Wo Ooty ki chai ki pyali, wo chai ke Baagon ki Khushbu, wo hariyali ki bahaar aur kabhi ne bhulne waali yaad.

Eng Translate: That cup of Tea from Ooty, that fragrance from the tea garden, that greenery outside, and unforgettable memory.

Ooty is as exquisite as portrayed in the line above.

In this blog, I am bringing you the queen of Hills, Ooty, and will help you to plan your memorable trip to Ooty and Coonoor with a detailed 4-Day tour guide. I will be sharing our experiences and reviews of this amazing hill station. Being a beautiful hill station, Ooty is also a Honeymoon destination of India. 

Our story of Ooty started when we were choosing where to go on a road trip from Bangalore. We decided on Ooty because a road trip from Bangalore to Ooty is marvelously full of scenic beauty and the highway is well maintained.

The original name of Ooty is Udagamandalam or Ootacamund. Ooty, the Magnificent Hills in the Awe-inspiring Nilgiris is located at the height of 2,240 meters in the state of Tamil Nadu. Ooty is around 85 kilometers from Coimbatore and 128 kilometers from Mysore. Other than tourists, agriculture (terrace farming), production of medicinal oils, and photography shooting are the main source of economy. 

Ooty was the land of tribal communities - Badaga, Toda, Kota, and Kurumba. Some of the forest and farming areas are still under these primitive tribal communities. 

Knowledge Fact: Ooty is situated in the Nilgiri hills, which means blue mountains got its name from a flower named Kurunji, which blossoms once in 12 years giving a purple-blue trace to the slopes of the hills.

Picturesque view of Ooty

How to Reach Ooty?

Ooty is a popular hill station and is very well connected to almost every part of the country. You can choose railway, roadway or airway to reach here, depending on your convenience. 

Air: If your want to arrive by flight, the nearest airport is Coimbatore, which is 88 km away from Ooty. The flight options from major places like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore are available. Once you reach Coimbatore you will get many options of taxi and cabs. You can book one and reach Ooty.

Train: Another option is by train, which is also a good option. you will get many trains from cities like Chennai, Mysore, Bangalore. The nearest railway station is Mettupalayam, which is 40 km from Ooty. You will get many taxi and local cabs option from here also.

Bus: You can reach Ooty by bus. The luxurious Volvo sleeper bus, as well as government bus, both are available to reach Ooty. You can book an overnight bus and reach here comfortably.

The best way to reach Ooty is by Road drive, which we opted for reaching Ooty. It took around 8 hours to reach after taking halts for breakfast and snacks.

Our Road Journey from Bangalore to Ooty

As expected, our road journey was incredible, offering a lot of attractions along the way. It's perfect to go with family, friends, and loved ones. 

We crossed infinite rows of coconut trees, greenery, shady peaks creating a perfect picture. We also crossed wildlife sanctuary Bandipur and Mudumalai. The forest part was amazing, we saw an elephant and a few deer while crossing. A long drive on a perfect highway (trees on both sides of the highway) with the loud music of your favorite track and a few packets of munching. And that's how we accomplished our journey. We had a typical south Indian breakfast in Kamat on the Mysore highway. We also took a few halts on our way for refreshments to drink coconut water.

Beautiful highway on our way to Ooty

If you are planning a road trip from Bangalore to Ooty, the first thing to decide is your vehicle. If you have your own car and you are good at driving then it's very good. But if you don't have your own car, you can book a car from Quick Ride or Savaari, which is a very reliable and good option. We opted for Quick Ride to book a car for 4 days with a driver and the charge was 13k  INR including fuel, toll, and an extra 100KM. This was the best deal we got after doing a lot of research. 

Tip: Another inspiration for booking a car from Bangalore is, there are no options for rental bikes or cars in Ooty. After reaching there, we had to book a cab for sightseeing and visiting places for 3 days. This will cost around 3k per day which means around 9k. And if we book train till Coimbatore, from there also we had to book a cab till Ooty, which again costs some 2k-3k. Adding all the travel expenses will cost the same as renting a car from Banglore itself. If you are traveling from Bangalore or nearby cities, opt for a road drive without any hassle and worries.

The second thing to decide is the route. There are 2 routes to reach Ooty from Bangalore. We have opted for the first route via Mysore as it is taking less time compared to another one.

Route 1 (View Map)

Bangalore -> Ramanagara -> Mysore -> Gudalur -> Ooty

Route 2 (View Map)

Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Salem -> Coonoor -> Ooty

When to visit Ooty?

This is the most important question while planning a trip to any place. Climate plays a major role in deciding how you are enjoying your vacation. I know sometimes there are sudden plans of the trip and those are the ones that actually work out. Luckily Ooty always has something to offer in almost every season of the year.

Summer in Ooty: March to June - Summer is a very good time to visit Ooty. Although the climate is hotter during the daytime especially in the afternoon. The average temperature goes to 25 degrees celsius. But the mornings and evenings are chills with a mild cold. You need to carry jackets with you anytime you visit Ooty.

Winter in Ooty: November to February - The chilling cold, foggy hills and the shining sun in the noon. This is probably is the best time to visit Ooty. The morning and night will the coldest but I am sure you will enjoy this winter. Hot tea or coffee in the chilling and misty morning is the best combination. We visited Ooty in the month of December, although we expected less sunny during peak winter. 

There were lots of tourists and it was a full rush during this season, maybe because of the winter vacation for children and the wedding season, as the place is perfect for winter holidays as well as for the honeymoon for couples.

Tip: Carry thermals and winter wear. For the ladies, you can purchase a poncho from Ooty. They were kind of available everywhere in the Ooty market and are wool knitted. I brought one.

Monsoon in Ooty: July to October - Monsoon is not exactly the best time to visit Ooty as you will not be able to cover many spots. The hills would be slippery and of course dangerous to travel. But if you just want to enjoy nature and be surrounded by greenery and colored flowers, you can plan your trip. You can plan your trip in the early monsoon if you want to.

Ooty in Winters

What is the mode of Transport in Ooty?

As soon as you reach Ooty, your first concern is how to travel and visit spots. If you are going Ooty in the car then you don't have to worry. But if you going by train or flight or bus, you have to book a cab or taxi for 3-days. As I mentioned earlier, there is no rental bikes or car available in Ooty.

You will find many options of cabs and taxis in Ooty, near railway station or bus station or airport. Also, you can pre-book a cab for yourself online. Or you can book with the help of your hotel, they generally have the options.

Another option is to use public transport, but this will not be so comfortable. Because traveling on the hill is hectic and tiring. You may feel anxiety due to the height and turnings while climbing up and down.

Where to stay in Ooty?

You will find many options in Ooty to stay. There are lots of hotels and resorts available from higher range to lower range.

We booked our stay in Deccan Park Resort which is a very decent property in our budget. The resort was good and well maintained and they maintain good hygiene in rooms. They only serve vegetarian food which might concern non-veg food lovers. In complimentary breakfast mostly it's south Indian cuisines and in dinner its buffet which is chargeable about 500 per person.  

Pre-book your hotel before visiting because being a hill station and tourist spot, there is always a rush in Ooty.

Deccan Park Resort in Ooty

3 Day Itinerary for Ooty Trip

Day 1: Reach Ooty hotel--> Relax in Hotel -> Rose Garden

Day 2: Ooty Lake --> Coonoor --> Dolphin's nose point --> Lamb Rock --> Lunch  --> Tea estate photography.

Day 3: Ooty Tea Factory --> Pine Forest --> Pykara waterfall --> Pykara Lake boating --> Wenlock Downs Shooting Point

Day 4: Check out 

Day 1 Itinerary

After reaching our hotel in the afternoon, we took some rest and relaxed a bit. The weather was chilly with a cold breeze. We had hot tea and hot onion pakoras in our resort. Then we planned to visit the Rose garden because we still had time.

• Rose Garden

Located at the center of the city, this garden is one of the largest Rose gardens in India. The Rose garden was earlier known as Jayalalithaa Rose garden. The garden is located in Vijayanagaram town in Ooty on the slopes of Elk Hill and was launched in 1995.

The Rose garden is extremely beautiful with colorful rose plants arranged in curving terraces. The tropical climate of Ooty gives ideal and appropriate weather for Rose gardening. The garden looks stunning during the time of Rose flowering, expanded in an area of 10 acres. The garden has one of the largest collections of Rose varieties in Asia including Hybride tea roses, miniature roses, black and green roses, gathered from different places of the World. You will be delighted to see the varieties of colorful roses. 

There were around 1900 roses earlier, which is now reached up to more than 20,000 varieties of roses. The garden is maintained by the government authorities. 

We spent our first evening in Ooty in this superb Rose garden and finally, came back to the resort. Had dinner in the resort itself.

Entry Fees

Rs. 30 for Adults
Rs. 15 for Children
Rs. 50 for Still Camera
Rs. 100 for Video Camera

Timings: 7.30 AM to 6.30 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: The Rose garden was really good. We enjoyed seeing the rows of roses. 

The rating according to us is 8 out of 10.

Day 2 Itinerary

The next day we chose to go on a boat riding in Ooty Lake. Ooty was crowded with lots of visitors, so we left early to avoid the rush.

• Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake, also famous by the name Boat House is an artificial lake constructed in 1824. The purpose of building this lake was to do fishing. Its located in the Nilgiris district, around 1km from Ooty Railway station.

Ooty lake is extremely famous and is the center of attraction for tourists especially for boating facilities like Motorboating, Paddle boating. The lake is surrounded by greenery, bushes, and eucalyptus trees forming a stunning picturesque. The gorgeous scenery of Ooty can be seen while boating in Ooty Lake, offering a treat to photographers and nature lovers. Through one side of the lake, you can see the train running along the mountain, forming the most attractive and beautiful view. 

Once you enter the premises, you will see many woolen shops, many shops of eucalyptus oil (Nilgiri oil), Ooty chocolates, tea, and coffee. There is a different section of kids gaming, entertainment, and fun making the place lively. 

We extremely enjoyed boat riding. I want to share a small incident that happened with us. While we were waiting in the queue to get the ticket for boat riding, there was this family of 8 members and they had a ticket for a 10 seater motorboat. Out of nowhere one guy from that family came and asked, if you want you can come with us, we have 2 seats extra. We were happy to go with them as it saved us at least one hour's time. They were so humble, we kept talking while boating, they didn't even take the amount from us even after forcing.

I suddenly felt, the world is full of humble people, we just have to look around. "Being kind, generous, and humble is the real beauty."

Entry Fee

Rs. 15 per person          -        Indian nationality
Rs. 560 per person        -        Foreigners
Rs. 30                            -        Still camera
Rs. 150                          -        Video camera

Boating Fee

Rs 240                           -       2-seater paddle boat for 30 min
Rs 260                           -       4-seater paddle boat for 30 min 
Rs 250                           -       4-seater rowboat for 30 min
Rs 290                           -       6-seater rowboat for 30 min 
Rs 560                           -       8-seater motorboat for 20 min
Rs 680                           -       10-seater motorboat for 20 min
Rs 990                           -       15-seater motorboat for 20 min 

Timing: 9 AM to 6 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: We totally enjoyed our time in Ooty Lake. The boating experience was good.  

The rating of the place according to us is 8 out of 10

Boating in Ooty Lake

After boat riding, we left for Coonoor. You can also catch an Ooty Toy Train from Ooty to Coonoor, a mesmerizing journey from the mid of lush green tea estates, thick eucalyptus forests, and soaring mountains. The train will take 3 hours to reach Coonoor. We were short of time as we wanted to cover the whole of Coonoor in a day, also we had a car with us, so we went by car. But you can definitely enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime trip to Ooty Toy Train.

• Coonoor

Coonoor is also a hill station situated in Nilgiri hills and is very famous for Tea estates. Like Ooty, Coonoor is also surrounded by lush greenery everywhere giving a stunning view. After Ooty, Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiris. 

We had a drive from Ooty to Coonoor and it was as beautiful as expected. As we entered Coonoor, we could see the view of tea plantation everywhere, the aroma of the tea was so attractive, pushing me to have a cup of tea. We directly reached a very famous spot Dolphin's nose.

Beautiful tea garden in Coonoor

• Dolphin's Nose

Dolphin's Nose is around 12 kilometers from Coonoor and is at an altitude of 1550 meters above sea level, making a perfect viewpoint to oversee the amazing beauty of nature. To witness the panoramic view of peaks and the lush green tea estates from the top, this romantic spot gets a lot of visitors every year.  This is a perfect place to see nature's beauty with a  breathtaking view of a waterfall, Catherine waterfalls. This would be a dreamy experience for the visitors.

When we reached, the place was a bit crowded, there were many shops, maggie serving shops, lemon juice, corn chaat, and many more before the entry gate of Dolphin's Nose. We took the ticket from the counter and as we enter, we witnessed the spectacular view of the whole of Coonoor, the hills, and the tea estates. We took lots of photographs, spent some time here and left for the next destination.

Entry Fees

Rs. 15 per person

RS. 20 for still camera
Rs. 50 for video camera

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: The overall experience was good. But the place was really crowded and it got sunny in the afternoon so we covered the spot quickly and came back to the car. If the climate would be better, we could have stayed a bit longer and enjoyed hot maggie there. 

The rating from us 7 out of 10.

View from Dolphin's Nose in Coonoor

• Lamb's Rock

Lamb's Rock is one of the most admirable spots especially to witness sunrise and sunset. You will experience the cold breeze surrounded by lush greenery, forming a perfect romantic set up by the nature itself. The fascinating view of the surrounding valleys and the calmness is something which attracts a lot of tourists to visit this place. Lamb's Rock is around 7 kilometers from the center of Coonoor and it's on the way to Dolphin's nose.

We enjoyed our moment here, took lots of photographs, witnessed a mind-blowing view of the tea estate.

Entry Fees

Rs. 10 per person
RS. 20 for still camera
Rs. 50 for video camera

Timings: 8.30 AM to 6.30 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: Honestly, I had fun in Lamb's Rock, it's a great place to view the exquisite Coonoor. As I mentioned, though we visited Ooty in peak winters, the noon was very sunny and hot. We could have enjoyed it more if the climate was more feasible. 

The rating from us is 7 out of 10.

Incredible view from Lamb's Rock in Coonoor

• Lunch

Post our visit to Lamb's Rock, we were hungry and it was lunchtime. While coming out of Lamb's Rock, we saw a running restaurant, made of bamboo, wood, and a hut-styled design. It was crowded and was very reasonable in terms of price. 

We had our lunch here. You will definitely notice this place, we couldn't find the name of this restaurant but one unique thing I observed, it was completely run by ladies. The food was very good, we were very satisfied.

• Tea Estate Shopping and Photography

Once we did our lunch, we had some time left for shopping and photography. There was an oil factory while coming out of Lamb's Rock towards Coonoor. We stopped there, had a small tour of the oil factory, the guy there explained to us how they extract different varieties of oil used for different purposes from the eucalyptus tree, famously known as 'Nilgiri ka tel' in India. We purchased a lot of things, Nilgiri oil for our Moms as they are very effective to reduce knee pain, I took some beauty products, face oil, sandal powder, spices, etc. 

Exclusive shop to buy handmade Nilgiri oil and Spices in Coonoor

Then we stopped to click some memorable photos on the way. We relished the greenery and the scenic beauty of Coonoor. It was an awesome experience and it was worth visiting the place. 

We moved back to Ooty from Coonoor and reached our Resort before night.

Day 3 Itinerary

This was our last day in Ooty. We decided to visit the Ooty Tea Factory and try the yummiest tea ever.

• Ooty Tea Factory

The Tea Factory is situated amid the cliffs of Nilgiri, at the height of 1840 meters, and is expanded in the area of around one acre. This is a tea museum, visited by many visitors to learn the origin of Tea, how the tea is extracted from the tea leaves, what are the different steps and much more. 

They provide an outstanding tour of the tea factory and in the end, we get to taste a cup of hot tea, which was very satisfying. There was an open shopping area to buy tea powder, they had varieties of options in tea. Each person will guide each visitor to help them buy the tea which they like. We purchased three different flavors of tea, along with coffee.

Also, we visited the chocolate section, just beside tea. They showed us how they prepare chocolates from the cocoa. We purchased varieties of chocolates from here. As we all know Ooty chocolates are quite famous, I couldn't miss buying most of the flavors. 

I will be posting a complete tour and emerging story of Tea in a separate blog. Do visit, the story behind tea will definitely amuse you.

Entry Fees: Rs. 20 per person

Timings: 9 AM to 6.30 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: A very knowledgeable and fascinating place to visit, plus you can purchase varieties of quality tea. 

The rating from us is 8 out of 10. 

Ooty Tea Factory Museum

• Pine Tree Forest

Our next stop was Pine Tree Forest, the best place to oversee the vast landscape of Nilgiri cliffs and the unique collection of tall and magnificent pine trees. This is an outstanding spot for nature lovers with soaring tall pine trees, sensational scenes, and pleasant surroundings. Creating a charming view, the spot is filmed in many Bollywood as well as Tollywood movies. 

The Pine trees are planted close to each other in an arranged pattern, with a height up to 80 meters. The age of the pine trees is even 1000-4000 years old. The view is just outstanding. Once you enter inside the pine tree forest, moving further, you will oversee the sandy Nulla Lake, forming an incredible view. 

Entry Fees

Rs. 5 per person
Rs. 30 for still camera

Timings: 8 AM to 6 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: An amazing spot and the best place to spend quality time with friends and family. 

The rating from us is 8 out of 10

Pine Tree Forest in Ooty

• Pykara Waterfall and Boating

We moved further to the next destination, Pykara Waterfall, which is one of the most beautiful and exquisite, originating from Mukurthi Peak. Pykara is located around 20 kilometers from Ooty towards the Mysore. The waterfall is very attractive and captivating with water falling downwards through different streams. 

After taking a ticket from the counter, you need to walk at least 1-1.5 kilometers. You will get amazing spots to click photographs while walking towards the waterfall.

Route to reach Pykara waterfall in Ooty

Pykara Lake offers an amazing boating tour. The view is just amazing. The place was very crowded when we reached and there was a long queue for the boating ticket, so we dropped the plan to go on boating. Though we clicked amazing photos and could imagine the beauty of Ooty via boat.

It is advisable to not visit the waterfalls and lake in the monsoon as the water level would be high and the intensity of water would also be high.

Entry Fees

Rs. 30 per person
Rs. 50 for Still Camera
Rs. 80 for Video Camera

Timings: 8.30AM to 5 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: A good place to visit and witness an impressive waterfall.  

The rating from us for Pykara waterfall is 8 out of 10 

Amazing view of Pykara Lake in Ooty

• Lunch

After an excellent waterfall visit, we took a break and stopped for lunch. There were many shops and small places to eat maggie, fruit plate, and complete lunch thali. We selected the finest place to eat among all and had our lunch which was a bit spicy for us. 

• Wenlock Downs (Shooting Points 6th Mile, 9th Mile)

The vast and never-ending stretch of lush greenery, how far you walk, you only find the grassland, this is nothing but the Wenlock Downs of Ooty. A breathtaking view of grassland which ends in the eucalyptus forest. 

Wenlock is settled in almost 80 acres of land, giving a wonderful site to walk, a perfect place for a small picnic with friends and family. This is a must-visit place and a lifetime experience in Ooty. Even you have seen this place in many Bollywood movies like Kuch Kuch Hota hai and many more. 

Wenlock Downs is also known as the Shooting point which covers both 6th Mile and 9th Mile shooting spots. The view itself is so attractive and relaxing. You can do Horse riding here.

We were so tired when we reached here, but the view we witnessed took away all the drowsiness and we evolved so energetic and lively. 

Entry Fees

Rs. 10 per person
Rs. 30 for Still Camera
Rs. 50 for Video Camera

Timings: 8.30AM to 6 PM - All day of the week.

Honest Review: It a definitely a must-visit place with an awesome sunset view that we witnessed.  

The rating from us is 9 out of 10

This was the end of Day 3 and finally, we came back to our Resort.

Picture perfect landscapes in Wenlock Downs in Ooty