Vellore to Ooty Taxi

Vellore to Ooty Taxi — 447 km to the Nilgiris

Ooty is about 447 km from Vellore, and the drive takes 8–9 hours, with the last part a steep ghat climb into the Nilgiris. It is a long day in the car, but it is also one of the most common breaks for Vellore families. Relatives who have spent weeks at CMC with a patient often want some quiet, cool days before going home, and VIT students and their parents use semester breaks to head for the hills.

Starting from Vellore

We pick up from homes, lodges and hostels across the city. Regular pickup points include the lodges and guest houses around the CMC hospital in the town, the VIT campus and Katpadi, Katpadi Junction railway station, the Vellore bus stand, Sathuvachari and Gandhi Nagar. If you have been staying near the hospital with a patient, tell us about any mobility needs, a wheelchair or extra cushions, and we will send a car with enough room.

A word of caution for patients: the ghat road is long and winding, and altitude and cold can be hard on someone recovering from treatment. Please check with your doctor before planning the hills.

The road, stage by stage

The first part runs west on the national highway through Ambur and Vaniyambadi to Krishnagiri. From there the car turns south through Dharmapuri to Salem, then continues west across the Kongu belt past the Erode area towards Mettupalayam, at the foot of the Nilgiris. The ghat road climbs from Mettupalayam through Kallar and Burliar to Coonoor and on to Ooty, with tea gardens and forest on both sides. On some days the driver may take the Kotagiri road instead, depending on traffic and road conditions.

A hill charge applies for the Nilgiris climb and is paid at actuals, together with tolls and parking. Driving between 10 PM and 6 AM attracts a night allowance, also at actuals.

Leaving early pays off

With 8–9 hours of driving, we strongly suggest leaving Vellore around 5 AM. That gets you to Mettupalayam by early afternoon and up the ghat in daylight. Mist, rain and slow trucks on the bends make the climb harder after dark, and in the monsoon there can be occasional delays from fallen trees or small slips. An evening departure is possible, but in that case the driver may suggest resting below the hills and climbing in the morning.

Food and rest stops

Ambur and Vaniyambadi are both known for their biryani, and an early lunch or a packed parcel from either is a favourite with our passengers. Krishnagiri and Salem have plenty of highway restaurants for tea and a stretch. Mettupalayam is the last proper town before the climb, and a sensible place to refuel, use a washroom and have a light snack. Avoid a heavy meal right before the ghat if anyone tends to get carsick.

Car choice for a long hill trip

For a couple or a small family, a sedan works. For a recovering patient, elders, or students with suitcases, an SUV or Innova Crysta gives more space to stretch out over nine hours and handles the climb more comfortably. The same driver stays with you for the whole trip.

Ooty through the year

April and May are the busiest months. The flower show at the Government Botanical Garden in May is the highlight of the summer season, and the fruit show at Sim’s Park in Coonoor comes around the same time. The southwest monsoon (June–September) brings steady rain and mist, and the northeast monsoon adds more rain later in the year. December and January are cold, with frost on some mornings, so pack woollens.

What you can see in and around Ooty

We drop you at your hotel, cottage or a friend’s house anywhere in Ooty or Coonoor. The usual sights are the Botanical Garden, Ooty Lake, the Rose Garden, Doddabetta peak and the tea estates. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage site, runs between Mettupalayam and Ooty; some families send part of the group on the toy train while the rest go by car, and meet at the top. Pykara and Avalanche are good half-day outings if you stay a few days.

Train, bus or taxi?

There is an overnight train towards Mettupalayam on the Chennai–Coimbatore line that passes through Katpadi, but it fills early, especially in summer, and you still have to get up the hill. Buses usually mean changing at Salem or Coimbatore. For a family with luggage or a patient who needs comfort, a car from your door to the hotel is easier.