Kerala · India · Destination Guide
Munnar, the Tea Hills
Kerala's loveliest hill station - an ocean of emerald tea gardens rolling over the high Western Ghats, in cool, misty air a world away from the coast below.
The City
An ocean of tea
Climb from the heat of the Kerala coast into the high Western Ghats and you reach Munnar - a hill station at 1,600 metres where the mountains, as far as the eye can see, are carpeted in the neat, glowing-green contours of tea. The air is cool and often misty, the slopes are stitched with silver-oak shade trees and tumbling streams, and the whole landscape has the ordered beauty of a vast, living garden.
The British planters who carved these estates from the forest in the 1880s left a legacy of tea bungalows, a quaint hill town and the great Kanan Devan and Tata estates that still clothe the hills. Around them lie the highest peak in south India, Anamudi; the Eravikulam National Park, home to the rare Nilgiri tahr; the dramatic viewpoint of Top Station; and, once every twelve years, the slopes turn blue with the Neelakurinji bloom.
This guide covers everything for a few days in Munnar - the tea gardens and the viewpoints, the wildlife and the walks, where to stay (a tea-estate bungalow is the thing), what to eat, and the hills beyond.
Munnar at a Glance
The essentials
State
Kerala, South India
Best time
September to March
Ideal stay
2–3 nights
Getting there
~4 hrs from Kochi (COK)
Known for
Tea gardens, cool air & Eravikulam
Stay
A tea-estate bungalow
Don't miss
A tea-garden walk & Top Station
Pairs with
Thekkady/Periyar, Kochi, the backwaters
What to See
The best of Munnar
Rolling tea gardens and a rare mountain antelope, high viewpoints and the highest peak in the south - the beauty of the Kerala hills.
Tea country · half dayThe Tea Gardens & the Tea Museum
To wander the tea gardens of Munnar - on foot among the waist-high bushes with a planter or a picker, the silver oaks above and the mist rolling through - is the great pleasure of the hills. At the Tata Tea (KDHP) Museum you can trace the story of the estates and watch the leaf rolled, fired and graded, then taste it at source; and the drives between Munnar and Top Station thread some of the most beautiful tea-and-mountain scenery in India.
Take a slow morning in the gardens and a tasting at the museum - the essence of Munnar, best in the clear early light.
Eravikulam National Park
A high-altitude park of rolling grasslands above the tea, home to the largest population of the rare Nilgiri tahr (a mountain goat-antelope, wonderfully tame) and, every twelve years, the mass blue bloom of the Neelakurinji. The drive up and the walk are superb.
Top Station
The highest point of the Munnar range on the Tamil Nadu border, looking out over the Western Ghats and, on clear mornings, far down towards the plains - the classic Munnar viewpoint, magical at dawn before the mist.
Anamudi & the high peaks
Anamudi (2,695 m), the highest mountain in India south of the Himalaya, rising above Eravikulam - a majestic backdrop to the tea country.
Mattupetty & Kundala
The Mattupetty dam and lake (with boating and the nearby Indo-Swiss dairy) and the pretty Kundala lake amid the tea - gentle, scenic outings.
Echo Point & the viewpoints
Echo Point on Kundala lake, the Pothamedu and Lockhart viewpoints, and the photo stops along the tea roads - the easy pleasures of a Munnar drive.
Kolukkumalai
The world's highest tea estate, reached by a rough jeep track for a spectacular sunrise above a sea of cloud and tea - an adventurous, unforgettable early morning.
Tea-estate walks & the spice gardens
Guided walks through the estates, visits to cardamom and spice gardens, and the simple joy of the cool, green, unhurried hills.
Getting Your Bearings
The lie of the hills
- Munnar town — the small, busy hill town at the meeting of three streams, with the markets and the tea museum nearby; convenient but not the scenic place to stay.
- The tea estates — the surrounding hillsides of Kanan Devan and Tata tea, where the loveliest bungalow and resort stays are.
- Towards Top Station — the high north-eastern road past Mattupetty and Kundala to the great viewpoint.
- Eravikulam & the high country — the national park and Anamudi above the tea, to the north.
Where to Stay
Tea-estate bungalows & hill resorts
Munnar's loveliest stays are colonial tea-estate bungalows and resorts amid the gardens. A selection across the tiers.
Tea-estate bungalows
Restored planters' bungalows on working tea estates (such as the KDHP/Windermere-style stays) - log fires, gardens and the tea rolling away on every side. The most magical Munnar experience.
SpiceTree & Fragrant Nature
Sleek hill resorts with infinity pools and spas looking over the tea and forest - contemporary luxury in the clouds.
Windermere Estate & Tall Trees
Characterful, long-loved estate retreats among cardamom and silver oak - intimate, green and serene.
Hillside boutique stays
Smaller design-led hotels and homestays on the tea slopes for character and views.
Resorts near town
A range of comfortable hill resorts within reach of the town and the sights - good for families.
Munnar + backwaters
Pair the cool tea hills with a backwater houseboat or a beach to capture the two faces of Kerala.
Where to Eat
Kerala hill flavours
Munnar pairs Kerala's coastal-and-spice cooking with hearty hill fare and, of course, the freshest tea. What to seek out.
- Kerala meals & appam — the banana-leaf vegetarian meal and the lacy appam with stew.
- Spice-garden cooking — dishes rich with the cardamom, pepper and clove grown on the surrounding hills.
- Estate & bungalow dining — home-style planter's food, often garden-grown, at the tea bungalows.
- Fresh tea & snacks — Munnar tea at source, with pazham pori (banana fritters) and hot bajji in the mist.
Tea-bungalow tables
Beautiful home-cooked Kerala and continental meals at the estate bungalows and resorts - often from the kitchen garden, by the fire.
Local restaurants
Appam and stew, Kerala meals and spice-rich curries in the town and resort kitchens - South Indian comfort food in the cool air.
Tasting at source
A tea tasting at the museum and a spice-garden lunch - the flavours of the hills, freshly made.
Munnar town
Hot tea, banana fritters and bajji from the town's cafes and stalls - perfect on a misty afternoon.
Ayurvedic & vegetarian
Light, healthy vegetarian and Ayurvedic plates at the wellness resorts - Kerala's gentle hill table.
Tea, spices & honey
Take home Munnar tea, hill cardamom and pepper, homemade chocolates and honey - the edible souvenirs of the estates.
Shopping
Tea, spices & chocolate
Munnar tea
Estate-fresh black, green and flavoured teas from the tea museum and the town shops - the obvious, lovely souvenir, bought at source.
Cardamom & pepper
Hill-grown cardamom, pepper, clove and cinnamon from the spice gardens and the town's spice shops - fragrant and inexpensive.
Munnar chocolates
The town's famous homemade chocolates in countless flavours - a fun, local treat.
Local stalls
Essential oils, honey, eucalyptus and lemongrass products, and simple hill crafts along the Munnar streets.
Beyond the City
Day trips from Munnar
Eravikulam & Top Station
The national park for the tahr and the great Top Station viewpoint - the two essential half-days of the Munnar high country.
Thekkady (Periyar)
The spice plantations and the Periyar wildlife reserve - a lake boat for elephants, spice walks and Kathakali, the natural next stop in the Kerala hills.
Marayoor & Chinnar
The sandalwood forests and prehistoric dolmens of Marayoor, the sugarcane-and-jaggery country, and the dry Chinnar wildlife sanctuary - a fascinating contrast.
Sunrise jeep
The rough dawn jeep climb to the world's highest tea estate for sunrise above the clouds - an adventurous early start.
Kochi
Back down to the coast for the Chinese nets, the colonial quarter and the start of the backwaters.
Backwaters & spice country
Down towards the Kerala backwaters and the spice plantations of the lower hills - the green descent from the tea.
When to Visit
The Munnar year
The best window - crisp, clear days, lush green hills after the rains and the finest views. Cool to cold at night. Prime time.
Best timeWarmer but still a pleasant escape from the plains' heat, with misty afternoons - a quieter, lower-rate time.
Heavy, dramatic rain - the hills at their greenest and most romantic, with waterfalls and mist, though some viewpoints close. Lovely for those who like the rain.
Every twelfth year the Eravikulam slopes turn violet-blue with the mass Neelakurinji bloom - a botanical spectacle worth planning around (next blooms per the cycle).
RareFestivals: the rare Neelakurinji bloom (every 12 years), the tea-and-tourism festivals of the hills, and Kerala's Onam and Christmas celebrations.
How to Plan It
Suggested itineraries
Two Nights
The essentials
- Day 1: a tea-garden walk and the Tea Museum; the viewpoints and Mattupetty.
- Day 2: Eravikulam National Park and Top Station at dawn.
- Slow evenings at a tea-estate bungalow.
Three Nights
Tea & the high country
- The two-day essentials, slower.
- A Kolukkumalai sunrise or a Marayoor day.
- Time for estate walks, a spice garden and the markets.
The Kerala Arc
Hills, lake & coast
- Two days in the Munnar tea hills.
- On to Thekkady's spice-and-wildlife country.
- Down to the backwaters and Kochi.
Good to Know
Practical Munnar
Getting there
Munnar is about 4 hours by road from Kochi (the nearest airport, COK) and a similar drive from Madurai - a beautiful climb through the Western Ghats. We arrange private transfers.
Getting around
A private car and driver is essential for the spread-out viewpoints, the park and the estates; the roads are winding, so allow time. Some sights (Kolukkumalai) need a local jeep, which we arrange.
Eravikulam
The national park can close for a period in winter for the tahr's calving season, and entry is by park bus with timed tickets - we check dates and book ahead.
Climate
At 1,600 m Munnar is cool to cold, especially at night and in the mist - pack warm layers and a light rain jacket year-round.
Money & safety
Carry cash for the town and stalls; cards work at resorts. Munnar is relaxed and very safe, including for women. Roads can be slow in monsoon. Drink bottled or filtered water.
Visa
Most nationalities need only an Indian e-Visa, applied for online before travel - we send a step-by-step guide with every booking.
There is nothing quite like a Munnar morning - mist lifting off a sea of tea, the silver oaks dripping, and a cup of the estate's own brew in your hands.
Travel With Us
Journeys through Kerala
Munnar is the jewel of the Kerala hills. Every journey is private and fully tailored, with a tea-estate stay, a car and driver throughout.
NatureMunnar Tea Hills & Periyar
The tea country and the Periyar wildlife reserve.
LeisureKerala Backwaters & Beaches
The tea hills, a houseboat and the coast.
WellnessKerala Ayurveda Retreat
Tea-hill calm and a healing Ayurveda programme.
Common Questions
Munnar, answered
Plan your Munnar
Tell us your dates and your style, and we will craft a private Munnar of tea, mist and mountain - a planter's bungalow, an expert guide, the gardens and the high country, and the rest of Kerala beyond. A thoughtful proposal follows within 24 hours.
Planning a trip to Munnar?
Tell us roughly what you have in mind and we will send a considered reply — not a brochure. Usually within 24 hours, Kolkata office hours.