Kolli Hills
Namakkal's plateau of hairpin bends, waterfalls, betel farms
Best time to visit Kolli Hills
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to January
- Shoulder: February to March and September to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to August
Kolli Hills season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Cool, clear and quiet - good light for the Ghat's 70 hairpin bends and the Agaya Gangai waterfall trek
Summer March to May Shoulder
Warmer and drier, waterfalls thin out by Apr-May, still noticeably cooler than the Namakkal plains below
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Heavy rain on the Ghat road with landslide risk, waterfalls run full but access can be cut after storms
Autumn October to November Prime time
Rains ease through Oct-Nov, the forest is lush and green, one of the quietest good-weather windows
What Kolli Hills is actually like
Undiscovered by backpackers - a few eco-stays, ideal for solo travellers wanting quiet
Getting to Kolli Hills
Nearest town Namakkal; the 70-hairpin Ghat road (1hr) from Semmedu
Practical ways in: road
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 1300 m
- State
- Tamil Nadu
- Coordinates
- 11.2500, 78.3333
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Kolli Hills?
November to January is peak season in Kolli Hills. February to March and September to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to August. Rains ease through Oct-Nov, the forest is lush and green, one of the quietest good-weather windows.
How many days do you need in Kolli Hills?
2 days is the usual stay. Undiscovered by backpackers - a few eco-stays, ideal for solo travellers wanting quiet.
How do you get to Kolli Hills?
Nearest town Namakkal; the 70-hairpin Ghat road (1hr) from Semmedu. Practical ways in: road.
Is Kolli Hills expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Yercaud
Tamil Nadu
Salem's 20-hairpin coffee hill, the Nilgiris without the traffic
90 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Tiruchirappalli (Trichy)
Tamil Nadu
Rockfort stairway and the 156-acre Srirangam temple city
80 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Sittanavasal
Tamil Nadu
Jain cave with lotus-pond murals, the south's quiet echo of Ajanta
130 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Thanjavur
Tamil Nadu
Chola capital, home of the UNESCO Brihadeeswarar Temple
130 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Hogenakkal Falls
Tamil Nadu
Coracle rides into a Cauvery gorge of black carbonatite rock
150 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Kumbakonam (with Darasuram)
Tamil Nadu
Darasuram's chariot temple and the Swamimalai bronze casters
160 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Tamil Nadu
Rajendra Chola's victory capital, a UNESCO temple with no queue
160 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Tiruvannamalai
Tamil Nadu
Barefoot 14 km girivalam loop around a hill read as a lingam
180 km from Kolli Hills, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Tamil Nadu
- Chettinad (Karaikudi) Tamil Nadu
- Chidambaram & Pichavaram Tamil Nadu
- Coonoor 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
- 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