Planning a few days in Munnar? Our guide for travellers on the best things to do in Munnar - plus advice on where to stay and how to get around - will have you covered.
Updated January 2024
Half of the people in Munnar can't stand the fog; the other half embrace it.
In this hill town, accessed via a steep, winding ascent on the narrow road which snakes its way from Kochi through countryside waterfalls and wayfarers in the Western Ghats, the predictable unpredictability of the weather rules hearts and minds.
Tendrils of mist coalesce into a funeral shroud of murky grey before noon, and rainfall arrives with a troubling post-lunch regularity. Yet, the mornings of birdsong chorus and spiritual ritual echoing across an otherwise silent valley of tea leaves is poetry for the soul of a restless vagabond.
That's why the weather, despite its frustrations, is the selling point. Thousands upon thousands of Indian travellers flock here to shelter from the heat of the Keralan shoreline, and to experience a climate and scenery which feels altogether a little more Manchester than Mumbai, Pennines than Punjab.
Coming to Munnar for the rain, the mist, and the tea is part of the charm, part of seeing a different India to the one they all know. An India which can soak you to the bone - after our first day, we could fully understand why British colonists decamped here to feel at home.
However, this place does disappoint in a few ways beyond and because of the oft dreary weather; ways which left us frustrated that Munnar could and should be so so much better for travellers. There is undoubtedly much to do and see here, but we also didn’t want to stay long enough to do and see it all.
That's why we remain in two minds about Munnar.
Therefore, we wanted to share our personal guide on how to best spend your time in Munnar so that you can make the very best of your own trip there, minimise those disappointments, and get an honest traveller's perspective on the best places to stay in town (and where to avoid), learn how to visit a tea plantation, the times of year to absolutely avoid visiting, the reason why tours really are necessary, and tips on transport connections.
This is our guide on the best things to do in Munnar for travellers.
munnar essentials
Learn / About tea. Visit a local factory or take a tour around the plantations
Hike / Despite being located int he hills, there’s not many independent hikes, with most - like this one - instead following a path through plantations with viewpoints
Explore / Hire a tuk tuk and head into the countryside (we recommend the Echo Point & Top Station Tour)
Observe / Wild elephants at Anakulam
Stay / We loved Green Valley but love the treehouse vibes at Ela Ecoland Nature Retreat. Opt for Eden Woods Resorts and Spa for a splurge
Where To Stay in Munnar / The Munnar Layout Conundrum
This is the part which we wish had been explained to us properly before we arrived.
In our guides, we usually leave the advice and recommendations on accommodation until the end. However, because we really struggled to find good, honest information about whether we should be based in Old Munnar, Munnar Town, or nowhere near either of them, we ended up wasting hours researching the options available before making a decision.
We're not exaggerating when we say that we spent four hours trying to find somewhere to stay in Munnar - and we don't want you to waste the same amount of time!
The issue was not due to a lack of accommodation options, but just that there were a lack of great options and the layout of Munnar for travellers is really quite confusing until you arrive. In short, Munnar refers to both the small hill town and and the large surrounding area more generally, and the rub is that understanding the idiosyncrasies of this layout in advance is key to working out how best to enjoy it!
That's why we we need to talk about it right at the start.
Basically, we had dreams of staying in the middle of nowhere with views of a valley, close to nature, and with a sense of tranquil isolation - that's what somebody goes to a place like Munnar for right? Yet, we weren't sure how the 'out of town' options - some of which are 5+ miles from the ‘centre’ of Munnar - would impede our ability to get around independently, access meals in the evening, or if they'd leave us far too isolated to do anything worthwhile except enjoy the view!
So, this is what you need to know before booking any accommodation, or arriving and looking for somewhere cheap!
Old Munnar
If someone didn't tell you about 'Old Munnar', then you'd never realise it existed.
This is the small urban area by the cricket / football pitch which the bus from Kochi arrives at first, and it’s not really terribly appealing. However, it’s much less busy and traffic-clogged than the single main street of Munnar Town a kilometre or so up the road.
It also has several decent budget accommodation options for travellers within within walking distance of the bus stop. From our own research, we'd recommend Greenview Holiday Inn. It's basic and cheap, but has lots of good reviews and previous guests talk very positively about the owners helping to arrange good-value tours of the area and various trekking excursions. It’s also got a traveller vibe, rather than a hotel one.
Check availability or make a booking here.
Munnar Town
This is best area for transport connections out or for day-trip connections if you plan on doing anything independently. However, the cacophonous stretch of road is permanently busy and acts as a thoroughfare for trade, traffic, and tourism (although not for tour operators or decent tourism info).
We popped in and out of Munnar Town several times during our visit for great restaurant food, a tuk-tuk, or to pick up snacks and cash from the ATM. It definitely serves a purpose but it’s really not attractive and acts more like a central commercial and trading hub for all the surrounding villages of Munnar.
You'll definitely pass through it once or twice on your own visit too, but we absolutely do not recommend travelling all this way to stay in the most polluted and noisy part of Munnar.
Out of Town Munnar
If you want a peaceful view of the valleys and something a little more comfortable than a basic guesthouse, then we highly recommend staying at one of the 'out of town' hotels, guesthouses, or tourist resorts a 20-30 minute drive from Munnar Town by taxi or auto rickshaw (tuk-tuk).
The majority of these are based next to the 'Munnar Bypass', which is the single winding mountain road to access and leave the area - that may sound like it's going to be noisy and less than idyllic, but it isn't the case. Others, including luxury resorts, are scattered in and around the central tea plantations.
However, as there are SO many options available 'out of town' (many of them overpriced or not too inspiring), we found it really tough to try and whittle them down. At the end of it all, we did something we very rarely do and simply went for the Lonely Planet star pick of Green Valley Vista the night before we travelled.
This at least gave us some confidence in the promised tranquil location and a spectacular private balcony view - and it thankfully overdelivered. The decision to pay a little extra for Green Valley Vista was actually a good one, given that come 3 or 4 pm we would be done with our adventures for the day and the afternoon rains of Munnar would arrive like clockwork, just as the call for prayer was echoing across the hills alongside birdsong. Their in-house tour agency was also excellent for providing options and advice - you can check availability or make a booking at Green Valley Vista here.
If staying at an 'out of town' option near the Munnar Bypass road, then it's very likely that one of the regular buses to / from Munnar will pass it and drop you off nearby - this is the cheaper and more efficient option than going all the way to Munnar in the bus and taking an auto rickshaw back down the hill for 20 minutes. We didn’t realise this was the case with Green Valley, so actually went into Munnar first, had some lunch, and took the tuk-tuk back down!
In terms of facilities at the 'out of town' accommodation, the majority of them will have an on-site restaurant or the guesthouse owner will prepare meals for guests (there may also be a local restaurant in the vicinity) - if you're concerned about eating options though, simply message the guesthouse owner in advance to confirm arrangements.
For something totally unique, you could opt for a treehouse at Nature Zone Jungle Resort or one of the excellent value and highly rated countryside cottages + treehouses at Ela Ecoland Nature Retreat. If you’re a couple and your travel style prefers a little luxury and comfort, then go for Eden Woods Resorts and Spa (or Sitaram Mountain Retreat if you’ve got at least six days to spare and wish to deep dive into ayurvedic treatments).
For solo backpackers, the remote Hostel Flutterby offers a spectacular setting and dorms.
It’s important to note that the most common way to arrange a tour in Munnar is via your guesthouse or accommodation, therefore you won’t be disadvantaged if staying at one of the 'out of town' options and they will happily arrange transport pick-ups for you at no extra cost (or you can just hop on the regular local bus into Munnar Town on the road outside, which only costs a few rupees).
The Best Places to Visit and Things to do in Munnar
Visit A Munnar Tea Planation & Tea Factory
Tea is all around you in the verdant countryside of Munnar.
Whizzing up and down the hairpins of the Kochi road, pickers dressed in colourful layers and patterns can be seen collectively snipping, cutting, and snapping away at the leaves of short tea plants - from a distance, it is not dissimilar to watching a line of leaf-cutter ants methodically devour their quarry - whilst bulging sacks are left by the side of the road awaiting collection.
It's the particular climate and altitude of Munnar which made the valleys of the region ideal for the growing of a multitude of spices, but it was tea that became the primary cash crop for colonists. Today, these plantations belong to several large private tea estates - including TATA - dress the hills, and underpin the livelihoods of whole communities.
Therefore, any trip to Munnar begins and ends with tea, and it would be remiss not to discover a little more about it on your visit.
However, you can't simply hop over a fence and start walking through the tea plantations and taking Instashots. The tea plantations are privately owned and productive, and there are clear signs up all over the place kindly informing you that 'tresspassers will be shot'.
Only kidding! But there are very clear signs forbidding entry or trespassing, and every responsible traveller should respect these.
We wanted to visit the tea plantations on a hike (more on that later) or as part of the two available Munnar tea factory tours. Each is a bit out of the way and has specific pros / cons, but if you're going to visit a tea factory, it'll be one of the two below (we visited both)!
Lockhart Tea Factory & Museum |
About a 30-minute drive from Munnar Town (so a 45-60 minute one if staying 'out of town'), the opportunity to pair the popular Lockhart tea factory tour with a walk within their plantations put it at the top of our list. After all, we didn't just want to see the leaves being processed, but wanted to appreciate the hard work and the people who are responsible for making the best drink in the world (we're British, get over it).
Therefore, we booked a specific tour via our accommodation which included transport, a factory visit, plantation walk, and special tea-tasting.
We were very lucky that the plantation was full of dozens of workers when we visited, so we could ask questions and take some photographs. However, our rather disinterested Lockhart guide wanted to leave after 10 minutes (rather than the allocated 1.5 hours), and we really had to insist on staying out and exploring further.
After the plantation visit, we joined a large group for the tea factory tour. The factory is wonderfully dated, but still very much responsible for producing millions of tons of the 'orthodox tea' for which Lockhart is known - but the tour itself was a little dry (high on detail, low on storytelling). Visitors are also forbidden from taking photographs.
The tea-tasting, which happened in their little museum, was really great from a product perspective - but again low from a 'ceremony or experience' perspective.
So, would we recommend a visit to Lockhart? If you're going out of your way just for the 25-minute factory visit (with no tasting or walk around the plantation), then we wouldn't necessarily say it's worth the journey out. If it's part of a whole day tour involving various other activities along the route, then give it a go.
Where | The Lockhart Tea Museum & Factory (Google Maps) are right next to eachother, but only accessible via private transport.
Cost | The 20-minute factory tour is Rs. 500 per person for non-Indians (Rs.250 for foreign children), and Rs. 250 for Indian (Rs. 100 for Indian children). The Tea Museum visit is included in the ticket price, but it's not something to get too excited about.
Alternatively, as we found the most interesting element of the visit to be within the actual tea plantations, we’d recommend joining instead their ‘Munnar Tea Trail’ experience which inlcudes 1-2 hours walking within the plantations and the chance to meet the pickers (in addition to the factory tour and tea tasting). You may be able to book this tour in advance with your accommodation, but if not it’s available to book online and in advance here.
The factory tours are in English every hour but it's a noisy environment, so can be difficult to hear everything.
Kanan Devan Hills Tea Museum |
As the largest tea corporate in South India and the "first ever employee owned plantation company in India", Kanan Devan is a be-tea-moth.
Sorry.
Its daily tea factory tour however provided a much more entertaining and engaging guide than at Lockhart, giving us a much better appreciation of the industry, the product, and the history. If you are just doing a tea factory tour in Munnar to learn a little bit about tea, then this is the more enjoyable option.
However, the downside of taking the popular KDHP tour is that it does not include any plantation walks and the factory is much more modern-industrial and machine-based than Lockharts (and you can only see it from a viewing deck).
Where | Note that this is sometimes referred to as the Mattupetty Tea Factory tour - however, you should just simply turn up here (Google Maps) and buy your ticket for the next tour.
Cost | Rs. 125 per person, open 9am - 6 pm everyday.
Good to know | There is also the Munnar Tea Museum (Google Maps), but it's also run by Kanan Devan Hills. For other tea-based experiences in Munnar, check out this page.
Take a An Autorickshaw or Taxi Tour
As we mentioned, Munnar refers to both the small hill town and and the area more generally; that area goes off in all directions and covers several national parks and forest reserves. Given the distances involved, and limited public transport routes, the most popular way to tick off a few of the most popular sights is to take a private auto rickshaw or taxi tour.
As you wander Munnar Town, the banks of drivers on three or four wheels will show you their maps and offer one of several set day-trip routes - these routes are pretty much identical and the driver will simply transport you and drop off / wait at the same list of tourist places along the way as everyone else. Their prices, which are pretty reasonable (around Rs. 900 - 2,000 depending on negotiation skills, route, and if you take the more expensive car options), do not include entry fees for any attractions.
This was actually one of our main frustrations with Munnar. We love to get out and do our own thing on public transport or on two feet, but it felt like the only real way to the tea museums or others attractions was to be sat in a car or auto rickshaw and be driven around for a few hours. The fact that many of the best things to do in Munnar involved a return-trip in one of several directions was a big factor in us spending fewer days here than originally planned.
We've given an overview of the three main directions of travel for this type of tour below, but please note that there are a few additional routes available which include various waterfalls and viewpoints.
Read Later | 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Kerala
Eravikulam National Park (Rajamalai) |
A 30-45 minute drive from Munnar Town in the direction of Coimbatore brings you to the national park, home to the endangered Nilgiri tahr mountain goats (please don't feed or touch them) and beautiful views across the Western Ghats mountain range.
It is also the best place to see the 'neela kurinji', an indigenous flower that blooms once every 12 years (sorry, the next bloom isn’t due until 2031...).
A visit here takes place in quite a controlled manner (as per Munnar tradition), and rather than being able to properly explore the park, upon a arrival all visitors jump in a minibus for a 30 minute drive through the hills before being deposited at a shop, photo gallery and the start of a short trail - around 1.3 kilometres - to a viewpoint.
Very long lines are common so buying your ticket in advance on their website is a good idea.
Entry fee Rs. 500 for adult foreigners and Rs. 200 for Indian adults. There is also fee that must be paid to bring in cameras (this Rs. 50 for an ordinary camera and Rs. 350 for a video camera).
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary & Waterfalls |
As it's a 2-3 hour drive from Munnar Town, we did a lot of research into whether the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary was going to be worth it. Unfortunately - grey grizzled squirrels aside - the actual trekking and wildlife spotting opportunities sounded limited (as we mention in our ‘23 Things to Know Before You Visit Kerala’ post, this was a common issue for us with Kerala’s national parks). Along the road from Munnar, you will also stop at Lakkam waterfalls, a sandalwood forest, some caves, and the Thoovanam waterfalls.
This is a full-day trip, and entry fees to Chinnar (Rs. 625 for non-Indians, Rs. 250 for Indians) are in addition to tour / transport costs. It's also possible to do a tour which involves an overnight stay in Chinnar - for more information, view the park’s website here.
Echo Point & Top Station Tour |
From the options available, this tour route struck us as the one which brought us to a decent variety of stops to appreciate the scenery and history of Munnar.
We booked the 'Tea Valley Tour' with the in-house agency at Green Valley Vista, and it included a private taxi pick-up and drop-off for the day. The highlight is that the driver doubled up as our tour guide, and he was an incredibly knowledgeable guy who actually taught us more about Kerala & India than anyone else in our one-month trip - it was a real highlight.
The 40km drive to the Top Station was very scenic and included stops along the way at Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point (a forest / lake which creates some cool sound effects), Kundala Dam, and a place where wild elephants are sometimes spotted (but luck was not on our side). Even though we arrived quite early at the Top Station, heavy cloud and mist conspired to create next to zero visibility, so it would have been pointless to pay the Rs. 25 entry to the viewing station. In normal circumstances, you are elevated above the clouds and a heavenly vista opens up before you, but we settled to mooch around for a little bit with a cup hot chai, fresh fruit and corn on the cob bought from the dozens of stalls and traders lining the entrance, so it turned into a pretty nice experience anyway.
Our driver was also pretty flexible in allowing us to have spontaneous stops at various points along the road to photograph the gorgeous hills and tea plantations. We also persuaded him to let us visit the KDHP tea factory on the way back, given it was on the way.
If you've only got a single day in Munnar, we'd recommend the Top Station route as a really good way to see the landscapes, get out and about, and to visit a tea factory. In good weather, the view from the station is meant to be one of the best in the region.! We paid Rs. 2,000 for the car option, but it could have been done with a tuk-tuk for Rs. 1,500 (however, for the distances, times, and altitudes involved, make sure you wrap up warm).
You can also book this particular tour route here (it’s got excellent reviews).
Insider Tip // We recommend setting off as early as possible too - we experienced most of the sites whilst they were empty, but on the way back, lots of Indian tour groups and families on holiday had arrived and everywhere was packed.
Can You Rent A Motorbike in Munnar?
Not anymore buddy, sorry.
The narrow roads of the Western Ghats are perfect to discover on your own two wheels, and this was an easy, cheap, and incredibly popular way for travellers to explore in and around Munnar up until at least 2018.
However, this is no longer available.
We did our best to understand exactly why when speaking with the auto-rickshaw drivers and our guide. Allegedly, there were some deaths, a guy who owned a lot of scooters went to jail, and the government got involved. An alternative explanation was that local transport and tour operators were not at all happy that tourists could come to Munnar, rent a bike, do everything on their own, and then leave.
As with most misheard or half-understood rumours on the road, it's possibly a combination of both.
That's why taking a tour with an auto-rickshaw driver or a car driver is now your best bet to get around. It is possible to visit the Top Station and a few other places with the public bus from the centre of Munnar Town (it’s easy to find, or just ask around), but this is pretty slow and we decided that it would arrive at the Top Hill viewpoint far too late in the day so that cloud coverage was guaranteed.
Hiking in Munnar
This is the part where we really let ourselves down, but Munnar let us down a little too.
Therefore, we want to share our frustrations and mistakes openly with you here so that you can avoid them if you've also get your heart set on some hiking in Munnar.
Our month in Kerala & Goa represented our first ever trip to India, and we had spent much of the previous few years travelling slowly across Europe and Latin America. We both adore hiking independently wherever we travel - and we're talking proper hiking, not just an hour's walk - and it's a really accessible and common activity in both those regions. However, our research told us that this wasn't really the common arrangement in India; hiking with a guide or tour was either the only option available or mandatory.
We expected the hills and valleys of the Western Ghats to offer a multitude of hiking opportunities, and we hoped the serene summits it would provide a beautiful contrast in travel experiences with Kerala's sweltering shoreline. Unfortunately, our research beforehand and chats with a few different tour providers and travellers informed us that most of the hiking opportunities were either very short walks through tea plantations to a viewpoint, or an experience that was going to involve a tour with quite a lot of transport, an overnight stay, and pre-sunrise starts.
The former wasn't enough for us and doesn't qualify as a hike (hence why we did the Lockhart Tea Factory tour with a plantation walk instead), whilst the latter involved a lot of effort and time, rather than lots of actual hiking across the two days! Lastly, given the weather forecast during our time in Munnar (in late November) was a consistent grey but dry morning, then rainy and bleak with mist in afternoon and evening, the conditions just weren't going to be conducive to either great hiking or good photography.
And so, alas, we did not go hiking.
However, from our research at the time on the very limited resources available, these are some of the best hikes in Munnar (note that all have to be done guided with a tour):
Through The Tea Plantations | Understandably, a variety of these half-day and full-day tea plantation treks are offered in Munnar, with prices ranging from Rs. 1,000 - 2,000 per person. They are the best option if you really want to get out and see the landscapes, but don't really mind that it's not going to be a terribly challenging or long adventure (which could definitely be a good thing depending on your fitness level or itinerary). Average length appears to be 10-14 kilometres. They also allow you to walk through specific tea plantations which the public won't know about, but you have permission to traverse.
If we had more time and had a better understanding of the options available before we arrived in Munnar, we would probably have done this as a day trip.
These tours can also be booked online via sites such as Viator, which offers a surprisingly large number of highly-rated options. This half-day tour is by far the most popular option, and is also excellent value but you can find all Munnar hiking tours here.
Phantom Rock | It’s a short but picturesque hike which includes an ascent of 400 metres, and offers wonderful views (especially if you arrange the hike at sunrise). You can find further details of the hike here.
The Chokramudi Peak | A lovely reader has recently been in touch to let us know what a wonderful, adventurous and slightly off-the-beaten-track experience it is hiking The Chokramudi Peak, near Eravikulam National Park. In order to begin the hike you need to head to the Chokramudi peak trekking point on Google Maps where you will pay an entry fee which includes a guide. This should cost Rs. 400 per person (but you may be charged a little more). Good hikers should take between two and three hours to reach the top, and it’s advisable to start of nice and early to avoid the fog which descends early afternoon (and ruins the views).
Meesapulimala Trek | This was the hike which most appealed to us in Munnar, and we would have done it but for the poor weather conditions. At 40 kms outside of Munnar Town, it involves a decent drive and a 6 am start, but there is about 4-6 hours of walking involved along the route and the trail leads to a wonderful mountaintop above the clouds. You can find a guided tour option and itinerary here.
Kolukkumalai | A long drive from Munnar, it's then a 12 km trek from Kurangani village to Kolukkumalai, which is also home to the highest organic tea factory in the world. You can find more information from travellers over on this TripAdvisor page. A jeep tour here is also a popular option.
The above is by no means exhaustive, so if you have any specific treks or hikes in Munnar which you would recommend for travellers (and have done), then please do let us know the details in the comments! Please do not do your own self-guided hike through the tea plantations.
Try a Thali with the Locals
If you've read our '23 Things to Know Before You Visit Kerala' post, you'll know just how much Emily adores a thali.
Served either on a banana leaf or a round silver tray, it involves six small dishes which cover the six different flavours of sweet, salt, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy in a single balanced meal.
The Keralan variety is served with mountains of a short, fat spotted rice which we had never seen anywhere else, whilst north Indian versions favour breads. It's commonly served as a quick lunchtime dish, and often simply called a 'meal' or 'meals' on the menu in Kerala...which can obviously lead to confusion if you don't know what it is! Best eaten with you right hand and no cutlery, you also get unlimited top ups of the rice and sides - bargain!
In Munnar Town, we found two fantastic places for the lunchtime favourite - one recommended by a local, and the other a happy accident after we got off the bus from Kochi with rumbling stomachs:
Silver Spoon | The name may not be too appealing, but head downstairs and you'll find in-the-know locals devouring the lunchtime 'meal' special. It was Rs. 75 each, and this is where we learned that Keralans may not willingly give you the secret spicy sauce for a thali which the locals all get, and you really do have to insist several times that you can handle the heat! Find it on Google Maps here.
Hotel Gurubhavan | The local's recommendation, and it was packed out by 1 pm. The thali lunch was Rs. 60 each - make sure to ask for the spicy sauce! Find it on Google Maps here.
In the evenings, we ate at the fairly priced in-house restaurant at our accommodation, and once at a local place next door (which did a bloody great paneer kadai).
Visit the Wild Elephant Village at Anakulam
We are always incredibly hesitant to recommend any activity where animals are the core attraction.
Simply spend a bit of time on World Animal Protection to understand how animals are so often exploited and treated cruelly within the tourism industry (especially elephants). This is why you should not ride elephants in India (or anywhere else), and always be incredibly sceptical of any activity with interaction with a wild animal.
However, after discussions with the guys at Green Valley and lots of online research (though information is still limited), the wild elephant village at Anakulam actually sounds like it's there for the right reasons.
It's about 40 kms from Munnar, and affords the potential to view a family of elephants in their natural habitat from a respectful and enforced distance of 50 metres. Supposedly the herd live in the opposite forest and visit the salty river daily to drink and play, and there appears to be no ‘coerced’ presence or influence making the elephants appear, and human interaction is not allowed.
We sincerely hope that our research and local info is correct on this one, but if you find this not to be true in any way, then please do let us know so that we can update the article accordingly.
To visit, you can either arrange private transport or alternatively book a tour like this one which is priced for groups up to 6 people and includes lunch, the visit to Anakulam, round trip transport and stops and waterfalls. It has excellent reviews.
Visit A Spice Farm
The only spice farm we visited in Kerala was a short drive outside Munnar.
It was a surreal experience, for reasons both good and bad. Understanding how pepper, cardamom, turmeric, and ginger grow was a not too subtle reminder about how we take the (literal) roots of our food completely for granted.
However, the sweet gentleman showing us around the pleasant and peaceful gardens went from a doting grandfatherly type to hard-sell ayuverdic medicine man, insisting that his small gift shop had the guaranteed cures for male pattern baldness, psoriasis, and menstrual cramps.
It was a memorable hour for sure.
We'd recommend visiting just for that, but it genuinely was really nice to learn more about various spices and plants grown in India.
Further Information | The Cinnamon Gardens Spice Plantation (Google Maps) is open daily from 8 am - 6 pm, and entry is Rs. 150 per person.
What's the Best Time to Visit Munnar?
Anytime except monsoon season (from June to August, when it becomes pretty miserable by all accounts) is supposedly decent.
The busiest time of year for tourism is December - January, which sees acceptable weather (though not all the time). However, this is also the busy season in Kerala, particularly for local tourism. We were genuinely surprised at just how popular it was with large tours and groups of families / friends - we have also read that Munnar is a sought after honeymoon destination in India. So, as ever, start your day earlier to avoid the crowds.
Visits to Munnar are also popular during the Indian summer months (April - May) when the rest of the state is scorching hot, and the hill station climate provides welcome relief.
With chillier temperatures and more rain than travellers may expect for their Kerala adventure, it's necessary to have a lightweight waterproof, a warm layer, and trousers for your time here.
In terms of where to fit Munnar into your Kerala itinerary (post published soon!), we would suggest visiting directly after Kochi so that you can enjoy the wonderful landscapes before moving to warmer climes and the tropics by the coast in Varkala or on the Kerala backwaters.
How to Get To Munnar
The nearest airport to Munnar is Cochin International Airport, several hours away by road. There's also the Madurai International Airport.
The nearest railway station to Munnar is in Aluva, which is slightly closer than Kochi. From there, it's possible to take a regular local bus from the KSRTC bus station (Google Maps) a short walk away.
However, most travellers in Kerala will do what we did and take the windowless local bus from Kochi to Munnar. It's a long and bumpy 5-6 hour ride from the dilapidated Ernakulam KSRTC bus station (Google Maps). However, it's also unforgettable given the stunning scenery and scenes which one witnesses along the way - and it only cost Rs. 124 each. The bus from Kochi to Munnar has several daily departures, but the timetable is a little erratic - we just turned up at 7.30 a.m. hoping to take the next bus, which thankfully left at 8.30 a.m. Our advice is to check with the station master when you arrive to confirm when the next departure leaves, and from which stand.
We have also read that it’s possible to take somewhat of an express bus (with AC!) from Fort Cochin direct to Munnar in five hours (departs at 7.30am and costs Rs. 420), however we haven’t been able to confirm it. If you visit and establish one way or another, please do let us know in the comments.
Alternatively, you could consider booking this private transfer between Fort Cochin and Munnar.
There is also a daily bus from Alleppey to Munnar, which again takes about 5-6 hours - unfortunately we don’t have further information available on prices or times.
Onward Transport
When you’re ready to leave, simply take one of the regular buses from Munnar Town to Aluva or Kochi - there are several an hour. These pass various guesthouses and hotels on the road down to Kochi, so if staying 'out of town’ you don't have to find a ride into Munnar to take this bus - just confirm with your accommodation provider where to stand and what time the buses pass.
For our next stop in Kerala, the beautiful beaches of Kannur, it was quicker to get the bus to Aluva and then take the connecting train north. If you are travelling by train to the north (i.e. to Kannur or Goa) or south (i.e. to to Alleppey and the Kerala Backwaters or the backpacker beach town of Varkala, then going via Aluva is also likely the most direct route.
Alternatively, if you're cash rich and time poor, the quickest routes to / from Munnar will be with a private taxi - but this is always going to less fun or memorable.
Lastly, it a good idea to arrive in Munnar with plenty cash, but you can find several ATMS in Munnar Town.
Did you know? | Munnar's etymology stems from the word for three 'Moonu' and the word for small river 'Aar' in the local Malayalam language. The reason it's called Three Rivers? The hill station is located where the three rivers meet!
