A closer look at Tamil Nadu will reveal an amazing fact to you. This is where the Western Ghats are located. But a closer look will reveal the Eastern Ghats passing through this state. It is, therefore, natural to believe that Tamil Nadu is blessed with so many hill stations.
You will not believe that there are at least 23 places which are officially recognized as hill stations. The sheer number of hill stations makes us want to visit them. The most famous hill stations in Tamil Nadu are huge tourist magnets. You should visit these top 10 hill stations in Tamil Nadu in your next holiday season.
List of Top 10 Hill Stations in Tamil Nadu
Explore the most popular top 10 Hill Stations in Tamil Nadu ; Ooty: Yelagiri; Kodaikanal; Coonoor; Valparai; Megamalai; Velliangiri Hills; Kotagiri; Yercaud; Javadi Hills:
1. Ooty
Ooty needs no introduction to tourists, and for honeymoon couples also. Just one mention of Ooty makes us plan a trip to it as soon as possible. Ooty is a place of waterfalls, botanical gardens, viewpoints, tea estates, and lakes. The British-era monuments in Ooty will reveal Gothic architecture and vintage beauty.
Ooty is perfect for a 3-4 day holiday. The botanical and rose gardens are very famous tourist places in Ooty. You can go boating in Ooty Lake and visit the Tea Museum. Mudumalai National Park is near Ooty, and you can go on a wildlife safari here.
- Trip Duration: 3 days
- Nearest Airport: Coimbatore International Airport (88 km, 3 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station: Mettupalayam Railway Station (52 km, 2 hours)
- Places to visit: Doddabetta Peak, Rose Garden, Pykara Lake, St. Stephen’s Church, Deer Park, Tea Museum, Mudumalai National Park
- Things to do in Ooty: boating, shopping, trekking, garden visit, wildlife safari, horse riding, tea tasting, tribal culture
Important link: Mysore Coorg Ooty Tour Package
2. Yelagiri
Another famous hill station in Tamil Nadu is Yelagiri. It has abundant natural scenery that consists of fruit orchards, rose gardens, picturesque mountain landscapes, and valleys. You can view the grandeur of Swamimalai Hills from Yelagiri. There are many tribal settlements here where you can view tribal life.
Trekking is the top activity to do in Yelagiri. When the rainy season comes, the hills are cloaked in sheets of mist. Lakes, nature parks, temples, and waterfalls are the top places to visit in Yelagiri. You can trek to waterfall sites, and do many other things like paragliding, ATV rides, stargazing, camping, etc.
- Trip duration: 3 days
- Nearest Airport to reach: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (192 km, 4 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station to reach: Jolarpettai Junction (20 km, 40 minutes)
- Places to visit: Yelagiri Lake, Fundera Park, Jalagandeeswarar Temple, Nilavoor Lake, Cloud Forest Entertainment Park, Punganoor Lake Park
- Things to do in Yelagiri: boating, paragliding, rock climbing, nature walks, star gazing, temple visits, bungee jumping, waterfalls
Important link: Tirupati Balaji Tour Package
3. Kodaikanal
Spectacular natural beauty is everywhere you look around in Kodaikanal. This is one hill station which is famous since decades. The Western Ghats landscape that you will notice in Kodaikanal is found nowhere else.
If you visit Kodaikanal at the right season, you will view the waterfalls, lakes, and natural beauty all around. Kodaikanal has many places where you can take walks in the midst of natural surroundings. The terrain is not steep, and the gradual and easy jungle roads are great for walks.
Kodaikanal has a cool climate for most of the year, and this is also because of its altitude. There are many gardens and parks in Kodaikanal to be closer to nature. If you love adventure, then you can go on treks into the jungle and valleys.
- Trip duration: 3 days
- Nearest Airport: Madurai Airport (134 km, 3 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station to reach: Madurai Junction (115 km, 3 hours)
- Places to visit: Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, Coakers Walk, Pillar Rocks, Dolphin’s Nose, Bear Shola Falls, Green Valley View, Kurinji Andavar Temple, Kodaikanal Lake
- Things to do in Kodaikanal: boating, trekking, nature walks, temple/ church visits, stargazing
4. Coonoor
Another hill station that we recommend you visit in Tamil Nadu is Coonoor. The hill station is located near Ooty and is easy to reach via the toy train route. You will find the landscapes of Coonoor, somewhat similar to Ooty.
Coonoor has picturesque Nilgiri Hills landscapes. Coonoor’s beauty lies in its nature parks and gardens. You can spend some time in these parks and soak in the natural beauty of the area. There are many viewpoints here from which you can enjoy the mountain and valley views. There is a cool climate all around the year, and so it has now become a year-round hill station.
- Trip duration: 3 days
- Airport near Coonoor: Coimbatore International Airport (71 km, 2 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station to Coonoor: Mettupalayam Railway Station (35 km, 1 hour)
- Places to visit: Droog Fort, Sim’s Park, St. George Church, Laws Falls, Lady Canning’s Seat, Ketti Valley, Lambs Rock, Wellington
- Things to do in Coonoor: nature walks, tea tasting tour, toy train ride, viewpoints, waterfalls, trekking, churches
Important link: Madurai Rameshwaram Kanyakumari Tour Package
5. Valparai
Though Valparai is not so well known, it has gorgeous natural beauty. Valparai is in the Anamalai Hills range and has vast tea and coffee estates. If you visit Valparai in the right season, you will view misty clouds hanging over the valleys.
The landscape of Valparai will remind you of the breathtaking Western Ghats. River streams, lush green forests, misty valleys, and mountain tops rule over the landscape of Valparai. You can view waterfalls, dams, and wildlife in Valparai. Trekking is something you will enjoy doing in Valparai, and there are many treks too. Another thing that will attract you is the tribal culture.
- Trip duration: 2 days
- Nearest Airport: Coimbatore International Airport (114 km, 3 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station: Mettupalayam Railway Station (142 km, 4 hours)
- Places to visit: Nirar Dam, Monkey Falls, Tea Estate Garden, Solaiyar Dam, Nallmudi Viewpoint, Chinna Kallar Falls, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, and National Park
- Things to do in Valparai: valley views, trekking, tea garden tours, waterfall visit, wildlife safari, nature walks, photography, summer festival, coffee plantation tours.
6. Megamalai
In the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, there is a hill station called Megamalai. It is a picture-perfect place with lakes, river streams, mist-covered mountains, and dense forests.
The Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary is home to Indian Bison, Royal Bengal Tigers, Wild Elephants, and other animals. You can come close to the natural beauty on treks and hikes in Megamalai. There are dams and viewpoints from where you can take beautiful photographs. The coffee plantations in Megamalai produce a rich aroma of coffee. There are many waterfalls too, and these become full during times of rain.
- Trip duration: 3 days
- Nearest Airport: Madurai Airport (107 km, 3 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station: Madurai Junction (118 km, 3 hours)
- Places to visit: Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Suruli Falls, High Wavys Dam, Manalur Dam, Tea estates, Chinna Suruli Falls, Megamalai Viewpoint
- Things to do in Megamalai: wildlife safari, viewpoints, photography, trekking, nature walks, bird watching, tea and coffee plantation walks
7. Velliangiri Hills
If you want a hill station experience in Tamil Nadu, with a spiritual feeling, then you must visit Velliangiri Hills. The hills are lush green during peak season and full of natural beauty. There are many treks in the hilly region of Velliangiri Hills. But the main attraction is the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The spiritual experience you will get in visiting the Velliangiri Andavar Temple is beyond words to express. The trek to the temple is an adventure in itself. The place is so spiritual that it is often called the ‘Kailash of the South’. There are several waterfalls that you can visit.
- Trip duration: 2 days
- Nearest Airport: Coimbatore International Airport (50 km, 1 hour)
- Nearest Railway Station: Mettupalayam Railway Station (67 km, 2 hours)
- Places to visit: Velliangiri Andavar Temple, Monkey Falls, Isha Yoga Center, Dhyanalinga Temple, Kovai Kutralam Falls, Siruvani Waterfalls.
- Things to do in Velliangiri Hills: trekking, temple visits, meditation and yoga, wildlife viewing, bird watching, waterfalls, nature walks, tea gardens, viewpoints.
8. Kotagiri
The best thing about Kotagiri is the lush green tea gardens. You can take a walk in these tea gardens and go for tea tasting. Kotagiri is recognized as the third-highest hill station in the Nilgiris. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills, waterfalls, tea estates, pastoral lands, and forests. You can visit some waterfalls here. Trekking to these is a very thrilling activity.
Kotagiri is one of the top 10 hill stations in Tamil Nadu. As a hill station, Kotagiri is considered the oldest one in Tamil Nadu and Southern India. You can view cottages from British times in Kotagiri, and it will remind you of the British times.
- Trip duration: 3 days
- Nearest Airport: Coimbatore International Airport (70 km, 2 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station: Coonoor Junction (21 km, 40 minutes)
- Places to visit: Catherine Falls, Elk Falls, Kodanad View Point, John Sullivan Memorial, Rangasamy Pillar, Longwood Shola.
- Things to do in Kotagiri: bird watching, trekking, British architecture, waterfalls, viewpoints, nature treks, tea estates.
9. Yercaud
The hill station of Yercaud is located in the Eastern Ghats range of Tamil Nadu. There are so many natural wonders in Yercaud. For example, the waterfalls, lakes, botanical gardens, viewpoints, and temples make the prime locations to visit in Yercaud. The best things to do in Yercaud are trekking, nature walks, and temple visits.
You will feel spiritual bliss when you visit the temples in Yercaud. For adventure, there are things like a zipline and trampoline activity. Bear Cave is another famous place where you can explore. Of course, there are relaxing types of activities too that you can do in Yercaud.
- Trip duration: 4 days
- Nearest Airport: Salem Airport (48 km, 1 hour 30 minutes)
- Nearest Railway Station: Salem Junction (45 km, 1 hour)
- Places to visit: Anna Park, Bears Cave, Silk Farm and Rose Garden, Pagoda Point, Yercaud Lake, Kiliyur waterfall, Sri Raja Rajeshwari Temple.
- Things to do in Yercaud: trekking, viewpoints, temple visits, boating, nature walks, tea and coffee plantations, waterfalls, mountain biking.
Recommended blog: 10 Must Visit Spiritual Destinations in India
10. Javadi Hills
Though Javadi Hills is not so well-known yet, it has spectacular natural beauty. It is one of the hill stations that is situated in the Eastern Ghats region of Tamil Nadu. The landscape consists of valleys, waterfalls, lakes, and mountain peaks.
There are many tribal people, and they grow many types of fruits and herbal plants. Trekking to mountain peaks is a favourite activity in Javadi Hills. The Sripuram Golden Temple is named so because of its golden architecture. You can visit tribal villages and learn about their life and culture.
- Trip duration: 3 days
- Nearest Airport: Vellore Airport (88 km, 2 hours)
- Nearest Railway Station: Katpadi Junction (83 km, 2 hours)
- Places to visit: Kavalur Observatory, Beemanmadavu Waterfall, Komutteri lake, Sripuram Golden Temple, Vellore Amirthi Zoo
- Things to do in Javadi Hills: birdwatching, trekking, photography, nature walks, temple visits, forest walks, camping, wildlife viewing, viewpoints.
Important link: Tamil Nadu tour package
