Coonoor
Quieter, lower Nilgiri twin to Ooty, ringed by tea estates
Best time to visit Coonoor
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, peak season
- May, peak season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: April to May and October
- Shoulder: September and November to March, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to August
Coonoor season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Cool and clear, fewer fog days than Ooty, good for tea-estate walks without a jacket-in-the-mist fight
Summer March to May Prime time
Warm pleasant days among tea gardens, a quieter overflow alternative to a packed Ooty
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Wet and misty like the rest of the Nilgiris, Ghat sections prone to landslides after heavy spells
Autumn October to November Prime time
Post-monsoon clarity, tea estates glisten green, a calm low-key alternative to Ooty's Oct crowds
What Coonoor is actually like
Sleepy tea-estate town, homestays over hostels - better for quiet solo walks than a crowd
Getting to Coonoor
Fly to Coimbatore (70km, 2.5hr) or toy train from Mettupalayam
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 1850 m
- State
- Tamil Nadu
- Coordinates
- 11.3530, 76.7950
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Coonoor?
April to May and October is peak season in Coonoor. September and November to March is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to August. Warm pleasant days among tea gardens, a quieter overflow alternative to a packed Ooty.
How many days do you need in Coonoor?
2 days is the usual stay. Sleepy tea-estate town, homestays over hostels - better for quiet solo walks than a crowd.
How do you get to Coonoor?
Fly to Coimbatore (70km, 2.5hr) or toy train from Mettupalayam. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Coonoor expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Tamil Nadu
Nilgiris' colonial hill capital, toy train and tea gardens
20 km from Coonoor, roughly under an hour by road
-
Masinagudi (Mudumalai)
Tamil Nadu
Sigur plateau elephant country below Ooty's 36 hairpin bends
40 km from Coonoor, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Bandipur National Park
Karnataka
Deccan teak and elephant country on the Mysuru-Ooty road
60 km from Coonoor, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Silent Valley National Park (Mukkali)
Kerala
Untouched rainforest saved from a dam, entered only by permit
60 km from Coonoor, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Nilambur
Kerala
World's oldest teak plantation and the Nedumkayam rainforest
80 km from Coonoor, roughly about 2 h by road
-
BR Hills (Biligiri Ranganatha)
Karnataka
Soliga tribal hills where the Western and Eastern Ghats meet
120 km from Coonoor, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Wayanad
Kerala
Misty Western Ghats plateau of wildlife and spice gardens
110 km from Coonoor, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Kabini
Karnataka
Backwater safari base beside Nagarhole National Park
110 km from Coonoor, roughly about 2 h by road
More places to visit in Tamil Nadu
- Chettinad (Karaikudi) Tamil Nadu
- Chidambaram & Pichavaram Tamil Nadu
- Courtallam (Kutralam) Tamil Nadu
- Gangaikonda Cholapuram Tamil Nadu
- Gingee Fort (Senji) Tamil Nadu
- Hogenakkal Falls Tamil Nadu
- Javadi Hills (Jamunamarathur) Tamil Nadu
- Kalakkad-Mundanthurai (Mundanthurai) Tamil Nadu
- Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu
- Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
- Kazhugumalai (Vettuvan Koil) Tamil Nadu
- Kodaikanal Tamil Nadu
- Kolli Hills Tamil Nadu
- Kolukkumalai Tamil Nadu
- Kumbakonam (with Darasuram) Tamil Nadu
- Madurai Tamil Nadu
- Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) Tamil Nadu
- Manapad Tamil Nadu
- Masinagudi (Mudumalai) Tamil Nadu
- Meghamalai (High Wavy Mountains) Tamil Nadu
- Ooty (Udhagamandalam) Tamil Nadu
- Point Calimere (Kodiakkarai) Tamil Nadu
- Pulicat (Pazhaverkadu) Tamil Nadu
- Rameswaram Tamil Nadu
- Sittanavasal Tamil Nadu
- Thanjavur Tamil Nadu
- Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) Tamil Nadu
- Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) Tamil Nadu
- Tiruvannamalai Tamil Nadu
- Valparai Tamil Nadu
- Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu
- Vellore Tamil Nadu
- Yelagiri Tamil Nadu
- Yercaud Tamil Nadu