Kodaikanal to Chennai

1. Straight(0.1 km) on Lake Rd
   
2. 1st Right onto Lake Rd, go 0.5 km
   
3. Slight 1st Right onto Lake Rd, go 0.9 km
   
4. 1st Right onto Observatory Rd, go 0.2 km
   
5. 2nd Left onto SH18 Hwy, go 0.6 km
   
6. Slight 2nd Left (past Government Hospital on the right) onto SH18 Hwy, go 20 km.
   Enter Dindigul District at 6.1 km.
   Enter Pannaikadu at 15 km.
   
7. Slight Right onto SH18 Hwy, go 21 km.
   Leave Pannaikadu at 4.9 km.
   Enter Theni District at 16 km.
   
8. Left onto NH45 Hwy, go 10 km.
   Leave Ganguvarpatti.
   Enter Dindigul District at 3.6 km.
   Via Batlagundu at 6.7 km.
   Enter Sevugampatti at 8.2 km.
   
9. Left onto NH45 Hwy, go 31 km.
   Leave Sevugampatti at 1.9 km.
   Via Pallapatti at 29 km.
   Enter Dindigul at 30 km.
   
10. Left onto NH7 Hwy, go 1.1 km
    
11. 1st Right onto NH45 Hwy, go 95 km.
    Leave Dindigul at 1.3 km.
    Via Vadamadurai, Ayyalur at 21 km.
    Enter Tiruchirappalli District at 29 km.
    Via Manapparai at 57 km.
    Via Karur District, Tiruchirappalli District at 81 km.
    Enter Tiruchirappalli at 92 km.
    
12. Left (past Ashby (Hotel) on the left) onto NH45 Hwy, go 4.3 km
    
13. Left onto NH45 Hwy, go 0.2 km
    
14. 2nd Right onto NH45 Hwy, go 1 km
    
15. Left onto NH45 Hwy, go 300 km.
    Enter Tiruchirappalli District at 4.5 km.
    Via S. Kannanur at 9.7 km.
    Enter Perambalur District at 31 km.
    Via Perambalur at 50 km.
    Via Cuddalore District at 86 km.
    Enter Viluppuram District at 101 km.
    Via Viluppuram, Vikravandi, Tindivanam at 175 km.
    Enter Kancheepuram District at 213 km.
    Via Acharapakkam, Maduranthakam, Karunguzhi, Chengalpattu, Singaperumalkoil, Nandivaram - Guduvancheri at 253 km.
    Enter Kanchipuram at 283 km. Via Vandalur, Perungalattur, Peerkankaranai, Tambaram West, Madras Export Processing Zone, Chromepet, Pallavaram. Enter Tirusulam.
    
16. Straight (Keep Right) on Great Southern Trunk Rd(NH45 Hwy) flyover, go 5.4 km.
    Via Meenambakkam, Alandur. Enter St Thomas Mount.
    
17. At roundabout, take 1st exit onto Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, go 3.2 km overall.
    Via Nandambakkam.
    Enter Chennai. Enter Jaffarkhanpet.
    
18. Right (past Udhayam Multiplex on the right) onto Anna Main Rd, go 0.2 km.
    Enter Ashok Nagar.
    
19. At roundabout, take 1st exit onto Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, go 0.2 km overall
    
20. 1st Right (past Hot Chips Restaurant on the left) onto 4th Av, go 0.9 km
    
21. Continue down Dr Ambedkar Rd: 1 km (Past Shopping Complex on the right).
    Enter Thalaiyari Palaiyam.
    
22. Slight Right (past Corporation Middle School on the right) onto Arcot Rd, go 1.5 km.
    Via Kodambakkam, Trustpuram. Enter Thyagaraya Nagar.
    
23. Take Left (past HP Petrol Pump on the left), go 0.4 km.
    Enter Vaikuntapuram.
    
24. Right onto Mahalingapuram Main Rd, go 0.2 km.
    Enter Nungambakkam.
    
25. Slight 3rd Left (past Church Of St James Worker on the left) onto Pushpa Nagar Main Rd, go 0.3 km.
    Enter Vaikuntapuram.
    
26. Continue down Jambu Lingam St: 0.2 km (Past CMC Boys School on the right).
    Enter Tirumurthy Nagar.
    
27. 1st Left (past Canara Bank on the left) onto Valluvar Kottam High Rd, go 0.5 km.
    Enter Nungambakkam.
    
28. Continue down Mc Nichols Rd: <100m (Past Ceylon Restaurant on the left)
    
29. Take 1st Left (past SBI ATM on the right), go <100m
    
30. Arrive at destination
    

Note 1:
Climbing Routes: 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:
Munnar Route: 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 Batlagundu, 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 still 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 Village. Please do not confuse Periyakulam to Kodaikanal route as a Road.

Reverse Route
Chennai to Kodaikanal


Detailed Route maps and travel directions:

Kodaikanal to Chennai - Yahoo! Maps

Kodaikanal to Chennai - Google Maps