Coimbatore To Ooty - How To Reach

By Author: Rashmiranjan Patil
Total Articles: 261
Comment this article

Established by the British in the early 19th century, Ooty is one of the most popular hill stations in southern India. Ooty was the summer headquarters of the Madras government. Ooty is situated in the mountain ranges of Nilgiris, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Ooty is visited for the tourist spots like the Ooty Lake, Thread Garden, Botanical Gardens, Rose Gardens, Doddabetta Peak, St Stephens Church and the Tribal Research Center Museum.

Nearby destinations like Wellington, Wayanad, Mysore, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandipur, Coimbatore, Conoor, Kotagiri and Pykara Lake can be visited from Ooty.

Ooty has a pleasant climate throughout the year.

The distance between Coimbatore to Ooty is about 84 km. Ooty is one of the best weekend destinations from Coimbatore, not just for its proximity and connectivity.

It takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to cover this distance. From Coimbatore one has to follow the Coimbatore-Ooty-Gundlepet highway or the SH 181 that takes you through towns like Thudiyalur, Periyanaikanpalayam, Karamadai, Metupalayam, Coonoor before finally reaching Ooty. From Mettupalayam ...
... the road passes through some beautiful hills and valleys.

State transport and private buses are available from Coimbatore to Ooty for this journey. The cost of a seat may vary from Rs. 80 for an ordinary bus and Rs. 200 for a deluxe bus.

One can also book a taxi from Coimbatore to Ooty that will cost about Rs. 2500 and the double for a round trip. This is a better option if you are travelling with a lot of luggage and family.

One can also take the risk of driving your own car if you like hill driving. There are viewpoints all along the way so that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery around.

The nearest broad gauge railway station to reach Ooty from Coimbatore is Mettupalayam. There are regular train services between Coimbatore and Mettupalayam. From Mettupalayam, the travellers can hire taxi or board a bus to reach Ooty.

Alternately, the tourists can also travel from Mettupalayam to Ooty by 'Nilgiri toy train'.

The 'Nilgiri toy train' connects Mettupalayam to Ooty and covers a distance of 46 km in four hours and 30 minutes. There are nine stations in between them. The train passes through steep curves, long tunnel, deep and long ravines full of green vegetation, streams and tea and spice gardens. The train is hauled uphill by steam engines, designed and built by Swiss Locomotive Works and imported in late nineteenth century. Twelve of such locomotive engines survive even today. It is always better to book well in advance.

The best option if travelling with children, do not forget to choose a seat on the left, because the valleys will fall on the left side if travelling up.