The hot and muggy weather in Chennai is among the things that most people detest the most. Summers bring a greater intensity to the city’s year-round heat. However, a problem usually has a solution close by. The surrounding hill stations that are popular with both locals and visitors give relief from Chennai’s weather difficulties as well. Some of these hill stations are so close to the city and brim with natural beauty that they have gained popularity as weekend escape locations for Chennai residents. Indulge your wanderlust and escape the oppressive heat at one of these lovely hill stations close to Chennai, here is the 7 Hill Stations Near Chennai.
Best hill resorts close to Chennai
1.Nagalapuram Waterfalls, located 91.3 kilometres from Chennai
Due to its beautiful climate, Nagalapuram is among the most well-liked hiking destinations and hill towns within 100 miles of Chennai. The location is a popular weekend getaway near Chennai and is accessible by car. The 12-km walk takes a full day to accomplish (both ways), and it takes two to three hours to travel one way. You have the option of setting up camp at the trailhead or returning to the city to spend the night in a Chennai hotel. The trek trail’s rugged and slippery terrain practically keeps you on your toes. A visit to Nagalapuram Falls is fantastic due to its pristine beauty and thrilling trekking adventure.
If you’re game, you may go swimming in the enormous pool where the waterfall pours into. The water is incredibly pure. Hiring a local guide is advised if you intend to go hiking or trekking through the forests of Nagalpuram for safety and simplicity of navigation.
How to Get There: Utilise National Highway 16 and Tirupati Road to travel by car or taxi.
Optimal Season: October through March
Visit the Lord Vishnu-dedicated Sri Vedanarayana Swamy Temple and go hiking as two must-do activities.
2.Yelagiri, 230 miles outside of Chennai
Yelagiri is among the top hill towns close to Chennai, mostly because of its magnificent natural beauty. It is the ideal hill station within 300 km of Chennai to spend time at with your significant other on a romantic getaway because of the tranquil lakes, attractive green valleys, towering hills, and visually stunning rose gardens. However, even then, the location won’t let you down if you’re searching for an adrenaline rush. One of the adventure sports that draws visitors to Yelagiri is paragliding. View the valleys from a bird’s eye perspective while admiring your reflection in the lakes below. Enjoy some hiking on the Yelagiri hills after Mother Earth calls you back.
You will leave the location carrying heartfelt recollections and the view in your eyes.
How to Get There: Yelagiri may be reached from Chennai by bus. Jolarpettai Junction is the closest railway station.
Optimal Season: September through March
The following activities shouldn’t be missed: a boat ride on Lake Punganoor, a trip to the Vainu Bappu Observatory, hiking, and paragliding
3.Horsley Hills (263 kilometres away from Chennai)
This hill station’s name was given by British collector WD Horsley. Horsley was sufficiently moved by the grandeur of these clumps of hills in the Eastern Ghats to make them his home and refuge. The atmosphere here is so alluring that you fall in love with it right away. If your group is over 20, you can also reserve a spot in advance for the enjoyable pastime of zorbing, which is provided here. Horsley Hills can be reached by a picturesque drive in and of itself thanks to the road’s double sidelining of dense woodland. Sambars and other wild animals that venture outside can occasionally be seen.
Horsley has good train and bus connections to several cities, including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Tirupati, Chittoor, and Guntakal.
Best Season: November through May
Visits to Lake Gangotri, Gali Banda, Viewpoints, Gali Banda, Horsley Hills Museum and Environmental Park, and zorbing are among the experiences not to be missed.
4.Yercaud (343 kilometres from Chennai)
This treasure trove of unspoiled beauty, known as Yercaud, may be found in the Shevaroys Range in the Eastern Ghats. For a nature enthusiast, the quantity of animals in the forest’s thickets is nothing short of paradise. This woodland is home to a variety of animals, including squirrels, rabbits, hares, foxes, bison, mongooses, snakes, deer, and bulbuls, partridges, sparrows, and kites. The atmosphere is enhanced by a faint coffee scent that is combined with the sourness of oranges. Travellers have another incentive to stop by because of the picturesque Yercaud Lake and its swan-shaped boats.
How to Get There: Salem, which is 15 km from Yercaud, has the closest train station. From the railhead, you may conveniently take a taxi or a bus.
Optimal Season: October through June
Exploring the 30-foot-high Kiliyur Waterfall and Bear’s Cave, driving on 32 Loop Road, and birdwatching are among experiences not to be missed.
5.Kolli Hills, 361 km from Chennai
The hill station of Kolli slopes, which is still undiscovered, has a natural scenery highlighted by waterfalls and slopes that are reaching out to kiss the low-lying clouds hanging above. Like most hill stations surrounding Chennai, the area is covered in coffee and tea plantations. Every type of traveller can find something to enjoy here, from nature lovers who will be moved by the surroundings to hikers who will A visit to the Siddhar Caves, where sages practised medicine, is equally essential. The nearby medicinal plants are evidence of this myth.
How to Get There: Salem, which is connected to Chennai, is the closest railway station.
Feb. through Dec. is the ideal time to travel.
Visits to the Arapaleeswarar Temple, hiking to the Agaya Gangai Falls, and caving in the Siddhar Caves are among the experiences not to be missed.
6.Meghamalai (551 kilometres from Chennai)
Meghamalai, sometimes referred to as the High Wavy Mountains, is a region with waterfalls, tea gardens, affluent environs, and all the peace and quiet you could possibly need to restore yourself. Tea plantations are crammed into the troughs of hills clothed in lush green vegetation, creating a sight more commonly found in touristy coffee table novels. The wildlife at the Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary is diverse enough to exhaust your DSLR’s battery and storage. Among the unusual wildlife found here are the Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaques, sloth bears, smooth-coated otters, grey junglefowl, porcupines, barking deer, and flying squirrels.
How to Get There: The drive from Chennai is about ten hours long. You can take a cab to Meghamalai from the closest railway station, which is in Madurai.
October through May is the ideal time to visit.
Shopping for spices like cardamom, peppercorns, and cinnamon barks, animal tours, nature hikes, and photography are among the must-do activities.
7.Valparai, is 603 kilometres from Chennai.
Valparai, located in the Western Ghats’ Annamalai Range, is a few ways from Chennai. Numerous animal species call the woods of the Western Ghats home, making it a sanctuary for wildlife lovers. A day trip to the pangolin and sloth bear habitat at Chinnakallar Falls is a fantastic idea. For both kids and adults, visiting the waterfall is a great pastime because they may cool off in its plunge pool and have a picnic there. A rough hiking track can carry you up to 800 metres above the ground.
How to Get There: Pollachi and Coimbatore are the closest train stations.
Optimal Season: May through September.
Visits to Aliyar Dam, Chinnakallar Falls, Monkey Falls, Loam’s View Point, and Grass Hill, as well as hiking and picnics, are among the must-do activities.