Munnar in Kerala is a dream place for every traveler to be checked from their bucket list and you should also experience it traveling by road. In this article, I am going to explain and share my own travel experience from Chennai to Munnar by road and the places to visit, Stay, Eat, and the must-visit places in and on the way to Munnar.
Best route from Chennai to Munnar
Considering the fact by road, the best way to reach Munnar is via Chennai – Villupuram – Trichy – Kanyakumari road which is 583.3 km which is a 12 hours ride.
Here is the Map Link
This route has tolls and this is the fastest route to Munnar. As we were traveling on our Yamaha Ray scooter, we had no problem of toll which is the best part of traveling on Bike. Yes, You read it right, we traveled on our Yamaha Ray from Chennai to Munnar and that was not the end of our journey, we continued the journey to Cochin, Bangalore, and then back to Chennai!. Read through to know how we made it!
Things we did before starting the journey
The first thing we made sure before we start is our Scooter is in good condition. We changed the front tire and adjusted the breaks. We didn’t change the engine oil as it has been already changed a month ago and it did not run many kilometers so we decided to change it when we reach Munnar. As the scooter has only 5-liter capacity for petrol, We kept a 2-liter bottle filled with Petrol wrapped in plastic cover tightly inside to make sure we never stop by running out of Petrol. We bought a Travel Bag from Amazon to carry the things necessary which were a great help to pack our things and keep in front of the scooter.
If you are ready to travel at night, the best time to start your journey from Chennai would be by afternoon between 2-3 Pm to avoid Chennai city traffic, please be extra careful when you travel at night and remember to carry water.
Places to Stay and Eat on Chennai – Theni route
There are many places you can have food on the way. We started from Chennai at 2.30 Pm, 14th March 2019. After a 30 Km ride from Chennai city, We had our lunch at Sri Ranga Bhavan around 4:30 Pm. We had Yummy Dosas, Gopi pakoda, and Coffee. filled Petrol and continued our journey. After riding a few Km, We took our coffee break at 7:30 pm at Hotel Sri Balaji Ariyas which is in Kedilam Chennai – Theni Highway. The Gopi pakoda they served was so yummy and fresh, we really loved the food.
After taking a half an hour break, we continued our journey and took another coffee break at 11:45 Pm which is in the same route. After 9 hours of ride, We reached Theni at 12 Am and we stayed at Hotel Anna Lakshmi Theni. Anna Lakshmi is a budget hotel and we paid 800 rupees for one night stay. The room was average with basic amenities.
We highly recommend you to Stay in Theni if you are traveling at night. The Theni to Munnar route is full of curves and it’s a risky road at night. We had a good sleep until morning at 10 Am. We had our breakfast and started to Munnar at 12 Pm. The weather in Theni was good, in fact, the heat was bearable and low compared to Chennai. We continued our journey to Munnar through NH85, We took a half an hour break in the mid-way and we finally reached in Munnar at 4:30 Pm. We had our lunch from Hotel maharani Munnar, they serve good Veg and Non-veg food. We really loved the chilli beef and chicken biriyani.
Best Place to Stay in Munnar
You can find rooms to stay from a range of 800 Rupees to 10K for a night. If you are looking for a great place for 2 to 3 people for an affordable price, then David’s Regency is the best choice. We roamed around and took an hour to find this place for a great price. Search for great deals below!
Total Expenses to reach in Munnar for 2 People
Petrol: 20 Liters – Rs: 1500 ( On Scooty)
Food & Drink – Rs: 2000
Stay in Theni – Rs: 800 (Optional)



