Chennai to Kodaikanal

1. Straight(0.1 km) going toward Kutty St
   
2. 2nd Left onto Shivaganga Rd, go 0.1 km
   
3. Continue down : 0.2 km (Past Bethel Boys Home (Hotel) on the right)
   
4. Continue down West Mada St: 0.2 km (Past Corporation Middle School on the right).
   Enter Tirumurthy Nagar.
   
5. Take 1st Right (past Rajambal Thargavelu Higher Secondary School on the left), go <100m
   
6. 1st Left onto Tank Bund Rd, go <100m.
   Enter Vaikuntapuram.
   
7. 1st Right (past Corporation Boys High School on the right) onto Pushpa Nagar Main Rd, go 0.3 km.
   Enter Nungambakkam.
   
8. Slight Right onto Mahalingapuram Main Rd, go 0.2 km.
   Enter Vaikuntapuram.
   
9. Take 2nd Left, go 0.4 km
   
10. 5th Right (past HP Petrol Pump on the right) onto Arcot Rd, go 1.5 km.
    Via Thyagaraya Nagar, Trustpuram. Enter Kodambakkam.
    
11. Slight Left (past Corporation Middle School on the left) onto Dr Ambedkar Rd, go 1 km.
    Via Thalaiyari Palaiyam. Enter Ashok Nagar.
    
12. Continue down 4th Av: 0.9 km
    
13. Left (past Jawahar Vidyalay Higher Secondary School Main Building 3rd Class Room on the right) onto Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, go 0.2 km
    
14. At roundabout, take 3rd exit, go <100m overall
    
15. 1st Left (past TRB Complex on the right) onto Anna Main Rd, go 0.2 km
    
16. 1st Left (past Udhayam Multiplex on the left) onto Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, go 3.2 km.
    Via Jaffarkhanpet, Ekkadutangal.
    Enter Kanchipuram at 2.7 km.
    
17. At roundabout, take 1st exit onto NH45 Hwy, go 306 km overall.
    Leave Nandambakkam. Via Alandur, St Thomas Mount, Meenambakkam, Tirusulam, Pallavaram, Chromepet, Madras Export Processing Zone, Tambaram West, Perungalattur, Peerkankaranai, Vandalur, Urapakkam.
    Enter Kancheepuram District at 22 km.
    Via Nandivaram - Guduvancheri, Singaperumalkoil, Chengalpattu, Karunguzhi, Maduranthakam, Acharapakkam at 53 km.
    Enter Viluppuram District at 92 km.
    Via Tindivanam, Vikravandi, Viluppuram at 131 km.
    Via Cuddalore District at 219 km.
    Enter Perambalur District at 233 km.
    Via Perambalur at 255 km.
    Enter Tiruchirappalli District at 275 km.
    Via S. Kannanur at 296 km.
    Enter Tiruchirappalli at 301 km.
    
18. Right onto NH45 Hwy, go 1 km
    
19. Left (past Mandir on the left) onto NH45 Hwy, go 0.2 km
    
20. 1st Right (past Rock Fort Temple on the left) onto NH45 Hwy, go 4.3 km
    
21. Right onto NH45 Hwy, go 95 km.
    Via Tiruchirappalli District, Karur District at 13 km.
    Enter Tiruchirappalli District at 20 km.
    Via Manapparai at 38 km.
    Enter Dindigul District at 65 km.
    Leave Ayyalur at 72 km.
    Via Vadamadurai at 78 km.
    Enter Dindigul at 94 km.
    
22. Left onto NH7 Hwy, go 1.1 km
    
23. 1st Right onto NH45 Hwy, go 31 km.
    Leave Dindigul.
    Via Pallapatti at 2.5 km.
    Enter Sevugampatti at 29 km.
    
24. Right onto NH45 Hwy, go 10 km.
    Leave Sevugampatti at 2.1 km.
    Via Batlagundu at 3.5 km.
    Enter Theni District at 6.7 km.
    Enter Ganguvarpatti at 10 km.
    
25. Right onto SH18 Hwy, go 21 km.
    Enter Dindigul District at 5.9 km.
    Enter Pannaikadu at 17 km.
    
26. Slight Left onto SH18 Hwy, go 20 km.
    Leave Pannaikadu at 4.5 km.
    Enter Kodaikanal at 13 km.
    
27. Slight Right onto SH18 Hwy, go 0.6 km
    
28. 2nd Right (past Spencer And Company on the left) onto Observatory Rd, go 0.2 km
    
29. 2nd Left onto Lake Rd, go 0.9 km
    
30. Slight 1st Left onto Lake Rd, go 0.5 km
    
31. 1st Left (past Sterling Days Inn Valley View (Hotel) on the right) onto Lake Rd, go 0.1 km
    
32. Arrive at destination
    

Note 1:
Kodaikanal can be climbed by two different routes from the plains - one from Palani and the other from Batlagundu/Genguvarpatti. The Batlagundu route is wider, less gradient and easier to drive, it is called the "Ghat Road". The Palani route is useful only if you are driving from Coimbatore/Udumalpet/Pollachi/Palghat direction, it is narrower, steeper and tough to climb. Both these routes meet at Perumalmalai Junction from where Kodaikanal is 12 km.

Note 2:
Kodaikanal to Munnar direct road has been closed due to some inter-state issues. Only dare-devil two-wheelers can use that route (via Berijam). If you have to travel west of Kodaikanal (Munnar/Thekkady/Cochin/Kollam/Trivandrum), it is best to take the Ghat Road towards Ghat Road, turn right at Ghats Road Junction towards Periyakulam and procced via Theni/Bodi.

Note 3:
Some map sites show a short, straight route from Periyakulam to Kodaikanal. This road was the only track to Kodaikanal during pre-independence days. It is surprising to see the map sites showing that trail as a "road" now. It is a steep 18km hiking trail only for the seasoned mountain climbers. It is not a "Road", it s a trekking route via Kumbakarai/Vellagavi. Please do not confuse Periyakulam to Kodaikanal route as a Road.

Reverse Route
Kodaikanal to Chennai


Detailed Route maps and travel directions:

Chennai to Kodaikanal - Yahoo! Maps

Chennai to Kodaikanal - Google Maps