Weather information
While Yercaud, like most other hill stations, enjoys cool summers, the winters here are not freezing cold – so you can enjoy your stay at any time of the year. The maximum temperature is around 30C and the minimum is around 13C. While winters aren’t too cold, they are picture perfect, with mist surrounding the area and giving it an ethereal feel.

 

Cotton clothes during summer and an extra pullover or light woolen sweater during winter is recommended. The area also gets its share of rainfall during the monsoons between July and August, with 150 - 200 cms of rainfall across the year.

 

Tourists from the southern parts of India throng the hill station during hot summers , when they can not only escape the searing heat of their cities, but also witness the beauty of the coffee plants blossoming.

 

In all, the best time to visit would be between February and June and again between September and November. Traveling around could be a problem during monsoon, so make sure you avoid this season.

Getting to Yercaud
How do you wish to get to Yercaud? By train, by air or by road? Take your pick.
 

Yercaud is located in close proximity to Salem and is hence well-connected by road and by rail. The nearest railway station is at Salem while the nearest airport is Trichy.

By Train
The nearest station to Yercaud is in Salem. The Salem Junction is 36 kms away and the Salem Town station, 33 kms from Yercaud. Since all south-bound trains stop at Salem, you can take any train that networks Cochin, Erode, Trivandrum or Mangalore and passes via Salem. If your source of journey is Chennai, you can take the Yercaud Express – this journey is around 335 kms.

 

By Air
The airport nearest to Yercaud is at Tiruchirapalli (or Trichy), around 163 kms from the hill resort. You can hire a cab from the airport to Yercaud. Alternately, you can also land in Coimbatore (190 kms) and make your way to Yercaud. The Chennai and Bangalore airports are other options to consider if you are flying in through an international airline. However, if you are flying in from Colombo, you can also reach Trichy directly.

 

By Road
Yercaud is well-connected by buses that ply from Salem Junction and Salem bus stand, covering a 30 km distance in roughly an hour. You will find a bus leaving for its destination every half hour or so. All the areas that neighbor Yercaud, like Cauvery Peak, Valavanthi, Nagalur, Velakkadai and Swinton Bridge are also connected to the hill resort.

Here are the distances by road of some of the main towns and cities from Yercaud:

From	Yercaud
TRICHY	163 kms
MADURAI	271 Kms
CHENNAI	358 Kms
BANGALORE	222 Kms
COIMBATORE	190 Kms

If you are looking for privacy and greater comfort, you could hire a private taxi from Salem and reach Yercaud.

Distance to Yercaud (by road)

PLACE	DISTANCE In (Kms)	PLACE	DISTANCE In (Kms)
CHENNAI	353	PICHAVARAM	248
BANGALORE	237	POINT CALIMERE	361
CHIDAMBARAM	228	POOMPUHAR	261
COCHIN	373	PONDICHERRY	239
COIMBATORE	190	RAMESWARAM	430
COONOOR	224	SALEM	032
KUTRALLAM	423	SITTANNAVASAL	209
GURUVAYUR	319	THANJAVUR	253
HOGENAKAL	145	THEKKADY	330
HYDERABAD	800	THIRUCHENDUR	433
KANCHIPURAM	335	THIRUCHI	172
KANNIYAKUMARI	501	THIRUNELVELI	410
KODAIKANAL	277	TIRUPATHY	353
MADURAI	259	THIRUVANNAMALAI	189
MAMALLAPURAM	332	TRIVANDRUM	518
MUDUMALAI	294	TUTICORIN	470
MYSORE	285	VEDANTHANGAL	283
NAGORE	237	VELANKANNI	352
OOTACAMUND	237	VELLORE	238
PALANI	224

Places to see
Besides being an island of calm atop the hills, Yercaud also has several scenic spots where you can spend a quite moment or have a memorable picnic with the family. There are also spots that guarantee long walks, beautiful sceneries around and spiritual experiences, with the number of temples in the vicinity.

The way to Yercaud is equally interesting as you can see large bright idols that are the guardian deities of the villages – these are the Aiyanars. Hairpin bends, lakes, cottages, rocky terrains, greenery… you can’t help but get the feeling that this place was specially created for mankind to unwind.

 

| Yercaud Lake | Lady's Seat | Killiyur Falls | Akasagangai Waterfalls | Grange |

| Pagoda Point | Bear’s Cave| Servaroyan Temple | Anna Park | Excursions |

| Other places of interest |

 

	Yercaud Lake Imagine a tranquil lake that is abutted by a scenic pool with a well-maintained garden and deep, dark woods that hold their silence, awaiting your company. The Yercaud Lake is probably the first in your list of places to see. It is also the venue for the Summer Festival that
is organized every May. You can also look forward to relaxed hours of boating in the serene waters of the lake. Both paddle boats and oar-drawn boats are available.

 

Lady's Seat Interested in a splendid view of the Ghats? Get to the Lady’s Seat, a point that offers you spectacular sights of Yercaud, not to mention the traffic that looks like specks on the horizon as you see tourists making their way to Yercaud through the narrow winding
roads. The spot also has a telescope that offers you a great view of the lands below.   If the view is great during day, it is breath-taking during night, as the lights of Salem give the impression of twinkling stars in the firmament. Add a full moon to the setting and you can go back with the conviction that you’ve just seen heaven!

 

Kiliyur Waterfalls
This waterfall is located in the middle of a scenic setting that looks straight out of a picture book. The water is from the Big Lake that connects to the falls through a stream. A long walk through the enchanting woods takes you to Kiliyur Falls, so that’s another thing you can look forward to.

 

Akasagangai Waterfalls
These falls are seen at the Kolli hills and are recognized for their rich source of medicinal herbs and plants.

 

Grange If you thought castles were found only in Europe, think again – the grange in Yercaud closely resembles a castle and is believed to be the summer resort of Robert Clive in the late 19th Century.

Pagoda Point
This is a fantastic place with an equally great history to it – a magnificent palace in the past and a massive temple at present. The place gets its name because of its pagodas that are built with stone.

Go to Pagoda Point early in the morning and watch the golden rays of the sun light up the city of Salem in the near distance. The spot also has towering cliffs that would prove to be any rock climber’s delight.

 

Bear’s Cave
Once upon the time, this was considered home to the bears. Today, it stands as an impressive landmark near the Norton Bungalow. The cave is now part of a private property – however, tourists are allowed a visit. There is a temple near this cave that is one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga and has its central area carved out of a single rock.

 

Servaroyan Temple
While the tourist spots in and around Yercaud provide fantastic views, this goes one up – literally! The Servaroyan Temple is a modern cave temple located on the third highest range in the area - the Servaroyan Hill - and offers a bid’s eye view of the places around.

 

Anna Park One of the many lovely parks in Yercaud, Anna Park is located near the Yercaud Lake and has slides and ample space that would certainly interest children. So, if you love parks or have kids who do, you could also make your way to other parks like Lake Park, Gandhi Park and Children’s Park.

 

Excursions

Namakkal
Namakkal boasts of exotic rock-cut caves with a striking Hanuman temple that has a 20’ Hanuman statue carved from a single stone. The town is located near a hillock that has a fort on top of it. Namakkal also has other rock cut temples located in the vicinity.

 

Tiruchengodu
Interested in a short pilgrimage trip while at Yercaud? Head to Tiruchengodu, and pay homage to Ardhanareeswar - a deity that is half male and half female – at the temple that is centuries old.
 

Sankagiri
Visit a place that has a fort steeped in history. Sankagiri houses the renowned fort of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore.

Salem
Industry, art, religion – Salem is filled with varied interests. This is the largest city in the region. While in Salem, visit some ancient temples or buy some hand-woven gifts for friends and family.

Mettur
Mettur is home to a dam that means so many things to different people. While it is an important source of water to many, it also serves as a great picnic spot, with its spectacular gardens and scenic ambience.
 

	Vedanthangal Where would you get to see over 100,000 migratory birds convening year after year? In one of India’s largest bird sanctuaries, of course! The marshy, 30 hectare park has a lake besides it and for three months of the year, between November and February, becomes
home to a variety of birds like Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White Ibis, Cormorants, Blue winged teals and Swans.

 

Other places of interest
If you have exhausted your preliminary list of places to see, you could get started with this list - Green House, Silk farm, Arthur Seat, Horticulture Research Station, Orchiderium, Mettur View (on Nagalur Road), Cauvery Peak and Salem View. Happy touring!

Things to do
Walking, boating, trekking, shopping – take your pick from these activities that make Yercaud a memorable destination. Of course, chances are, you will lose yourself to the beauty of this bewitching place and lose all track of time.