Ooty is the hill station of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. It is a town of tea estates, botanical gardens, a lake with boats on it, and the narrow-gauge railway that climbs to it through the hills. Above the town is Doddabetta, the highest peak in the Nilgiris, and beyond it the grasslands, pine forest and waterfalls of the Pykara valley. An Ooty trip from Bengaluru is the overnight bus up and two days in the cool air before the overnight bus back down.
goGANG is goSTOPS’ fixed-date group trip format. You book a spot on a departure rather than a room on a date, and you travel with everyone who booked the same one. The goGANG Ooty trip runs two days and one night from Bengaluru. Day one covers Doddabetta, the tea estates, a chocolate factory, the gardens, the lake and the toy train. Day two is a forest e-bike ride and the Pykara valley before the overnight bus home. The night is at goSTOPS Ooty, and the round-trip AC bus is included.
Key takeaways
- The goGANG Ooty trip is two days and one night from Bengaluru, with an overnight AC bus each way and a trip captain on the ground.
- Day one covers Doddabetta Peak, the tea estate viewpoint, a chocolate factory, the Government Botanical Garden, the Rose Garden and boating on Ooty Lake. The toy train ride is included, subject to ticket availability.
- Day two is a guided forest e-bike tour with refreshments, the pine forest, Kamaraj Sagar Dam, a Toda hamlet, Wenlock Downs and Pykara Waterfalls and Lake.
- The night is in dormitory accommodation at goSTOPS Ooty, with breakfast and dinner on both days and an Artist Night and bonfire at the property.
How does an Ooty trip from Bengaluru work with goGANG?
The group boards the AC bus in Bengaluru in the evening and travels overnight into the Nilgiris, arriving in Ooty early in the morning. From there the trip captain runs the itinerary on the ground. Day one is the town and its sights. Day two is the forest and the valley before the bus back to Bengaluru in the late evening, which arrives early the following morning.
The trip is open to anyone aged 18 or over, solo or with friends, and the group travels together from the first briefing to the return. Spots can be booked up to 24 hours before departure, subject to availability, and a booking can be transferred to someone else with advance notice.
What does day one in Ooty cover?
The bus arrives early, and the day starts with check-in and breakfast at goSTOPS Ooty. Then the group goes up to Doddabetta Peak, where the Nilgiri Hills spread out in every direction. The tea estate viewpoint comes next, with the plantations running over the slopes below. A chocolate factory visit follows, for how Ooty’s homemade chocolates are made and for the sampling.
The afternoon is dedicated to the gardens and the lake. The Government Botanical Garden has its landscaped beds and old trees, and the Rose Garden, one of the largest in India, has thousands of varieties. Ooty Lake has its boats, and the day’s last stop is the toy train, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, subject to ticket availability on the day. The evening is back at the property for the Artist Night and a bonfire, the hosted community events on the trip.
Good to know: the toy train ride is included in the trip but depends on tickets being available on the day. It is the one stop on the itinerary with that condition.
What does day two in the Pykara valley cover?
Day two starts with breakfast and then a guided e-bike tour through the forest trails outside the town, an hour’s ride with refreshments included. From there the group walks through the pine forest, one of Ooty’s most photographed places, and stops at Kamaraj Sagar Dam, a reservoir in the hills.
The afternoon goes further out. The Toda hamlet at School Mund is a settlement of the indigenous Toda community, with its own traditions and way of life. Wenlock Downs, at the 9th Mile, is open grassland that has appeared in several films. The day ends at Pykara Waterfalls and Lake, with the falls in their greenery and boating on the lake as an option. In the late evening the group boards the bus for the overnight journey back to Bengaluru, arriving early the following morning.
Tip: the trip’s packing list includes comfortable clothes, walking shoes, a water bottle, a power bank, personal medication and a valid government photo ID. Ooty is cool even in summer, and the e-bike ride and the Pykara afternoon are outdoors, so a warm layer belongs in the bag too.
What is included on an Ooty trip from Bengaluru with goGANG?
The trip covers the round-trip AC bus between Bengaluru and Ooty and a night in dormitory accommodation at goSTOPS Ooty. Breakfast and dinner are included on both days. All sightseeing and local transfers in Ooty on the itinerary are part of the package, with tolls and parking. The forest e-bike tour with refreshments is included, as well as the toy train ride, subject to ticket availability. So are the hosted community events at the property and a trip captain on the ground for the two days in the hills.
Departure dates and timings are fixed, and the itinerary is followed as listed, with changes only in exceptional cases. Groups larger than 10 can ask about customisation, and for everyone else the trip runs as planned. Cancellation is free more than 45 days before departure and charged on a sliding scale after that. Rescheduling is free up to seven days before the trip starts.
Why the goGANG Ooty trip: two days and one night from Bengaluru, with the round-trip AC bus, a night in dormitory accommodation at goSTOPS Ooty, Doddabetta, the tea estates, the gardens, the lake and the toy train on day one, the forest e-bike tour and the Pykara valley on day two, breakfast and dinner each day, hosted community events, and a trip captain on the ground.
Who is the goGANG Ooty trip for?
The goGANG Ooty trip suits anyone who wants the hill station’s sights and the Pykara valley in two days. The bus, the stay and the transfers are already organised. It suits the solo traveller who would rather ride the e-bikes with a group. It suits friends who want the two days planned so that nobody has to be the planner.
It also suits a first trip into the Nilgiris from Bengaluru, since every night is at a property and the days are sightseeing. The e-bike ride is the one stretch of effort. The toy train, the tea estates and the chocolate factory are the familiar Ooty, and the Toda hamlet and Wenlock Downs take the trip beyond it.
Two days in the Nilgiris
An Ooty trip from Bengaluru with goGANG takes in Doddabetta, the tea estates, the chocolate factory, the gardens, Ooty Lake and the toy train on day one. Day two is the forest e-bike ride, the pine forest, the dam, the Toda hamlet, Wenlock Downs and Pykara. The stay is a night at goSTOPS Ooty, with the overnight AC bus each way. The group books the same departure and the trip captain runs the two days in between.
Departure dates and the full itinerary are on the goGANG Ooty trip page. More about the format is at goGANG, and more about the town is at goSTOPS Ooty.
FAQ
How long is the goGANG Ooty trip from Bengaluru?
Two days and one night in Ooty, plus the overnight bus each way. The group leaves Bengaluru in the evening. Day one is the town’s sights and the toy train. Day two is the forest e-bike tour and the Pykara valley before the late-evening departure and overnight return.
Where does the group stay in Ooty?
At goSTOPS Ooty, in dormitory accommodation, for the one night in the hills. The group checks in early on day one, and the Artist Night and bonfire that evening happen at the property.
Is the toy train included on the Ooty trip?
Yes, subject to ticket availability on the day. The ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is on the day one itinerary and is part of the package when tickets can be had.
What is the forest e-bike tour?
A guided ride of about an hour on electric bikes through the forest trails outside Ooty, with refreshments included. It opens day two, before the pine forest, Kamaraj Sagar Dam, the Toda hamlet, Wenlock Downs and Pykara.
What meals are included on the Ooty trip?
Breakfast and dinner on both days, with day one’s breakfast at the property after the overnight bus, and refreshments on the e-bike tour. Lunches and other meals are at your own expense.
Can I join the goGANG Ooty trip on my own?
Yes. goGANG trips are open to anyone aged 18 or over, solo or with friends, and the group travels together from the boarding point in Bengaluru. Spots can be booked up to 24 hours before departure, subject to availability.
