Some say, there is no heaven on earth, but I would say, a piece of it falls in Munnar of Kerala. When we think of Munnar hill station, the things that come to mind are the picturesque valleys and lakes, exotic velvety greenery over the sky-kissing mountains, dense forests, breathtaking wildlife, awesome route for trekking, and the infinity of tea plantations that may be a poetic inspiration to many. This is why Munnar is also considered ideal among the best tourist places in Munnar for one day trip.

Munnar got its name from the language Malayalam which says moonnu and aar as three and river respectively. The three rivers that Munnar houses are Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundaly rivers.  Munnar is blessed to wrap some of the extremely endangered species like that of Nilgiri Tahr and the Neelakurinji. Munnar has emerged as the choice of tourist destination in the last few years. It gives the perfect location for those looking for a honeymoon destination, picnic with family, gate-away with friends, or the ones seeking a trekking experience. Once you are here, there are numerous sites to see and explore, but here I am sorting out the best Munnar places to visit in one day.

Important Travel Tip – We have listed below tourist places of Munnar that can be visited in a single day so,  here you need to plan your day accordingly else you will miss some places by the end of the day. Here we recommend you start your trip early in the morning between 6:00 am to 7:00 am. As you all know Munnar is a hill station so the roads are in the mountains and those are curvy as well, if you want to reach any particular destination then it will take time, so manage your trip time accordingly. Here, we are listing the most popular and beautiful tourist places of Munnar which can be easily covered in a single day.

“Welcome to The Piece of Heaven on Earth”

Munnar Tourist Places to Visit in One Day:

1. Top Station:

After traveling for nearly 40 km from Munnar you can reach this beautiful viewpoint, which is thought to be the highest altitude in Munnar. Not only the peak, but the roads you cross to reach here are also picturesque and awe-inspiring. You will witness the exotic lush green scenery with the chirping birds following all the way, the mouth-watering aroma from the tea gardens around, and the huge dams throwing water to fulfill the needs of mankind.

Consider yourself most lucky if you did not meet any fog to translucent the view here, or even in case you happen to meet some, they are always there to add to the beauty and freshness of the place. As it is said nature gives every time and season some beauties of its own.

I am sure this one touch of nature is going to make your whole world go kin.

I would recommend visiting here between 6:00 am to 08:30 am, where you can see the best of the view and can also walk past clouds. Rest all the places can be covered on the back way from here.

Things to Do: Trekking, Mountain Biking, Camping

2. Pothamedu Sunset View:

If you ask me, I would say that Pothamedu is the best viewpoint in Munnar. After driving for nearly 5 km from Munnar you can reach this alluring point and feel yourself closer to nature. Although this place is recommended for both, sunrise and sunset I would suggest going for a sunset view here. You can opt for timings between 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm to see the exquisite beauty of this place.

This place is great for nature enthusiasts and adventure lovers to unwind in the arms of Mother Nature. The place is sure to keep you occupied and thrilled with its undulating valleys, floating clouds, color-changing sky, and scenic green forest. The feeling of walking past the dense plantation of coffee, tea, spice, and cardamom is surreal. It is truly said that as you become closer to nature, you will be able to appreciate the beauty with which the world you are living is endowed.

Things to Do: Hiking, Photography, Sunset view

3. Lockhart Gap – Hidden Star of Munnar

After traveling for about 13 km from Munnar you will reach this amazing destination called Lockhart gap. It can be regarded as the hidden star of the Munnar in the way that it has a lot of breathtaking scenes to expose. Be it the nature enthusiast, explorer, traveler, or adventure seeker, this place is surely going to touch everyone’s soul.

You can view the poetic landscape with mist-covered acres of tea plantation, leaves flattering huge trees, spine-chilling air blowing untangling the hairs, and the panoramic view of valleys, what else is needed for a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city?

Don’t forget to walk past the narrow muddy lanes of the mighty tea gardens Visiting here any time of the day is going to give you the same thrilling experience.

Things to Do: Picnicking, trekking, and photography

4. Lockhart Tea Factory – Popular Tea Factory of Munnar

The tour of the Lockhart tea factory is an amazing experience in itself. Here you can see the tea manufacturing process and learn the health benefits of Orthodox Tea. This tea factory is one of the highlights of one day sightseeing in Munnar, giving you an authentic taste of local tea culture. Right from bringing the raw leaves from the garden to sorting them and processing them into dried storable packages, all can be witnessed here. Other factories don’t give such a lifetime memorable experience to the tourists and usually work by giving demos only. So visiting here surely going to leave you with a unique experience.

Apart from this, you can visit a plantation museum here that showcases the heritage of Plantation culture. The museum also houses olden machinery, tools, books, photographs of the olden age tea plantation methods. The tourists can also take back varieties of tea from here in pocket friendly prices.

There is even a garden, relaxation point, watch tower, etc to spend some relaxing time in.

• Visiting Hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Entry Fee: Rs 250 per person
• You can spend about 1-2 hours here.

Read More: 11 Perfect Tourist Places to Visit in Munnar You Shouldn’t Miss on Your Trip

5. Mattupetty Dam – Best Place to Visit with Family

Dwelling in the hills of Munnar, at a height as high as 1700m is this beautiful location of Mattupetty. You can reach here by driving for nearly 13 km from Munnar. The hills of Mattupetty are sojourned with exotic green valleys, a serene lake, and a fabulous climate. The perfectly constructed dam adds to the beauty of this place. There may be heard of elephants seen roaming around making the view more fascinating.

Mattupetty has been the choice of place for visitors, willing to spend some fabulous time with loved ones, for years. The lake here provides them with some of the best relaxing times of their vacation. The lake and the dam are just a few miles apart and are the main points of tourist attraction. The lake gives a serene view of the mighty hills around, covered by endless woods, shoal forest, and acres of tea plantation. Besides soaking yourself in the tranquility of nature, there are a variety of activities to do here. The time slips here like sand, once you engage yourself in water sports activities like speed boating, pedal boating, motor boating, or row boating. Shoal Forest provides an excellent trekking trail for adventure enthusiasts. The ones, who love peace can sit on the shore and soak themselves in the placid ambiance here.

Besides so many activities there is still an important thing left to see here- the cattle farm. You must be amazed to know that Mattupetty is regarded as a ‘cattle village’, as the place is famous for its Indo-Swiss farm project or the Livestock project. Just 3 km from the Mattupetty Dam is this cattle-dedicated farm, where one can see thousands of high-yielding cattle of different varieties freely grazing around the farm.

The place is always in a pleasant form for the tourist but I would recommend visiting in the months between August to May to extract out the maximum of this place. This family-friendly destination is perfect to include in your one day Munnar trip.

Things to Do: Boating, trekking, and exploring the nearby tea plantations

6. Chinnakanal Tea Plantation – Best Plantation of Kerala

If you have heard only about Darjeeling as a tea plantation, then hold your breath to listen to me about another mesmerizing tea plantation in India, the Chinnakanal tea plantation. The place is blessed with one of the finest teas in the world. When backpacking Munnar, this place is something not to miss! You can drive for 21 km from Munnar, to reach this limpid place. Once you are here, you can go on a jeep ride and navigate around the bushes of tea. The bumpy ride in the field, the aroma of the tea, the freshness in the air, and the picturesque surroundings are going to leave an inerasable picture in your heart forever.

7. Meesapulimala:

Meesapulimala is the third-highest mountain of the Western Ghats Ranges. The peak is 8,661 feet above sea level when you reach it. As you walk, the clouds touch your feet. If you come here, you will see the sunrise above the clouds just below you. This majestic peak is a top pick for day trips from Munnar, especially for hiking enthusiasts.

Around 20 kilometers away from Munnar, it is found between the Anaimalai Hills and Palani Hills near Suryanelli. There are also nearby tea estates and mountain stations like Kolukkumalai, Tipadamala, and Top Station (2135 m).

Things to Do: Trekking, camping, sunrise/sunset views

8. Eravikulam National Park – Best Wild Life Sanctuary of Munnar

If you really want to witness some of the extremely endangered and rare species of animals then you must top this place in your itinerary. The place’s inhabitants rarely found species of endangered Nilgiri Tahr and mountain goats. Apart from these, the other ungulates are lion-tailed macaques, gaur, Indian muntjac, and sambar deer. Other to notice are Golden jackal, jungle cat, wild dog, dhole, leopard, tiger, Nilgiri langur, stripe-necked mongoose, Indian porcupine, Nilgiri marten, small-clawed otter, ruddy mongoose, and dusky palm squirrel. Elephants can also be seen seasonally. The park also contains a total of 132 species of birds including endemics like black-and-orange flycatcher, Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri wood pigeon, white-bellied short wing, Nilgiri flycatcher, and Kerala laughing thrush. More to innumerate are the endemic butterflies of the shola-grass land ecosystem like the red disk bushbrown and Palni four wing are among the 101 other species in the park dwelling harmoniously with the 19 species of amphibians in the park.

So this place turns out to be heaven for the zoologists and the wildlife lovers. The tourist’s accessible area in the park is known by the name Rajamalai.

If you are planning to be here, make sure that you don’t choose the days in February and March month of the year as the park remains closed to tourists during this time. Let me inform you beforehand that the tour of this place may take up half of your day due to rush and long queues as the online ticketing facility is not available here. So including this place in your 1-day itinerary to Munnar may take up half of your day.

Apart from the above-mentioned places, there are Devikulam Lake; Kolukkumalai (known to be the highest tea plantation in the country), Anamudi, Devikulam, Muniyara Dolmens, Photo Point, Echo Point, Pothemadu; the waterfalls like Lakkam, Attukal, Nyayamakad, Chinnakkal, Kuthumkal, Cheeyapara, Valara and Thoovanam etc to explore. All of them make excellent one day trip places in Munnar depending on your interests and time.

• Timings: 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Entry Fee: Rs 200/- for Indian Tourist

Read More: 7 Best National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Kerala to Visit

9. Echo Point:

One of the best places for a romantic experience is Echo Point in Munnar, located near hills, forests, and a peaceful lake. It is the moment where there are three mountain ranges, Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundala, that bring in a majestic view. There are picnics, nature walks, and boating that can be done at this place in the fresh mountain air. It is also exciting to call and have your voice come back to you from the hills.

Things to Do: Nature Walks, Photography, Birdwatching

What to Take Back Home?

Don’t forget to fill your bags with tons of spices like ginger, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, clove, nutmeg, etc., and the iconic homemade chocolates for yourselves and your loved ones. And a hell lot of memories for a lifetime.

How to Reach Munnar:

Munnar does not have its own airport or railway track, so you can step into any city of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, or Karnataka, and from where can get direct buses to Munnar.

Summing it up-

Greenery is the prime thing that gives rise to loveliness and Munnar is no exception. The visit to this place is surely going to change your outlook on life. The peace and tranquility one gets here is huge enough to stock for a lifetime. I hope this informative article has given you plenty of reasons to make Munnar your next holiday destination, especially if you’re looking for places to visit in Munnar in 1 day. Be ready to contemplate the beauty of nature, and store enough strength to endure lifelong.

And don’t forget to share your experience with us once you are back from this heavenly place.

FAQs: