Top Things to Do in the Ooty | Must-See Attractions & Experiences

Plan Your Travel To Ooty

Places To Visit In Ooty

Emerald Lake, Ooty

Emerald Lake is situated in Emerald Village, around 20-22 kilometres from the main city of Ooty and is a part of the Silent Valley National Park in the Nilgiris District. Serene and away from the maddening crowd, the lake and its surroundings are much cleaner and offer a perfect place to enjoy a leisurely time in the vicinity of nature and quietude. It is one of the unexplored and virgin places of the South Indian hill station, not yet encroached by the masses of tourists that visit the place every year. Emerald Lake is the ideal spot in Ooty for nature lovers. Tourists usually flock there for the picturesque scenic beauty of the lake, and the green Nilgiri slopes and tea plantations surrounding it. It is a paradise for nature photography enthusiasts as the delightful landscape offers a perfect subject and composition. Read More

Government Museum

The Government Museum in Ooty was built in 1989 to maintain and promote the culture of Ooty in the form of exhibits and information. The attraction houses an extensive collection of the culture, history, the tribes, tribal objects, sculptures, paintings, handicrafts, nature and the ecology of Udhagamandalam. The museum was established to keep the fundamental values of the Nilgiri District and the people alive and educated everyone about them. It forms an important source of knowledge from this part of Tamil Nadu. It is a good attraction for family outings too. Children and grown-ups, everyone, can learn about the culture and understand its importance and relevance. The Government Museum displays information and artefacts belonging to 18 tribes in Ooty. The focus, however, is on the Toda Tribe which is considered to have had a remarkable impact on the region. At present, there are only 1100 people surviving from the tribe and, therefore, preserving their ancestral heritage has become more important. It is believed that the first Toda man was created along with a Buffalo by Goddess Teikirshi and her brother. The first Toda woman later emerged from the right rib of the first Toda man. Factually, the tribe occurred in the late 1700s when the Nilgiris were annexed by the East India Company. They have, since their existence, been an integral part of Ooty. Read More

The very beautiful and mesmerising Halashana Waterfalls are located in the Nilgiris near the cities of both Ooty and Coonoor. The silvery water falls down a height of 150 feet above the sea level. The area around the falls is owned by a private estate.

Honey & Bee Museum

Honey & Bee Museum is situated on the Sargan Villa Club Road in Ooty and aims to provide in depth knowledge about the anatomy of a bee and the manufacture of honey from its nascent stage. The tour is a very informative one. And while the other things are common to most hill stations, a tour in this museum is unique and among the most unique things to do in Ooty.

Kalhatti Falls, Bellikkal

Kalhatti falls in Bellikal, Ooty are often called 'Bird Watcher's Paradise' as they give you an aerial view of the whole valley and are also a great place to spot some endemic birds. The lovely beauty and calm atmosphere of the place make it an ideal place to spend vacations and for short trips. The lake that the falls merge into is also a very important attraction of Bellikkal and is surrounded by lush greenery. It is also a source of fresh drinking water for the surrounding areas. Elephants, in their natural habitat, often visit this lake to get a drink of water, which becomes a great sight for the travelers. Travelers can have a long walk on the shore of the lake that can offer them a memorable experience. Kalhatti Falls, Bellikal, situated to the south of Sigur Plateau in Tamil Nadu, is a beautiful waterfall that glides down from a great elevated height of 400 feet. Falling from the verdant expanses of the Nilgiri Mountains, the falls are not only a natural spectacle but are also highly important in terms of nature conservation and biodiversity. Read More

Kamraj sagar lake is a dam and is located in the suburbs of Ooty. It is located far away at a distance between the woodlands and thus make an amazing picnic spot. There is a wide variety of herbs and shrubs available in the terrain and a beautiful place to capture the scenic beauty in your camera. Several good movies are shot in the neighbourhood on the open roads and on the slopes of the Wendlock sagar. The water of this lake is icy cold and one can have good experience fishing in this lake. Fishing industry has flourished here and the chief food available is fish and rice. The local delicacies are the treat to the belly and eyes alike. Read More

Situated on the outskirts of Ooty, Kandal Cross Shrine is a beautiful church popularly known as the Jerusalem of the East. The church houses a life size bronze crucifix and a relic in a small glass case which is believed to be from the original cross that Christ carried. Sacred prayers are offered every Friday.

Known to be the third highest waterfalls in the Nilgiris, the mesmerising Katari Falls is situated at Adikarratti in Ooty, 10 kms from Coonoor. Boasting of a magnificent height of 180 m, the silvery water gushing down to form a pool at the base is also a popular picnic spot in the region. It was the site of India’s first hydroelectric power project, which is also known as the Katary Hydroelectric system. The power plant harnessed 1000 KW of power from the mechanical energy of the falling water. The hydro electric power station is also a tourist attraction and attracts several tourists to the place. The waterfalls especially look ravishing during the rainy season when the water cascades in all its glory amidst lush green woods enveloped in mighty mountains. Read More

Located at a distance of 4 kms from the Ooty Bus Stand on the Ooty Coonoor road, Ketti Valley View is a popular vantage point in Ooty. Boasting of utter tranquillity and surreal setting, the place offers mesmerising views of the resplendent valley below with gushing waterfalls, meandering streams and flourishing wildlife. The Ketti Valley is one of the most popular valleys in the region, also known as the ‘Switzerland of the Nilgiris’ owing to its lush greenery and picturesque landscape. It is a haven for the nature lovers and also attracts a lot of photographers who come here to capture nature at its best. The vantage point also has a telescope room to enjoy a closer view of the enchanting surroundings- the valley, hills and mountains. Ketti valley is preoccupied by the Todas and the Badagas tribe who cultivate their own land and grow fresh fruits and vegetable- you can also take a walk down their orchards and meadows. Read More

Kotagiri, Coonoor

A town Panchayat city and a picturesque hill station in the Nilgiris in the state of Tamil Nadu, Kotagiri is famous for its sprawling tea plantations. It is located at an altitude of 1,985 m above sea level and is the third largest hill station in the Nilgiri hills after Ooty and Coonoor. It is an ideal place for some trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiris. Schools are a significant contributor to the local economy of Kotagiri. The expensive residential schools are a feature of the Nilgiris and Coonoor. Modelled initially as British boarding schools, these have now become comprehensive schools based on the Indian schooling systems. With the development of infrastructure and roads, the importance of this gorgeous hill station declined; as before the Ghat Road was built, every traveller travelling to Ooty had to cross Kotagiri as well. This increased the tourist footfall in the area. The lush green landscape of Kotagiri holds a lot of opportunities for activities like hiking, trekking and rock climbing. Since Kotagiri is surrounded by tea plantations, it is the perfect place to indulge in some leisurely strolls and bask in the surreal beauty of nature. You can also visit one of the huge tea factories present here to know more about how the plantations operate in this region. The picturesque beauty, lush green landscape and cool climate of Kotagiri make it an ideal place to visit. Read More