Eravikulam National Park protects about 97 km² of high rolling grassland and pockets of evergreen shola forest along the crest of the Western Ghats, north of Munnar. It was a game reserve of the tea company before it became a sanctuary in 1975 and a national park in 1978, and it holds the largest surviving population of the Nilgiri tahr, a sure-footed mountain goat found only in these southern ranges.
Visitors are allowed into one corner of the park, Rajamalai, about 13 km from Munnar. Here the tahr are so used to people that they graze beside the path. The rest of the park, including Anamudi, South India’s highest peak, is a protected core.
Top things to do at Eravikulam National Park
Ride the park bus and walk the Rajamalai trail
Private vehicles stop at the entrance at Fifth Mile. From there a forest-department minibus climbs through tea to the top, and you walk a paved path of about a kilometre across the hillside, with tahr on the rocks and long views over the estates. Allow two to three hours including the queue.
Look for more than tahr
The grassland is home to pipits, the Nilgiri flycatcher, black-and-orange flycatchers and, in the sholas, the Nilgiri langur. Small orchids and balsams flower beside the path in the wet months. The interpretation centre near the entrance explains the grassland–shola ecosystem.
Know the Neelakurinji story
The Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) flowers together across these hills only about once every twelve years, turning whole slopes violet-blue for a few weeks, usually between about August and October. The last mass flowerings here were in 2006 and 2018, so the next is widely expected around 2030 — but the plant keeps its own timetable, smaller patches flower elsewhere in other years, and heavy rain can spoil a season. Treat any exact date with caution.
How to get to Eravikulam National Park
- From Munnar: about 13 km north on the Marayoor–Udumalpet road to the Fifth Mile entrance; 30–40 minutes by car, taxi or autorickshaw. Buses towards Marayoor pass the gate.
- Tickets: entry is by timed ticket and numbers are limited. Book online through the park’s official booking site in busy periods; otherwise buy at the counter and expect a queue.
- From Kochi in a day: the Munnar day tour from Kochi includes Eravikulam along with a tea factory and waterfalls.
Insider tips
- The park normally closes for the tahr calving season, roughly from early February to the end of March. Dates are announced each year — check before planning a trip around it.
- Go for the first entry slot of the day. By late morning the queue for the bus can be an hour or more, and cloud often covers the top.
- Do not feed or touch the tahr, however close they come, and keep to the path.
- It is noticeably colder and windier at Rajamalai than in town. Carry a jacket and, from June to October, a raincoat.
Tours that include Eravikulam National Park
These guided trips cover Eravikulam National Park or combine easily with a visit:
Private day trip from US$75 Kochi to Munnar: Eravikulam, Lockhart Tea Factory & Waterfalls Day Tour
The most complete way to see Munnar in a day from Kochi. A private car climbs the ghat road to Eravikulam National Park, the Lockhart Tea Factory and its estate, Attukal Waterfalls and the valley viewpoints, with a traditional Kerala lunch included. It is a long day — an overnight option is also listed.
- Eravikulam National Park, home of the Nilgiri tahr
- Lockhart Tea Factory visit and a walk in the tea estate
- Attukal Waterfalls, viewpoints and a Kerala lunch
Multi-day private tour Cochin: 4-Day Private Tour of Munnar, Alleppey & Backwaters
A shorter private circuit for travellers who want Munnar and the backwaters but not Thekkady: Eravikulam, tea gardens and waterfalls in the hills, then a cruise at Alleppey. Check the listing for which hotel and houseboat options are included.
- Eravikulam National Park, waterfalls and tea gardens
- Alleppey backwater cruise
- Private car and driver
