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Tamil Nadu · Nilgiri Hills

Ooty

Recommended stay: 2–3 days

Illustration of a steam toy train on a hillside above a lake town, tea terraces and misty mountains in the Nilgiris, near Ooty
Illustration — an AI-generated image, not a photograph of the real place.

Ooty (officially Udhagamandalam) was developed by the British in the early 1800s as a summer capital for the Madras Presidency. Its cool, temperate climate and tea-covered hills made it one of colonial India's most popular hill retreats, a reputation it's kept ever since.

The town's best-known landmark is the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage steam "toy train" that has run since 1908, using a rack-and-pinion system on its steepest stretches between Ooty and the plains at Mettupalayam.

How to reach Ooty

Nearest railhead is Ooty itself, reached by the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam. Nearest airport is Coimbatore (~88km), about 3 hours by road via the Nilgiri ghat roads.

Places to visit

Ooty Lake

A boating lake in the town centre, built in the early 1800s by John Sullivan, the founder of Ooty.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The UNESCO-listed toy train connecting Ooty to the plains at Mettupalayam.

Doddabetta Peak

The highest point in the Nilgiris, over 2,600m, with a telescope house and valley views.

Botanical Garden

A terraced garden laid out in 1848, with an annual flower show each May.

Pykara Falls

A waterfall and boating spot about 20km from Ooty, set amid eucalyptus and pine forest.

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