Wayanad does everything Munnar does — tea, altitude, viewpoints — with a third of the traffic and a rainforest attached. The two things worth organising your days around are Chembra Peak, which has a daily permit cap and a counter that opens early, and Edakkal Caves, which has petroglyphs older than most of recorded history and closes on Mondays. Everything else can be improvised.
Compare Wayanad with another place →
When to go
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.
Wayanad right now and the next 7 days
Loading the forecast…
Wayanad, planned for you
A satellite map for every day with each stop pinned in order, photos of the places, timings, what each part costs, where to sleep and eat, and a checklist. One PDF that works offline: print it, or send it to everyone going.
- Day 1 Arrive in Wayanad · Chembra Peak (heart lake)
- TravelTrain + bus: Bengaluru/Chennai → Kozhikode, bus up the ghat₹1,100
- 11:00Chembra Peak (heart lake)₹800
- Day 2 Edakkal Caves petroglyphs
- Day 3 Banasura Sagar dam & island
₹49 once, 6 pages. Secure payment by Razorpay, instant download. Already bought? Get your download
Wayanad on the map
Tap anything in the list: the map zooms straight to it. Tap your starting city to see the way there.
The area
Getting there
Places to see
Day trips
Wayanad · Open in Google Maps ↗
Map by Google. Places are found by name, so check the exact spot in Google Maps before you go.
Step 3 of 11Next: Cost↓What your trip costs
Change anything and the numbers update. Every price is what the bus, room or ticket itself costs. We take no commission and sell no packages, so this is what you pay booking each piece yourself.
Ballpark ranges, not live quotes. Prices last updated 17 October 2026. Prices move with season and demand, so check live fares before you book. Spot a wrong price? Tell us and we fix it.
On the ground: stay, food, local travel and tickets. Pick a route above to add the journey.
Wayanad in 3 days: a day-by-day plan
Our suggested plan, in a sensible order with times. Move things between days, remove them or add more. It saves on this device, and you can share it.
- 11:00Chembra Peak (heart lake)4 h · ₹800 each · Forest permit with a strict daily cap. Reach the counter before 8 am or you don't go.
- Lunch on the way
- 08:00Edakkal Caves petroglyphs3 h · ₹150 each · Closed Mondays. Steep final climb on iron ladders — not for bad knees.
- 11:30Soochipara Falls2 h · ₹100 each · Swimming allowed when the water is low. Slippery rock, every year.
- 14:00Lunch break
- 08:00Banasura Sagar dam & islandHalf day · ₹200 each · Speedboat and pedal boat on the reservoir.
- 13:00Lunch break
How to get to Wayanad
One-way prices per person. The cheapest sensible option is marked. Each button opens live times and fares for the date you picked above.
Overnight bus
₹1,500Through Bandipur and Muthanga. The reserve road closes to traffic at night.
Train + bus Cheapest
₹1,100The Thamarassery ghat road has nine hairpins and a viewpoint at the top.
Flight + road
₹8,000Kannur (CNN) is sometimes closer depending on where you're staying.
From Coorg Last leg
₹250The obvious pairing — two hill districts, one border.
Getting around once you're there
State bus
₹35Kalpetta, Sulthan Bathery and Meppadi are all linked every 20 minutes.
Scooter
₹450Best way to reach the trailheads. Rain gear included in the season.
Jeep with driver
₹2,600Necessary for the far estates and for anyone not riding in monsoon.
Auto
₹250Fine within any one town.
Where to stay in Wayanad
Price per night for the room. The buttons open live availability for your dates.
Dorm
₹550/nightA real backpacker scene has grown here in the last few years.
Homestay
₹1,500/nightKerala homestays are the best value accommodation in India, consistently.
Treehouse
₹6,000/nightThe famous splurge. Book months out; worth exactly one night.
Estate bungalow
₹5,000/nightSix people splitting this beats four separate hotel rooms.
What to eat, and what it costs
Kerala veg sadya on a banana leaf
₹80Lunch, everywhere, unlimited. The best-value meal in the country.
Puttu, kadala curry and a banana
₹150Breakfast. Order it the way the next table orders it.
Fish or chicken curry meals
₹250Coastal fish this far inland is still excellent and still cheap.
Chai and banana fritters
₹35At every bus stop, all day.
Places to visit and things to do in Wayanad
Tap “Add to my plan” and it goes into your day-by-day plan above.
Chembra Peak (heart lake)
₹800Forest permit with a strict daily cap. Reach the counter before 8 am or you don't go.
Edakkal Caves petroglyphs
₹150Closed Mondays. Steep final climb on iron ladders — not for bad knees.
Soochipara Falls
₹100Swimming allowed when the water is low. Slippery rock, every year.
Banasura Sagar dam & island
₹200Speedboat and pedal boat on the reservoir.
Muthanga wildlife safari
₹800Dawn slot only. Elephants regularly, tigers almost never.
Thirunelli temple & Pakshipathalam
₹600Forest permit and a compulsory guide for the Pakshipathalam walk.
Day trips and next stops
Coorg, Karnataka
₹250Bus via Kutta
Bus down the ghat
Bus toward Mysuru
Nilambur teak forest
₹120Bus, then the world's oldest teak plantation
Know before you go
Mistakes to avoid
- Chembra's permit cap is real and is reached by mid-morning in season. This is the single most common Wayanad disappointment.
- Leeches from June to September. Bring salt.
- The Bandipur/Muthanga road is closed to all traffic from 9 pm to 6 am. Night buses go the long way.
Ways to spend less
- Monsoon rates are 40% below dry season for a landscape that is objectively better in the rain.
- Homestay with meals included is almost always cheaper than hotel plus restaurant.
- Do Chembra on day one. If the permits are gone you still have three days to try again.
Say it in Malayalam
A few words go a long way, especially when you ask a price.
English is widely understood across Kerala.
The pronunciation is a simple guide, not a native recording. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Before-you-go checklist
Wayanad in pictures
Tap a photo to see it full size.
Step 11 of 11Next: FAQ↓Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Wayanad?
On our month-by-month scores, the best months are Jul–Sep, Nov–Dec. 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.
How do I reach Wayanad?
Overnight bus: Bengaluru → Kalpetta, 8 h, about ₹1,500 one way. Train + bus: Bengaluru/Chennai → Kozhikode, bus up the ghat, 11.5 h + 2 h, about ₹1,100 one way. Flight + road: → Kozhikode (CCJ), then 2 h, 1 h + 2 h, about ₹8,000 one way.
How much does a 3-day trip to Wayanad cost?
On the ground (stay, food, local travel and tickets), one person spends about ₹3,300 on a shoestring, ₹5,400 mid-range or ₹10,800 in comfort over 3 days. Add the journey: the cheapest sensible option is train + bus (Bengaluru/Chennai → Kozhikode, bus up the ghat) at about ₹1,100 each way.
How many days do you need in Wayanad?
3 days is right for most people. That covers Chembra Peak (heart lake), Edakkal Caves petroglyphs, Soochipara Falls, Banasura Sagar dam & island without rushing.
Is Wayanad good for families or solo travellers?
Out of 5 on our scores: solo 4, couples 5, families 5, groups 5. It works well for families. It is easy to do on your own.
Is vegetarian food easy to find in Wayanad?
Kerala's vegetarian meals tradition is superb and near-universal — the sadya is entirely vegetarian by default. Say 'veg meals' and you will be fed properly for under ₹100 anywhere in the district.
Will my phone and cards work in Wayanad?
Phone signal: Good on the main roads, nothing in the reserves. Cards and UPI: Fine in the towns. Cash: Permit counters and forest fees are cash only, always.
Guides for Wayanad
Longer reads from our blog that cover this trip.
Bangalore to Wayanad: Distance, Every Way to Get There and What It CostsBangalore to Wayanad (Kalpetta) is about 278 km by road via Mysuru and Bandipur, about 3 h 40 min free-flow. Night…Read the guide →
Wayanad Nearest Railway Station: Kozhikode, Thalassery or Mysuru, and the Bus UpWayanad has no railway; Kozhikode is 72 km from Kalpetta. Bengaluru overnight 16527: Sleeper ₹355, 3A ₹935. Then the…Read the guide →
Kerala Trip Plan for 5 or 7 Days, Without a Package: Routes and CostsA Kerala trip plan for 5 or 7 days, by train and bus, without a package: day-by-day routes and costs from about…Read the guide →
Places to Visit Near Bangalore: 20 Underrated Trips by Distance, with Real CostsPlaces to visit near Bangalore grouped by distance: under 100 km, 100–200, 200–300 and 300+ km, with road distance,…Read the guide →Similar underrated places
KabiniA reservoir on the edge of Nagarhole National Park where elephant herds come down to drink and boat…From ₹1,500/day · Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec
BandipurOne of India's original Project Tiger reserves, straddling the highway between Mysuru and Ooty, with…From ₹1,200/day · Jan–Mar, Oct–Dec
Masinagudi & MudumalaiElephants on the road, a forest safari for a few hundred rupees, and the famous elephant camp at…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–Mar, Nov–Dec
Silent Valley National ParkA rainforest that survived a 1970s dam controversy and stayed wild enough to be one of the last habitats…From ₹1,200/day · Jan–Feb, Nov–Dec.jpg/500px-Tea_estates_near_Kotagiri%2C_Nilgiris_(ultra-wide_view).jpg)
KotagiriThe oldest hill station in the Nilgiris, all tea slopes and shola walks, with a cliff-edge view at Kodanad…From ₹1,000/day · Jan–May, Dec
CoorgCoffee estates under mist, and a monsoon that most people treat as a reason to stay away.From ₹1,100/day · Jul–Sep, Nov–DecTreks near Wayanad
.jpg/500px-Illikkal_Kallu_(%E0%B4%87%E0%B4%B2%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B2%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%BD_%E0%B4%95%E0%B4%B2%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B2%E0%B5%8D_).jpg)
Illikkal KalluModerate · Half day · Oct–MarFrom ₹400 at the base
Chembra PeakEasy · 1 day · Oct–FebFrom ₹800 at the base.jpg/500px-Banasura_hills_from_View_Point_Wayanad_Resort%2C_Pulinjal_(18).jpg)
Banasura PeakModerate · 1 day · Oct–MarFrom ₹800 at the baseSacred places near Wayanad
.jpg/500px-Theyyam_of_Kerala_by_Shagil_Kannur_2024_(30).jpg)
Make the plan yours
Set your dates and group at the top, shape the days, then book each piece directly.
Back to the planner ↑Costs are indicative ballparks for doing it yourself and change with season and demand. Always check live fares, rates and opening rules before you book. Trip Under is not a travel agency: we don't sell packages or bookings, we take no commission, and we link to maps and official sites, never to booking sites. Every guide is free; our only paid products are optional downloadable trip plans and itineraries. Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; see credits.
By Gokul · Updated 17 October 2026 · Photo: Ravi Dwivedi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Aneesh Jose · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Yjenith · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · Photo: Ingo Mehling · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · Photo: Athulvis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
.jpeg){kind=link}
