Coming into Munnar
What changes on 1 August, what is still only proposed, and which rules apply to you — driving up, arriving with a bus, on a service bus, or living here.
Loading the latest information…
Loading the latest information…
What changes on 1 August, what is still only proposed, and which rules apply to you — driving up, arriving with a bus, on a service bus, or living here.
Loading the latest information…
Munnar's traffic rules are changing, and the reporting about them has been muddled — two different one-way schemes, a fee that has been announced but not fixed, and a landslide in the middle of it all. This page separates what has actually been decided from what is still only a proposal, and shows you the part that applies to you.
Every item carries the date it was announced and who announced it. Where a number has not been published, this page says so instead of inventing one.
From 1 August 2026: big buses stop at Old Munnar on weekends
On Saturdays, Sundays and other busy days such as holidays, large buses must park at Old Munnar and take their passengers on to the sights in small vehicles only. From August, heavy tourist vehicles are also to be kept out of Lakshmi Estate, Rajamala, Lakkam and Mattupetty, with taxi services arranged jointly by the Munnar and Devikulam panchayats.
This was decided at an all-party meeting held at the Devikulam RDO's office and reported on 21 June 2026. No gazette notification or police traffic order has been published, and nothing since 21 June has re-confirmed the 1 August date. Treat it as announced, not yet seen in operation, and expect the police on the ground to be the ones who tell you where to stop.
How are you travelling?
You can still drive in. Where you leave the car is what is changing.
Check the road before you set out
From 1 August, weekends end at Old Munnar. Plan the transfer.
"Large bus" has not been defined
The cheapest way in, and the rules barely touch you.
What is decided, what is only proposed, and what has not been settled at all.
Why this page is careful
| Car park | Who for | Cost | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old MunnarThe designated stop for large buses on Saturdays, Sundays and other busy days from 1 August 2026. | Day visitors | Not published | — |
| AnchanchalRoadside parking here is to be moved into the lot. | Day visitors | Not published | — |
| AltharaRoadside parking here is to be moved into the lot. | Day visitors | Not published | — |
| MattupettyArranged with KDHP and KFDC. Heavy tourist vehicles are not to be allowed in from August. | Day visitors | Not published | — |
| LakkamArranged with KDHP and KFDC. Heavy tourist vehicles are not to be allowed in from August. | Day visitors | Not published | — |
No capacity and no tariff has been published for any of these lots. The panchayat has said parking revenue will pay the home guards' wages, so expect a charge even though the amount is not public. Two places you cannot leave a vehicle: the roadside in front of the KSRTC depot, and illegally at Ikka Nagar. GH Road parking is to be strictly controlled.
The panchayat plans a fee on visiting vehicles at green check posts, with visitors given bags to carry their waste out and hand back on the way. Reported rates of ₹30 for a small vehicle and ₹100 for a large one were described in every account as provisional, to be settled at a committee meeting whose outcome has not been reported. The check-post locations were reported differently on 12 and 13 May 2026 — only the Old Munnar / Adimali post appears in both lists. Until the panchayat publishes a final rate and a final list, this page will not print one.
A fissure over 100 m long opened near the CSI church in early July 2026, attributed in the preliminary assessment to widening works on the Kochi–Dhanushkodi highway. A building was evacuated. The road was completely closed from 4 July and partially reopened at 4 p.m. on 9 July under the one-way loop, with the administration stating the risk still persists. No update has been published since. If a large volume of debris reached the Muthirapuzha, backed-up water is the second worry after the slope itself.
Eravikulam National Park at Rajamala books online with a chosen time slot. Book only at eravikulamnationalpark.in — the site run by the Anaimudi Forest Development Agency. Several lookalike domains exist and none of them could be confirmed as official. Tickets are ₹200 for an Indian adult and ₹500 for a foreign national, plus ₹50 reservation, ₹50 for an ordinary camera and ₹350 for a video camera. Last entry is 2 p.m. The park closes each year for the tahr calving season — in 2026 that was February and March, reopening on 1 April.
Exact departure and ferry times are set by the operators, not by us — this page explains how the route and the rules work, then sends you to the official timetable for the clock.
Fares and times change with the season. Check the operator’s own page before you set off.
Source: Onmanorama (21 June, 13 May, 12 May, 9 July, 6 July 2026); Eravikulam National Park official booking site; Idukki district administration, checked 25 July 2026 (4 days ago).
A prepaid counter is to be set up so visitors are not overcharged. Where it will be, who will run it and what the fares will be have not been published. There is no official taxi or jeep fare chart for Munnar anywhere online — DTPC Idukki publishes none. Agree the price before the vehicle moves.
Town Tools builds free, public tools for Munnar and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.