Munnar: Tea Plantation & Lakshmi Hills Hiking with Guide

Two Local Men Planted the First Tea Here: Now You Walk Where They Led

You hike through Munnar's tea plantations, grasslands and shola forest with a guide who shares the history of how the British arrived and two locals named Kannan and Devan first planted tea here. You see flycatchers in the forest, flowering plants on the hillside, and views of Anamudi peak from Lakshmi hills. Light refreshments are included, and the pace is soft enough that you can listen and look around instead of just climbing.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hiking through Munnar's nature and history

• Start hike at meeting point
• Soft hike through tea plantations
• Guide tells story of Kannan and Devan
• Explore beautiful grasslands and plants
• Learn about grassland and possible bison
• Enter shola forest to see flycatchers
• Relax atop Lakshmi hills with views
• Descend back to starting point
• End hiking tour

The experience

"The British came looking for land, and Kannan and Devan showed them Parvathimala," your guide will tell you in the first hour, walking through the tea plantations that still cover the hillsides around Munnar. It's the kind of story that makes the rows of green bushes feel less like a commodity and more like a place where something actually happened. The hike starts soft, that's what they call it, which means you're moving at a pace that lets you listen and look around instead of just pushing uphill. The guide shares the history as you walk, and the landscape starts to make sense: why the British chose this spot, why the plantations still matter, why locals still talk about those two men.

After the tea fields comes the grassland, and this is where the view opens up. You're on Lakshmi hills now, and the surrounding landscape spreads out in front of you: flowering plants, non-flowering plants, the kind of detail a guide who knows the place actually notices. The grassland sometimes has bison, though you won't always see them. Then the hike moves into shola forest, where the light changes and the air feels different. Flycatchers in orange and black move through the canopy. You're maybe two hours in, and the forest is dense enough that you forget how close you are to the tea plantations below.

The final push takes you near the top of Lakshmi hills, where you stop and rest. This is the moment the hike was built for: Munnar spreads out below you, the whole valley visible at once, and Anamudi, South India's highest peak, sits in the distance. The guide lets you sit with that view for a while. Then you descend the same way you came, another hour back to the starting point. The whole thing takes three to four hours, and by the end your legs know you walked, but your mind is still on that grassland and the story about two men who changed what this place became.

What’s included

Your hike includes a guide who shares the history of tea planting in Munnar and stories about the local men Kannan and Devan, light refreshments during the walk, and all fees and taxes. You don't arrange transport to the plantations or pay separately for entry.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00Last departure this season: 20 Dec

Book up to13h before

AgesAdult (13 to 80 years) · Under 13: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by SreesTours

Is this one for you?Right for anyone who wants to walk through Munnar's tea country and see the valley from above without navigating the route alone or figuring out which stories matter: the guide and the fixed pace handle both.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

How long is the hike?

Three to four hours total, including rest time at the top. The first hour through tea plantations and the descent are both soft-paced.

What's included in the price?

Guide charges, light refreshments, and all fees and taxes. You don't pay separately for entry or the guide.

Will I see wildlife?

You'll see flycatchers in the shola forest. Bison sometimes appear on the grassland, though sightings aren't guaranteed.

Do I need to be very fit?

The hike is described as soft-paced and suitable for all fitness levels, though it does involve walking uphill for about an hour before you reach the viewpoint.

Is there public transport to the meeting point?

Yes, public transportation options are available nearby, so you can reach the starting point without a private vehicle.