Two days is the right length for Ooty. Spend day one in town at Doddabetta, the gardens and the lake, and day two in Coonoor at Sim's Park, a tea estate, Lamb's Rock and Dolphin's Nose. Both days are back by about 16:00.
Doddabetta first, before the mist, then the tea factory when it opens at 10:00 and the Botanical Garden, lunch, then the Rose Garden, the Thread Garden and a boat on Ooty Lake in the afternoon.
At 2,637 m the highest point in the Nilgiris, about 9 km from Ooty town. A telescope house at the top looks out over the hills and tea gardens, and on clear days down to the plains.
Tip: Mist often rolls in by late morning and hides the view, so make it your first stop.
A working tea factory with a small museum on the Doddabetta road. You follow Nilgiri tea leaf through withering, rolling, drying and sorting, then taste the tea at the end.
Tip: The shop sells the factory's own tea, and it makes a light gift to carry home.
Laid out in 1848 on the slopes below Doddabetta, with terraced lawns, a glasshouse of ferns and orchids, and a fossilised tree trunk said to be 20 million years old. The summer flower show is held here every May.
Tip: The garden climbs uphill from the gate. Walk to the top terrace for the best view back over the lawns.
One of the largest rose gardens in India, with thousands of varieties on terraces cut into Elk Hill, near Charing Cross.
Tip: Climb to the top terrace for the view over the town.
A hall of plants and flowers made entirely of hand-wound thread, without needles or machines, across the road from the lake.
Tip: It is next to the boat house, so see it before or after the boats.
An artificial lake built in 1824 by John Sullivan, the founder of Ooty, edged with eucalyptus. Pedal, row and motor boats go out from the boat house.
Tip: Weekend queues at the boat house can be long. Weekday afternoons are quieter.
Ketti Valley View on the way down, Sim's Park and a tea estate in Coonoor, Lamb's Rock, lunch, then Dolphin's Nose looking across to Catherine Falls.
A roadside viewpoint on the way to Coonoor, looking down a long valley of tea gardens, terraced farms and villages.
Tip: The Nilgiri toy train runs along the valley below, so look for it on the line.
A botanical garden in a ravine in Coonoor, opened in 1874 and named after J. D. Sim, with rare trees from around the world and a small lake. Coonoor's fruit show is held here every May.
Tip: Paths go down into the ravine and back up, so wear shoes with grip.
One of Coonoor's older tea factories, where a short walk through the works shows how the estate's leaf becomes tea, with cups to taste at the end.
Tip: Buy loose tea here rather than in the town shops; it is fresher.
A cliff-edge viewpoint about 8 km out of Coonoor, named after Captain Lamb who cut the path to it. It looks straight down over tea estates to the Coimbatore plains.
Tip: There is a short walk from the road to the edge, with railings at the drop.
A flat rock jutting out like a dolphin's snout about 10 km from Coonoor, with Catherine Falls across the valley and the Kotagiri hills beyond.
Tip: Small stalls at the car park sell hot tea and corn. The walk to the rock is short and steep.
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. Hill roads are slow and the town gets jammed on weekends and in May, so allow extra. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Call or message a local Ooty operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doddabetta Peak | About 08:00 to 17:30? | Early morning, before the mist comes in. | 45 min |
| Tea Factory and Tea Museum | 10:00 to 18:00 | Late morning, after Doddabetta. | 45 min |
| Government Botanical Garden | About 08:30 to 18:30? | Morning, when the lawns are quiet. | 1 h 15 min |
| Government Rose Garden | About 08:00 to 17:30? | Morning or early afternoon; roses are best from April to June. | 45 min |
| Thread Garden | About 09:00 to 18:00? | Any time; it is indoors. | 30 min |
| Ooty Lake boat ride | Boats about 09:00 to 18:00? | Late afternoon, in the softer light. | 1 h |
| Ketti Valley View | Daylight hours? | Morning, on the way to Coonoor. | 20 min |
| Sim's Park | About 09:00 to 18:00? | Morning or early afternoon. | 1 h |
| Highfield Tea Estate | About 09:00 to 17:30? | Late morning or after lunch. | 45 min |
| Lamb's Rock | About 09:00 to 17:30? | Afternoon, before the mist rises from the plains. | 40 min |
| Dolphin's Nose | 09:00 to 18:00, every day | Afternoon, on the same road as Lamb's Rock. | 40 min |
Ooty town, Doddabetta and the lake
See the 1-day plan →Ooty town, Doddabetta and the lake · Coonoor: tea country and the viewpoints · The pine forest, Shooting Spot and Pykara
See the 3-day plan →Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.
See all places →Yes. Two days covers Doddabetta, the Botanical and Rose Gardens, Ooty Lake, Sim's Park, a tea estate, Lamb's Rock and Dolphin's Nose without rushing.
About 18 km down the hill, 30 to 40 minutes by cab. Lamb's Rock and Dolphin's Nose are another 8 to 10 km beyond Coonoor.
March to June is the main season, with the flower show in May and the busiest roads. October to February is quieter and colder, with clearer views on many mornings.