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Four day Munnar Thekkady road trip itinerary
If you are planning a trip to Kerala in India, then Munnar and Thekkady should both be on your itinerary. Located in the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage biodiversity hotspot, Munnar is a beautiful hill station with an abundance of stunning vistas. The tea plantations of Munnar are among the top attractions of Kerala. Thekkady, the spice capital of Kerala, awakens your olfactory senses with a blast of fresh, fragrant scents.
Munnar and Thekkady are within driving distance of each other – about a three hour drive – and can be easily incorporated into a two week Kerala itinerary.
As a native of Kerala, I have made countless road trips to Munnar and Thekkady. In this comprehensive Munnar and Thekkady trip guide, I am sharing my insider knowledge for an ideal four-day itinerary. The guide covers must-visits, where to stay, where to eat, and the challenges you might face while visiting Munnar and Thekkady.
Guest post by Ashley Antony is a travel blogger from Kerala and a local expert for travel in Kerala.
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Four day Munnar Thekkady itinerary overview
Natural beauty, exciting encounters with wildlife, fragrant spices. This is what you will primarily find in Munnar and Thekkady … and not much else. For that reason, plan at least a four-day trip to give yourself enough time to enjoy the natural ambience.
Spend the first two days exploring the best places to visit in Munnar. On the third day, take a scenic drive from Munnar to Thekkady, where you will witness immersive cultural performances. Finally, on the fourth day, explore the major attractions of Thekkady.
Depending on your budget, there is a wide range of accommodations available in Munnar and Thekkady. For a budget trip, choose cottages or homestays in natural settings. If you want a luxury stay, choose a resort with a large property, such as Spice Village in Thekkady, as it will offer you lots of outdoor activities. This will give you more opportunities to experience scenic spots and have a more relaxed holiday.
Thekkady has several cafes and restaurants you can enjoy, but Munnar is not known for food options. You will find only a few restaurants in town, and none worth mentioning. So, plan your trip in such a way that you have both your breakfast and dinner at your stay in Munnar.
How to reach Munnar
Munnar is a three to four hours’ drive from the better-connected towns in Kerala, such as Kochi or Alappuzha. You can drive or take a state bus, known as KSRTC, to reach Munnar from Fort Kochi / Cochin
Due to their hilly terrains and geologically sensitive nature, rail, and air travel are not available within 100 kilometres of Munnar or Thekkady.
How to get around in Munnar and Thekkady
To get around in Munnar and Thekkady, I would recommend a private vehicle or hiring a taxi. While public transport is possible, you will not have the choice to make pit stops for scenic views or if you feel motion sickness (which is common in these hills).
The winding roads of Munnar and Thekkady (and the Western Ghats in general) require a certain level of driving expertise. There have also been incidents of wild elephant encounters on the roads. You will appreciate a local driver who can maneuver the vehicle in such a situation without losing his or her composure.
Best time to visit Munnar and Thekkady
Munnar and Thekkady are year-round tourist destinations with cool, pleasant weather. But, if I have to pick the best time, I would say November. And if I have to pick the worst time, it would be between late May and late August.
In November, there is a floral phenomenon in Munnar with the blooming of the neelakurinji flower. Neelakurinji is a rhododendron that blooms with purple flowers each year, in November. Some of the meadows in Munnar turn purple with the neelakurinji bloom. It is a surreal sight to behold!
During the monsoon months from late May to late August, heavy rain can cause landslides and closures, and the roads get slippery. During this time, the state government will issue warnings and may close Munnar and Thekkady for tourism for a couple of days at a stretch. If this happens during your visit, you will be stuck until the roads reopen.
Day 1: Munnar
Scenic drive to Munnar
On the first day of your Munnar Thekkady road trip, drive to Munnar from one of Kerala’s low-lying cities via the Kochi-Madurai Highway. As you get closer to Munnar you will spot two stunning waterfalls named Cheeyapara Waterfalls and Valara Waterfalls.
You will no doubt see many places to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way, but these waterfalls will be among the highlights. The drive will probably be about three-to-four hours. Once you reach Munnar, check into your hotel, relax, and have your lunch at the property before heading out for an afternoon of exploration.
Where to Stay in Munnar
Budget: K Mansion
Mid-Range: Teaberg Estate Haus
Luxury: Chandy’s Windy Woods
Tea Garden and Museum
The first places to explore in Munnar are its famed tea plantations and the Tata Tea Museum. Established in 2005 by the Tata company, who own the largest tea manufacturing business in India, this tea museum offers a broad insight into the history of tea plantation and tea making in Munnar.
As you enter the Tata Tea Museum, you will see a 30-minute video on the history of tea. This is followed by a guided tour of the tea factory, showcasing the large machinery that process tea-leaves. Finally, you reach the factory outlet, where you can buy every possible type of tea processed in Munnar.
The Tata Tea Museum is located on a hilltop with a vast expanse of Tata’s tea estate on all four sides. Expect to spend two to three hours here. There is a nominal charge for entry and an additional charge for tea-tasting.
Day 2: Munnar
Eravikulam National Park
After breakfast at your hotel, head to Eravikulam National Park and embark on a hike in search of Nilgiri Tahr, a native species of wild goat found in the Western Ghats. Eravikulam National Park is a conservation project created to give endangered Tahrs a safe natural habitat along the Anamudi Peak, the tallest peak in South India.
In order to visit Eravikulam National Park, you will need to book your tickets at the ticket counter or online on their website. From the valley, you will then be taken to the park’s entrance up the hill by a bus. It is one of the highest points in Munnar that you can get to without trekking.
The view of the valley amidst the misty fog is out of the world. You will need to cover the last one kilometre of the park on foot. Tahrs, being very friendly creatures of the wild, graze on the grasslands unperturbed by your presence.
There is a nominal entry Fee for Eravikulam National Park (200 INR for an Indian adult and 500 INR for an International Tourist).
Echo Point
Next, head to Echo Point, located a one-hour drive from Eravikulam National Park. You can have your lunch at Sri Annapoorni Restaurant, which serves South Indian food. It is located halfway between the two attractions. Munnar Echo Point is at a remote location with only small food joints serving snacks and instant noodles.
The route to Echo Point is very picturesque with tea plantations making way to thick forests. You will pass through elephant corridors and may even spot one or two of the majestic animals lurking in the wild. Echo Point got its name because of an acoustic phenomenon that causes an echo among the mountains if you shout something really loud here.
The main attraction of Echo Point is paddle boating on the serene waters of the nearby Mattupetty Dam. It is also a popular picnic and shopping spot with several roadside shops selling knick-knacks at throwaway prices.
Day 3: Munnar to Thekkady road trip
Munnar to Thekkady Drive
On the third morning of your Munnar Thekkady road trip, check out from your Munnar hotel and head to Thekkady. The drive, through hilly terrain with hairpin curves, takes about three hours. The driving conditions are similar to those between Munnar town and Echo Point, except the tea plantations are replaced by thick forests.
Although this drive is shorter than the Kochi-Munnar drive, you are more likely to feel motion sickness on this route as you alternate between uphill and downhill. Once you get to your Thekkady hotel, relax and get plenty of rest so that you don’t fall sick.
Where to stay in Thekkady
Budget: Sopanam Heritage Thekkady
Mid-Range: Abad Green Forest
Luxury: Spice Village Thekkady – CGH Earth
Kadathinadan Kalari Centre
In the evening, head to Kadathinadan Kalari Centre to witness the thrilling cultural performances of Kathakali and Kalarippayattu. Kathakali is an ancient dance-drama tradition native to Kerala. The performers wear elaborate costumes and paint their faces in bright colours to narrate mythological stories through intense expressions and traditional dance movements.
Kalarippayattu is an ancient Indian martial art form that originated in Kerala. It is characterized by its graceful movements, weapon training, and hand-to-hand combat techniques. It combines physical agility, strength, and mental discipline.
The two art forms are the epicentre of Kerala’s cultural pride and heritage. A visit to Kerala is incomplete without witnessing them. The center offers a 50-minute performance of each with multiple shows running from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in two adjacent halls. So, you can watch a Kathakali show at 5:00 pm and then head to the Kalarippayattu performance hall for the 6:00 pm show.
There is a nominal entry fee for Kathakali and Kalarippayattu.
After the performances, head to Sora Grills and Gossip for a scrumptious dinner.
Day 4: Thekkady
Periyar National Park
One of the most exciting things to do in Thekkady is to visit Periyar National Park, and this is how we will begin the fourth and final day of our Munnar Thekkady tour.
Periyar National Park, also known as Periyar Tiger Reserve, is home to an incredible array of diverse flora and fauna. The park’s centrepiece is the picturesque Periyar Lake that sustains the park’s ecosystem.
This national park offers several activities to let you see the wild in its natural habitat amidst beautiful scenery, the most popular of them being the Periyar Lake cruise. Only a limited number of tourists are allowed per time slot, so pre-book your ticket online on their official website.
The best time slot to spot wildlife is 7:00 am to 8:30 am. As you cruise over the calm lake, you will see wild elephants, bison, lion-tailed macaques, and sometimes even a tiger strolling along the banks. Animal sighting is purely by chance, this is why it is important to get the early morning slot when the wildlife is more likely to come closer to the lake to drink water.
Entry fee for Periyar National Park is 330 INR.
After your cruise, you can have breakfast at the café located within the park before heading back to town, or return to your resort or hotel for breakfast.
Read: All about tiger safaris in India
Abraham’s Spice Garden
Next, head to Abraham’s Spice Garden for a deeper understanding of spices and sustainable agricultural practices of Kerala. Abraham is a passionate agriculturalist and cardamom trader with a farm filled with many local and exotic plants and fruit trees.
The best part of this visit is that Abraham will himself give you a guided tour of his farm, sharing his knowledge of traditional farming. The tour also includes his cardamom processing unit where he uses sustainable methods of drying, sterilizing, and packaging cardamoms. You can even purchase fresh spices and herbs from his farm to take back home.
You have now officially covered the major attractions of Thekkady. You can now explore the town for handicrafts or souvenirs. But before leaving Thekkady, head to Tusker Café, the finest restaurant in the town, for a delicious Kerala lunch served on a banana leaf. You can get both vegetarian as well as seafood specialties of Kerala here.
Note: Thekkady is known for elephant tourism. Elephant Camp in Thekkady has four tamed female elephants that people can pay to ride. We STRONGLY advise against riding elephants as it is a cruel practice. To learn more please read Protecting Indian elephants.
Four day Munnar Thekkady Itinerary summary
A trip to Munnar and Thekkady is a great way to experience the beauty and culture of Kerala. Munnar’s rolling tea plantations, mist-covered hills, and serene landscapes provide a tranquil escape into nature’s beauty, while Thekkady’s rich biodiversity, thrilling wildlife encounters, and lush spice plantations take you on a journey to the heart of Kerala.
These are not places to see, but to experience. While four days may not be enough to truly immerse yourself in these experiences, they are enough to touch your soul.
Author Bio: Ashley Antony is a travel blogger from Kerala and a local expert for travel in Kerala. She records her travel journeys as helpful resources for budget family travel.
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