Trying to figure out the cheapest and best way to get from the coast of Kerala to the famous hill station of Munnar? Well, I’ve got you. This step-by-step guide will help you get from Kochi to Munnar by public bus for only 140 INR: the best €1.60 spent!
Ok, so when I travelled this route in Jan 2024, I couldn’t find any information online about how to reach Munnar from Kochi (or Cochin). I only found out that I could get a public bus when I asked the manager of my Fort Kochi hostel. Once I reached Munnar, I met a few people at my hostel who took a taxi from Kochi because they didn’t realise there was a public bus. So here is a step-by-step guide on how to reach Munnar from Kochi by public bus.
Every state in India has a government-run public bus. In Kerala, it’s called KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). It is almost impossible to find a timetable or schedule online.
But I promise, every time you head to a public bus station in India, you’ll find that there will either be a bus there ready to go to your destination or that the next one will be 10 minutes. I took around 20 public buses in India, and I never had to wait more than 15 minutes for one. FACT.
From fort Kochi to the KSRTC Bus Stand Ernakulam
If you’re staying in Fort Kochi (like most travellers), you’ll need to hop on a ferry from Fort Kochi Boat Jetty and take the 20-minute water taxi to Ernakulum Ferry Terminal. Ernakulum is the central district of Kochi and where you’ll find also find the bus and train station to other destinations. At Fort Kochi boat jetty, you can buy a ticket at the kiosk just before you get on the ferry; it costs only 3 INR and runs every 20 minutes.
Once you reach Ernakulum Ferry Terminal, you can either:
- Walk the 1.8km to the KSRTC Bus Stand.
- Jump in a tuk-tuk. It should be around 40 to 50 INR. Definitely don’t pay more than this: haggle haggle haggle!
From KSRTC Bus Stand ERNAKULUM (Kochi) to Munnar
From the KSRTC bus stand in Kochi, a bus goes to Munnar almost every hour. The KSRTC bus times are here. I arrived hoping to catch the 9 am bus, and they said I’d just missed it as it left when it was full at 8.40.
I paid 140 INR (€1.60) for the 4-hour journey. A bargain if you ask me!
I absolutely loved taking the public bus to Munnar from Kochi. The road is windy, and you’ll stop at every town to pick up passengers along the way, but it’s really an authentic experience, and I felt I got to see towns that were off-the-tourist radar.
Check where your guesthouse is in munnar!
The KSRTC bus from Kochi goes to the centre of Munnar. Most hostels and guesthouses are scattered around Munnar, which means that you may actually go past your guesthouse on the bus without realising. Then, you’ll end up having to pay for a tuk-tuk back from Munnar town.
When I got on the bus in Kochi, I showed the bus conductor my hostel’s location on Google Maps. He advised me to get off at a junction 4km from my hostel, K Mansion. From there, I was able to pay 100 INR for a tuk-tuk to take me directly to the hostel, saving me both time and money. If I went all the way to the centre of Munnar, I would’ve had to pay 300 INR.
Where is the best place to stay in Munnar?
I recommend K Mansion, a beautiful hostel around 9km before Munnar. For a hostel, it feels pretty bougie, and the dorms are so comfortable. For around 900 INR, you think you are in the centre of nature, eating your complimentary breakfast and watching the naughty monkeys play in the trees around you. The guys in K Mansion can recommend great day hikes and tours, so it’s the perfect place to base yourself while in Munnar.
If you want to be even more in nature, I’d recommend Cloud Farm Munnar. Although I didn’t get the chance to stay here, I was recommended this place after I left, and I have since recommended it to a few backpackers heading to Munnar and the feedback is that “its amazing!”
If you have the time to spare in Munnar, I’d split your time between K Mansion and Cloud Farm, Munnar.
What to do in Munnar?
One thing that really irritated me about Munnar is that you’re not technically allowed to hike alone without a guide. Sure, you may see lots of hikes on All Trails, but be prepared to be stopped by an angry tour guide or tea field employee. For independent hiking, I’d recommend heading to Coonoor or Poombarai in Tamil Nadu.
But having said that, the next best thing is taking a guided full-day tour of Lekshmi Hills. I did this on my 28th birthday and had the best day exploring with Philip, our guide. We explored the hills around Lekshmi, had breakfast on the mountain and hiked through lush tea fields. Through the tour, Phillip explained the different fauna and plants and how the tea production process works. We finished off the tour with a traditional thali lunch in Munnar town. The cost was 1400 INR (and I tipped an extra 100 INR for Phillip), which included a morning hostel pick-up. If you’re staying in K Mansion, they can organise the tour, or you can contact the tour company, Munnar Great Think, directly here.
Where to go after Munnar?
- Head back to the coast by catching the public bus leaving from Munnar bus stand to Kochi, and from there, there are plenty of bus and train connections to the backwaters of Alleppey, the hidden-gem Munroe Island, or the beaches of Varkala.
- Continue into the mountains: I’d recommend if you have the time in your itinerary, to add a stop to the national park in Kumily or, even more off the beaten track, Kodaikanal.
To travel to Kumily from Munnar, head to the centre of Munnar, and take the KSRTC bus directly to Kumily (also known as Thekkady). It’ll take around 5hrs. Be prepared for many mountain turns.
To travel from Munnar to Kodaikanal, take the KSRTC bus to Theni (around 3hrs). From Theni, hop on another bus to Batlagundu (1hr). From Batlagundu, take the final bus to Kodaikanal (2hrs).
So, there you go. That’s a quick run down on how to get from Kochi to Munnar by public bus (KSRTC) for only 140 rupees (€1.60). If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
