The commercial hub of Kerala, this centrally located district of Kerala is considered as the gateway to Kerala for travelers and tourists coming to Kerala. A cosmopolitan city in comparison to other cities of Kerala, Ernakulam has a well-developed port and an international airport. Kochi in Ernakulam is referred to as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea' and has in store for visitors some heritage sites as well as historic ones with a landscape crisscrossed by backwaters, which meet the Arabian Sea at various points.
Marine drive, Bolgatty Palace, Hill Palace Museum at Tripunithura and Thrikkakkara temple are some of the important places in Ernakulam. The Ernakulathappan temple here is also very famous. Chottanikkara Devi Temple and Trippunithura Poornathrayeesa Temple are the other two temples of interest to the devotees. Bastion Bunglow, Bhoothathankettu, Cherai Beach, Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Kodanad, Malayattoor, Santa Cruz Bascillica, Willingdon Island, and Parikshit Thampuran Museum are some other places of interest in Ernakulam district.
Ernakulam is well connected by air, rail, water and road. Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery is near to Ernakulam. There are 2 Railway Stations at Ernakulam itself which caters to the people who visit the place. Transportation to all the major places in Kerala and to a few of the cities in the neighbouring states of Tamilnadu and Karnataka are also available by road. Water transport is by means of service boats to the islands in Kochi and also to Alappuzha and Kottayam.