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Madurai & Palani — 5 days (Kodaikanal, Dolphin Nose, Vattakanal, Berijam & Tamil Nadu)

4.4(15 reviews)5 daysStart and end in the trailhead
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Five days from the Meenakshi temple up to Kodaikanal. Five days with a guide on the shola walks, the Berijam permit chased on the morning and a dawn temple visit.

Kestrel High Routes
Runs this trip
Trekking
Five days from the Meenakshi temple up to Kodaikanal
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers

Top Highlights

  • Meenakshi Amman templeFive days from one of the great living temples of south India up into the Palani hills.
  • Meenakshi at dawnMeenakshi Amman is a working temple before it is a monument, and six in the morning is when that is obvious.

Itinerary

What's included

Included in the price

Accommodation
  • 4 nights accommodation as listed: hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Transport
  • Airport pickup and drop, private vehicle
  • All internal transfers by private vehicle
  • Transfers from and to Madurai
Meals
  • Breakfast daily plus the meals listed on each day
Guide
  • Trip leader throughout, 1 guide per 10
  • A local guide on both walking days
Permits & fees
  • Meenakshi Amman and Palani temple entries
  • The Berijam forest permit, applied for on the morning
  • All entry tickets and permits listed in the day-by-day

Not included

Insurance
  • Travel insurance
Optional
  • International or domestic flights to the start point
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • Flights or trains to Madurai
  • Camera fees inside the temples
Additional Services
  • 5% GST and any applicable TCS
  • Lunches and dinners not listed on a day
  • Berijam if the day's permits are gone
  • Most lunches

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Madurai House

Hotel

Day 1

Kodaikanal Inn

Hotel

Days 2–4

What you'll eat

4 breakfasts and 4 dinners across 5 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 5.

  • DinnerServed on days 1–4
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–5

8 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

Operator

Kestrel High Routes
4.4 (15)

Based in Dehradun

Profile
One other operator runs this trailThe same trail, at their own price, group size and refund window.Stonefoot Trails₹18,300See all 2Compare

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.4/5
Based on 15 reviews
Review summary
Food
4.2/5
Guide
3.9/5
Itinerary
4.1/5
Transport
4.1/5
Accommodation
4.2/5
Tour operator
4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
V
Vikram Bose – Pune2026-03-05 · Verified booking

Tamil Nadu in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down. Would send friends their way.

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5
E
Elena Petrova – London2026-03-05 · Verified booking

Tamil Nadu in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Recommended.

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3
F
Farah Qureshi – Mumbai2026-03-05 · Verified booking

Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it.

Reply from Kestrel High Routes

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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3
L
Laura Whitfield – London2026-03-05 · Verified booking

Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side. Crew were professional without being stiff about it.

Reply from Kestrel High Routes

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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4
O
Owen Clarke – Stockholm2026-03-05 · Verified booking

Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Solid operator.

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5
C
Carla Mendes – Toronto2026-02-11 · Verified booking

Tamil Nadu in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Solid operator.

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5
R
Rohit Verma – Chennai2026-02-11 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Solid operator.

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5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Chennai2026-02-11 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Recommended.

Reply from Kestrel High Routes

Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.

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Questions people ask

One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →

₹26,899per personNext 6 NovEMI from ₹2,242/mo