Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal is a town and hill station in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
It is situated at an altitude of 2,225 m (7,300 ft) in the Palani Hills of the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal was established in 1845 to serve as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases during the summer in the plains. It is a popular tourist destination and is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" with much of the local economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism. As per the 2011 census, the town had a population of 36,501.
Getting to Kodaikanal
The closest airports to Kodaikanal are Tiruchirappalli 150 km, Madurai 120 km and Coimbatore 175 km. You can get regular flights from Mumbai, Tiruchirappalli, Bangalore and Chennai. From any of these airports you can hire a private taxi, cab or take train and bus to reach Kodaikanal. Trains are available in frequent intervals but you can choose to go by private taxi if you are in real hurry.
- 01Kodaikanal Bus Stand
From Dindigul city, Kodaikanal is located at a distance of 90 km approximately and there are plenty of buses plying from various parts of the state.
Worth seeing
- 01Kodai Lake
If you are going in winter, go boating in the evening, as it's an amazing experience to boat through fog settling on the lake.
- 02Berijam Lake
Perhaps the most pristine of the three lakes in Kodai.
- 03Bear Shola
But during some seasons there may not be any water there.
- 04Silver Cascade
It's a nice waterfall on the road side from Kodai Road, just before 4-5 km from Kodaikanal.
- 05Vattakanal Water Falls
- 06Fairy Falls
A cave known more to the locals, First being "Green Valley View" and "Pillar Rocks" and then finally "Guna Cave".
Things to do
Boating at the Kodai lake - paddle and row boats are available at the lake. Entrance is via the Kodaikanal Boat Club. Cycle around the lake - and watch the clouds while they slowly descend onto the water; cycles are available for hire at the lake on an hourly basis. It is possible to cycle to other places although cycling one way will be difficult due to the hilly terrain. Do check the cycles before setting out.
Where to eat
Astoria Veg Reasturant - a vegetarian restaurant in Kodai. Chocolate factory (near Petrol Station). A good collection of home made chocolate. They also have a good varieties of fruit syrup filled chocolate. Try the hot chocolate, ₹60 per cup. Cloud Street, PT Road. 8:30-8:30. Serves pasta, sizzlers, Continental food and other international cuisine.
- 01Altaf's Cafe
Dolphin Nose Road, Vattakanal (near Dolphin's Nose),.
Getting around Kodaikanal the local way
- Get inOnce you get off at the Dindigul Railway station, you can get an auto rickshaw to come to the Dindigul Bus Stand.
- Get aroundThough auto-rickshaws are not available in this part, tour operators and taxis are there to take you to different sightseeing destinations.
From Wikivoyage: Kodaikanal, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-07.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: KARTY JazZ (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
