Athirappilly Falls
An 80ft waterfall curtain at its thundering best in monsoon
Best time to visit Athirappilly Falls
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, best avoided
- Mar, best avoided
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, peak season
- Jul, peak season
- Aug, peak season
- Sep, peak season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: June to September
- Shoulder: October to January, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: February to May
Athirappilly Falls season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Dec-Jan the falls still run decently with cooler trekking weather, but well past monsoon peak
Summer March to May Do not go
Skip if the waterfall is the point - by April-May it's reduced to a thin trickle over bare rock
Monsoon June to September Prime time
This is peak season here - the falls roar at full width; stick to viewing platforms, rocks are lethal
Autumn October to November Shoulder
October-November still has strong flow with clearer skies than the monsoon months
What Athirappilly Falls is actually like
Mostly a day-trip crowd of families and photographers; better as a stop than a base
Getting to Athirappilly Falls
Fly to Cochin, 1.5-2h taxi/bus into the Sholayar forest range
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 152 m
- State
- Kerala
- Coordinates
- 10.2851, 76.5691
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Athirappilly Falls?
June to September is peak season in Athirappilly Falls. October to January is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid February to May. This is peak season here - the falls roar at full width; stick to viewing platforms, rocks are lethal.
How many days do you need in Athirappilly Falls?
1 day is the usual stay. Mostly a day-trip crowd of families and photographers; better as a stop than a base.
How do you get to Athirappilly Falls?
Fly to Cochin, 1.5-2h taxi/bus into the Sholayar forest range. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Athirappilly Falls expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary)
Kerala
Salim Ali's richest peninsular birding forest on the Periyar
30 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly under an hour by road
-
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
Kerala
Teak-and-tiger reserve reached through Tamil Nadu, shut in monsoon
40 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly under an hour by road
-
Nelliyampathy
Kerala
Orange-and-tea hills above Palakkad with the Seetharkundu drop
50 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Muziris Heritage (Kodungallur)
Kerala
Lost Roman spice port with the Cheraman mosque and synagogues
50 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly under an hour by road
-
Valparai
Tamil Nadu
Remote Anamalai plateau of tea estates and wildlife
60 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Thrissur
Kerala
Kerala's percussion capital and the ground zero of Pooram
60 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Fort Kochi
Kerala
Colonial port town of fishing nets, spice lanes and art
70 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Munnar
Kerala
Tea-carpeted hill station, Kerala's iconic highland escape
90 km from Athirappilly Falls, roughly about 2 h by road
More places to visit in Kerala
- Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
- Aranmula Kerala
- Bekal Kerala
- Fort Kochi Kerala
- Gavi Kerala
- Guruvayur Kerala
- Kakkayam Kerala
- Kannur Kerala
- Kanthalloor Kerala
- Kovalam Kerala
- Kumarakom Kerala
- Marari Beach (Mararikulam) Kerala
- Munnar Kerala
- Munroe Island (Munroe Thuruthu) Kerala
- Muziris Heritage (Kodungallur) Kerala
- Nelliyampathy Kerala
- Nilambur Kerala
- Paithalmala Kerala
- Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Kerala
- Ponmudi Kerala
- Silent Valley National Park (Mukkali) Kerala
- Thalassery (Tellicherry) Kerala
- Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary) Kerala
- Thekkady (Periyar) Kerala
- Thenmala Kerala
- Thrissur Kerala
- Vagamon Kerala
- Valiyaparamba (Nileshwar backwaters) Kerala
- Varkala Kerala
- Wayanad Kerala