promotion Council and Kerala Tourism list, then added the ones TravelTriangle travellers ask about most. Each place was ranked by how often it features in real Kozhikode itineraries, not by how it appears in a directory. That is why three shopping malls moved from the top ten to the family section. Fees and timings are as of September 2026. The planetarium figures come from the Regional Science Centre's own rate card, and the Kakkayam rates from Kerala Hydel Tourism and the Kerala Forest Department. Where rates change often, the place links to its own page, which we update separately.

Plan Your Kozhikode Trip

• Packages. Kozhikode tour packages, a 3 nights 4 days Kozhikode tour, the Wayanad tour from Kozhikode, holidays from Calicut and all Kerala tour packages.

• Guides. The Kozhikode travel guide, things to do in Kozhikode, places to visit in Kerala and the full Kerala tourism guide.

Kozhikode rewards two unhurried days more than a rushed checklist. Start with the coast and old city, then give the Ghats a morning. When you are ready to plan, browse our Kozhikode tour packages and shape one around the places above.

Edited by TravelTriangle