Kerala
Munnar
Tea hills at about 1,500 m, four hours up from Kochi
- Suggested trip
- 2 to 3 nights, 4 days including the drive from Kochi
- Suited to
- couples; families
In 30 seconds
- Ideal length
- 2 to 3 nights, 4 days including the drive from Kochi
- Best time
- September to March for clear weather and cool days. April and May are warmer but still pleasant at this height.
- Good for
- Couple, Honeymoon, Family, Friends / Group
- Popular from
- Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai
Munnar: Tea plantation munnar
Photo 1 of 4
Getting there
- From Kochi
- Approx 130 km, 4 hours by road
- Nearest airport
- Kochi (Cochin International), about 110 km
- Nearest railhead
- Aluva or Ernakulam, then road
- Eravikulam National Park
- About 13 km from town, closed for part of February and March
Make the route work for you
Before you choose Munnar
- Who this idea suits
- Couple, Honeymoon, Family, Friends / Group. Travelling with children, elders or anyone with mobility needs? Tell us and we set the daily pace around them.
- Allow for your departure city
- Fly into Kochi and drive about four hours up the ghat road, or take a train to Aluva or Ernakulam and continue by road. There is no rail line or airport in Munnar itself. Travel estimates vary with your actual starting point, traffic and operating conditions.
What should my written quote confirm?
- Property name, room category and meal plan
- Vehicle type, pickup point and arrival/return times
- Total cost, taxes, inclusions and optional extras
- Availability, payment schedule and cancellation terms
About this trip
Munnar sits in the Western Ghats at about 1,500 m, in a bowl of tea estates that runs for miles in every direction. It is cooler than the Kerala plains all year, which is why it is the hill stop on almost every Kerala circuit.
Read more about Munnar
Most of the pleasure is in the drive and the stay: slopes of tea, small waterfalls beside the road, and mornings when cloud sits below the ridge. The sightseeing list is short, so choose a stay with a view and keep the days loose.
How to reach: Fly into Kochi and drive about four hours up the ghat road, or take a train to Aluva or Ernakulam and continue by road. There is no rail line or airport in Munnar itself.
The Reality Check
When not to go:Heavy monsoon weeks in June and July, when ghat roads see landslide delays and views close in with cloud
- Eravikulam National Park entry is ticketed per person and the park shuts for Nilgiri tahr calving, usually February and March
- Jeep rides to viewpoints such as Kolukkumalai are charged separately by local drivers
Trip highlights
- Tea estates and the tea museum run by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations
- Eravikulam National Park, home to the Nilgiri tahr (check closure dates)
- Mattupetty dam and Echo Point on the road to Top Station
- Top Station for a long view across the ghats into Tamil Nadu
- Spice plantation and waterfall stops on the way up from Kochi
Did you know?
The Neelakurinji, a shrub on the hills around Munnar, flowers in a mass of blue-purple roughly once every twelve years, and the Nilgiri hills are named for it.
Munnar is famous for
Things to actually do here
Tea museum
Run by Kanan Devan Hills Plantations, it shows how tea is picked and processed in the estates around town.
Eravikulam National Park
A shuttle takes visitors up to the grassland where the Nilgiri tahr graze. The park is closed for part of February and March.
Mattupetty dam and Echo Point
Two easy stops on the road towards Top Station, usually done together in a morning.
Top Station
A high viewpoint on the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, best early before the cloud builds.
Sample itinerary
A starting point, not a confirmed booking. Changes depend on dates, access and availability.
3 day short plan
One night fewer. Works if you are driving up from Kochi on day 1 and straight back on day 3.
5 day Munnar and Alleppey plan
Hills first, then the backwaters, with a houseboat night before you head to Kochi.
What's typically included
- Stay in hand-picked hotels or homestays for your group size
- Private or shared transport as per your plan
- Daily breakfast (more meals available on request)
- Sightseeing and activities as per itinerary
- A single Gozy Trips point of contact from booking to return
What's not included
- Flights or train tickets to the base city, unless added to your plan
- Personal expenses, tips and anything outside the listed itinerary
- Adventure activities not included in the base package (available as add-ons)
- Travel insurance
- Anything not explicitly listed as included on your final quote
Price depends on your dates, hotel category, group size and how much transport you need. Send us your plan for a real quote.
- Itemised quoteEvery quote is itemised: the hotel and room type for each night, the vehicle, and which meals are included, so you can compare it line by line.
- Second opinion on any quoteAlready have a quote from another agency? Send it and we will tell you whether we can do the same trip for less. If we cannot, we will say so.
