Coonoor sits 18 km below Ooty and is greener, calmer and less crowded. Walk through tea gardens, visit a tea factory, see Dolphin’s Nose and Lamb’s Rock, and ride the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, part of the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site.
Highlights
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam
- Sim’s Park botanical garden
- Dolphin’s Nose and Lamb’s Rock viewpoints
- Highfield tea factory
- Catherine Falls
What to eat
- Nilgiri tea and homemade chocolate
- Kerala and Tamil meals
- Varkey biscuits
Where to stay
Tea-estate bungalows and heritage cottages around Coonoor and Kotagiri.
Getting there
Coimbatore airport (CJB) is about 70 km. The toy train runs from Mettupalayam up through Coonoor to Ooty.
Tips
- Book the toy train early on IRCTC; it sells out in holidays.
- Avoid the Ooty road on summer weekends: traffic jams are long.
Best time to visit
Oct-Jun. See what else is good in October and our best time to visit India guide.
Temples and shrines near Coonoor
- Adiyogi, Isha Yoga Centre A 112-ft bust of Shiva as the first yogi
Places to see in and around Coonoor
29 places within 40 km. Tap I’ve been to add them to your India passport.
- Bandipur National Park National park, 40 km
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway Museum, 1 km
- Mukurthi National Park National park, 37 km
- Pykara Waterfall, 25 km
- Maruthamalai Marudhachalamurthy Temple Temple, 34 km
- Emerald Lake, Ooty Lake, 20 km
- Government Botanical Garden Garden, 12 km
- Ooty Lake Lake, 14 km
- Bhavanisagar Dam Landmark, 37 km
- Ramakrishna Mission, Delhi Monastery, 28 km
- Avalanche Lake, Nilgiris Lake, 21 km
- Katary Falls Waterfall, 7 km
- Catherine Falls Waterfall, 7 km
- Adam's fountain Monument, 12 km
- Kalhatty Falls Waterfall, 19 km
- Government Rose Garden Garden, 12 km
- Sim's Park, Coonoor Garden, 1 km
- Holy Trinity Church, Ooty Temple, 13 km
- Marudhamalai Temple, 34 km
- Kodanad View Point Landmark, 23 km
- Nilambur Elephant Reserve Wildlife sanctuary, 37 km
- Black Thunder Garden, 12 km
- Marlimund Lake Lake, 14 km
- Nanjundeswarar temple, Karamadai Temple, 21 km
And 5 more on our Karnataka map.
Food to try in and around Coonoor
Tamil Nadu favourites to look out for.
- Idli
- Dosa
- Pongal
- Sambar
- Rasam
- Filter coffee
- Kootu
- Thayir sadam
- Rava idli
- Vada
- Palani Panchamirtham GI: sweet
- Srivilliputtur Palkova GI: sweet
The full food passport, state by state.
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