Ooty Travel Guide

Providing relief to hordes of city dwellers, the hotels in Ooty range from modest to extravagant and cater to a wide range of travellers. So the next time you plan a trip to this charming hill station, choose from a spate of quaint and comfortable options to find accommodation that meets all your requirements. From cosy home stays that will plough you with the most intimate service, to sprawling resorts offering faultless hospitality and all the latest amenities—check in for a stay that will complete your holiday in every way. Bookings can be tough around peak tourist season, so plan well in advance to ensure you get what you want.

• Budget hotels in Ooty for a cost-effective stay

• The 5 best resorts in Ooty

• 5 home stays in the Nilgiris that will take you close to nature

• Luxury

  Tea Nest

Whether you’re craving for old-school dosas or wood-fired pizzas, these restaurants in Ooty are sure to satisfy the hungriest of customers. With a picture-postcard backdrop of pretty cottages, fenced flower gardens, colonial-era churches and tea gardens, Ooty offers numerous memorable dining experiences. Take your pick from its mix of long-standing, family-run eateries offering home-style fare and fancy hotel restaurants dishing out food inspired by royal and Anglo-Indian recipes.

• The 5 best restaurants in Ooty

  Despite its popularity with tourists, Ooty has few good stand-alone restaurants. Several hotels have excellent fine dining options, while there’s fresh and spicy local fare to be found at the smaller local restaurants.

• Fusion

  Earl’s Secret

• Italian

  Nahar’s Sidewalk Café

• Chinese

  Shinkow’s

The most famous hill station of the south, Ootacamund’s (Ooty) resplendent tea plantations and red-roofed bungalows still carry echoes of colonial past. Originally a densely forested area in the Nilgiri mountains, it was converted into a summer retreat for the British in the 19th century. Though there are not many places to visit in Ooty but he place will get you high on nature and natural beauty. The undeniable natural beauty of Ooty (as it's universally referred to) and its misty green trails continues to draw visitors every year. Ooty is pleasant all year round, but the summer months are the high season. If you want to avoid the crowds and don't mind a drizzle then head here between August and November, when the rains turn the hills a luxuriant green.

• 5 ways to explore the great outdoors around Ooty

• Nature

  Avalanche Lake

• Nature

  Mudumalai National Park

• Nature

  Doddabetta Peak

Besides visiting its sprawling tea plantations and red-roofed bungalows, there are plenty of things to do in Ooty. You can say a prayer at the St. Stephen’s Church that was built in 1829 in neo-Gothic style and is supported by wooden beams from Tipu Sultan’s palace. A ride in the Nilgiri Mountain Railways is also a great way of exploring this region. If you have the luxury of time, you can even hop off at Coonor or Wellington enroute. If you think that the city only has churches and tea plantations to offer, head out to the Racecourse where horse riding is a 125 years old tradition or stopover at the Botanical Gardens for a refreshing day time excursion. With the crowds conspicuous by their absence, it’s no wonder that Ooty is a honeymooner’s paradise.

• Experiencing Ooty through its lakes

  The charming hill station of Ooty is an escape plan during the harrowing summer months. And the places to visit in Ooty include some very irresistible natural vistas, misty landscapes, and lakes that present a strong case for languid living.

• 6 experiences which are unique to Ooty

When it comes to shopping in Ooty, there isn’t very much the city has to offer, but there are a few things you can stock up on while you’re in this hill station in the Nilgiri mountain ranges. The weather in Ooty is favourable for the growth of spices and tea—almost every shop you come across will be selling locally produced varietals of both—aside from which the locally made cheese and oil is also worth buying, as is the delicious home-made chocolate.

• 5 things you should buy before leaving Ooty

• Souvenirs

  Aromatic Oils

• Food

  Handmade chocolates

• Food

  The Green Shop

Ooty, being one of the most beautiful hill stations in the country, remains crowded with holidaymakers, globetrotter and explorers for most part of the year. However, when it comes to weekend getaways from Ooty, there are several interesting options surrounding the hill town. From exploring the wildlife at Nagarhole and visiting the beautiful Pondicherry and enjoying a toy train ride at Coonoor and discovering the palaces at Mysuru, there’s absolutely no dearth of amazing places to visit to visit near Ooty that makes for a perfect weekend retreat. One can reach these most of these places within 5 to 6 hours drive. Here read our guide to know more about the weekend escapes from Ooty.

• Fascinating weekend escapes from Ooty

  If you are planning a weekend trip from Ooty, you won’t be disappointed as there are myriad fascinating options to choose from. The gorgeous Pondicherry is around 400 km from Ooty while the beautiful city of Mysuru is only 130 km from here. Those looking for some wildlife escape can choose to explore the Nagarhole National Park, which is only 6 hours drive away.