Ooty Lake Entry Fee
13 per person for Indians
560 per person For Foreigners
30 for Still Camera
150 for Video Camera
240 for 2 seater pedal boat for 30 minutes
260 for 4 seater pedal boat for 30 minutes
250 for 4 seater row boat for 30 minutes
290 for 6 seater row boat for 30 minutes
560 for 8 seater motor boat for 20 minutes
680 for 10 seater motor boat for 20 minutes
990 for 15 seater motor boat for 20 minutes
Ooty Lake Phone
0423 2443 977
Rating: 
| 3.8/5 stars
Based on total 105 reviews
Ooty Lake Address: Ooty Lake, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, 643001, India
Surrounded by eucalyptus trees and dollops of green bushes along the shores, Ooty Lake (Tamil: ஊட்டி ஏரி) is an artificially constructed lake with picturesque natural surroundings. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Ooty.
Originally constructed for the purpose of fishing, the lake has become all but an important tourist landmark in Ooty. An evening cycling around the lake (cycles are available for rent), or a quiet morning with your beloved by your side and the lake in front is enough to bring calm to yourself. Originally extending to a much larger area, Ooty Lake has shrunk in size over the years giving way to other structures like the race course.
The main attractions you find surrounding the lake are the boat races and boat pageantry organized as a part of the Summer Festival in Ooty. The Ooty lake is often referred to as Ooty boat house as boating is one of the prime attractions of the lake throughout the year. You also find a lot of shops selling local items like eucalyptus oils and shawls at competitive prices around the lake.
The collector of Coimbatore laid its foundation in 1824, and as of today, it’s a fun and lively place for kids and adults alike. At the boat house on the premises, you can either pay for motor boat rides or hire a paddle boat or rowing boat as per your convenience. And the adjacent amusement park makes sure that kids don’t leave the place heavy-hearted.
With the mountain railway running through one of its banks, the Ooty lake is among the most beautiful and picturesque lakes that you will come across in South India. And with greenery all around, it’s a must-visit place to experience and appreciate the beauty of Ooty.
Ooty Lake Activities and other Things to do
What started as a fishing zone has now turned into an arena for socialising and enjoying a day out with their loved ones. And following is the list of activities available at Ooty Lake –
1. Boating on the lake – The Ooty Lake Boat House run by Tamil Nadu Tourism offers various boat rides to savour the views around. When it isn’t crowded, you can enjoy a serene 30 minutes of ride among the greens, trees and the view of distant hills. Pedal boats, row boats and large motor boats are available for you to hire.
2. Photographing the locality – With the Nilgiris in the backdrop, Ooty Lake is a picture-perfect place for photography enthusiasts to reveal their artistic side. From flowery gardens and evergreen foliage to energetic people to capture in the frame, Ooty Lake stands to have your photographic desires fulfilled.
3. Cycling the periphery – At Ooty Lake, you can even pedal away on an exhausting day. Deposit the rent, pick a cycle and hop on to check the area surrounding the Ooty Lake and the hustle around the food stalls. Those tuck shops have a variety of food to offer and some counters also sell eucalyptus oils, homemade chocolates and other local products.
4. Horse Riding along the shores – Like many other tourist attractions in Ooty, the lake also has arrangements for the adventurer in you to get a horse to ride. Bargain yourself a good deal and take your horse for a joyride or two around the lake.
5. Enjoying comfort food – Apart from the multiple sweets and snacks stalls on the shores of Ooty Lake, there also is a hygienic canteen at the Boat House. From tea and coffee to evening snacks and delicacies from North and South India, the canteen has a range of options to choose from. Sit back with your masala tea or grab a bite to calm the hunger pangs.
6. Hopping on the mini train ride – The mini train in the premises runs along the shores. It is exclusively for the kids to hop on and enjoy a tour of the lake. Adults can take it too but you sure will wish to be a kid again.
7. Having fun at the amusement park – At the amusement park by the Ooty Lake Boat House, you can enjoy various fun activities including break-dance rides, dashing car and the horror house.
Best Time to Visit Ooty Lake
Ooty, as well as Ooty Lake, is heaven throughout the year. You will find the climate cosy whenever you plan to visit it. The best time to visit is between the months of October and May, when the skies remain clear throughout. There might be occasional rain showers but they don’t create any trouble.
However, plan a trip to Ooty Lake in May. Not only can you escape the summer heat for a few days, but can also catch the colourful boat race event. As a part of the Summer Festival, the Ooty Lake is the venue for the same. Planning a Ooty trip in May, therefore, would be the best.
Time Required to Explore Ooty Lake
If you have kids who love adventure (most kids do), you will need 4-5 hours of spare time to enjoy and explore all the fun activities available at Ooty Lake. From boating to train ride and feasting on food, you have lots to cover.
But, in general, 2-3 hours in the evening would be comfortable enough to visit Ooty Lake, take a boat ride and also, enjoy a leisure time out of your busy schedule. The canteen is always there if you feel like having a few snacks and beverages.
Ooty Lake Timings and Entry Fee
Ooty Lake entry fee is ₹13 per person and it is open from 9 AM to 6 PM. Those also are the usual boating timings in Ooty Lake, but can vary slightly depending on weather conditions and other unforeseen situations. Apart from the entry fee, you also have to pay for your camera. For still camera, the fee is ₹30 and for video camera, it’s ₹150.
As for the Ooty Lake boating prices, 2-seater pedal boat rides are available at ₹240 and 4-seater pedal boats can be availed at ₹260. 4-seater and 6-seater row boat rides are available for ₹250 and ₹290, respectively, including the fee for the driver. Apart from the boating charges, you will also need to pay an additional security deposit fee, equal to the boating charges. The deposit is refunded if you return the boat without any damage, within the allotted 30 minutes per ride.
Motor boats are available to ride for around 20 minutes and the charges are as per the seating capacity. 8-seater motorboat rides are available at ₹560, 10-seater ones are at ₹680 and for ₹15-seater motorboats, the charge is ₹990. The motorboat ride prices include the fee for the driver too.
Image Gallery of Ooty Lake
Places to visit near Ooty Lake
Once you are satisfied with the time spent at the lake, here are the must-visit places to visit near Ooty Lake.
1. Thread Garden – Situated opposite the Ooty Lake, on the other side of the road, is the small Thread Garden. It is an artificial garden containing flowers, bushes and green lawns, made entirely with thread. Fifty workers, under the guidance of a professor, weaved those beauties in a span of over 12 years.
2. Nilgiri Mountain Railway – Only about 2 km from the lake is the Ooty Railway Station. There, you can book the famed toy train ride. It runs between Ooty and Mettupalayam and takes about 5 hours to complete one side journey of 46 km. The train takes you on a picturesque ride of Nilgiri Mountains and the valley below.
3. Deer Park – Deer Park is a well-maintained green area about 3 km from the lake. You will come across a variety of flora and fauna, and not only deer species. Along with Sambhar, Chital and colourful flowers, hares, rabbits and various birds live together in harmony in the park.
4. Rose Garden – The climate of Ooty provides roses with a long blooming season to flourish, and you will see many rare and exotic varieties of roses in Ooty Rose Garden. These roses, collected from all over the world, are available in a plethora of colours spread all around the area. Ooty Lake to Rose Garden distance is only about 5 km.
5. Botanical Garden – It’s a beautiful garden maintained by the state government, which is on the way from Ooty Lake to Doddabetta Peak, about 2 km from the Rose Garden. It is spread over an area of 55 acres and has lawns and gardens with different aromatic and flowerful bushes. The garden also has greenhouses which have exotic plants.
6. Wax World Museum – Further one kilometre from the Botanical Garden, lies the Wax World Museum. Apart from being a tourist spot, it can also serve as an educational visit for the kids. Lifelike lookalike wax statues of eminent Indian personalities adorn the hall of the building. And it also has a wax model presentation of day to day life activities.
7. Tea Estate View Point – Ooty is known for acres of flourishing tea bushes covering the mountain slopes. And the tea estate view point near Doddabetta is one of the spots which provides mesmerising views of the tea plantations around. Coupled with the Tea Factory and Tea Museum nearby, it is another must-visit place in Ooty. Tea Estate View Point is about 7 km away from Ooty Lake.
8. Doddabetta Peak – Doddabetta (meaning big mountain) is the highest peak in the Nilgiris and is situated about 11 km away from Ooty Lake. The observatory platform provides a breathtaking view of Ooty and the surrounding area, which makes it a favourite among the trekking and camping enthusiasts.
Those were some of the places you must not miss when visiting Ooty Lake.
How to Reach Ooty Lake?
Ooty Lake and Boat House enjoys a prime location, near the city centre. It is conveniently accessible from the bus stop and the railway station, both of which are within 2 km from the lake. Taxis and auto rickshaws are available at both the places to give you a ride to the lake.
And you can always drive your car or book a private cab from top car rental companies in Ooty and visit all the tourist spots there, including Ooty Lake. Here are the other ways to reach Ooty.
By Road – NH67 provides convenient road access to Ooty from the neighbourhood towns and cities. As it’s a prominent tourist destination, regular buses and taxis from Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore and other towns are available at affordable prices.
By Rail – Major cities like Chennai and Coimbatore have trains that run daily for Mettupalayam railway station, about 40 km away. The above-mentioned heritage toy train then connects Mettupalayam to Ooty. It takes you through a scenic journey through the Nilgiris and it’s a joyous experience in itself.
By Air – Coimbatore, about 90 km away, has the nearest airport to Ooty. Flights from Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and other cities (including Bangalore) fly tourists to Coimbatore, daily. International tourists will find it convenient to get tickets to Bangalore. It’s 300 km away from Ooty, and has plenty of flight connections to other countries.
Interesting facts about Ooty Lake
Now that you have all the important Ooty Lake information, here are a few interesting facts related to the lake.
- It is an artificial lake that spreads over an area of 65 acres.
- It was constructed for fishing purposes, by the order of collector of Coimbatore – John Sullivan, in 1824.
- Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation took possession in 1973, to develop the place as a tourist attraction.
- “Dil Deewana” song from the Hindi movie “Maine Pyar Kiya” was partially shot here.
- Ooty Lake has also appeared in another Hindi movie Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
Over the years, the lake has been plagued by a lot of problems like the unchecked growth of weeds and the growing pollution due to people dumping the waste in the lake. Though the government "seems" to be taking active steps, all of them fall short of being successful. To conclude, Ooty Lake is one place which you cannot miss while you are there in Ooty.
To visit this famous hill station, we at Ooty Tourism, a division of Holidays DNA, offer Ooty tour packages that you can choose from. You can also choose from the sightseeing places to visit depending on your duration of stay from our 1 day, 2 day and 3 day listing. For more queries on the various packages, please fill the Contact Us form.
