Bangalore To Kodaikanal - How To Reach

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

Kodaikanal, popularly known as "The Princess of Hill Stations", is located approximately 500 km away from Bangalore. In Tamil, Kodaikanal means Gift of Forest. Kodaikanal is one of the finest hill stations in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Situated at a distance of 7,200 feet above sea level in the beautiful Western Ghats of India, Kodaikanal town is perched on a plateau above the upper Palani Hills at a height of 2,133 meters between the Parappar and Gundar Valleys of the Western Ghats. It is in the centre of this valley that the Kodaikanal Lake, a man made lagoon of 5 km circumference, is situated.

Kodaikanal is a tourist's delight. The main attractions in Kodaikanal include Bryant Park, Coaker's Walk, Bear Shola Falls, Green Valley View (popular as suicide point), Shembaganur Museum of Natural History, Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, Pillar Rocks, Guna caves, Silver Cascade, Dolphin's Nose, Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple and Berijam Lake among others.

Kodaikanal is a popular destination and receives a lot of the weekend crowd from Bangalore. Travelling from Bangalore to Kodaikanal is moderately ...
... easy.

Bangalore and Kodaikanal are not directly connected by air, but the proximity of Kodaikanal to Madurai (126 km) and Coimbatore (180 km) airports makes the travel effortless. There are direct flights from Bangalore to Coimbatore and Bangalore to Madurai. Both airports provide passenger amenities like restaurants and pre-paid taxi service. Taxis are available from both airports to Kodaikanal. They charge upwards of Rs. 4,000. Travel time from Coimbatore to Kodaikanal by cab is around five hours amidst picturesque settings. Time taken to reach Kodaikanal from Madurai by car is around three and a half hours.

Rail connectivity from Bangalore to Kodaikanal is good. Two trains, Nagarcoil Express and Tuticorn Express connect Bangalore to Kodai Road railway station. It takes approximately 10 hours time to reach from Bangalore to Kodaikanal. Advance booking of train tickets is recommended in case of traveling with elders and children, especially during the peak seasons, April to June and September to October.

Traveling from Bangalore to Kodaikanal by road is easier as there are many buses available from Bangalore. Private operators provide different types of buses like airbus, AC luxury seater, AC sleeper, semi sleeper, and 2X2 coaches. The cost is around Rs. 350 to Rs. 700 depending on the facilities provided.

Hiring a taxi is another option to travel from Bangalore to Kodaikanal. Private taxis with or without A/C are available in plenty. They charge anything from Rs. 8,800 to Rs.12,000 for a round trip from Bangalore to Kodaikanal.

Alternately, if you enjoy driving, you can also take your own car. There are around 17 hairpin curves you will have to manoeuvre on the steep climb to Kodaikanal.