I stayed in Ooty the most after my hometown Delhi.
I went there to learn and deeply engage in the art of photography and filmmaking. Though I was already doing photography before deciding to do it professionally, I wanted to polish my skills.
For various assignments and daily explorations, I covered most parts of Ooty on foot. I love covering distances on foot as I feel you see and notice more that way. Ooty is a small town and most places are walkable. But I still recommend having a taxi option for longer distances or when time is short.
Table of Contents
9 Things to do in Ooty that Most Tourists Miss
1. Visit the Tibetan Market
Ooty does have a Tibetan market near the Botanical Garden parking area.
Thousands of people visit the beautiful Botanical Garden every day, but only a handful know about this hidden Tibetan market. It’s tucked away in an area that most people only use for parking their vehicles.
When I first came to Ooty, I visited the Botanical Garden around 3–4 times within the first couple of months, yet I had no idea that such a market even existed there.
Then one day, while heading for a portrait assignment, I decided to take a shortcut through the Botanical Garden parking area. That’s when I noticed a line of small shops, beautiful clothes hanging outside, and warm, welcoming people inviting visitors to explore their stores.
That’s when I discovered the Tibetan market.
Honestly, it’s the kind of place that’s very difficult to find on your own unless someone specifically tells you about it.
2. Have Samosa and Badam Milk at Prabha Sweets
You discover much more about a place when you walk through it slowly.
While walking through Charring Cross Market, I stopped at a shop called Prabha Sweets and glanced through all the items they had on display.
I noticed a board mentioning their special badam milk and samosa, so I decided to try them just for the experience.
The samosas and the badam milk were exceptional at the Prabha sweets. The taste and aroma left a lasting impression on me.
Whenever I visited Charring Cross, 6 out of 10 times I would end up having either a samosa or cutlet with badam milk from Prabha Sweets.
Especially if you’re exploring Charring Cross at night, this is something you should definitely try. The area does get quite crowded during the evening and nighttime, but you can visit whenever it suits you best.
The market usually starts closing by around 9–9:30 PM, so plan accordingly.
3. Take a Local Bus from Ooty to Lovedale
I love taking bus rides. For me it’s the most enjoyable way to cover a short distance especially in a place like Ooty where the roads are surrounded by tea estates and pine forests.
The bus ride from Charring Cross bus stand to Lovedale costs around ₹5–10 and takes 15–20 minutes. The route passes through some of the most scenic parts of the Nilgiris.
The buses don’t follow a fixed schedule. I tried to figure out the pattern, the Lovedale bus seemed to come around 9:05 AM with a 10-minute margin either way. But honestly, the waiting is part of it. Sit at the bus stand and watch Ooty move.
3–4 days in Ooty is enough to explore but you’d need longer to fully understand the bus patterns. Take at least one local bus ride anywhere outside Ooty town and see the beautiful nilgiris from a bus window.
4. Try Handmade Chocolates
Ooty has a well-established homemade chocolate culture and the factories along the main market road are genuinely worth visiting.
But skip the tourist-facing shops at Charing Cross and walk slightly off the main road. The smaller chocolate factories some of which let you watch the process are where the experience is more authentic.
The homemade fudge, walnut chocolate, and cardamom-flavoured varieties are specific to the Nilgiris and harder to find elsewhere.
When I was returning I carried a bunch of chocolates with me back home to Delhi.
5. Ride the Toy Train from Udhagamandalam to Coonoor
Don’t get confused Ooty’s official name is Udhagamandalam.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway between Ooty and Coonoor is a UNESCO World Heritage route. It is one of the most scenic journey’s.
The train from Ooty to Coonoor costs approximately
- Rs. 300 – 400 per person for first class
- Rs. 150 – 200 per person for second class
It takes about 1– 1.5 hours to reach—moving slowly through tea estates, forest patches, and small stations.
Use IRCTC to book your toy train tickets in advance.
Note – Search Udhagamandalam and not Ooty.
Most places and especially the toy train station, you’ll notice the official name. Book your tickets a few days in advance, as they sell out, especially on weekends and holidays. Go for a weekday if you can.
Coonoor itself is worth a few hours Sim’s Park, Dolphin’s Nose viewpoint. Take the train one way/ two way or return by auto or shared cab if you want variety.
6. Walk Around Kil Kodapamand
For most of my time in Ooty, I stayed in Kil Kodapamand. I rented a room in a 3 BHK there — Rs. 7,000 per month, not including electricity and gas which added about Rs. 200–300 extra.
I was the only student who lived a little far from the others at LLA.
Kil Kodapamand is not a tourist area. It’s a residential neighbourhood which has quiet streets, local houses, incline road, vegetable vendors on cycles, school children walking in the morning. Nothing fancy.
But if you understand what it means to explore without a plan, walk these lanes early morning. That’s an unexplored Ooty for you.
Even you can go on the outskirts of Kil Kodapamand to watch the beautiful view of the area.
7. Drink Coffee at Moody’s Chocolate and Cafe
Moody’s is one of those cafes in Ooty where locals also actually go to.
Try the hot chocolate in Moody’s. It’s the best in the town.
I went there multiple times during my stay. It became the kind of place you go when you want to sit for an hour without anyone rushing you. Early evening, around 5–6 PM, is the best time when the light outside is soft and the cafe has a comfortable settled energy.
Also the cafe gets crowded in the evening, so if you want much quieter experience, you can go in the morning or afternoon.
It’s near the main market area, easy to find once you’re in Charing Cross.
8. Watch the Sunrise from Lovedale
Lovedale is where Light and Life Academy sits and from where the sunrise looks very beautiful. Infact, the sunrise point is pretty much before, just near the Lovedale train station.
The sunrise from the higher points of Lovedale, looking out over the Nilgiri hills, is one of those views that quietly changes how you feel about mornings.
You don’t need to be staying in Lovedale to see it.
Take the first bus from Charing Cross, it runs early enough to get you there before the sun comes up properly.
Or directly take an Auto from the Auto stand and reach there before the sunrise.
I went there a lot of times to shoot, you’ll be above the clouds, can clearly see the sunrising above it.
9. Try Nilgiris Tea at a Local Shop
Not a tea estate tour. Not a branded Ooty tea shop at the tourist market.
Walk into a small provision store in any neighbourhood, Cherring Cross, Lovedale or any other nearby place and ask for locally sourced Nilgiris tea. The aroma, freshness, taste will be a little different and you’ll love it, most probably.
Brew it yourself at your accommodation if you have a kettle or simply sit with a small cup at a local tea stall and drink it the way people here actually do.
The Nilgiris produces some of India’s best tea. Most visitors buy the packaged version at the market and never taste what it’s actually like fresh.
Final Thoughts
You can see the boat house, rose garden, tea estate tour, everything is fine. But the real experience comes from walking the local neighbourhoods, taking a bus to nowhere specific, finding a cafe and having the best offerings, and just staying long enough that the town starts to feel familiar.
I lived in Ooty for ten months. Even then, I felt there was much more left to explore.
