Chennai to Ooty & Coonoor Tour Package
Chennai to Ooty · 555 km · about 10 hours each way · 4 nights / 5 days
- Distance
- 555 km
- Drive time
- 10 hrs
- Duration
- 4N / 5D
- Package from
- ₹45,000
- Km included
- 1500 km
- Departs from
- Chennai
Ooty from Chennai is a 555 km journey and genuinely needs five days to be enjoyable. The route runs down NH48 to Salem, then west through Erode and Mettupalayam before the thirty-six-hairpin Kallar ghat climb into the Nilgiris — the same ghat the mountain railway parallels.
We roster only ghat-rated drivers on this route, and we recommend the 10+1 SWB for groups under ten. The Nilgiri plateau roads between Ooty, Coonoor and Doddabetta are narrow with heavy tourist traffic, and the shorter wheelbase makes a real difference in the tea-estate lanes around Coonoor.
Force Urbania Rental for the Chennai to Ooty Route
A Force Urbania rental makes this circuit workable in a way that public transport does not, but the variant choice is real. The Kallar ghat has thirty-six hairpins, and the tea-estate lanes around Coonoor toward Lamb's Rock and Dolphin's Nose are narrow enough that a 16+1 LWB will be slow. For groups under ten we recommend the 10+1 SWB Urbania hire. One useful arrangement: if your group rides the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Ooty down to Coonoor, the driver takes the van by road and meets you at the far station.
About Ooty
Ooty — Udhagamandalam — was the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and remains the largest hill station in the Nilgiris at 2,240 metres. Doddabetta, the highest peak in the range, sits just outside town. The Botanical Garden dates to 1848, and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, still runs its rack-and-pinion section up from Mettupalayam. Coonoor, 18 km below, is quieter and greener, with working tea estates, Sim's Park and the Dolphin's Nose viewpoint over the Catherine Falls gorge.
What this Chennai to Ooty Urbania package covers
- Thirty-six-hairpin Kallar ghat climb into the Nilgiris
- Ooty, Coonoor, Doddabetta and Pykara covered across four nights
- Optional Nilgiri Mountain Railway ride from Ooty to Coonoor
- Tea estate and Sim's Park circuit around Coonoor
- Ghat-rated drivers assigned by policy on this route
Chennai to Ooty & Coonoor Tour Package Itinerary
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Day 1
Chennai to Salem or Erode
Morning departure on NH48. Long highway run via Vellore, Krishnagiri and Salem, with an overnight halt at Salem or Erode to break the 555 km distance sensibly.
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Day 2
To Ooty via Mettupalayam ghat
Morning run to Mettupalayam, then the thirty-six-hairpin Kallar ghat climb, halting at the Kallar viewpoint and the Nilgiri Railway crossing. Reach Ooty by afternoon, evening at Ooty Lake and the Botanical Garden.
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Day 3
Ooty sightseeing
Doddabetta Peak, the Tea Museum and factory, Rose Garden, Pykara Lake and Falls, and the Wenlock Downs Sixth Mile viewpoint. Full day with the vehicle throughout.
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Day 4
Coonoor day trip
Descend to Coonoor for Sim's Park, Lamb's Rock, Dolphin's Nose and the Highfield tea estate. Optional Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy-train ride, with the vehicle meeting you at the far station.
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Day 5
Ooty to Chennai
Morning descent via Mettupalayam and Coimbatore, joining NH544 and NH48 for the return run to Chennai, arriving late evening.
Key stops: Salem · Mettupalayam · Kallar Ghat · Doddabetta Peak · Pykara Falls · Sim's Park Coonoor
Chennai to Ooty & Coonoor Tour Package Package Rates
Indicative package pricing including 1500 km. Final quote depends on your exact dates, halts and inclusions.
| Variant | Package (1500 km) | Extra km | Driver batta | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10+1 Seater SWB | ₹45,000 | ₹38/km | ₹1,000/day | 10 |
| 12+1 Seater MWB | ₹49,500 | ₹42/km | ₹1,000/day | 12 |
| 16+1 Seater LWB | ₹57,000 | ₹48/km | ₹1,200/day | 16 |
| Executive Lounge | ₹65,000 | ₹55/km | ₹1,200/day | 9 |
Best season: April to June for the flower show, September to November for clear Nilgiri weather.
Excluded: tolls, parking, state entry taxes and GST at 5%, unless you book the all-inclusive package.