Best Places to Visit in Western Ghats, India

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A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the breathtaking Western Ghats is one of the world’s “hottest hotspots” courtesy of its vast biodiversity! An overflowing bounty of natural beauty, adventure, and rich cultural heritage, it is home to the most beautiful tourist destinations in India like Munnar, Ooty, Mahabaleshwar, and Chikmagalur. Read on to see the best places to visit in Western Ghats and what they offer!

Running parallel to India’s western coast, the Western Ghats, or the Sahyadri mountain range, encompasses vast surfaces of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and parts of Gujarat.

Other than offering stunning natural landscapes, fertile terrain for crop cultivation, unique flora, abundant wildlife, and activities like trekking, camping, river rafting, backwater cruises, wildlife safaris, and Ayurvedic wellness programs, the Western Ghats play a major role in ecological preservation and climate regulation.

Best time to visit Western Ghats in India

October to March, the winter season in India packed with post-monsoon bliss, is the perfect time to visit Western Ghats for sightseeing and outdoor activities like trekking and jungle safaris.

The temperature ranges from 8°C to 25°C. The monsoon is a great time for nature lovers, and the hills provide tremendous relief in the summer too!

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Top places to visit in the Western Ghats

This beautiful mountain range spread over 1,600 km is a treasure trove of exciting destinations and tourist attractions.

We have listed some of the best places in Western Ghats to visit on your next escapade to South India.

1. Munnar, Kerala

Straight out of a fairytale, Munnar is tucked in the Idukki district of Kerala and is popular for its picture-perfect tea plantations carpeted over undulating hills, year-round pleasingly cool weather, and wisps of mist floating around lush blue-green hills.

Set at 5,300 feet in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats, Munnar offers everything from the most flavorful tea, exotic spices, fresh fruits, glimpses of rare wildlife like the Nilgiri Tahr, countless adventures, and trekking expeditions to the highest peak in South India – the mighty Anamudi!

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Though its rare and vivid Neelakurinji flowers bloom only once every 12 years, Munnar is frequented by dreamy-eyed honeymooners, nature lovers, and photographers every month come rain or shine!

Top Munnar attractions: Tea gardens, high-elevation viewpoints, Kundala Lake, Mattupetty Dam, Eravikulam National Park, Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Anamudi Peak, Attukad Waterfalls, Nilgiri Tahr, Neelakurinji blossoms, colonial-era cottages, spice plantations, fruit orchards, homemade chocolates
Top Munnar activities: Trekking, nature walks, camping, glamping, Jeep safaris, tea-tasting tours, plantations walks, birdwatching, boating, paragliding, shopping
Best time to visit: October to March (10°C-28°C)
Ideal trip duration: 2-3 days

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2. Coorg, Karnataka

Coorg, or Kodagu, is a lush, misty hill station with a cool climate, rich culture, and aromatic plantations of coffee and cardamom spanning 30,000 hectares. Madikeri, a secluded town at the center of Coorg, is its commercial hub with markets, transportation, and other facilities.

Also called the ‘Scotland of India’, its relaxing natural beauty, waterfalls, streams, interactive elephant camp, flavorful coffee, spices, traditional homestays, and adventure activities like trekking and river rafting have made it one of the most fun places to visit in Western Ghats.

Coorg is also home to the native Kodava tribe famous for their martial arts skills and amiable hospitality. Cultural festivals like Puthari, top-notch wildlife sanctuaries, spicy delicacies like the Pandi Curry, and a centuries-old chocolate-making legacy lure people here!

Top Coorg attractions: Abbey Falls, Dubare Elephant Camp, Namdroling Monastery, Nagarhole National Park, ancient forts, homemade chocolates, coffee plantations, spice estates, traditional homestays, eco-resorts, spicy cuisine
Top Coorg activities: Plantation tours, coffee-tasting, trekking, camping, Jeep safaris, wildlife sighting, birdwatching, river rafting, ziplining, mountain biking, heritage walks, shopping
Best time to visit: November to March (12°C-28°C)
Ideal trip duration: 2-3 days

3. Ooty, Tamil Nadu

Officially Udhagamandalam, Ooty is a resplendent hill station at 7,350 feet famous for rolling tea plantations, cool climate, colonial architecture, the vivid Ooty Botanical Garden, and the scenic Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Since it was once the summer capital of the British, Ooty is dotted with charming colonial-era buildings, churches, cottages, and cafes that make you feel you’re in England! An Ooty trip is often paired with a toy train ride to and from Coonoor, the second largest and rather secluded hill station in the Nilgiris set 19 km from Ooty at 6,300 feet above sea level.

Ooty’s delicious tea, picturesque landscapes, year-round chilly weather, scenic waterfalls, amazing food, fresh fruits, and thrilling train rides on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway have made it a top destination in the Western Ghats!

Top Ooty attractions: Doddabetta Peak, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Ooty Botanical Garden, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Toda tribal huts, lakes, waterfalls, ancient churches, tea factory, orchards, high-elevation viewpoints
Top Ooty activities: Trekking, camping, boating, plantation tours, tea factory tours & tasting, nature walks, mountain climbing, rappelling, wildlife safaris, horse riding, birdwatching
Best time to visit: October to June (7°C-25°C)
Ideal trip duration: 3-4 days

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4. Wayanad, Kerala

An adventurer’s paradise, Wayanad is a biodiversity hotspot tucked in northeastern Kerala and boasts lush foliage, misty rainforests, hills, wildlife, spice plantations, and the mysterious Edakkal Caves with prehistoric carvings dating back to the Neolithic age!

Wayanad is 2,300 to 7,350 feet above sea level and has one of the highest and most difficult peaks to trek in South India – Vellarimala! Visitors also love to trek to Chembra Peak through rainforests, rolling grasslands, and a heart-shaped lake overlooking the Nilgiri Hills! Don’t miss the Jeep safaris of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, the home of elephants, tigers, and leopards.

Its fertile valleys and hills are brimming with plantations of tea, coffee, coconut, cocoa, vanilla, plantain, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom. Its visually stunning rice terraces have earned it the tag of the ‘Land of Paddy Fields’!

Top Wayanad attractions: Edakkal Caves, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Chembra Peak, Kuruva Island, 900 Kandi, semi-evergreen and deciduous rainforests, spice plantations, waterfalls, eco-resorts, glamping retreats, reservoir lakes
Top Wayanad activities: Trekking, forest hikes, camping, glamping, paragliding, mountain climbing, ziplining, waterfall trekking, boating, bamboo rafting, plantation tours, bee-farm tours
Best time to visit: October to March (12°C-29°C)
Ideal trip duration: 3-4 days

5. Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

At 4,720 feet, Mahabaleshwar is a popular hill station known for the sweetest strawberries, pleasingly cool climate, lush grasslands, and misty mountain peaks! Located only 225 km from Mumbai and 120 km from Pune, Mahabaleshwar makes for an amazing weekend getaway, especially in the summer!

This “Strawberry Capital of India” tucked in Maharashtra’s Satara District boasts sprawling fruit orchards, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and charming attractions like Pratapgad Fort and Arthur’s Seat. People visit its famed Mapro Garden to buy fresh fruits, jams, crushes, and honey.

With the sacred Krishna River and the 500-year-old Mahabaleshwar Shiva Temple, this town is also among the most revered pilgrimage places to visit in Western Ghats in India! Don’t miss January’s Mapro Strawberry Festival, the magnificent Pratapgad Fort, and the ancient Rajpuri Caves, the home of the Pandavas during their exile as per the Mahabharata!

Top Mahabaleshwar attractions: Rajpuri Caves, Arthur’s Seat, Mapro Garden, Mahabaleshwar Shiva Temple, Pratapgad Fort, waterfalls, lakes, viewpoints, sunrise & sunset points, colonial-era cottages, strawberry farms, fruit markets, cafes
Top Mahabaleshwar activities: Boating, trekking, nature walks, temple tours, horse riding, rock climbing, cycling, strawberry picking, Jeep safari, shopping
Best time to visit: September to February (10°C-24°C)
Ideal trip duration: 2-3 days

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6. Chikmagalur, Karnataka

Chikmagalur sits in the foothills of the Mullayanagiri range of the Western Ghats at 3,400 feet above sea level. It’s an offbeat destination that draws in nature lovers and adventurers with its lush coffee plantations, misty hills, and exciting activities like trekking and camping.

Set 270 km from Bangalore, it makes for a refreshing weekend getaway with its cool climate, relaxing environment, and endless trekking opportunities. Visitors can trek to Karnataka’s highest peak – Mullayanagiri, explore the ancient caves of Baba Budangiri hills or spot elephants and tigers in Kudremukh National Park.

The birthplace of Indian coffee, Chikmagalur is often called the “Coffee Capital of India” and is a great destination to visit in the Western Ghats in the monsoon, when its natural beauty is most vivid and its coffee plantations in full bloom!

Top Chikmagalur attractions: Kudremukh National Park, Hebbe Falls, Jhari Falls, Mullayanagiri Peak, Baba Budangiri caves, coffee plantations, coffee estate stays, homestays, lakes, viewpoints, Coffee Museum
Top Chikmagalur activities: Trekking (difficult and easy), camping, star-gazing, plantation tours, coffee-plucking, off-roading, Jeep safaris, kayaking, birdwatching
Best time to visit: September to February (11°C-30°C)
Ideal trip duration: 2-3 days

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7. Agumbe, Karnataka

Often called the “Cherrapunji of South India”, Agumbe is a small hill station in Karnataka’s Shimoga district with the second-highest annual rainfall in India, rich biodiversity, and a cool and breezy climate.

The setting of the famous television show Malgudi Days (1986-2006), Agumbe is now home to the last remaining lowland rainforests featuring rare medicinal plants like Myristica, Eugenia, and Garcinia. The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, India’s oldest weather station, has been built here solely for monitoring such rainforests for preservation!

The vast rainforests of Agumbe shelter a wide array of flora and fauna, and are well-known for their massive concentration of cobras! With extensive trekking trails and thrilling safari tours, Agumbe is a haven for adventure seekers, wildlife enthusiasts, and trekkers.

Top Agumbe attractions: Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Seethanadi Nature Camp, Kundadri Hills, waterfalls, sunset viewpoints, rainforests, rare flora, exotic wildlife
Top Agumbe activities: Trekking, rainforest exploration tours, nature walks, wildlife sighting, safaris, birdwatching, river rafting, kayaking, photography
Best time to visit: October to February (15°C-34°C)
Ideal trip duration: 1-2 days

8. Mollem National Park, Goa

Spanning 107 sq km, Goa’s Mollem National Park is part of the renowned Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and is the largest wildlife reserve in this region. It is home to one of the tallest waterfalls in India – the mighty Dudhsagar Falls, as well as Goa’s oldest temple – the Tambdi Surla Temple.

Mollem shelters a wide variety of animal and bird species. You can find leopards, black panthers, elephants, spotted deer, King Cobras, Malabar Giant Squirrels, sloth bears, and Indian bison here. You can also spot the Malabar Trogon and the Paradise Flycatcher among 120 other exotic bird species here!

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Packed with adventurous experiences like trekking, river crossing, Jeep safaris, waterfall hikes, and wildlife sighting, this revered ecotourism destination is among the finest places in the Western Ghats!

Top Mollem National Park attractions: Dudhsagar Falls, Tambdi Surla Temple, Devil’s Canyon, Tambdi Waterfalls, treehouse watchtowers, viewpoints, ancient ruins, black panthers, forest lodges, eco-resorts
Top Mollem National Park activities: Trekking, wildlife tours, Jeep safaris, waterfall hikes, nature walks, birdwatching tours, camping, wildlife photography, night safaris
Best time to visit: November to March (18°C-35°C)
Ideal trip duration: 1-2 days

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All these places to visit in Western Ghats are some of the top tourist destinations in India, all thanks to their rich biodiversity, lush foliage, unique terrain, and wonderful climate! So, which one are you visiting first?