Places to Visit in Yercaud Hill Station

Looking for destinations closer to home to escape from the summer heat? A cool place to hit is a charming little hill station Yercaud in Tamil Nadu. I have listed for you the best places to visit in Yercaud Hill Station.

As you approach this part of Eastern Ghats you can find a complete change of scenery dotted with lakes and dense forest. Yercaud is located in the Shevaroys range of hills and has the charisma and grace to be named as Queen of Eastern Ghats.

Yercaud provides a complete package to all kinds of tourists.

Road Trip to Yercaud from Bangalore. Yercaud is located on the Shevaroy hills of the Eastern Ghats in Northern Tamil Nadu. Previously known as Yeri-kaadu meaning lake-forest in Tamil, the name was rounded off to sound better by the British as Yercaud.

Road Trip to Yercaud  from Bangalore

We were two families, struggling to zero in to a destination for weekend holidays. The only destination that looked feasible was Yercaud. Hotels were still available and we set out for a small picnic there.

Yercaud road trip experience…

We left at around 7.30 in the morning. On the way had breakfast in one of the A1 plazas run by Reliance (very good service, neat and well maintained).

We took the route Bangalore – Hosur – Krishnagiri – Dharmapuri – Salem – Yercaud. Total distance was 222 km.

Salem to Yercaud, the final 27 km was cooler and more pleasant. The roads were recently tarred and we hardly faced any pot hole along the way. There were 20 hairpin bends, with each bend the visual treats getting better. And all along the monkeys were there to receive us or were they waiting for some goodies from us? At 1.30pm we reached our resort, that is almost 6 hours to complete the 222kms. We had lunch, had good rest and took a stroll in the evening.

History of Yercaud

Here is a brief peek into its history before I literally handhold you through the ‘n’ different things that you can experience and do in this hill station.

There have been evidences of life in Yercaud since ancient times. The Stone Age remains discovered in ancient temple located at 5km from Yercaud bear testimony to this fact. Sir Thomas Munroe governor of Madras Presidency discovered this place in 1842. Since then it has developed and flourished with various cultivated crops and yet maintained its ‘hill’ charm.

Best Places to See in Yercaud

Poor man’s Ooty, nothing much to see there, it is not even a hill station; these were some of the comments that we got before we set out on our trip. There are many places to see in Yercaud, many more than what we had imagined; simple yet captivating! Here is a list of 8 best places to visit in Yercaud.

Lady’s Seat at Yercaud

The resort was near the Lady’s seat. It got is name because the place was frequented by an English Lady in the evenings, during the British era. She would be at the seat to view the breathtaking scenery from there. From then on the name stuck to the place. Evening set in quickly, Yercaud is east of Bangalore and by 6 it was almost dark. Street lights of Salem city came on and within 15 minutes the entire area was full of specks of light. It was as if we were viewing the star lit sky below us!

Our children had their warm head gears on, so we strolled around for some more time. After a long time we experienced the simple joy of having tea from a road side stall. Later we had a light dinner and walked back to our rooms. We lingered on in the balcony for some time. The soothing view from the room’s balcony and the cool breeze blowing gently were reasons good enough to hit the bed late. I filled my eyes to the brim with the sight, because once back to Bangalore it will be the ‘routine ragda’.

Morning Scene in Yercaud

What to say of the scenic view, early in the morning from the room’s balcony? It is as if you wake up to see a sweet dream! We left for a four hour sightseeing trip in a mini van (part of the package from resort) with a guide.

Pagoda Point Yercaud

Next we were at the Yercaud pagoda point. It gets the name from three pagoda like structures made from piles of stones. There stood a small temple too. Yercaud town has 64 villages and some of them were visible from this point. We spent some time here soaking in the misty view of the hills across.

One of the pagodas

Yercaud Village in Tamil Nadu

The drive to these sightseeing points was equally memorable. Both sides of road were lined with coffee plants, silver oak trees and other tall trees with pepper plants creeping on them and orange plants. Most orange plants were laden with small sized unripe oranges. The guide suggested we visit Yercaud in December again to see them all ripe and orange in color!

Horticultural Research Center Yercaud

The last halt was at the Horticultural research center, the Yercaud Botanical Garden. I am glad we made that halt. There among the wild collection of rare plants and orchids were the Pitcher plants enclosed in a big iron cage. Children were thrilled to see the plant real! They were praying hard a fly would sit on it and the plant would shut its lid! We hung around for some time too in that hope, but there was not a single fly around. Some of the orchids and rare flowers were in full bloom. I enjoyed every moment clicking close-ups of them.

Did you know people in Bornoe Malaysia eat a rice cooked in the carnivorous pitcher plant? Read more: Pitcher Plant Rice Snack

Insect eating pitcher plant

Kiliyur Falls – Places to Visit in Yercaud

After lunch, we headed for the Kiliyur falls, but we had to abandon halfway. There was a very narrow trail downhill which seemed too precarious for the kids. We could hear the roaring sounds from down below in the woods. Wrong timing! In addition to that shadows started lengthening, the fear of return uphill climb in the darkness made us call off the trip. 🙁

Don’t include this in list of top places to see in Yercaud if you are traveling with kids especially infants.

Kiliyur Falls – Places to Visit in Yercaud

Boat Ride in Yercaud Lake

No picnic experience can be complete without a boat ride! We took a good 20 to 25 minutes ride in the pedal boats in the Yercaud Lake. The view of the lake is good no doubt but comparatively the view from the lake is even better! The lake is lined with tall trees all around, beyond the trees were the blue hills and beyond them the blue sky! The day ended so well.

Renamed as Emerald Lake because of its enchanting green shade, it is the best place in Yercaud to spend the evening for honeymooners, families with kids and nature lovers. Tamil Nadu Tourism Department manages the boat house that offers rowing and self pedaling boats and the duration is usually twenty minutes. Boat rides here mesmerises one with the sights of green forest covered peaks all around. Many parks are located on the banks of this lake which makes it a destination worth visiting. Keep sufficient time in hand to combine the trip to parks and boat ride in the lake.

Do check: Boat Ride in Lake Geneva of Switzerland

Places to Visit in Yercaud – Road Trip to Yercaud from Bangalore

Parks of Yercaud

Blessed with a pleasant climate almost throughout the year, different kinds of parks have come up depending on the flora and fauna flourishing in the regions especially around the lake. Deer Park is the closest and the favourite of kids.

Anna Park located near the lake has a variety of plants specific to Eastern Ghats and of interest to students of botany and horticulture. There is a special enclosure for bonsai collections named the Japanese park. The best month to visit would be May, as the annual flower show is held at this time. The Botanical Garden, Rose Garden and an Orchidarium have a good collection of flowering plants blooming throughout the year.

Rose Garden – Places to Visit in Yercaud

We packed up for the return trip. One last glance from the balcony and we were on road back to Bangalore! We halted for some time in rose garden of Yercaud before proceeding onward to Bangalore. There are some amazing varieties of rose plants here and it was worth the halt. The most memorable sighting here was that of Green Roses in full bloom. This garden is worth including in your list of Places to Visit in Yercaud.

Rose from rose garden of Yercaud – Places to Visit in Yercaud

Kottachedu Teak Forest

For an ideal touring and camping destination in Yercaud, head to Kottachedu teak forest. Here you can take a trip through the lanes of history that showcases how people lived during the stone-age period. Tribal people who once cultivated in the lands here abandoned the place after plague struck the area.

The unspoiled forest, located 11 km from Yercaud town, is great for quiet long walks that will lead you right up to Vaniyar Dam. Abundant with several species like anteaters, rabbits, mongooses, bison, foxes and more; there is a possibility you will cross paths with some of them.

Chasing butterflies in Rose garden

32km Loop Road

One of the very first thrilling adventurous experiences in Yercaud is the ride through the 32 km stretch of topsy turvy loop road. It veers through the villages of Nagalur, Semmantham and Kaveri Peak giving the glimpses of coffee plantations and bamboo forests. With scenic sights to feast your eyes on, and fresh mountain air to fill your lungs, this ride will remain in your memory for long.

Viewpoints in Yercaud

Once at the top get to the popular viewpoints like the Pagoda Point, Lady’s Seat, Arthur’s Seat and the Tipperary Viewpoint. The view of Emerald Lake, Yercaud Town and Shevaroy Peak is especially enchanting. Besides being known for their unique names and their historical significance these places are ideal destinations for photography and nature lovers. Plan to see the sunrise or sunset from these lofty posts.

Offbeat Places to Visit in Yercaud

Not satiated yet? Some of the offbeat places you can explore include the following:

Bears Cave, believed to be made by bears, served as an escape route for Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore. A path from inside this cave leads up to the cave of Shevaroyan Temple.

Shevaroy Temple at Yercaud

Our next destination after pagoda point was the highest peak there at 5326 ft. Again we got spectacular views and we kept clicking, capturing the sights from every angle possible. En route we saw a bauxite mine. They have halted mining here, instead a small children’s park is coming up. Not a single tree around, so I wonder if the project will be successful.

Locals of Yercaud revere the deity at Servarayan temple. It is also called as Shevaroy Temple of Yercaud. The belief is Lord Servarayan resides here with his consort Kaveri. Residents here believe the deity to be the protector of all the villages of Yercaud.

The temple is basically a cave and one has to creep through to reach the idols. Kneeling down one can see the tunnel extending beyond those idols. It is a long tunnel we were told, extending till Talakaveri in Karnataka. No photography is permitted inside.

Bauxite mine Yercaud

Shevaroy Temple – Places to Visit in Yercaud

Norton’s Bungalow

Adjacent to this is the Norton’s Bungalow, a private property once owned by a British officer. Take prior permission if you intend to visit.

Montfort School

Montfort School established in 1917, is a huge and attractive school. The wall beside the main entrance gate has faces of great personalities sculpted on it. Nagesh Kukunoor had shot one of his movies here.

The kids preferred visiting Montfort School first. This school was established in 1917. A huge and attractive school with very big play grounds, swimming pool and beautiful gardens. The wall beside the main entrance gate had many faces of great personalities sculpted on it. Great people right from Shakespeare to C V Raman!

We had to be satisfied with what we saw from outside, since it is open to public only on Sundays. Nagesh Kukunoor had shot one of his movies here, we were told. If you are traveling with kids , it will be good to include it in top places to visit in Yercaud.

Road Trip from Yercaud to Bangalore

It was smooth drive down to Salem city. We packed lunch from the A1 Plaza at Omalur and took the diversion to Mettur Dam. After lunch at Stanley Reservoir, which is one of the largest fishing reservoirs of South India we drove 4kms further to reach the actual dam.

Mettur dam – Road Trip to Yercaud from Bangalore

Thankfully the roads were good. We finally reached Mettur Dam, one of the oldest dam in India. The dam measures a total length of 1700meters. “Oh! It is just like the one we see in our books!” screamed the children on seeing the dam. There is a good park and it is surrounded by hills. This spot is an ideal Sunday Stop for locals around.

We drove non-stop to Bangalore after lunch.

Road Trip to Yercaud from Bangalore

Where to stay in Yercaud

Sterling Yercaud – located within 5 kms of Yercaud Lake and Kiliyur Falls. It is constructed on a hill slope. I stayed here during my visit to Yercaud. Though the location is good I was unhappy about how the propety was raised after razing down the green cover of the hill slope.

INDeco’s Lake Forest Hotel – One of the high budget end hotels of Yercaud. It is located in a coffee estate with a good view of the hills.

Grange Resort – If you enjoy stays in boutique hotels then this is for you. It offers several activity packages to give a wholesome Yercaud experience.

Atisaya Health Retreat Yercaud – a perfect place to rejuvenate during your holiday in Yercaud. Yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic therapies and healthy Sattvic food are its highlights.

You May Like These:

• Avani Betta
• Tenkasi – Land of Waterfalls
• Less Crowded Hill Stations of South India

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All in all the Yercaud trip experience was a good one. We are glad we decided to do this road trip to Yercaud from Bangalore. Do save and share this travel blog on best places to visit in Yercaud to plan a visit with your loved ones.