The Pykara river rises at Mukurthi peak and is the largest river, which is considered sacred.
It lasts two falls of 55 m and 61m. Known as the Pykara falls, The falls are located about 20 km away from Ooty and are situated in the state of Tamil Nadu.

This fall is towards the Mysore road and boating is the most popular activity at this famous fall. Pykara is the most enjoyed picnic location and is the Niagara Falls of India.
The location is beautiful and scenic and is used for many movie scenes and shoots.

Distance from Ooty: 23 km from Ooty.

Location: Near Pykara Dam.

Travel duration: 1 hr travel by road.

Transportation: Cab or car option.

Travel tips: Visit the nearby Pykara dam and reservoir.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit the waterfalls is during July And later from October to March.

Timing: 8.30 am to 5.30 pm

Entry fee: 5 – 10 rupees per head.
Entry fee for car: 20 rupees per person.

It can be reached by walking 5-10 mins from the parking location.

Beautiful nature around the waterfalls.

There are many things to do around the beautiful Pykara falls:

Boat riding at Pykara lake.
Hiking at Pykara falls.
Enjoying at Boat Club.

The entire tour is a two-hour schedule with exploring the entire lake. During peak season and weekends 3-4 hours, with boating and hiking. The rest of the schedule is good to go with spending some time at the Boat Club and enjoying the natural beauty.

The Pykara falls sit beautifully amidst the lush green forest. The natural beauty around the waterfall is worth visiting at least once. This is the best spot for newly wedded couples, to enjoy the Pykara Falls beauty. The waterfalls in Ooty and the Pykara lake are all beautiful honeymoon destinations. These places give the perfect picturesque scenic beauty of nature and the dense forests around.

Boating experience

The Pykara falls are the famous tourist attractions of Ooty and a must-visit place to enjoy nature to the fullest. The tourists can click pictures of the beautiful scenic glory of the Pykara waterfalls, the Pykara Dam, and the Pykara lake. Boating is the most enjoyable experience with this picturesque background. Maintained and developed for tourists, by the state government, Pykara has a Boat House with motorboats and speed boats that give a boat ride of 20-30 minutes. While the small speed boats on other hand give a 10 minutes ride for water adventure.

Boating timings: The boating timings are from 10 AM to 5.30 PM every day, but the best hours to enjoy boating is during the golden hour of ‘sunset’.

Boating charges: The boating charges are as per boats and not the number of people.

8 seater motorboat – 770 INR + taxes.

10 seater motorboat – 890 INR + taxes

15 seater motorboat – 1240 INR + taxes

2 seater speedboat – 800 INR + taxes

There’s a Boat House popular for a small cafeteria, motorboats and speed boats, and joyous boat rides.

Places to visit near Pykara falls

6th mile Ooty
9th mile Ooty
Ooty Botanical Garden
Tea estate
Toy train.

How to Reach

📍By Road: Ooty is connected to all major city roads, as it’s a famous tourists destination. Buses are available from Mysore, Bangalore, and Chennai.

📍By Air: The Coimbatore airport is the nearest airport to connect to Ooty and flights from all major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore connect to Ooty.

📍By Rail: Mettupalayam is the nearest railway station about 40 km away and trains from Coimbatore, Mysore and Chennai connect to Mettupalayam. The heritage toy train from Mettupalayam to Ooty is also available.

In conclusion, the overall nature-loving experience of the Pykara falls showcases the hidden Ooty beauty. The falls are amongst the beautiful waterfalls of Ooty. The Pykara lake and the Pykara dam add to the beauty of the falls. Activities like boating, enjoying at the Boat House, hiking and a few more activities give a fun-loving entertaining day at the Pykara falls.
Thus, it’s the most loveable tourist destination of Ooty.

Follow India Chalk on Instagram for more amazing travel content. You can share your travel story with us. Reach out to us on email at contact[at]ndiachalk[dot]com. This blog is curated by India Chalk and written by Manasi Sapre.