subject: Modes Of Arriving From Madurai To Kodaikanal [print this page] Kodaikanal popularly known as the Princess of Hill Stations is a most sought after tourist destination in the state of Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal is situated at an altitude of about 2,133 m high on the southern crest of the upper Palani Hills. This serene hill town is renowned for its educational institutions. Kodaikanal has a wealth of flora and fauna. One of the most noteworthy flowers in Kodaikanal is the Kurinji which blooms once in 12 years. Kodaikanal witnesses a huge rush of tourists during the Summer Festival held every year in the month of May.
Madurai is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the third largest city in Tamil Nadu. Madurai is popular for its temples and is known as temple city. Located on the banks of River Vaigai, Madurai is well-connected by road, rail and air.
Kodaikanal is located at a distance of 117 km via Kodaikanal Ghat Road and 163 km via SH 72, from Madurai. Kodaikanal is well connected to Madurai by road and rail.
From Madurai to Kodaikanal, it takes around 4 hours by road. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) operates buses from Madurai Arapalayam bus stand to Kodaikanal at regular timings. An ordinary bus will cost Rs.26 and for an Express bus it will cost Rs.42. Many private tourist buses also run from Madurai to Kodaikanal and the charge per head will come around Rs.400. Alternatively, one can hire a Taxi from Madurai and for an economy type Indica car it will cost around Rs.2600 per day (for a round trip). Several petrol pumps are available on the way including that of Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil among others.
Kodai Road railway station, located at a distance of around 80 km, is the nearest railway station to Kodaikanal. Many passenger and express trains from Madurai have a stop at Kodai Road (KQN) railway station. Tiruchendur-Chennai Egmore Chendur Express (16736), Madurai Villupuram Passenger (56706), Madurai Dindigul Passenger (56710), Tirunelveli Erode Passenger (56826), Tirunelveli-Mayiladuturai Passenger (56822), Nagercoil Coimbatore Passenger (56319), Tuticorin Mysore Express (16731), Pandiyan Superfast Express (12638), Pearl City (Muthu Nagar) SF Express (12694) and Anantapuri Express (16724) are the daily trains.
Trains depart from Madurai Junction (MDU) and reach Kodai Road (KQN) railway station in about 50 minutes. Madurai Junction is a state-of-art modern railway station with computerized reservation centers, vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants, A/C waiting rooms, taxi and auto stands, locker rooms, and 24 hour operating ATMs of various nationalised banks. Kodai Road railway station also has many shops, which are open for 24 hours. Bus and taxi services are available from Kodai Road station to Kodaikanal, and it takes a travel time of around 3 hours.
