India GOHow to reach Ooty and Coonoor
Ooty has no airport and no main-line railway: the last stretch is always a mountain road or the toy train. Most travellers come on a night bus from Bengaluru, about 8–8.5 hours. From the south, fly or take a train to Coimbatore, about 88 km away, and go up the ghat by bus or taxi; or ride the UNESCO-listed Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam. Coonoor is on the way up both by road and by rail.
Night sleeper from Bengaluru
The way most people actually get here: board in the evening, wake up on the Nilgiri ridge. Coimbatore adds a second, much shorter bus route from the plains.
Best option
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The rack railway from Mettupalayam is a UNESCO site and a five-hour ride rather than a transfer: 46 km, and the seats go long before the day itself.
Coimbatore airport (CJB)
The nearest airport, and the last stretch is all mountain road; plan the flight so the climb happens in daylight.
By car from the Mysuru side
The approach through Masinagudi is the famous one, with the Kalhatti ghat stacked in tight loops. Big coaches do not use it, so it is a car-only route.
In season the mountain train sells out weeks ahead, and fog with drizzle is the normal weather here year round.
Four ways up
Times and fares are approximate.
From Bengaluru: night bus
KSRTC (Karnataka state transport) runs night services with non-AC seats and AC sleepers: about 8–8.5 hours, from about ₹999 non-AC to ₹1,799 in an AC sleeper. Board in the evening and arrive in the morning. See also Bengaluru.
Fly to Coimbatore (CJB)
Coimbatore is the nearest airport, about 88 km from Ooty. A taxi straight up takes about 2.5–3.5 hours; TNSTC (Tamil Nadu state transport) buses go via Mettupalayam from about ₹80. The last stretch is all mountain road, so choose a flight that lets you climb in daylight. More: airport.
Train: Mettupalayam and the toy train
The overnight Nilgiri Express from Chennai runs to Mettupalayam, where the morning Nilgiri Mountain Railway train starts; check the connection on NTES or IRCTC. The climb is 46 km and takes about five hours, with a stop at Coonoor. Approximate fares Mettupalayam–Ooty: ₹310 in second class, ₹630 in first. From Coimbatore, frequent TNSTC buses climb to Ooty in about 3.5 hours for about ₹80–150.
By car from Mysuru
The road through Masinagudi climbs the Sigur ghat at Kalhatti in 36 hairpin bends. Big coaches do not use it, so it is a route for cars only. See also Mysuru.
The toy train: booking and what to expect
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 km metre-gauge line, opened to Coonoor in 1899 and to Ooty in 1908, and part of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site since 2005. Between Kallar and Coonoor a toothed rack rail lets the train climb gradients as steep as about one in twelve, and steam locomotives work the line up to Coonoor; from Coonoor to Ooty a diesel takes over. One through train goes up each morning and one comes down later in the day; check current times on NTES or IRCTC.
Reservations open 60 days ahead on IRCTC, and in season the through train sells out weeks ahead; first class has only about 18–20 seats. If it is full, the Coonoor–Ooty shuttles are the same-day option: about an hour through Wellington, Ketti and Lovedale, about ₹160 in second class; seats on them are easier to get. The carriages have no catering; on the way up, seats on the right face the valley for most of the climb. More: railway station.
Getting to Coonoor, and between the two towns
Coonoor is 28 km up the railway from Mettupalayam, so the through train reaches it first and makes its longest halt there. Coonoor station is about 1.5 km downhill from the bus stand. By road from Coimbatore, the ghat climbs through Coonoor before reaching Ooty. Between the two towns, 18 km apart, TNSTC buses run every 10 to 20 minutes for about ₹15–30, so staying in one and visiting the other needs no planning. For local transport, see getting around.
Before you set off
- The bends are on the Mysuru road — The famous 36 hairpins belong to the climb from Masinagudi. Coming from Coimbatore you get a different ghat with about fifteen turns, and the toy train avoids the road altogether.
- Bring a warm layer — Buses and the toy train are unheated, and nights in December and January can be frosty. Fog with drizzle is normal weather in these hills all year.
- Monsoon and May — Landslides can hit the ghat roads in July–August and October–November. In May, the peak month, the hill roads queue badly: arrive a day before anything you have booked.
FAQ
Which station is closest to Ooty?
Udagamandalam (Ooty) station itself, on the toy-train line. The nearest main-line station is Mettupalayam, 46 km away at the foot of the hills, where the Nilgiri Express from Chennai arrives and the toy train starts.
What is the nearest airport to Ooty?
Coimbatore (CJB), about 88 km away: about 2.5–3.5 hours by taxi, or a TNSTC bus via Mettupalayam from about ₹80.
How do I get from Bengaluru to Ooty?
Most people take a KSRTC night bus: about 8–8.5 hours, from about ₹999 non-AC to ₹1,799 in an AC sleeper.
How can I reach Ooty without hairpin bends?
There is no road without bends, but the Coimbatore ghat has about fifteen turns against the 36 of the Masinagudi road. The toy train from Mettupalayam avoids the road completely.
When do toy train tickets open?
Sixty days before travel, on IRCTC. The through train sells out weeks ahead in season; seats on the Coonoor–Ooty shuttles are easier to find.
How far is Coonoor from Ooty?
About 18 km. TNSTC buses run every 10 to 20 minutes for about ₹15–30, and toy-train shuttles take about an hour.
Sources (3)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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