Places to visit in Munnar

The town stands where three mountain streams meet, the Mudrapuzha, the Nallathanni and the Kundala, in Idukki district on the Tamil Nadu border. It was a summer resort for the British in South India, and tea gave it its look: J.D. Munro leased the Kannan Devan Hills in 1877, and after trials with other crops the first tea went in at Parvathy estate in 1880. About 24,000 hectares of plantations now cover the slopes, most of them run by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP), a company owned largely by its workers. More on the history page.

The town itself, about 32,000 people, is a busy bazaar around a bus stand; the sights lie outside it. Malayalam and Tamil are both spoken, and English is enough in tourist places.

North, towards Marayoor

• Eravikulam National Park: the Rajamala tourism zone, about 13 km from town, where the Nilgiri tahr, a wild mountain goat found only in the southern Western Ghats, grazes a few metres from the path. Entry runs 8:00 to 14:00, and the zone closes every February and March for the calving season. Anamudi, South India's highest peak at 2,695 m, rises inside the park but is closed to climbers.

In and around town

• Tata Tea Museum: estate history and tastings, about 2 km from town. Closed on Mondays.
• Munnar Main Bazaar: spices, oils, tea and homemade chocolate by the bus stand; quality varies.

East, the Top Station road

• Mattupetty Dam, about 13 km out, then Echo Point and Kundala Lake, with tea down to the water and shikara boats until 16:30.
• Top Station: a cliff edge at about 1,700 m on the Tamil Nadu border, 32 km from town, once the top of the Kundala Valley tea railway. Come before 7:00: mist usually takes the view by late morning.

South and southeast

• Attukad Waterfalls: a cascade under a wooden footbridge 8–9 km out, at its fullest from June to September.
• Kolukkumalai Tea Estate: often cited as the world's highest tea plantation, at about 2,200 m; licensed jeeps from Suryanelli only, sunrise runs at around 4:00 to 4:30.

Evenings and walks

• Punarjani Traditional Village: Kathakali at 17:00 (make-up from about 16:00) and Kalaripayattu at 18:00, about ₹200–500 a seat.
• Meesapulimala (2,640 m), only on a guided trek by the state forest corporation, and Letchmi Hills, a guided sunrise walk from 3 km out of town.

• Marayoor: about 40 km north, with dolmens up to 2,000 years old, Kerala's only natural sandalwood forest and cane jaggery, with the apple and plum orchards of Kanthalloor next door.
• Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary: dry thorn forest in the rain shadow, 55–60 km and about two hours away, with grizzled giant squirrels and a guided trek to Thoovanam Falls; it stays dry in the monsoon.
• Vattavada and Pampadum Shola: past Top Station, Kerala's smallest national park, entered only with forest staff, and a village of vegetable and strawberry farms.
• Anayirankal Reservoir: tea down to the water beyond Chinnakanal, 22–28 km out; elephants drink here at dawn and dusk.

More routes on the day trips page.

One day is tight: the road up from Kochi alone takes about four hours each way. Choose one direction: Eravikulam in the morning or the Top Station road.

Two days: Eravikulam in the morning (entry closes at 14:00), the Tea Museum and the bazaar in the afternoon, Kathakali at Punarjani in the evening. On day two, Top Station early, then back past Kundala Lake, Echo Point and Mattupetty.

Three days or more: add a Kolukkumalai sunrise by jeep, a day to Marayoor and Chinnar, or the Meesapulimala trek. Day-by-day plans are on the how many days and itinerary pages.

At 1,600 m Munnar is cool all year, with days of 21–26°C. December to February is the clearest stretch: about 30 mm of rain in January and February (about 100 mm in December), nights down to 13–14°C, so pack a warm layer. March to May are the warmest months, with rain building from April. June to August is the monsoon, 320–430 mm a month, with landslides and full waterfalls. September to November are green but wet, October most of all at about 340 mm.

The neelakurinji turns the slopes blue once every twelve years, but the populations around Eravikulam and around Mattupetty and Meesapulimala bloom in different years, so ask locally. See also weather and best time to visit.

From Kochi by bus: KSRTC buses from Ernakulam: 130 km, about 4 to 4.5 hours, about ₹130–190. Departures run from around 2:00 to 10:20.

By taxi from Kochi airport (COK): about 110 km of hill road, 3.5 to 4.5 hours, about ₹2,500–4,000; easiest with luggage or children.

By train: no trains run to Munnar. The nearest stations are Aluva and Angamaly, then about four hours by road. See the railway station page.

Around Munnar: the sights on each road are too far apart to walk. A car with driver costs about ₹1,500–3,000 a day, a rickshaw about ₹1,000–1,500. Local buses are rare, and scooters suit only riders used to hill roads. More on getting around, bike rental and how to get there.