One day covers Vagamon if you start at 08:30: the walk up Kurisumala while it is cool, Vagamon Lake, Thangal Para before lunch, then the meadows and the pine forest at Kolahalamedu in the afternoon. It is about 29 km by cab, back by about 16:30, and works on any day of the week.
5 places29 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1
Kurisumala, the lake and Kolahalamedu
Kurisumala first, while the hillside is cool: the walk up the Stations of the Cross and the ashram at its foot. Then Vagamon Lake, Thangal Para before lunch, and the meadows and the pine forest at Kolahalamedu in the afternoon. About 29 km by cab, back by about 16:30.
08:30 to 16:255 places29 km by cab
1Kurisumala
2Vagamon Lake
3Thangal Para
Lunch
4Vagamon Meadows
5Vagamon Pine Forest
Back
★
Leave Vagamon bus stand
4.2 km · 12 min by cab
1
Kurisumala
1 h 40 min here
The Christian hill of Vagamon's three pilgrim hills, about 3 km west of the bus stand. A path with the fourteen Stations of the Cross climbs the grassy slope to a small church at the top, with views over the Meenachil valley. Kurisumala Ashram, a Cistercian monastery with its own dairy farm, sits at the foot of the hill.
Pilgrim hillsThe hill shrine is open about 04:00 to 20:30; the ashram takes visitors about 06:00 to 18:00
Tip: Allow about an hour up and back on foot, in shoes with grip. The ashram is a place of prayer: keep quiet, and note that its dairy farm is open only to guests who stay. In Lent, Fridays bring large walking pilgrimages.
4.4 km · 13 min by cab
2
Vagamon Lake
45 min here
A small lake beside the town in tea country, with pedal boats and rowing boats for hire. It is the easiest stop in Vagamon, a few minutes from the bus stand.
BoatingBoating about 09:00 to 17:00; stops in heavy rain
Tip: Boats are hired by the half hour. Boating stops in heavy rain.
6.3 km · 9 min by cab
3
Thangal Para
1 h 15 min here
The Muslim hill of Vagamon's three pilgrim hills, on the Elappara road at Kolahalamedu. A huge round boulder sits on the hilltop beside the tomb of Sheikh Fariduddin, a Sufi saint believed to have come from Afghanistan about 800 years ago, and the grassy ridge looks out over the valleys. The Uroos festival each April draws thousands.
Pilgrim hillsOpen hillside, in daylight?
Tip: The cab stops partway; the last stretch is a walk up the grass, steep in places. Dress modestly near the shrine.
Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
2.8 km · 4 min by cab
4
Vagamon Meadows
1 h 15 min here
Rolling hills of short grass at Kolahalamedu, also called Mottakunnu, the bare hills: the view most photos of Vagamon show. Paths run over the humps of the hills, and the slopes drop away to the valleys on every side.
Meadows & forestAbout 08:30 to 17:00; ticketed by DTPC?
Tip: There is a small DTPC entry fee and a camera charge. The grass gets slippery after rain; mist can close in within minutes in the afternoon.
3.4 km · 8 min by cab
5
Vagamon Pine Forest
1 h here
A planted forest of tall pines on a slope beside the Kolahalamedu road, a few minutes beyond the meadows. The trees stand in straight rows over a floor of needles, and paths lead down the hill between them. Many Malayalam films have been shot here.
Meadows & forestAbout 08:30 to 18:00, every day; some listings say 09:00 to 17:00
Tip: A small forest department fee at the gate. The path down is steep and the needles are slippery; the walk back up is the hard part.
8 km · 14 min by cab back
★
Back at Vagamon bus stand
Drive times come from road routing without traffic, and hill roads are slower than they look: the roads to Vagamon and Illikkal Kallu are narrow, steep and winding, and mist can cut visibility in the afternoon. On heavy-rain alert days the district can close the hilltops, so check before you set out. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Book a cab for this day
Call or message a local Vagamon operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
1 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator
We are still listing Vagamon operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
Opening times for this plan
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
Place
Open
Best time
Visit
Kurisumala
The hill shrine is open about 04:00 to 20:30; the ashram takes visitors about 06:00 to 18:00
Early morning, before the sun is high on the open hillside.
1 h 40 min
Vagamon Lake
Boating about 09:00 to 17:00; stops in heavy rain
Morning, when the water is still.
45 min
Thangal Para
Open hillside, in daylight?
Late morning or afternoon, on a clear day.
1 h 15 min
Vagamon Meadows
About 08:30 to 17:00; ticketed by DTPC?
Morning or mid-afternoon, before the mist comes in.
1 h 15 min
Vagamon Pine Forest
About 08:30 to 18:00, every day; some listings say 09:00 to 17:00
The town's sights, yes: Kurisumala, the lake, Thangal Para, the meadows and the pine forest are all within about 8 km of the bus stand. Illikkal Kallu and Ilaveezhapoonchira, about 30 km west, need a second day.
Why start with Kurisumala?+
The walk up the Stations of the Cross is on an open, grassy slope with no shade, so it is best done early. The plan reaches it at about 08:45 and allows an hour and forty minutes for the walk and the ashram.
Can the glass bridge fit in one day?+
Only if you drop a stop. Entry is by timed slot, and on busy days the wait can run to two or three hours. The two-day plan leaves an afternoon free for it.