India GO
Author's pickSpecial stays · ₹₹-₹₹₹ (~8,000-14,000 INR/night)
Tea Nest by Nature Resorts
19th-century tea-estate bungalow with rooms named after teas
Tamil Nadu · South India
Ooty & Coonoor
👥 134K combined population🏔️ 2,240m Ooty elevation🚂 UNESCO 2005 Mountain Railways of India
The twin Nilgiri hill stations of Ooty and Coonoor run on tea, eucalyptus air and faded English charm, linked by a UNESCO toy train that creaks up through the clouds. Botanical gardens, lakes and viewpoints in the classic sweater-weather escape of the south.
Stays
Where to stay in Ooty & Coonoor
10 hand-picked stays from budget to luxury, the author's picks first.
All stays in the cityBooking.comAgoda
Author's pickBudget · ₹ (~900-2,200 INR/night)
The Hosteller Ooty
Restored colonial house hostel in the hills
Mid-range · ₹₹ (~6,000-9,000 INR/night)
180 McIver
1875 colonial bungalow with a 180-degree valley panorama
Luxury · ₹₹₹ (~12,000-22,000 INR/night)
Savoy, Ooty - IHCL SeleQtions
Ooty's grand 1841 heritage hotel in six acres of gardens
Budget · ₹ (~700-1,800 INR/night)
Zostel Ooty
Social backpacker hostel near the lake with hill views
Budget · ₹ (~1,100-2,500 INR/night)
goSTOPS Ooty
Vintage bungalow hostel on Gymkhana Club Road
Mid-range · ₹₹ (~7,000-12,000 INR/night)
Gateway Coonoor - IHCL SeleQtions
Taj-group heritage hotel in a former 1857 priory
Mid-range · ₹-₹₹ (~1,500-4,000 INR/night)
YWCA Anandagiri Holiday Home
Cottages in a 1920s former brewery garden
Special stays · ₹₹ (~4,000-7,000 INR/night)
RosenHeime Cottage
Airbnb cottage with wrap-around balconies over the Nilgiris
Luxury · ₹₹₹ (~12,000-25,000 INR/night)
Fernhills Royal Palace - WelcomHeritage
1844 Maharaja of Mysore palace in 50 acres of cedar forest
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Highlights
What to see 32
Government Botanical GardenDetails →
Ooty LakeDetails →
Lovedale Railway StationA blue heritage halt in eucalyptus, the most photographed stop on the whole lineDetails →
Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Toy Train)A steam-pushed climb through sixteen tunnels, unique in India and UNESCO-listedDetails →
Ooty RacecourseOne of India's oldest hill racetracks, still running its April-to-June summer seasonDetails →
Fernhills PalaceThe only maharaja's residence in the Nilgiris, a Swiss chalet dressed in Burma teakDetails →
All Saints Church, CoonoorStained glass, an old pipe organ and 170 unbroken years of Sunday worshipDetails →
Kandal Cross ShrineA splinter of the True Cross, brought from Rome in 1939 and kept above the townDetails →
Elk Hill Murugan TempleA hilltop terrace of shrines with the whole town spread out beneath itDetails →
Government Rose GardenGreen and near-black roses among thousands of cultivars, at their peak in MayDetails →
Doddabetta PeakDetails →
Sim's Park CoonoorDetails →
Wenlock DownsThe 9th Mile shooting point: horse rides on open downs, with the eucalyptus-scented Pine Forest next doorDetails →
Catherine FallsDetails →
Ooty Municipal MarketCarrots, flowers, spices and fresh-packed tea in the lanes locals shop inDetails →
Tibetan MarketWhere to fix an underdressed evening - woollens, caps and gloves at fair pricesDetails →
Higginbothams, OotyA calm room of shelves a few steps off the market, strong on Nilgiris titlesDetails →
Ooty Chocolate FactoryDetails →
Ooty Tea Factory & Museum
St. Stephen's Church
John Sullivan Memorial (Pethakal Bungalow)Colonial photographs, documents and the Nilgiris Documentation Centre in one quiet house
Madras Regimental Centre MuseumNearly 270 years of the Indian Army's oldest regiment, in medals, uniforms and photographs
Droog Fort TrekAn hour's walk through tea estate to Tipu Sultan's ruined eyrie above the plains
Tribal Research Centre MuseumLife-size Toda and Kurumba dwellings, and the context that makes the rest of the hills legible
Dolphin's NoseA 190-degree drop over the Kotagiri valleys - go before noon, or the cloud takes it
Lamb's RockThe quieter viewpoint on the same road - forest, tea terraces and the plains far below
Avalanche & Emerald Lakes (Eco-Safari)A forest-department safari into shola and lake country the standard circuit never reaches
Pykara Lake & FallsMotorboats along shola forest edges, and gaur sometimes grazing the far bank
Ralliah Dam
Green Shop (Keystone Foundation)Wild honey and Toda embroidery bought straight from the communities that make them
Highfield Tea Estate & FactorySee Nilgiri tea made from leaf to cup, then buy it beside the field it grew in
The Nilgiri LibraryRare 19th-century books on the Nilgiris, in a reading room occupied since 1867
Everything about Ooty & Coonoor
Practical
Best time to visit ooty · Ooty weather · How to reach ooty · Ooty airport to city · Ooty railway station · How to get around ooty · Bike rental in ooty · Is ooty safe · Language spoken in ooty · Ooty trip cost · Interesting facts about ooty · Places to visit near ooty
Food
What to eat in ooty · Where to eat in ooty · Vegetarian restaurants in ooty · Best coffee shops in ooty · Breakfast places in ooty
Sights
Nature
Animals in ooty · Birds of ooty · Trees of ooty · Waterfalls near ooty · Lakes in ooty · Parks in ooty · Viewpoints in ooty
Faith
Experiences
Where to stay
Where to stay in ooty · Budget hotels in ooty · Luxury hotels in ooty · Boutique hotels in ooty
Shopping
On the map
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