How to Reach Kodaikanal By Flight, Train, Road

The quaint little hill station of Kodaikanal is beautifully nestled in the southern crest of the upper Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu. One of the finest tourist places in Tamil Nadu, Kodaikanal lies at about 213 meters above sea level, and is easily accessible from other cities within the state as well as from other parts of India. Before you plan your tour to Kodaikanal, you must be well informed about how to reach Kodaikanal.

Let’s have a detailed look of the best way to travel to Kodaikanal by Train, Flight, and Road

Kodaikanal By Air:

The nearest airport to Kodaikanal is Madurai Airport, about 130 km away. The airport is well connected with major destinations, especially Chennai. The other airport near Kodaikanal is Coimbatore Airport, at about 173 km. Air India, SpiceJet, and Jet Airways are some airlines that operate regular flights to Kodaikanal from Chennai, Mumbai, and Bangalore. You can hire bus or taxi services from Madurai Airport to reach Kodaikanal.

Travel by Flights	Travel Time (approx.)	Distance (approx.)	Airport
Bangalore to Kodaikanal	1 hour 35 min	304 KM	Bangalore International Airport
Chennai to Kodaikanal	1 hour 25 min	426 KM	Chennai International Airport
Mumbai to Kodaikanal	2 hour 15 min	1425 KM	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
Delhi to Kodaikanal	3 hours 5 min	2043 KM	Indira Gandhi International Airport
Mangalore to Kodaikanal	3 hours 30 min	413 KM	Mangalore International Airport
Hyderabad to Kodaikanal	1 hours 35 min	802 KM	Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
Coimbatore to Kodaikanal	3 hours 20 min	104 KM	Coimbatore International Airport

Kodaikanal By Rail:

If you are wondering, “how to reach Kodaikanal by train?”, book a train ticket to Kodaikanal from Chennai, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. There are many trains operating to Kodaikanal from these cities’ stations. The nearest railhead to Kodaikanal is Kodai Road Railway Station, at a distance of 80 km. Many passenger trains pass through Kodai Road station. Avail taxis from outside the Kodai Road train station to Kodaikanal.

Travel by Train	Travel Time	Distance	Train Name
Chennai to Kodaikanal	09 hours	529 KM	Chennai Central
Bangalore to Kodaikanal	9 hours	452 KM	KSR Bengaluru Station
Hyderabad to Kodaikanal	1 day, 11 hours	1040 KM	Hyderabad Deccan railway station
Ernakulam to Kodaikanal	20 hours, 30 min	473 KM	Ernakulam Junction railway station
Mumbai to Kodaikanal	1 day, 11 hours	1384 KM	Mumbai Central
Pondicherry to Kodaikanal	11 hours, 34 min	437 KM	Puducherry railway station

Kodaikanal By Road:

Kodaikanal is connected by road with important cities of South India like Chennai (529 km), Ooty (255 km), Trichy (204 km), Coimbatore (172 km), Kumily (148 km), and Madurai (115 km). Regular bus services are available from Madurai, Palani, Kodaikanal Road, Theni, Dindigul, Tiruchirapalli, Kumuli (Thekkady), and Coimbatore. Additional buses ply during the peak seasons. But hiring a car is the most comfortable way to reach Kodaikanal.

Taxis, vans, and luxury buses are available for local transportation in Kodaikanal. Mountain bikes and ordinary bicycles can also be rented for trekking around. There are no auto-rickshaws in Kodaikanal.

Distance from Kodaikanal to Major cities are listed below:

Location	Travel Time (approx.)	Distance (approx.)
Bangalore to Kodaikanal	447 KM	10 hours, 20 min
Chennai to Kodaikanal	529 KM	10 hours, 30 min
Ooty to Kodaikanal	255 KM	7 hours
Coimbatore to Kodaikanal	172 KM	5 hours
Kumily to Kodaikanal	148 KM	3 hours 35 min

How to Go to Kodaikanal From Nearby Cities

Knowing Kodaikanal how to reach from major Indian cities makes planning your trip easy. Here is a list of cities to book trains, flights, or buses to Kodaikanal.

How to Reach Kodaikanal from Bangalore

Flights are available from Bangalore airport to Madurai airport, the nearest airport to Kodaikanal. From there, hire a taxi or bus to your desired destination. Trains can be booked from Bangalore to Kodaikanal’s nearest station, Kodai railway station. However, most tourists prefer coming to Bangalore to Kodaikanal by road. The distance is about 465 km. Overnight bus journeys are also available.

How to Reach Kodaikanal from Chennai

Reaching Kodaikanal from Chennai is convenient. Most tourists prefer taking a train as a lot runs daily, some of which are direct trains. The drive from Chennai to Kodaikanal is about 513 km long and takes about 9 hours. On the way to Kodaikanal, you can stop at attractions or restaurants to make it more fun. Book a flight from Chennai airport to Madurai airport and take a bus/taxi to Kodaikanal.

How to Reach Kodaikanal from Mumbai

Kodaikanal is about 1450 km south of Mumbai, and traveling by car will take you nearly 24 hours. Tourists mostly choose flights from Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai to Madurai Airport and book a taxi to Kodaikanal. The bus ride will also take about 29 hours and can be extremely exhausting. The cheapest option is to choose Mumbai to Kodaikanal train, which is quite long, making it the least preferred option.

How to Reach Kodaikanal from Delhi

Direct flights are available from Delhi to Kodaikanal. Otherwise, board the Tamil Nadu Sampark Kranti Express, NZM Cape SF EXP, CDG MDU SF EXP, etc., from Delhi to Kodai Road Railway Station. You can hire a bus or taxi from the airport and railway station to Kodaikanal. Delhi to Kodaikanal distance is more than 2500 km, so it is the most inconvenient option.

Now you can choose the best way to travel to Kodaikanal, and if you are planning a tour, drop us a query. Our Kodaikanal tour package, which are customizable, cover the best of what this beautiful place has to offer. Contact us to know more!