Multi-day circuit
Tamil Nadu Hill Stations
8 days · 7 nights · 1600 km · departs Chennai or Coimbatore
Chennai → Tamil Nadu Hill Stations · indicative rates
Fares shown are indicative starting rates. The final charge is based on real-time usage — distance, hours or days, tolls, parking and permits. Outstation trips are charged on a minimum of 300 km per day. Driver batta is ₹1,000 per day; late-night batta of ₹1,000 applies between 22:00–05:59. GST at 5% applies to the total.
The Shevaroy hills at Yercaud, the smallest and least visited of Tamil Nadu's hill stations. Its ghat road has twenty bends against Ooty's thirty-six, which makes it the gentlest introduction to the kind of driving this circuit is built on.
At a glance
| Duration | 8 days, 7 nights |
|---|---|
| Total distance | Approximately 1600 km |
| Departs from | Chennai or Coimbatore |
| Recommended seater | 13 Seater (12+D) |
| Passengers | Up to 12 in the recommended vehicle |
| States covered | Tamil Nadu |
| Permits | No interstate permit — the circuit stays within Tamil Nadu throughout. |
| Driver batta | ₹1,000 per day × 8 days |
| Best season | October to March. April to June is peak season in all three hill stations, when the towns fill and the roads up become slow. |
Distances and timings are indicative planning figures, not the basis of a quote. Itineraries are indicative — actual routing, timings and stops are subject to road, weather, traffic and permit conditions, and to the chauffeur's judgement.
Why this circuit
Three hill stations, three separate ranges, three quite different characters — and enough ghat driving that the vehicle and the chauffeur matter more on this circuit than on any other except Valparai. Yercaud is small and quiet, Ooty is the one everyone knows, Kodaikanal is the one people prefer once they have seen both.
It is deliberately ordered easiest first. Yercaud's ghat has around twenty bends against Ooty's thirty-six, so the circuit starts gently and builds. That matters for a group with anyone prone to travel sickness, because by day three they will know how they cope and so will we.
The honest weakness is the transfers. You cannot get between these ranges without descending to the plain and climbing again, so days three and five are both long slow drives. There is no route that avoids it. What makes it worth doing as one circuit rather than three separate trips is precisely that the descents and climbs are the interesting driving rather than dead mileage.
Which Urbania
The 13 seater without much hesitation. This circuit has four separate ghat ascents and descents, and all three towns have limited parking that fills in season. The shorter vehicle is better on every climb and easier to place at the top of each.
Warm clothing across seven nights at altitude is real luggage. A group leaving Chennai in the heat packs jackets for Ooty and Kodaikanal, and that fills a vehicle faster than the headcount suggests. Give us the bag count.
Day by day
- Day 1 Chennai to Yercaud 360 km
West to the Shevaroy hills. A long first leg finishing with a short, gentle ghat — the easiest climb of the circuit.
- Day 2 Yercaud 50 km
The lake, the viewpoints and the coffee slopes. A deliberately quiet day before the circuit gets serious.
- Day 3 Yercaud to Ooty 270 km
Down and across to the Nilgiris, then up the Kallar ghat. Two ghat sections in one day, which is why it is planned as an early start.
- Day 4 Ooty and Coonoor 70 km
Doddabetta and the lake, then Coonoor and the tea estates. The toy train between the two if you have booked it.
- Day 5 Ooty to Kodaikanal 270 km
The longest transfer, down out of the Nilgiris and up into the Palanis. Slow rather than difficult, and it takes most of the day.
- Day 6 Kodaikanal 60 km
Coaker's Walk, Pillar Rocks and the pine forest. Berijam Lake if you hold a forest permit, which must be arranged in advance.
- Day 7 Kodaikanal to Coimbatore or Madurai 180 km
Down the Palani ghat and out. A half day of driving with the afternoon free.
- Day 8 Coimbatore to Chennai 510 km
The return leg if you started from Chennai. A long straightforward day on good road — or skip it entirely by ending at Coimbatore.
Included
- Vehicle and chauffeur for the full circuit
- Fuel
- Driver batta for each day
- All tolls and parking at actuals against receipts
Not included
- Accommodation and meals
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway tickets
- Berijam Lake forest permit
- Entry fees at gardens and viewpoints
- Anything of a personal nature
Two things need booking before you travel and cannot be produced on the day: Nilgiri Mountain Railway seats, which sell out well in advance, and a Berijam Lake forest permit if you want it, which has a daily vehicle cap. Neither is something we arrange. Tell us what you hold and we will build days four and six around them.
Afternoon cloud is the recurring constraint on all three ranges. It closes visibility on the upper bends and takes the views away, which is why every climb on this circuit is planned for the morning. A group that wants a lie-in on a transfer day will spend the afternoon driving in cloud.
April to June is peak season in all three towns. The roads up become slow with day-trip traffic, parking becomes genuinely difficult, and the viewpoints are crowded. October to March is a different circuit for the same money, and if your dates are flexible it is worth moving them.
Rates
| Seater | Configuration | From, per km | Driver batta / day | Minimum / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Seater | 9+D — up to 9 passengers | ₹38 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
| 13 Seater | 12+D — up to 12 passengers | ₹42 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
| 17 Seater | 16+D — up to 16 passengers | ₹45 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
Fares shown are indicative starting rates. The final charge is based on real-time usage — distance, hours or days, tolls, parking and permits. Outstation trips are charged on a minimum of 300 km per day. Driver batta is ₹1,000 per day; late-night batta of ₹1,000 applies between 22:00–05:59. GST at 5% applies to the total.
Questions about this circuit
Why is Yercaud first?
Because its ghat is the gentlest — around twenty bends against Ooty's thirty-six. The circuit is deliberately ordered easiest first, so a group with anyone prone to travel sickness knows how they cope before the harder climbs on days three and five.
How long are the transfer days?
Days three and five are both around 270 km and both take most of the day, because you cannot get between these ranges without descending to the plain and climbing again. There is no route that avoids it.
Can we shorten it to two hill stations?
Yes, and Ooty with Kodaikanal is the usual pair — a six-day circuit dropping Yercaud. If you want the gentlest version instead, Yercaud with Kodaikanal from Chennai works well. Ask us and we will lay out either.
What needs booking in advance?
Nilgiri Mountain Railway seats, which sell out well ahead, and a Berijam Lake forest permit if you want it, which has a daily vehicle cap. We arrange neither. Tell us what you hold and we will build the days around it.
Why are all the climbs in the morning?
Because afternoon cloud closes visibility on the upper bends on all three ranges and takes the views with it. A group that wants a lie-in on a transfer day will spend the afternoon driving in cloud rather than looking at anything.
Which seater should we take?
The 13 seater. Four ghat ascents and descents, and all three towns have limited parking that fills in season. The shorter vehicle is better on every climb and easier to place at the top.
How cold does it get?
Cold enough at night in all three, particularly December to February at Ooty and Kodaikanal. Groups leaving Chennai in the heat consistently underpack, and seven nights of warm clothing is more luggage than a weekend needs.
Can we end at Coimbatore instead of Chennai?
Yes, and it saves the 510 km final day entirely. If your group can fly out of Coimbatore this is a seven-day circuit rather than eight, and a considerably easier one.
Which hill station is best?
Most groups arrive expecting Ooty and leave preferring Kodaikanal, which is quieter and greener. Yercaud is the smallest and least visited and surprises people. Doing all three in one circuit is the only way to have that argument properly.
When should we avoid it?
April to June is peak season in all three. Roads up become slow, parking is genuinely difficult and viewpoints are crowded. October to March is a different circuit for the same money.
Is it suitable for travel sickness?
It is the circuit where we would raise it first — four ghat ascents and descents over eight days. Middle rows help considerably, the easiest-first order helps, and if it is a real concern we would suggest a coastal circuit instead.
Do we need a permit?
No interstate permit — the circuit stays within Tamil Nadu. The only permit involved is the Berijam Lake forest permit, which is optional, capped daily, and arranged by you rather than by us.
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Circuit information last verified 2026-09-02.