Home › Blog › Wayanad by train
Getting there · Kerala
Wayanad Nearest Railway Station: Kozhikode, Thalassery or Mysuru, and the Bus Up
Wayanad has no railway line. The nearest main station is Kozhikode, about 72 km from Kalpetta, with an overnight train from Bengaluru and a KSRTC bus up the Thamarassery ghat. For Mananthavady, Thalassery is closer; from Mysuru the road crosses Bandipur, which is closed at night. Here are the stations, the fares and the buses.
Photo: Ravi Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
Wayanad has no railway station. The nearest main one is Kozhikode (CLT), about 72 km from Kalpetta. From Bengaluru the overnight 16527 leaves Yesvantpur at 20:00 and reaches Kozhikode at 07:37, about ₹355 Sleeper, ₹935 3A. From Kozhikode, KSRTC buses climb the Thamarassery ghat to Kalpetta in about two hours, about ₹114. For Mananthavady, Thalassery (about 78 km) is closer.
Wayanad is Kerala's hill district: tea and spice estates, Chembra Peak, Edakkal caves and Banasura dam, on a plateau above the coast. There is no railway on the plateau, so every train trip ends with a bus up the ghat.
How we worked it out. On 5 November 2026 we read the lowest fare per class on ConfirmTkt's route listings for travel on 6 November, checked times on erail, and re-ran road distances with OpenStreetMap routing to Kalpetta, Sultan Bathery and Mananthavady. Routing times assume clear roads. Check IRCTC before you book. You book every piece yourself: Trip Under is not an agency.
Which station for which part of Wayanad
| Station (code) | To Kalpetta | To Sultan Bathery | To Mananthavady |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kozhikode Main (CLT) | about 72 km, 1 h 20 min | about 96 km, 1 h 40 min | about 97 km, 1 h 45 min |
| Thalassery (TLY) | about 100 km, 1 h 50 min | – | about 78 km, 1 h 25 min |
| Kannur (CAN) | about 119 km, 2 h 5 min | – | about 89 km, 1 h 35 min |
| Mysuru Jn (MYS) | about 141 km, 1 h 50 min | about 116 km, 1 h 25 min | about 111 km, 2 h |
The Bandipur night closure. The highway through Bandipur, between Mysuru and Wayanad, has been closed to traffic from about 8:30 pm to 6 am since 2009 (Onmanorama, January 2026; some reports say 9 pm). Plan any Mysuru-side trip in daylight.
Is a railway coming? Not yet. The Nilambur–Nanjangud line is at the survey and project-report stage; the Kerala High Court asked the railway for its report by 14 October 2026 (Deccan Chronicle), and we found no later update.
Infographic · the route
From the train to the hills
KSRTC buses run from Kozhikode to Kalpetta from early morning to late night.
Wayanad train ticket price by class
These are the lowest fares per class that ConfirmTkt listed on 5 November 2026 for travel on 6 November.
| Train | Fares | From → to | Departs → arrives | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16527 Yesvantpur–Kannur Express | SL ₹355, 3A ₹935, 2A ₹1,315 | Yesvantpur → Kozhikode | 20:00 → 07:37 | Daily |
| 16511 Bengaluru–Kannur Express (via Mangaluru) | SL ₹380, 3A ₹1,000, 2A ₹1,410 | KSR Bengaluru → Kozhikode | 21:35 → 12:40 | Daily |
| 12601 Mangaluru Mail | SL ₹420, 3A ₹1,075, 2A ₹1,505 | Chennai Central → Kozhikode | 20:10 → 07:27 | Daily |
| 22637 West Coast Express | SL ₹430, 3A ₹1,100, 2A ₹1,535 | Chennai Central → Kozhikode | 13:25 → 01:12 | Daily |
| 16345 Netravati Express | SL ₹640, 3A ₹1,660, 2A ₹2,375 | Mumbai LTT → Kozhikode | 11:40 → 08:07 | Daily |
| 12076 Jan Shatabdi | 2S ₹135, CC ₹420 | Ernakulam Jn → Kozhikode | 09:15 → 13:00 | Daily |
| 16604 Maveli Express | SL ₹260, 3A ₹685 | Thiruvananthapuram → Kozhikode | 19:25 → 03:25 | Daily |
| 16649 Parasuram Express | 2S ₹110, CC ₹380 | Mangaluru Central → Kozhikode | 05:00 → 08:27 | Daily |
For budgeting, Trip Under plans the Bengaluru train and the ghat bus at about ₹1,100 per person each way. Here is how it compares:
| Way in | Route | Time | Fare (per person, each way) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight bus | Bengaluru → Kalpetta | 8 h | ₹1,500 | Through Bandipur and Muthanga. The reserve road closes to traffic at night. |
| Train + bus | Bengaluru/Chennai → Kozhikode, bus up the ghat | 11.5 h + 2 h | ₹1,100 | The Thamarassery ghat road has nine hairpins and a viewpoint at the top. |
| Flight + road | → Kozhikode (CCJ), then 2 h | 1 h + 2 h | ₹8,000 | Kannur (CNN) is sometimes closer depending on where you're staying. |
Infographic · two days in Wayanad, per person
Train and bus against the direct bus
One person from Bengaluru, return travel plus two days on the ground at Trip Under's Wayanad daily rates (₹1,100 shoestring, ₹1,800 mid-range).
The bus up the ghat, and the direct bus
From Kozhikode, KSRTC buses run to Kalpetta over the Thamarassery ghat in about two hours. An aggregator listing in April 2026 showed the non-AC deluxe at about ₹114, with buses from early morning to nearly midnight; we found no official KSRTC fare. Private AC buses cost about ₹349–700.
From Bengaluru, KSRTC-Swift buses run to Kozhikode through Mysuru, Sultan Bathery and Kalpetta: about ₹452 (Super Fast) to ₹913 (Garuda AC) for the whole run, so less to Wayanad (fare list updated May 2026). Private buses are about ₹999–1,750. Our plan uses about ₹1,500 for the overnight bus.
Two days, what it costs
Photo: Athulvis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A dorm in Kalpetta or Meppadi is about ₹550 a night and a homestay about ₹1,500. A Kerala sadya on a banana leaf is about ₹80. Two days from Bengaluru by train and bus come to about ₹4,400 per person on a shoestring and ₹5,800 mid-range.
When to go
Infographic · month by month
Wayanad month by month
Month-by-month as text
Jan: Good · Feb: Good · Mar: Passable · Apr: Passable · May: Avoid · Jun: Good · Jul: Best · Aug: Best · Sep: Best · Oct: Good · Nov: Best · Dec: Best
June to September is the monsoon and is spectacular — waterfalls, mist, lowest rates of the year, and leeches. October to February is dry, green and busy at weekends.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nearest railway station to Wayanad?
Wayanad has no railway. The nearest main station is Kozhikode (CLT), about 72 km from Kalpetta by road. For Mananthavady, Thalassery (about 78 km) is closer.
How do I reach Wayanad from Bengaluru by train?
Take the 16527 from Yesvantpur (20:00) to Kozhikode (07:37), about ₹355 Sleeper or ₹935 3A, then a KSRTC bus up the Thamarassery ghat to Kalpetta, about two hours.
How far is Wayanad from Kozhikode railway station?
About 72 km to Kalpetta, 96 km to Sultan Bathery and 97 km to Mananthavady by road.
How much is the bus from Kozhikode to Kalpetta?
About ₹114 for the KSRTC non-AC deluxe (an aggregator listing, April 2026); we found no official fare.
Can I reach Wayanad from Mysuru at night?
Not through Bandipur: the highway is closed to traffic from about 8:30 pm to 6 am. Travel in daylight.
Is there a railway line to Wayanad?
No. The Nilambur–Nanjangud line is still at the survey and project-report stage.
How much does a 2-day Wayanad trip cost by train?
About ₹4,400 per person on a shoestring and ₹5,800 mid-range from Bengaluru, train and bus both ways included.
Sources and how we priced this
- Fares by class and times: ConfirmTkt route listings (Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru to Kozhikode), read 5 November 2026 for travel on 6 November; times cross-checked on erail.in. Live fares: IRCTC.
- Road distances and drive times: OSRM driving routes over OpenStreetMap data to Kalpetta (11.61, 76.08), Sultan Bathery and Mananthavady, 5 November 2026.
- Buses: EaseMyTrip (Kozhikode–Kalpetta KSRTC listing, April 2026; private buses, 6 November 2026); tickettogetlost.com KSRTC-Swift Kozhikode–Bengaluru fares (updated 15 May 2026).
- Bandipur night closure: Onmanorama, 30 January 2026. Nilambur–Nanjangud line: Deccan Chronicle, 9 October 2026.
- Stays, food and the season: Trip Under's Wayanad page. Budgets: our cost model.
Keep reading
Plan your own Wayanad trip
Set your dates, group and travel mode on the Wayanad page and see the train, bus, bed and food add up.
Open the Wayanad page →Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.