Three days covers the town, the west and the forest. Day one is Coaker's Walk, Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves, Moir Point, Bryant Park and the lake, about 27 km. Day two is Kurinji Andavar, the observatory museum, Poombarai and Mannavanur Lake, about 73 km. Day three is the walk to Dolphin's Nose, Berijam Lake by forest permit, the Shenbaganur Museum and Silver Cascade, about 66 km.
Start at Coaker's Walk at about 08:35, while the valley below is clear. Then the forest road west of town: Green Valley View, Pillar Rocks at about 10:00 when the ticket counter has opened, Guna Caves, the Pine Forest and Moir Point by about 12:10. On the way back, Upper Lake View, then lunch in town. After lunch, the Rose Garden, Bryant Park and an hour on Kodaikanal Lake from about 15:20. About 27 km by cab, back by about 16:30. Works on any day.
A paved path about 1 km long along the edge of a steep drop on the south side of town, laid out in 1872 by a British officer, Lt Coaker. On a clear morning you look down over the plains towards Periyakulam, and there is a small telescope house halfway along.
Tip: Go early: by late morning the valley often fills with cloud. Walk it end to end and have the cab wait at the other end.
A railed viewpoint over a deep green valley, with the Vaigai dam far below on a clear day. It used to be called Suicide Point. The path in is lined with stalls selling tea, corn and homemade chocolate.
Tip: If the valley is in cloud, wait ten minutes: it often clears for a moment. Hold on to your phone at the railing.
Three tall granite pillars, about 120 m high, standing side by side across a gorge. The viewpoint is a small fenced garden run by the forest department, about 7 km from the lake.
Tip: The rocks come and go in the mist. If they are hidden, go on to Guna Caves and look again on the way back.
Deep cracks in the rock between tall pine-covered cliffs, once called the Devil's Kitchen. They took their name from the 1991 Tamil film Guna, and the 2024 film Manjummel Boys made them famous again. The caves themselves are closed: you walk a short forest path and look in from behind a railing.
Tip: The path is muddy and has roots and steps; wear shoes with grip. Stay behind the railing.
Rows of tall straight pines on a slope by the road, planted about a hundred years ago. Many Tamil and Malayalam films have been shot here. You can walk down among the trees on soft needles.
Tip: The slope is slippery after rain. The quietest part is a little way down from the road, away from the stalls.
A viewpoint at the end of the town's forest road, named after Sir Thomas Moir, who built the road on towards Berijam. A memorial stone stands by the railing, with a view west over the shola forest. The forest checkpost for Berijam Lake is here.
Tip: This is the last stop on the Pillar Rocks road; the road on to Berijam needs a forest permit.
A roadside view from the hill above town, looking down on the star-shaped lake with the town round it. It is the best place to see the whole shape of the lake.
Tip: It is a short stop on the way back from the forest road. Stalls here sell tea and hot snacks.
A big terraced garden of roses run by the state horticulture department, on the slope below the Observatory Road. Paths wind down past beds of many hundreds of varieties, with a view over the valley at the bottom.
Tip: It is steep: the walk back up is the hard part. Fewer roses are out in the monsoon.
A botanical garden on the east side of the lake, laid out in 1908 by a forest officer, H D Bryant. It has lawns, flower beds, a glasshouse and old trees, and hosts the flower show in Kodaikanal's summer festival.
Tip: The boat club is right next door, so leave the cab here and walk to the lake.
The star-shaped lake at the heart of town, made in 1863. You can hire a rowing boat, pedal boat or a boat with a boatman, and the 5 km road round the shore is good for a walk, a hired bicycle or a pony ride.
Tip: Queues for boats are long at weekends and in May. Cycling round the lake takes about 30 minutes.
The Kurinji Andavar Temple at about 08:50 for the view over the plains, then the Solar Observatory museum when it opens at 09:30. West along the Goshen road to the Poombarai village viewpoint at about 10:50, and on to Mannavanur Lake by about 12:15, with two hours by the lake and the sheep farm grassland. Eat at the small hotels in Mannavanur village or carry a packed lunch. About 73 km by cab, back in town by about 15:00, with the evening free for a walk round the lake. Works on any day; on Sundays the museum closes at 13:00, which this plan still fits.
A Murugan temple on the hill north of town, built in 1936 and named after the kurinji flower, which covers these hills in blue once every twelve years. From the temple you look out over the plains towards Palani and the Vaigai dam.
Tip: Leave your shoes at the stand by the steps. The next big kurinji bloom is expected around 2030.
The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, on the highest point of town, has watched the sun since 1899 and holds one of the longest daily records of sunspots in the world. Its small museum shows old telescopes, sun photographs and how the observatory works.
Tip: Only the museum is open to visitors, not the telescopes. It closes for lunch from 12:45 to 14:00.
A roadside view over Poombarai, a hill village of stepped vegetable terraces about 18 km west of town. Down in the village is the old Kuzhanthai Velappar temple to Murugan, a short walk from the road.
Tip: The roadside here is narrow and busy at weekends; let the driver find a safe spot to stop. Poombarai garlic is sold at the stalls.
A lake in open grassland at about 2,000 m, 35 km west of town. The grassland round it belongs to a government sheep and rabbit research farm, and the forest department runs an eco-tourism site at the lakeside with walks and a watchtower.
Tip: It is colder and windier than town, so carry a jacket. Ask at the farm office before walking into the sheep farm.
Leave at 07:30 for Vattakanal and the walk down to Dolphin's Nose, about 07:45 to 10:15, before the cloud comes up. Then through the Moir Point checkpost to Berijam Lake at about 10:50, with three hours for the lake and the forest viewpoints on the way. There is no food inside the forest, so carry lunch and eat at the lake. Back down past town to the Shenbaganur Museum after it reopens at 15:00 (about 15:30), and Silver Cascade Falls on the ghat road at about 16:15. About 66 km by cab, back by about 16:45. Not on a Tuesday: Berijam and the museum are both closed. Your driver needs the Berijam forest permit the day before.
A flat rock that juts out over a sheer drop of hundreds of metres, below the village of Vattakanal south of town. The walk down from the road takes about 30 to 45 minutes each way through forest, past the small Vattakanal falls.
Tip: The path is steep, rocky and has no railings at the end; wear proper shoes and keep children close. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours from the road and back.
A quiet reservoir deep in the forest, about 21 km west of town past Moir Point. The forest road stops at Silent Valley View, Mathikettan Shola view and the Caps Fly Valley on the way, and gaur and deer are often seen. The lake supplies water to Periyakulam in the plains.
Tip: Cars need a forest permit from the District Forest Office in Moonjikal, given out in the morning (about 08:30 to 09:30) for that day or the next; carry photo ID. The number of cars a day is capped and the road shuts if elephants are about, so ask your driver to get the permit the day before.
A natural history museum at Sacred Heart College, a Jesuit college founded in 1895, on the road down the ghat. It has hundreds of stuffed birds, animals and insects of the Palani hills, and an orchid house.
Tip: Its opening hours are short and it shuts for most of the middle of the day, so time it well. Closed on Tuesdays.
A waterfall that drops about 55 m beside the ghat road, about 7 km below town. Its water comes from the overflow of Kodaikanal Lake. Most people stop here on the drive up from Madurai or Batlagundu.
Tip: Monkeys here grab food and bags. It is busy with buses from mid-morning, and thin in the dry months.
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The hill roads are narrow and winding, and the town and the Pillar Rocks road jam at weekends, on holidays and in April to June, so allow more time. Mist can close in quickly in the afternoon and in the monsoon. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Call or message a local Kodaikanal operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
We are still listing Kodaikanal operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coaker's Walk | 07:00 to 19:00; small ticket | Early morning, before the clouds rise from the valley. | 45 min |
| Green Valley View | Open in daylight? | Morning, when the valley is clearest. | 30 min |
| Pillar Rocks | 09:00 to 16:00; forest department ticket | Morning, before the mist hides the rocks. | 30 min |
| Guna Caves | About 09:00 to 16:30; forest department ticket? | Late morning. | 40 min |
| Pine Forest | Open in daylight; free? | Late morning, when light comes through the trees. | 30 min |
| Moir Point | About 09:00 to 16:30 (some listings say 10:00 to 17:00); small ticket? | Late morning. | 30 min |
| Upper Lake View | Roadside, open in daylight? | Any time on a clear day. | 20 min |
| Rose Garden | 09:00 to 17:00; ticket, camera extra? | Morning or afternoon in the flowering months, about March to June. | 45 min |
| Bryant Park | 09:00 to 18:00; small ticket | Afternoon. In May it holds the summer flower show. | 45 min |
| Kodaikanal Lake | Lake open about 06:00 to 17:00; boats about 09:00 to 17:30? | Late afternoon, before the boats stop. | 1 h |
| Kurinji Andavar Temple | About 07:00 to 19:00 | Morning, for the view over the plains. | 30 min |
| Solar Observatory museum | 09:30 to 12:45 and 14:00 to 16:00; Sundays 09:00 to 13:00? | Morning, at 09:30 when it opens. | 1 h |
| Poombarai village viewpoint | Roadside, open in daylight; the temple about 06:00 to 19:00? | Morning, when the terraces are lit from the east. | 1 h |
| Mannavanur Lake | About 09:00 to 17:00? | Late morning to early afternoon. | 2 h |
| Dolphin's Nose | Open in daylight; free? | Early morning, before the cloud comes up. | 2 h 30 min |
| Berijam Lake | About 09:30 to 15:00, with a forest permit; closed on Tuesdays | Late morning. | 3 h |
| Shenbaganur Museum | 10:00 to 11:30 and 15:00 to 17:00; closed on Tuesdays | At 10:00 when it opens, or after 15:00. | 45 min |
| Silver Cascade Falls | Roadside, open in daylight; free | After the monsoon, about September to December. | 20 min |
Coaker's Walk, Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves and the lake
See the 1-day plan →Coaker's Walk, Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves and the lake · Kurinji Andavar, Poombarai and Mannavanur
See the 2-day plan →Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.
See all places →From the District Forest Office in Moonjikal, in town, in the morning (about 08:30 to 09:30), for that day or the next. Carry photo ID and the cab's details. The number of cars a day is capped and the road can close when elephants are about, so ask your driver to get it the day before. Berijam is closed on Tuesdays.
It is steep and rocky, about 30 to 45 minutes down from the road in Vattakanal and longer back up, and the rock at the end has no railings. Fine for most people in good shoes; skip it with small children or in rain.
It is about 14 km beyond Mannavanur on a narrow road, and the day becomes about 82 km and 8 hours. Ask your driver about the road first; the plans leave it out.
