Munnar
Tea-carpeted hill station, Kerala's iconic highland escape
Best time to visit Munnar
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, shoulder season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: October to February
- Shoulder: March to May and September, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to August
Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryOctoberNovemberDecember
Munnar season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Peak season - crisp mountain air, clear tea-garden views, book stays weeks ahead
Summer March to May Shoulder
Cool at altitude (18-28C) even as plains bake; April-May turns hazy and more crowded
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Landslide-prone roads and thick fog cut visibility to metres; waterfalls roar but views vanish
Autumn October to November Prime time
Best window: monsoon just ended, hillsides impossibly green, clear skies before winter crowds
What Munnar is actually like
Hostels draw a steady trickle of solo travellers for tea-garden treks and campfires
Getting to Munnar
Fly to Cochin, 4h taxi/bus via Munnar ghat road
Practical ways in: flightroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 1600 m
- State
- Kerala
- Coordinates
- 10.0889, 77.0595
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Munnar?
October to February is peak season in Munnar. March to May and September is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to August. Best window: monsoon just ended, hillsides impossibly green, clear skies before winter crowds.
How many days do you need in Munnar?
3 days is the usual stay. Hostels draw a steady trickle of solo travellers for tea-garden treks and campfires.
How do you get to Munnar?
Fly to Cochin, 4h taxi/bus via Munnar ghat road. Practical ways in: flight and road.
Is Munnar expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Kolukkumalai
Tamil Nadu
Sunrise above a sea of clouds at the world's highest tea estate
30 km from Munnar, roughly under an hour by road
-
Kanthalloor
Kerala
Rain-shadow orchard village of apples, dolmens and sandalwood
30 km from Munnar, roughly under an hour by road
-
Valparai
Tamil Nadu
Remote Anamalai plateau of tea estates and wildlife
40 km from Munnar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Thattekad (Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary)
Kerala
Salim Ali's richest peninsular birding forest on the Periyar
50 km from Munnar, roughly under an hour by road
-
Vagamon
Kerala
Quiet rolling-meadow hills - Kerala's answer to Scotland
70 km from Munnar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
Kerala
Teak-and-tiger reserve reached through Tamil Nadu, shut in monsoon
60 km from Munnar, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Kodaikanal
Tamil Nadu
Misty Palani lake town loved by trekkers, backpackers
70 km from Munnar, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Thekkady (Periyar)
Kerala
Periyar Tiger Reserve - boat safaris around a forest lake
70 km from Munnar, roughly about 1 h by road
More places to visit in Kerala
- Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters Kerala
- Aranmula Kerala
- Athirappilly Falls Kerala
- Bekal Kerala
- Fort Kochi Kerala
- Gavi Kerala
- Guruvayur Kerala
- Kakkayam Kerala
- Kannur Kerala
- Kanthalloor Kerala
- Kovalam Kerala
- Kumarakom Kerala
- Marari Beach (Mararikulam) 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