What's on in Ooty (Udhagamandalam), India through the year

Busy — Winter break in India, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Rule

  Nilgiris peak-season e-pass

  1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

  Vehicles driving into the Nilgiris during the peak months have needed an e-pass in recent years, ordered by the courts to hold the traffic down. It is issued online and checked at the district boundary, so sort it before you set off. Source ↗

• Rule

  Mountain railway reservations

  1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

  The rack railway up from Mettupalayam runs once a day and the reserved seats go in the first hour of the booking window opening. The shorter Coonoor services are far easier to get on and cover the best of the climb. Source ↗

Still on: Clear winter season (1 Dec – 28 Feb)

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Clear winter season (1 Dec – 28 Feb)

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Peak crowds — Summer hill-station season, Summer vacation (Kerala / far south) in India

• Season

  Summer hill-station season

  1 Apr – 15 JunSchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  The plains come up and the town takes most of its year's business in ten weeks. The Botanical Garden, the lake and the toy train are all being done by the same people on the same day, and the Mall is a queue of cars.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Peak crowds — Summer hill-station season, Summer festival flower show

• Festival

  Summer festival flower show

  1–31 May · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  The district's summer festival puts a flower show in the Botanical Garden, a rose show on the hill above it and a boat race on the lake. It is the peak of the peak, and the town is booked out for it. Source ↗

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Summer hill-station season (1 Apr – 15 Jun)

Peak crowds — Summer hill-station season, Summer vacation (north & east) in India

• Season

  South-west monsoon in the hills

  15 Jun – 31 Aug · usuallyRisk

  The hills go into cloud and the view from Doddabetta disappears for weeks. The tea looks its best and the hotels are at their cheapest, and the second, north-east monsoon comes back through October and November.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Summer hill-station season (1 Apr – 15 Jun)

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec), South-west monsoon in the hills (15 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec), South-west monsoon in the hills (15 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — Autumn break (Dussehra / Diwali) in India, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — Winter break in India, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Clear winter season

  1 Dec – 28 FebDry season

  The clearest air of the year, with frost on the Botanical Garden lawn on the coldest mornings, which is exactly what the domestic visitors come up for. Quiet apart from the week around New Year.

Still on: Nilgiris peak-season e-pass (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Mountain railway reservations (1 Jan – 31 Dec)