Kodaikanal Travel Guide
Plan your visit to Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu: the best time to go, how to reach, what to see, and practical, current tips from the Way to India Travel Desk.
When to visit Kodaikanal, and the mist
Kodaikanal is pleasant for most of the year, coolest and clearest in the summer (about April to June) as an escape from the plains. The thing to plan around is the daily mist, which hides the views by mid-morning.
- April to June: the cool summer escapeThe most popular time, pleasantly cool (around 20 to 25 degrees by day) while the plains swelter. Ideal for the lake, the walks and the viewpoints, though it is the busiest season.
- September to March: clear and crispAlso lovely, with clear post-monsoon air and cold, misty mornings. The winter evenings are chilly, so carry warm layers.
- The monsoon and the KurinjiThe monsoon (around June to September, with later north-east rains) brings heavy mist and rain and slippery roads, beautiful but limiting. And once every twelve years the Neelakurinji turns the hills blue (next expected around 2030), a rare event to time a visit around.
The mist usually rolls in by about 10 am and can hide Coaker's Walk, Pillar Rocks and the valley views completely. Do the viewpoints early in the morning for the clear vistas, and keep the misty afternoons for the lake, the shops and the cafes.
How to reach Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal is reached up a scenic ghat road, most easily from Madurai, and pairs naturally with a Madurai temple trip.
- By air and road via MaduraiThe nearest airport is Madurai, about 120 km away, roughly a 3 to 3.5 hour drive up the Laws Ghat road. The ghat is scenic but winding and slow, so allow time and start early. Coimbatore is the other gateway.
- By train to Kodai RoadThe nearest railway station is Kodai Road, about 80 km from town, with a taxi or bus up the hill from there. Trains reach Kodai Road from Chennai, Madurai and beyond.
- Pair it with MaduraiKodaikanal is the perfect cool escape after the heat of a Madurai temple visit, an easy pairing for a Tamil Nadu trip. We arrange a car and driver for the ghat road.
Fly into Madurai (via Chennai) or Chennai, then drive up to Kodaikanal, ideally after the Madurai temples. A cool, green counterpoint to the temple trail.
Fly into Madurai or Chennai and drive up. Kodaikanal is the easy hill escape on a southern Tamil Nadu trip.
Drive or train via Madurai or Kodai Road from Chennai, Bengaluru and across the south; the ghat road is the scenic last stretch.
The lake, the walks and the viewpoints
Kodaikanal's heart is its star-shaped lake, and around it a string of cliff-edge walks and valley viewpoints, best seen before the mist.
- Kodai LakeThe star-shaped lake at the centre of town, free to walk or cycle around, with pedal boats to hire (about 60 to 140 rupees for a two to four seater for half an hour, or a longer shikara ride around 400 rupees). Lovely in the cool morning and a gentle highlight for everyone.
- Coaker's WalkA paved one-kilometre promenade along the cliff edge, with sweeping valley views (all the way to Madurai on a clear day). Come early before the mist; there is a small entry fee.
- Pillar Rocks and Green Valley ViewThree giant granite columns rising hundreds of feet, often half-veiled in mist, and the nearby Green Valley View over a sheer drop. Spectacular early, hidden by mid-morning mist.
- Bryant Park and Silver CascadeThe landscaped Bryant Park beside the lake, and the Silver Cascade waterfall on the road up (at its fullest in the monsoon), round out the easy sights.
Plan the cliff-edge viewpoints for early morning before the mist, and the lake, the parks, the chocolate shops and the cafes for the misty afternoon. The signature section ties the lake and the walks together, and covers the Berijam permit.
The lake, the walks and Berijam
Kodaikanal rewards a gentle rhythm: the viewpoints at dawn, the lake and town through the day, and, for the keen, a permit trip into the forest at Berijam.
- Dawn at the viewpointsStart at Coaker's Walk or Pillar Rocks at first light for the clear valley views before the mist. It is the single best decision you make in Kodaikanal.
- The lake at its own paceWalk or cycle the star-shaped lake, hire a pedal boat (about 60 to 140 rupees for half an hour), and let the day unfold gently around it. The lakeside is the calm centre of a Kodai visit.
- Berijam Lake, by permitFor the pristine forest lake at Berijam, you need a Forest Department permit, obtained in person at the Kodaikanal forest office (near Moonjikal) before about 8:30 am. Only a limited daily quota of vehicles is allowed (commonly around 30 to 50), at about 200 rupees for a car and 300 for a van (two-wheelers are not allowed); carry photo ID, and exit the forest by Moir Point by about 3:30 pm. Go early or you will miss the quota.
- The walks below townBelow Kodaikanal, the Dolphin's Nose viewpoint and the laid-back Vattakanal (with its little waterfalls) are a lovely half-day's gentle walking for those with the legs for it.
Chocolate, cheese and the cool hills
Beyond the views, Kodaikanal is a town of small pleasures: homemade chocolate, hand-made cheese, and gentle walks in cool, scented air.
- Buy the homemade chocolateKodaikanal's homemade chocolate is famous, and the little shops also sell eucalyptus oil, hand-made cheese, home-made plums and jams. A tasty, characterful bit of shopping.
- Walk the Pine Forest and Bear SholaThe atmospheric Pine Forest and the Bear Shola Falls are easy, pretty walks in the cool air, lovely in the morning light.
- A gentle Vattakanal morningThe little hamlet of Vattakanal, below town, with its streams and viewpoints, is a relaxed, green half-day, popular with younger travellers.
- Warm up with the foodThe cool weather suits the town's cafes and the warming South Indian food; eat at busy, clean places and drink bottled or filtered water, and carry a warm layer for the cold evenings.
Mistakes to avoid in Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal is gentle and easy, but a little planning saves the views and the day.
- Do not leave the viewpoints for late morningThe mist hides Coaker's Walk and Pillar Rocks by about 10 am. Do the cliff-edge views at dawn, and the lake and town later.
- Do not turn up at Berijam without a permitBerijam needs a same-morning Forest Department permit with a small daily vehicle quota. Reach the forest office before about 8:30 am with photo ID, or you will not get in.
- Do not rush the ghat road in the mist or rainThe winding ghat is slow and can be foggy, especially in the monsoon. Allow plenty of time, drive carefully, and do not plan a tight evening departure.
- Do not bring single-use plasticKodaikanal restricts single-use plastic; carry a reusable bottle and bag, and keep the hills clean.
Kodaikanal for every kind of traveller
Kodaikanal suits very different visitors. Here is what it offers you, and the one tip that matters for each.
- Couples and honeymoonersMisty walks, a boat on the lake, and cosy cafes make Kodaikanal quietly romantic. A dawn at Coaker's Walk and a lakeside evening are the moments to plan.
- Families with childrenEasy and fun, with the lake boats and cycles, the parks and the chocolate shops. The walks are gentle, just keep children warm in the cold evenings.
- Senior travellersVery comfortable: no high-altitude difficulty, gentle walks, an easy lake, and short drives. Do the viewpoints early, take the cold evenings with warm layers, and skip the steeper hikes if you prefer.
- Trekkers and nature loversThe Berijam permit trip, the Dolphin's Nose and Vattakanal walks, and the Pine Forest reward the active. Get the permit early and carry water and a layer.
- PhotographersThe misty Pillar Rocks, the lake at dawn, the valley from Coaker's Walk, and the blue Kurinji in its rare year. Early light, before the mist, is everything.
- Budget travellersThe lake and the walks are free or cheap, the bus from Madurai is inexpensive, and the town has plenty of budget stays and food. A kind hill station on the wallet.
Planning Kodaikanal from abroad
Kodaikanal is the cool, green hill escape that pairs beautifully with a hot-weather Tamil Nadu temple trip, gentle and comfortable for overseas and NRI travellers.
- Pair it with MaduraiFly into Madurai (via Chennai), see the temple, then drive up to Kodaikanal (about 120 km, 3 to 3.5 hours) for the cool hills. The perfect counterpoint to the heat of the plains.
- Beat the mist, mind the permitDo the viewpoints at dawn before the mist, and if you want Berijam Lake, get the forest permit in person before about 8:30 am with photo ID, within the daily vehicle quota.
- Pack for the coolEven in summer the evenings are cold, so bring warm layers. The town is small and walkable, with homemade chocolate and cheese to take home.
- Gentle and senior-friendlyWith no high-altitude difficulty, gentle walks and an easy lake, Kodaikanal suits parents and grandparents. Do the views early, keep the pace relaxed, and use a car for the ghat road and the viewpoints.
Tour packages that visit Kodaikanal
Every journey below is private, hand-crafted and fully customizable. Tell us your dates and we tailor the itinerary, the pace and the priests or guides around you.
6D / 5NBangalore Mysore Ooty Kodaikanal Tour Package
- Visit Famous Brindavan Garden
- Visit Bandipur National Park
5D / 4NOoty Kodaikanal Tour Package
- Visit Explore the Scenic Beauty of Ooty Hills
- Visit Most Popular Hills Station of the South India
4D / 3NKodaikanal Tour
- Green Valley View/Suicide Point
- Dolphin’s Nose
4D / 3NKodaikanal Holidays
- Visit Coakers Walk, Green Valley View
- Visit Bear Shola Falls, Kurunji Temple
8D / 7NMunnar Ooty Kodaikanal Tour Package
- Visit Doddabetta Peak trek
- Visit Tea Gardens
5D / 4NSouth India Hill Station Tour
- Visit Meenakshiamman Temple
- Visit Eravikulam National Park
8D / 7NOoty Kodaikanal Munnar Tour Package
- Visit Ooty Lake & Doddabetta Peak
- Green Valley View