The Best Yercaud Itinerary – Visit the Queen of Eastern Ghats in 2024

I am obsessed with the bewitching beauty of the Western Ghats of India. You might get an idea by now if you are a regular reader of my blog. But in this Yercaud travel blog, I'll take you to the queen of the Eastern Ghats of India.

I have crafted the best 2-day Yercaud Itinerary for you to make the best of your weekend trip to the hill station. But before we jump to the Yercaud trip plan, let me tell you more about the Eastern Ghats.

Eastern Ghats of India

Unlike the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats is a discontinuous mountain range cut by the rivers Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri.

It starts from Odisha, and traces its way through Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and ends in Tamil Nadu. It's home to some beautiful, offbeat hill stations in India, one of them being Yercaud.

 

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Also read: The Most Beautiful Hill Stations Near Bangalore

 

Yercaud Trip Plan at a Glance

One of the most charming places in Tamil Nadu, Yercaud is surrounded by some famous tourist spots of South India – Pondicherry, Kodaikanal, and Coonoor to name a few. But it's mostly unknown to people outside Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Here is a snapshot of the best Yercaud Itinerary for 2 days if you are traveling from Bangalore.

• Day 1: Start from Bangalore at 6 a.m., pause for breakfast at A2B, and reach Yercaud by noon. Then visit the Emerald Lake and the parks around it. End the evening with a sunset at Lady's Seat.
  
• Day2: Start with sunrise at Pagoda Park, then have breakfast. Visit the Norton's bungalow, Bear's cave, and Montfort School on your way to Shevaroy Temple. There's a short trek to Killuyur waterfalls. start off for Bangalore by 3 pm

If you are travelling from a nearby town like Salem, this can be combined into a one day trip plan of Yercaud. Jump here to know about the connectivity of Yercaud from nearby cities and towns.

Where to stay in Yercaud?

There are numerous accommodations available in Yercaud for all pocket sizes. I highly recommend staying close to the Pagoda point for two reasons.

First, you can walk to the Pagoda point in the early morning instead of waiting for a cab. Second, it is away from the crowded town, but not too far from the other tourist spots.

Other locations you can choose is near the Montfort School and near Emerald Lake.

Check out other properties suitable to your needs below.

Yercaud Itinerary – A Virtual Tour of the Best Places

Let me take you on a virtual tour of the hills. Thanks to the large number of techies living in Bangalore, Yercaud has emerged as an exotic weekend getaway. It's not as crowded as Ooty or Kodaikanal and is also just 205km from Bangalore.

Following the shortest route you will take about 5 hours to reach Yercaud if you start off early by 6 am.  This includes a breakfast halt at A2B.

Yercaud is enveloped by the scintillating Shevaroy Hills.  The undulating hills are covered in orange groves, coffee, fruits, and spice plantations.

It got its name from the words “Yeri” which means lake and “Kaddu” which means forest. Couldn’t be more apt given that the township here is built around an opulent lake surrounded by forests.

I have updated this post with the latest information about Yercaud as of 2023.

32-km Loop Road

You adventure in Yercaud begins with the 32-km loop road that has numerous hairpins along the scenic Eastern Ghats. It's the scenes that unfold here that make Yercaud one of the best places for a road trip from Bangalore. The road leads you to the colonial-era hill station of Yercaud.

There are barricades and mirrors on the turns to help drivers, but you need to be careful. You can also go for a hike on this road if you are indeed up to it. With coffee plantations, spice farms on one side, and hill-forests on the other, this is a mesmerizing experience. 

On you way to Yercaud from Bangalore take this scenic tour before you reach the hotel. You will feel like stopping at the various viewpoints in this journey.

Boat in the Emerald Lake aka Yercaud Lake 

 The first thing to do after lunch is to head straight to the Emerald lake. Did you know this is the only natural lake in a South Indian hill station? You will enjoy the scenic forests around and the floating fountain in the lake when you go boating.

Thrive in the biodiversity of the Deer Park

After this enjoy some snacks at the Yercaud lake and walk towards the deer park. It is also known as the eco-tourism park for amazing biodiversity. Imagine walking in a park with deer, peafowls, and ducks taking an evening walk with you.

Walk to the Botanical Garden

Keep walking a little more and you will reach the botanical garden. This green oasis has 3000 trees and 18000 shrubs spread over the 18 hectares of land. It’s truly a delight to senses… and lungs.

Some adventure activities at Anna Park

Anna Park is another small beautiful park near the lake. Here you can enjoy quad bike riding and zip-lining. It's equally interesting for children and adults, making it a perfect spot for families in the evening.

See the mesmerizing sunset at Lady’s Seat

Remember that you are in the East and here the sun sets earlier than Bangalore. After enjoying your time in the lake and gardens it’s time to drive to this famous viewpoint.

It’s called the Lady’s Seat. A revered English lady used to spend the evenings watching the sunset on this rock. Thus this unassuming place got its name.

Day2: Start with Sunrise at Pagoda Point

Our hotel was very close to the Pagoda hill-top. So I woke up early in the morning to hike to the Pagoda point on my own. Somehow, I just lost my way and went and explored the valley and came back for breakfast. Then we asked the hotel managers and set out for our trip to the real place.

Pagoda point is also known as Pyramid Point and it got its name from the for piles of four stones that have been arranged in the shape of the Pyramid. Away from the tourist crowd, this place is best enjoyed in the early morning on a clear day.

Near Pagoda point, there is a Rama temple where the locals visit to seek blessings.

Offbeat Norton’s bungalow and Bear's Cave

Return to your hotel for breakfast and check out. The Norton's Bunglow is a secret destination on the way to Shevaroy Temple road. This quintessential English bungalow has inspired many Bollywood scenes. It is the oldest known bunglow in this hill station. A rich British Lawyer from Chennai constructed it here.

The Bear's cave situated in a private coffee estate near the Norton Bungalow is a craft of nature. Some believe that there used to be a secret tunnel inside for the royals to escape during emergency.

Montfort School

You might not think of visiting a school on your trip somewhere, but Montfort School is special. You can get permission to enter this prestigious and historic school on the weekends.

The marvelous architecture of the buildings here will leave you awestruck. There’s also a small zoo inside the campus.

You will find some of the largest and best boarding schools of India in these British-era hill stations. Another such heritage school that has become a massive tourist is the Dr. Graham's Homes in Kalimpong. Know more about the Himalayan hill station in my Kalimpong travel blog.

Tipperary viewpoint

This is another viewpoint from where you can get mesmerizing views of the Shevaroy hills.

Trek to the delightful Killyur Falls

Kiliyur Falls is located at a distance of 4 km from the Bus Stand. This beautiful cascade is hidden deep in the forest.

So, you will need to take a slant walk of 1km through the forests before reaching a flight of steps. After walking 200 plus narrow steep stairs you will reach this beautiful place. 

The waterfall was underwhelming for me when we visited in December. So, you may skip it if you are short of time. Instead visit the offbeat Norton's Bunglow. Here's a comparison of what the falls look like in the Creative Commons pictures and what we found.

Servarayan Temple or Shevaroy Temple

Sitting at an altitude of 5326 feet above sea- level, The Servarayan temple occupies the highest peak of Shevaroy Hills.

It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Servarayan and his consort Kaveri Amma. It offers a spectacular view of the Mettur Dam and the entire valley.  This too requires a short trek, so you need to watch your time, if you have to return the same day.

Ending the Yercaud itinerary with a throwback selfie to our memorable trip with friends on a Christmas Weekend.

How to reach Yercaud?

The nearest big cities near Yercaud are Bangalore and Chennai. It's very easy to reach Yercaud from either of these two places by car. There are overnight buses from Bangalore which leave on Friday, and also in the early morning on Saturday.

The morning buses tend to be late, so I'd prefer the overnight buses on Friday. That way you will reach Yercaud in the early morning and have a lot of time to explore.

It is just 35 km from Salem, making Yercaud a perfect destination for a one day trip from Salem.

Distance from Bangalore to Yercaud: 230 km

Distance from Chennai to Yercaud: 365km

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How many days required to visit Yercaud?

You can explore the best of Yercaud on a two-day trip. However, if you are travelling with family you may want to spend more time in the hills away from the heat and humidity of the cities nearby.

What's Next After Yercaud?

Inspired to visit Yercaud? You may also like to combine this with a trip to the Fench Colony of Pondicherry, which is 240 km away from Yercaud. You may also like to check out the posts below:

Best offbeat places in India

Gems of Tamil Nadu

Hill Stations near Bangalore

Trip to Munnar, Kerala