Dindigul to Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is within the driving range from Dindigul, located about 97 kilometers away from it, and thus you can easily reach your destination by bus. This journey, however, will take you around 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on the road and traffic conditions; as compared to the 20 minutes by train. Besides, the road is also very curvy and bumpy, which means that the ride might not be a very pleasurable one. On the plus side, however, buses are not very crowded in Dindigul; thus, you can be assured of finding a seat for yourself. 

Buses from Dindigul to Kodaikanal start from the Dindigul Bus Stand, which is only 10 minutes away from the Dindigul Railway Station. The bus will drop you at the Moonjikkal Bus Stop in Kodaikanal, after which you can hire an auto or a cab to reach your destination.

Available Bus Options

The total rail distance between Dindigul and Kodaikanal is only 22 kilometers, as compared to the road distance between them, which is 97 kilometers. This makes railways one of the cheapest and fastest means of transport that you can use to reach from Dindigul to Kodaikanal. 

A total of 18 trains operate between Dindigul and Kodaikanal, which include the Pandian Exp (12637), Anantapuri Exp (16723), Pearl City Exp (12693), Nagarcoil Exp (16339) and Tpty Rmm Exp (16779) among others; and you can easily reach your final destination via a train in just 18-25 minutes with fares starting from as low as INR 29. 

All of the trains that play between Dindigul and Kodaikanal depart from the Dindigul Junction railway station and arrive at the Kodaikanal Road railway station. Once you reach the  Kodaikanal Road railway station, you will have to switch to another means of transport to cover the 80 kilometre long journey to the main town of Kodaikanal. You can travel in cabs or private cars, or you can also choose to reach your final destination by travelling in state and privately operated buses. Buses run at frequent intervals from all major spots in Kodaikanal, and thus you should be able to reach your destination without much difficulty.

Available Train Options

1. Chennai Egmore - Tiruchendur (Chendur) Express (16105)

Timings: Departure: 00:50, Arrival: 01:09
Duration: 0 hours and 19 minutes
Availability: All days of the week

Fare: General: INR 29, Sleeper: INR 140, AC 3 tier: INR 495, AC 2 tier: INR 700, AC 1st class: INR 1165

2. Pearl City (Muthu Nagar) Super Fast Express (12693)

Timings: Departure: 02:10
Arrival: 02:28
Duration: 0 hours and 18 minutes
Availability: All days of the week

Fare: General: INR 44, Sleeper: INR 170, AC 3 tier: INR 540, AC 2 tier: INR 745, AC 1st class: INR 1245

3. Tirupati - Rameswaram (Meenakshi) Express (16779)

Timings: Departure: 02:20
Arrival: 02:45
Duration: 0 hours and 25 minutes
Availability: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays

Fare: General: INR 29, Sleeper: INR 140, AC 3 tier: INR 495

4. Ananthapuri Express (16723)

Timings: Departure: 02:30
Arrival: 02:49
Duration: 0 hours and 19 minutes
Availability: All days of the week

Fare: General: INR 29, Sleeper: INR 140, AC 3 tier: INR 495, AC 2 tier: INR 700, AC 1st class: INR 1165

Traveling from Dindigul to Kodaikanal by road can be a really comfortable option. The total road distance of around 98 kilometers between the two can easily be covered in 2 hours and 30 minutes. 

You can either choose to drive on your own or even book a cab or a taxi to enjoy a comfortable journey. A lot of outstation taxi rental service providers offer direct cabs from Dindigul to Kodaikanal, and fares start at just INR 1800. If you are on a budget, you can also opt for a shared taxi; which is yet another service provided by these operators. The advantage of hiring a taxi is that you can avail the facilities of a quick door to door transport, and if you happen to travel in a group, the travel expense would be almost the same as that of an AC train.

Tips

In order to get the cheapest rates, make sure that you book your cab at least 7-10 days in advance. Also, remember to take leverage of around 30-40 minutes in your arrival time, because traffic can cause major delays at times.