Guide details
Best time to visit
October to June, with the summer festival in May and cooler, greener months from October to February.
How to get there
Chennai to Salem by train or road (about 5 to 6 hours), then a 20 to 30 km ghat road with roughly 20 hairpin bends up to Yercaud.
Highlights
Yercaud Lake, Pagoda Point, Lady’s Seat, Killiyur Falls, Rose Garden, coffee and orange estates, Servaroyan Temple
Good for
weekend trips, families, couples, first hill station, budget travel, slow travel
Price range
Budget rooms from about Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 a night, mid range stays around Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000.
If you live in Chennai and want a break from the heat without booking flights or burning a long weekend on travel, Yercaud is the sensible answer. It sits in the Shevaroy Hills in Salem district, around 360 km away, and it is comfortably the closest proper hill station to the city. You can leave on a Friday evening or early Saturday and be sipping coffee in the hills by lunchtime.
It is also quieter and cheaper than Ooty or Kodaikanal. There are fewer tour buses and souvenir stalls, and more of the everyday hill town going about its business among coffee and orange estates. That is exactly why we like it. Yercaud rewards people who want to slow down rather than tick off a long list of attractions.
How to get to Yercaud from Chennai
Almost every route runs through Salem, the nearest big town at the foot of the hills. If you are driving, take the Chennai to Salem stretch on NH 44, which usually takes about 5 to 6 hours depending on traffic out of the city and stops along the way. From Salem it is another 20 to 30 km up the ghat road to Yercaud, and that final climb takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour.
By train, Salem Junction is well connected to Chennai Central, with several daily services including fast trains that cover the distance in around 5 to 6 hours. From the station you can hire a taxi or take a bus up the hill. Salem does have an airport, but flights are limited and rarely worth the trouble unless the timing suits you. For most people the train plus a taxi is easiest.
The part everyone remembers is the ghat road itself. There are about 20 numbered hairpin bends on the way up, each marked with a signboard, and the road twists steadily through forest as you gain height. It is a good drive if you enjoy that sort of thing and a testing one if you do not. Take it slowly, especially in mist, and you will be fine.
Yercaud Lake
Yercaud Lake, sometimes called Emerald Lake, sits near the centre of town and is where most visits begin. It is a modest, tree fringed body of water rather than a grand sight, and it works best as an easy, unhurried stop. You can hire a pedal boat or a rowing boat for a short spin, and the paths around the edge are pleasant for a morning walk before the day trippers arrive.
The area around the lake has a few snack stalls, stands selling home made chocolate and honey, and the usual pony rides for children. It gets busy on weekends and holidays, so for the calmer version, come early or late in the day. Boating charges are low, generally a few hundred rupees for a short ride, which fits the budget feel of the place.
Viewpoints: Pagoda Point, Lady’s Seat
The viewpoints are the reason to be up here, and Yercaud has several good ones close together. Pagoda Point, also known as Pyramid Point, looks out over the plains and the town of Salem far below. On a clear day the view stretches for miles, and the small stone cairns that give the point its name add a bit of character. It is a fine spot for sunrise if you can manage the early start.
Lady’s Seat, Gent’s Seat and the nearby Children’s Seat are a cluster of viewpoints on the western edge of the hills, set up to catch the sunset over Salem. There is a telescope house and a small garden, and the light in the late afternoon can be lovely. These spots draw crowds at sunset, so arrive with time to spare and be patient with parking. Between them, the viewpoints give you the whole sweep of the Shevaroys without much walking.
Killiyur Falls and gardens
Killiyur Falls is fed by the overflow from Yercaud Lake and drops into a wooded valley a short distance from town. Reaching the base involves a walk down a rough path and some steps, so wear proper shoes and go carefully. The falls are at their best just after the rains, roughly from around June to December, and can slow to a trickle in the dry months, so temper your expectations if you visit late in the season.
Closer to town, the Rose Garden and the botanical garden are gentle, low key stops. They are not on the scale of the big gardens elsewhere, but they are green, well kept in patches, and easy to combine with the lake. Anna Park near the lake is another simple spot for families whose children just need somewhere to run around.
Coffee and orange estates
Yercaud is coffee country, and the estates are woven right through the hills. As you drive around you will pass rows of coffee bushes growing in the shade of taller trees, along with pepper vines and orange groves. The oranges here are a local point of pride, and in season you will find them sold by the roadside and pressed into fresh juice.
Several estates welcome visitors, and a short walk through the plantation with someone who knows it is a nice way to spend an hour. You learn how the beans are grown, picked and dried, and you usually get to buy coffee to take home. Ask at your homestay or hotel, as many can arrange a visit or point you to one that runs informal tours.
Where to eat
Food in Yercaud is honest and simple rather than fancy. You will find plenty of small South Indian places serving idli, dosa, vada and full meals on banana leaves, which is exactly what you want after a morning in the hills. Around the lake and the main junction there are stalls selling hot bajji, corn and tea, and a few cafes serving locally grown coffee.
Most of the better sit down meals are inside the hotels and resorts, several of which have restaurants open to non guests. If you have a particular craving, it is worth ringing ahead, as some kitchens keep short hours off season. Do try the local coffee and, in season, the oranges and home made chocolate the town is known for.
Where to stay
One of the best things about Yercaud is how affordable it stays. Budget hotels and simple lodges start from around Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 a night, and family run homestays in this range often include a home cooked breakfast and a warmer welcome than a big hotel. These are a good bet for a straightforward weekend.
Mid range hotels and small resorts, many with garden settings or estate views, usually run from about Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 a night. There are a few pricier properties above that if you want something more polished, but you do not need to spend much to stay comfortably. On long weekends and during the May festival, rooms fill up and rates climb, so book ahead.
Best time to visit
Yercaud is pleasant for most of the year, and broadly the window from October to June is the most reliable, as it sidesteps the heaviest monsoon rain. The months from October to February are cool and green, with misty mornings and comfortable days, which many people consider the nicest time to be up here.
Summer, from March to June, is when Chennai bakes and the hills feel like real relief, with temperatures far kinder than the plains. This is also when the Yercaud Summer Festival takes place, usually in May, with a flower and dog show, boating events and plenty of visitors. It is lively and fun, though it is the busiest and priciest stretch of the year, so weigh that up when you plan.
Tips for the trip
- The 20 hairpin bends can trigger motion sickness. If you or the children are prone to it, carry medication, eat lightly before the climb, and sit facing forward.
- Even in summer the evenings cool down, so pack a light jacket or a shawl. In the cooler months you will want something warmer.
- Weekends, public holidays and the May festival are the busiest times. For a quieter trip, aim for a weekday or the shoulder months.
- Roads can be misty and slippery after rain. Drive slowly, use lights and horns on blind bends, and do not rush the descent.
- Carry some cash. Card and mobile payments work in the bigger hotels, but small stalls, estates and roadside sellers often prefer cash.
- Wear proper walking shoes for Killiyur Falls and the viewpoint paths, which can be uneven.
Yercaud will not overwhelm you with sights, and that is the point. Two unhurried days are enough to see the lake, the viewpoints and a coffee estate, eat well for very little, and come back feeling like you actually got away. For a Chennai weekend that is close, easy and kind on the wallet, it is hard to beat.