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Top 10 Things To Do in Munnar

Country
India
Best months
Oct · Dec · Jan
Population
32,029
Language
Malayalam and Tamil
Budget / day
$25–90
Quick answer

Munnar is a tea town high in the Western Ghats of Kerala, and two or three days covers it. Give one day to Eravikulam for the Nilgiri tahr and to the Tea Museum, one to the Top Station road past Mattupetty, Echo Point and Kundala. Spend the third on Marayoor and Chinnar, or on a KFDC trek up Meesapulimala.

Munnar sits at about 1,600 metres where three mountain rivers meet, and the first tea estates were planted here in 1878. Tea still runs from the valley floors to the ridge lines. Come for the cool air, the Nilgiri tahr of Eravikulam and walks above the cloud.

The 10 best things to do in Munnar

1

Meet the Nilgiri tahr in Eravikulam National Park

National park· Rajamala, Eravikulam National Park, Munnar, Kerala, India

Kerala's first national park, declared in 1978, and the stronghold of the Nilgiri tahr, which grazes close to the road at Rajamala. Anamudi, the highest peak in South India at 2,695 m, rises inside it. Forest department buses run from the gate.

Time2 to 3 hours
CostTicketed, with online booking
Best atOpening time
TipThe park closes in February and March for tahr calving and usually reopens on 1 April
Map↗ Website
2

Learn the tea story at the KDHP Tea Museum

Museum· KDHP Tea Museum, Nallathanni Estate, Munnar, Kerala, India

The Kannan Devan Hills company's museum on the Nallathanni estate, with old processing machinery and photographs from the plantation era. It explains the town better than any viewpoint.

Time1 to 1.5 hours
CostTicketed
Best atLate morning, after Eravikulam
TipCheck the opening days before you go: the museum keeps a weekly closing day and shuts on some holidays.
Map↗ Website
3

Look down on Tamil Nadu from Top Station

Viewpoint· Top Station, Munnar–Kodaikanal Road, Idukki, Kerala, India

The last viewpoint on the road east of Munnar, at about 1,700 m on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, with the plains of Tamil Nadu far below. It was named for the top station of the old ropeway that carried tea down the escarpment.

TimeHalf a day with the stops on the way
CostFree; small parking charges
Best atEarly morning
TipLeave by 7am and stop at Mattupetty
Map
4

Trek Meesapulimala through Rhodo Valley

Trek· Meesapulimala, via the KFDC base camp, Munnar, Kerala, India

One of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats, reached only on a permit from the Kerala Forest Development Corporation. The trail climbs from the base camp through Rhodo Valley to grassland and a long view over the range.

TimeA full day, or overnight
CostKFDC packages, booked online
Best atA clear morning between October and May
TipBook online
Map↗ Website
5

Walk the shore of Mattupetty Dam

Lake· Mattupetty Dam, Mattupetty, Munnar, Kerala, India

A hydel reservoir from the hydro-electric era of the 1940s and 1950s, ringed by tea and grassland, and the first stop on the Top Station road. Boating runs on the lake, and the Indo-Swiss dairy farm sits just beyond.

Time1 hour
CostFree to walk
Best atMid-morning on a weekday
TipWeekend afternoons bring every tour bus in Munnar. Come on the way up, not the way down.
Map↗ Website
6

Find the grizzled giant squirrel in Chinnar

Wildlife· Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Marayoor–Udumalpet Road, Idukki, Kerala, India

Dry scrub forest in the rain shadow east of Marayoor, nothing like the green around Munnar, and one of the best homes of the endangered grizzled giant squirrel. The forest department runs a guided 4 km trail to Thoovanam falls.

TimeHalf a day
CostGuided treks priced by the forest department
Best atEarly morning
TipBook the Thoovanam trek at the Alampetty checkpost
Map↗ Website
7

See Marayoor's sandalwood and dolmens

Heritage· Marayoor, Idukki, Kerala, India

The only place in Kerala where sandalwood grows wild, about 40 km north on the Udumalpet road. Muniyaras, stone burial chambers of slabs and a capstone, stand on the hillsides, and the town's jaggery carries a GI tag.

TimeHalf a day
CostFree to drive around
Best atMorning
TipBuy the jaggery from the cane boilers of Marayoor and Kanthalloor themselves
Map↗ Website
8

Drive the Gap Road to Lockhart Gap

Scenic drive· Lockhart Gap, Gap Road, Munnar, Kerala, India

The stretch of the Kochi to Dhanushkodi highway east of Munnar, cut along a cliff above the tea, with the pass at Lockhart Gap looking down over Bison Valley. The Chokramudi trail starts beside it.

Time1 to 2 hours
CostFree
Best atLate afternoon
TipStop only in the marked lay-bys. The road is narrow and the drop is real.
Map
9

Picnic at Attukad Waterfalls

Waterfall· Attukad Waterfalls, Pallivasal, Munnar, Kerala, India

A fall dropping through forest and tea about 10 km from town toward Pallivasal, the closest big cascade to Munnar. It is at its fullest in the monsoon and the weeks after it.

Time1 to 2 hours
CostFree
Best atSeptember and October
TipWear shoes with grip: the rocks by the water stay slick all year
Map
10

Visit CSI Christ Church and its older graveyard

Church· CSI Christ Church, Munnar, Kerala, India

A Gothic stone church on the hill above town, begun in 1910. Behind it lies the grave of Eleanor Knight, a planter's wife who died in 1894, making the cemetery older than the church it belongs to.

Time30 minutes
CostFree
Best atLate afternoon
TipWalk up from the bazaar and dress for a church: shoulders covered and voices low during services.
Map↗ Website

Munnar, mapped

Munnar · 10 spots

Munnar travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Munnar?+
Two or three. One for Eravikulam and the Tea Museum, one for the Top Station road past Mattupetty, Echo Point and Kundala. Use a third for Marayoor and Chinnar, or for a Meesapulimala trek.
When is the best time to visit Munnar?+
October to May for clear views, with December to February the coolest. June to September is monsoon: green, wet and prone to landslides. Eravikulam closes in February and March for tahr calving.
When will the Neelakurinji bloom next?+
The mass flowering comes about every 12 years. The last was in 2018 and the next is predicted for 2030. Patches flower in other years, but the hillsides only turn blue in a bloom year.
How do you get to Munnar from Kochi?+
By road, about four hours. Cochin airport and Aluva station are each about 110 km away. Hire a taxi, or take a KSRTC bus from Aluva or Ernakulam. The drive passes the Cheeyappara and Valara falls.
Do you need a permit to trek around Munnar?+
For most trails, yes. Meesapulimala is booked through KFDC, with the permit collected at its Munnar office. Chokramudi and the Thoovanam trail at Chinnar run with the forest department. Go with the guide they assign.
Above the tea

Best treks in Munnar

Three more climbs, after Meesapulimala. All need a guide or a permit.
Suryanelli

Kolukkumalai sunrise

Sunrise

Jeeps from Suryanelli climb before dawn to a tea estate in Tamil Nadu reached only from Kerala.

Map
Gap Road

Chokramudi

Peak

A peak of about 7,200 feet above Bison Valley, climbed from the Gap Road with the forest department.

Map
Munnar

Lakshmi Hills

Day trek

Guided day treks through tea and grassland above town, often paired with Pothamedu.

Map
Water and views

Best lakes & viewpoints in Munnar

Reservoirs and lookouts on the roads out of town.
Top Station road

Echo Point

Lake

A lakeshore between Mattupetty and Kundala, named for what happens when you shout across the water.

Map
Kundala

Kundala Lake

Lake

A reservoir ringed by tea on the Top Station road. Stop on the way up.

Map
Chinnakanal

Anayirangal Dam

Reservoir

A reservoir wrapped in tea plantations near Chinnakanal, quieter than Mattupetty.

Map↗ Website
Pothamedu

Pothamedu

Viewpoint

A lookout over tea, coffee and cardamom estates close to town.

Map
After the rain

Best waterfalls in Munnar

Three falls beside the main roads, fullest from July to October.
Marayoor road

Lakkam Waterfalls

Waterfall

A forest fall on the road to Marayoor. Stop on the way to the sandalwood.

Map
Kochi road

Cheeyappara Waterfalls

Waterfall

A tiered fall right beside the Kochi road between Neriamangalam and Adimali.

Map
Kochi road

Valara Waterfalls

Waterfall

Close to Cheeyappara on the same road. See both on the drive up from Kochi.

Map
Shola country

Best national parks near Munnar

The smaller protected forests of the Munnar wildlife division, beyond Eravikulam.
Marayoor

Anamudi Shola National Park

Forest

About 7.5 sq km of montane shola forest near Marayoor, a national park since 2003.

Map
Vattavada road

Pampadum Shola National Park

Forest

Kerala's smallest national park, about 1.3 sq km, on the Vattavada road.

Map↗ Website
Cardamom Hills

Mathikettan Shola National Park

Forest

The last natural forest of the old Cardamom Hill Reserve.

Map
Kurinjimala

Kurinjimala Sanctuary

Sanctuary

Set aside to protect the core habitat of the Neelakurinji, the 12-yearly blue bloom.

Map
The plantation town

Best heritage sites in Munnar

Three more pieces of the town the tea estates built.
Munnar

Mount Carmel Church

Church

A Catholic parish whose story begins with the plantation workers of the 1880s.

Map↗ Website
Munnar

Aluminium Bridge

Railway relic

Once a bridge of the Kundala Valley Railway, which the 1924 flood ended.

Map
Gap Road

Lockhart Tea Factory

Tea factory

A working orthodox tea factory from 1936, with a guided tour and a tasting.

Map
Where to eat

Best restaurants in Munnar

Kerala and South Indian plates in town, honest and cheap.
Main Bazaar

Rapsy Restaurant

Kerala

One of the town's oldest restaurants, in the Main Bazaar. Order parathas and biryani.

Map
MG Road

Saravana Bhavan

Vegetarian

Vegetarian South Indian on MG Road: dosas at breakfast, a thali at lunch.

Map
Munnar town

Sree Mahaveer Bhojanalaya

Indian

A town dining room for Indian plates, useful when Rapsy has a queue.

Map
Further into Idukki

Best day trips from Munnar

Farm villages, a tiger reserve and a dam, all a long drive. Leave early.
Vattavada

Vattavada

Village

The farm village past Top Station, its slopes terraced with vegetable plots.

Map
Kanthalloor

Kanthalloor

Village

The village beside Marayoor where much of the GI-tagged jaggery is boiled.

Map
Kumily

Thekkady

Wildlife

Periyar Tiger Reserve and the spice gardens of the Cardamom Hills, about three hours south.

Map
Nedumkandam

Ramakkalmedu

Viewpoint

A wind-farm ridge with the Kuravan and Kurathi statues, above the Tamil Nadu plains.

Map
Idukki

Idukki Arch Dam

Dam

A double-curvature arch dam across the Periyar between two granite hills, commissioned in 1976.

Map
What's on

Festivals & annual events in Munnar (2026)

Time your trip around the city's biggest dates.
14 or 15 Jan

Pongal

The Tamil harvest festival, kept across a town where many families speak Tamil.

Feb to Mar

Eravikulam calving closure

The national park shuts for Nilgiri tahr calving, usually reopening on 1 April.

Apr

Vishu

Kerala's new year: the kani of fruit and gold at dawn, fireworks at night.

May

Munnar Flower Show

DTPC Idukki's show at the Government Botanical Garden, in the summer holidays.

Jun to Sep

Southwest monsoon

Heavy rain and full waterfalls. Landslides can close the ghat roads.

Aug or Sep

Onam

Kerala's harvest festival: flower carpets and a sadya on a banana leaf.

Aug to Oct, 2030

Neelakurinji bloom

The 12-yearly blue flowering. The last mass bloom was 2018; 2030 is predicted next.

25 Dec

Christmas

Services at CSI Christ Church and Mount Carmel, in the cool, clear season.

Getting around

Munnar transport & airports

How to arrive and move around the city.
COK

Cochin International Airport

The nearest airport, about 110 km away and three to four hours by road. Taxis wait at arrivals; Madurai is the Tamil Nadu alternative.

Map↗ Website
Rail

Aluva station

The nearest railhead, about 110 km away, with Angamaly and Ernakulam close behind. Book trains well ahead in season.

Map↗ Website
Bus

KSRTC buses

State buses run up from Aluva, near the station, and from Ernakulam. Route boards are often in Malayalam only, so ask.

Map↗ Website
Local

Taxis, autos and jeeps

Autos cover the town. Hire a taxi for a day on the Top Station road, and a jeep for Kolukkumalai or a trek base camp.

Map
Traditional food

Must-try dishes in Munnar, India

The classics to order before you leave.

Kerala parotta and beef fry

Flaky layered flatbread with dry-roasted beef, Idukki's favourite meat.

Puttu and kadala

Steamed rice and coconut cylinders with black chickpea curry.

Appam and stew

Lacy rice pancakes with a mild coconut-milk stew.

Kappa and meen curry

Boiled tapioca with a sour, spicy fish curry.

Ellum kappayum

Tapioca cooked with beef on the bone, the Idukki classic.

Sadya

The vegetarian banquet on a banana leaf, served at Onam.

Marayoor jaggery

Dark cane jaggery from Marayoor, GI-tagged since 2019.

Munnar tea

High-grown black tea, poured sweet and milky at every stall.

Munnar fact sheet

Munnar at a glance

The essentials worth knowing before you go.
Country
India
State
Kerala
District
Idukki
Elevation
About 1,600 m, in the Western Ghats
Population
32,029 in Munnar panchayat (2011 census)
Name
"Three rivers": the Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundali meet here
Tea
First plantations in 1878; the Kanan Devan Hills company followed in 1897
Highest peak
Anamudi, 2,695 m, in Eravikulam National Park
Language
Malayalam and Tamil
Currency
Indian rupee (INR)
Time zone
IST (UTC+5:30)
Best months
October to May; June to September is monsoon
Ideal length
2 to 3 days
Getting around
Autos around town, a hired taxi for the Top Station road, jeeps for Kolukkumalai and the trek base camps
Tourism board
Official site

Interesting facts

  • Munnar means "three rivers": the Muthirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundali meet in town.
  • The 1924 flood destroyed the Kundala Valley Railway, and the line was never rebuilt.
  • Eleanor Knight was buried here in 1894, so the CSI cemetery is older than its 1910 church.
  • The Neelakurinji turns the hills blue about every 12 years: 2006, 2018, and next in 2030.
  • Marayoor is the only place in Kerala where sandalwood grows wild.

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