In short
Munnar is a hill station in Kerala’s Western Ghats, around 1,600 metres up and four to five hours by road from Fort Kochi. It is known for tea estates, cool weather and Eravikulam National Park, home of the Nilgiri tahr, which closes for calving from roughly February to March. The best weather is from September to May; the monsoon from June to August is wet but spectacular. Two nights is the minimum to see it without rushing.
After a few days on the coast, Munnar comes as a shock in the best sense. You leave Fort Kochi in a cotton shirt and arrive wanting a jumper.
Getting there
Munnar is about four to five hours from Fort Kochi by road. The last part climbs steeply through rubber, cardamom and then tea, with a great many bends. Most visitors hire a car with a driver, which is comfortable and not expensive when shared. Buses run from Ernakulam and are much cheaper and slower.
Leave in the morning so you arrive in daylight. Hill roads in fog after dark are no pleasure. If anyone in the car gets travel-sick, put them in the front seat and stop at the waterfalls along the way. There is a full route plan in a seven-day Kerala itinerary.
What to see
The tea estates. The whole landscape is the attraction. Walking between the rows on estate paths, early in the morning when the pickers are out, is the thing most people remember. The Tea Museum just outside town explains how the leaf is processed and is worth an hour.
Kolukkumalai. One of the highest tea estates in the region, reached by jeep on a very rough track. The reason to go is the sunrise over the hills, which means leaving before dawn. Bumpy, cold and worth it.
Top Station. A viewpoint on the edge of the hills looking out across the valleys towards Tamil Nadu. Go early, before the mist rises.
Mattupetty Dam and Echo Point. Lakeside stops on the road out towards Top Station, popular and often busy at weekends.
Anamudi. At 2,695 metres it is the highest peak in India south of the Himalayas. It stands within Eravikulam National Park, and trekking on it is restricted to protect the habitat.
Eravikulam and the Nilgiri tahr
Eravikulam National Park, around 13 kilometres from Munnar town, protects the Nilgiri tahr, an endangered mountain goat found only in the Western Ghats. Visitors reach the open part of the park by a forest department bus and walk a paved road where the tahr often graze close by.
The park closes every year for the calving season, usually for around six to eight weeks between February and March. Check before you plan a trip around it.
Eravikulam is also where the famous Neelakurinji flowers, turning the hillsides blue once every twelve years. The next flowering is expected around 2030.
When to go
- September to November: green after the rains, clearing skies, cool and quiet.
- December to February: dry and bright. Nights can be genuinely cold, so bring layers.
- March to May: warmer, and a welcome escape from the coast's hottest months.
- June to August: the monsoon. Heavy rain and mist, waterfalls at full strength, very few visitors — and occasional road closures after heavy rain.
More on the seasons across Kerala in the best time to visit Kerala.
Where to stay
Munnar town itself is small, busy and not especially pretty. Most of the pleasure is outside it, so choose somewhere in the estates or on the hillsides around rather than in the centre. There are homestays in planters' bungalows, simple guesthouses and resorts with views, at most budgets.
Stay at least two nights. The drive up takes most of a day, and one night leaves you no time on the hills at all.
What to pack
- Warm layers: a fleece or jumper for evenings and early mornings, more in December and January.
- A light waterproof, in any season.
- Walking shoes with grip. Estate paths are steep and can be muddy.
- Motion-sickness tablets if you are prone to it.
- Cash. Card machines are less dependable in the hills.
Practising in the hills
The cool mornings make Munnar one of the best places in Kerala for an early practice. Our seven-day retreats, run through Samya Retreats, spend five of their seven days here after two in Fort Kochi, with daily yoga and meditation above the tea gardens.
If you would rather keep Fort Kochi as your base, the daily classes there run every day, and a few days of practice either side of a Munnar trip is a very good shape for a week in Kerala.
Common questions
How far is Munnar from Fort Kochi?
About four to five hours by road. The final stretch climbs steeply through the Western Ghats with many bends, so allow extra time and aim to arrive in daylight.
When is Eravikulam National Park closed?
It closes each year for the Nilgiri tahr calving season, usually for around six to eight weeks between February and March. Check the dates before planning a trip around it.
How many days do you need in Munnar?
At least two nights. The drive up takes most of a day, and one night leaves little time to see the tea estates, Kolukkumalai or Eravikulam.
Is Munnar cold?
It is much cooler than the coast, at around 1,600 metres. Days are mild and nights can be cold from December to February, so bring a fleece or jumper whatever the season.
Known to his students as Achu, Aksharanand trained in the Sivananda tradition and holds an Advanced Teacher Training Certificate. He has taught Hatha Yoga, pranayama, meditation and Vedanta philosophy in Fort Kochi for over fifteen years, across more than 5,000 group classes and seventy international teacher training batches.
More about Achu and the school · Book a class or ask a question