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Yercaud
The 'jewel of the south' is a small coffee-and-orange hill station in the Shevaroys, forty minutes up from Salem and much cheaper than Ooty.
Photo: Sri2161k, CC BY-SA 4.0
Yercaud is the easiest hill station to reach in Tamil Nadu. It is 32 km of ghat road from Salem, with twenty hairpins, and sits at about 1,500 m in the Shevaroy Hills. It is small: a lake, a few viewpoints, coffee and pepper estates, and a waterfall. That is the appeal. There are no crowds except on long weekends, prices are lower than Ooty's, and a weekend really is a weekend.
Instead of Ooty for a weekend. Works for everyone. Best months: Jan–May, Sep–Dec.
When to go
The weather is pleasant all year, cooler than the plains by 10°C. October to February is the best time. The Summer Festival in May draws crowds. Kiliyur Falls only really flows after the monsoon, from August to November.
Getting there
One-way ticket price per person — double it for the return, which is what the cost example below uses. The cheapest sensible option is marked.
| Option | Notes | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train + bus → Salem Junction, then bus up the ghat | Salem is on the Bengaluru–Chennai–Coimbatore lines. Buses leave from Salem's old bus stand every 30 minutes. | varies + 1 h | ₹500 one-way |
| Bus CHEAPEST Bengaluru → Salem → Yercaud | Take a TN or KSRTC bus to Salem, then change. | 5 h 30 m | ₹450 one-way |
| Drive Bengaluru → Yercaud | Via Hosur and Dharmapuri on NH44. The ghat has twenty hairpins. | 4 h 30 m | ₹2,500 one-way |
| Flight + road → Salem (SXV) or Coimbatore | Salem airport has limited flights. Bengaluru is usually simpler. | 1 h + 1–4 h | ₹5,000 one-way |
What it actually costs
Example for a couple, 7 days, mid-range, starting from Bengaluru. Return transport, a bed each night, three meals a day, local travel and entry tickets are all included. This is one example, not a quote — use the live planner to price your own dates, party size and budget style.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Return bus (Bus one-way ₹450 × 2 × 2 people) | ₹1,800 |
| Beds, food, local travel & tickets (7 days, mid-range) | ₹18,368 |
| Total for the couple | ₹20,168 |
Getting around
| Option | Notes | Suits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| On foot | The lake, the park and the market are all close together. | Solo, Couple, Group, Family | Free |
| Local bus | A slow loop bus goes around the Shevaroys. | Solo, Couple | ₹15/trip |
| Taxi loop | Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point, Shevaroyan Temple, Kiliyur and the estates. | Family, Group | ₹1,500/day |
| Scooter | The 32 km loop road is quiet and good for riding. | Couple, Solo | ₹450/day |
Where to sleep
| Tier | Notes | Suits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget Lodge · Near the lake | Basic but fine. Prices jump on Saturdays. | Solo, Group | ₹900/night |
| Estate Coffee-estate homestay · Around the loop road | The reason to come. Wake up to birdsong among the coffee and silver oak. | Couple, Family | ₹1,800/night |
| Group Villa / cottage · Loop road | Whole cottages for 6–8 people, good for a friends' weekend. | Group | ₹4,500/night |
| Govt TTDC hotel · Near the lake | A reliable, central option. | Family | ₹1,800/night |
Eating
Easy. Meals, dosa and the Salem snacks are all vegetarian-friendly.
| Tier | What | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹80 | Salem meals | The Kongu-style meals in town are generous. | ₹80 |
| ₹120 | Estate coffee and pepper | Buy direct from estate shops on the loop road. | ₹120 |
| ₹150 | Salem thattu vadai set & chicken | Salem is known for thattu vadai set, a spicy street snack, and its non-veg messes. | ₹150 |
| ₹40 | Hot bajji at the lake | On a misty evening. | ₹40 |
What to actually do
| Activity | Notes | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady's Seat & Gent's Seat | The best view down the ghat to Salem. At night you can see the city lights. | 1 h | Free |
| Pagoda Point | Stone cairns and a view east over the plains. Quieter than Lady's Seat. | 1 h | Free |
| Kiliyur Falls | A 300-step walk down. It flows well from August to November and is a trickle in summer. | 2 h | Free |
| Shevaroyan Temple | A cave temple on the highest point of the Shevaroys, about 1,620 m. | 1 h | Free |
| Yercaud Lake boating | Busy but pleasant. Go on a weekday morning. | 1 h | ₹120 |
| Estate walk | Several estates run guided coffee and pepper walks. | 2 h | ₹300 |
More of Yercaud
Photo: Dinesh Valke, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tamal Das, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Mohammed Aswath Ali, CC BY-SA 4.0
What goes wrong here, and how to do it cheaper
What goes wrong:
The ghat road is jammed on long weekends, and prices double. Go midweek if you can.
Kiliyur Falls is dangerous in heavy rain. Do not climb on the wet rocks.
Some estate homestays are down rough tracks. Check how the car will reach it.
How to do it cheaper:
Midweek, Yercaud is empty and half the price.
Stay in a coffee estate, not near the lake.
From Bengaluru, a Friday night bus to Salem gets you into the hills by breakfast.
Nearby
| Place | How | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolli Hills 110 km | Bus via Salem and Namakkal | Onward | ₹150 |
| Hogenakkal 115 km | Bus via Dharmapuri | Full day | ₹150 |
| Yelagiri 150 km | Bus via Krishnagiri | Onward | ₹180 |
| Salem 32 km | Bus down the ghat | Half day | ₹40 |
Money & connectivity
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Cash | Buses and small eateries. |
| Card & UPI | Most hotels. |
| Mobile signal | Good. |
| ATMs | Yercaud town near the lake. |
When is the best time to visit Yercaud?
Jan–May, Sep–Dec is the best window. The weather is pleasant all year, cooler than the plains by 10°C. October to February is the best time. The Summer Festival in May draws crowds. Kiliyur Falls only really flows after the monsoon, from August to November.
How do you get to Yercaud?
The cheapest sensible option is bus (Bengaluru → Salem → Yercaud), around ₹450 one-way per person.
How much does a trip to Yercaud cost?
For a couple travelling mid-range for 7 days from Bengaluru, budget roughly ₹20,168 total — return transport, stay, food, local travel and entry tickets. Shoestring and comfortable budgets run lower and higher; use the live planner on tripunder.com to price your own dates and party size.
Plan your own Yercaud trip
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Open the planner →Costs are indicative ballparks for budget travel and change with season and demand — always check live fares and rates before you book; the live planner links straight to where you'd book each piece. Photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons, credited above and in full at /credits/. Trip Under features underrated destinations only, is reader-planned, and takes no affiliate commission on any booking link.