Located in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, Ooty entices every one with its green valleys, shimmering lakes, majestic waterfalls and adventurous trails. A few days in this popular hill station in South India is enough to revive a person for the everyday grind. Its pleasant weather, fresh air and spellbinding natural settings is perfect for every type of trip, whether it's for a honeymoon or family trip, summer holidays or a group tour with your trekking group.
The hill station not only has many beautiful places to visit during the day but also lively shopping centres to spend your evenings. So, on your next Ooty tour, don’t forget to visit these markets for not only authentic items but also for a culturally rich experience.
Another way to have a wholesome experience, which can include shopping as well as sightseeing, is by getting a Ooty Tour package designed for you by our experienced travel executives.
1. Charring Cross
Shopping in Ooty is incomplete if you have not visited Charring Cross. Located at the junction of Commercial road and Ooty-Coonoor road, this market is a one stop solution for all the shopping lovers. From woollen clothing, souvenirs, toys, handicrafts, jute items, baked items and tea and coffee powders, you will find an amazing variety of items of high quality.
In addition to shops selling local items, there are also a lot of branded retail showrooms here. Once here, do visit the Nilgiri Shopping Complex. Another attraction here is the Adam’s Fountain.
2. Commercial Road
Located near the Charing Cross, Commercial Road is a popular shopping hub of Ooty. As the name suggests, this road is lined with several commercial buildings, ranging from big supermarkets to standalone small shops, on both the sides. Once here, you will find shops selling a wide array of items including woollen clothing, antiques, jewellery, handmade items.
If you are looking for home décor items or utensils then you will find interesting choices here. The most popular items to shop here are homemade chocolates and handicrafts. The Commercial Street market opens at 11 AM and closes by 8 PM.
3. Upper Bazaar Road
Known for fine-dining restaurants, Upper Bazaar Road is the place to visit if you wish to take home some locally produced spices. An important part of every Indian cuisine, spices add more flavour if they are fresh. At this market, you will find a vast array of spices and Nilgiris products like aromatic oils (eucalyptus, citronella, camphor, etc).
Many shops here also sell homemade chocolates and other baked goods, which you can buy after trying out the free samples. It is situated in the city centre and hence easy to locate. Its opening timings are from 10 AM to 7 PM.
4. Lower Bazaar Road
One of the popular shopping sites of Ooty, also owing to its location, Lower Bazaar Market is a must visit for items like Toda jewellery and Toda shawls along with various other kinds of dress materials and readymade clothes. If interested in shopping for crockery or cookware, then you will find a lot of options here.
Lined with restaurants and hotels, it is an ideal place to spend an evening shopping and eating. There are many shops selling chocolates, local sweets and tea here. Located near the Ooty Lake, this market is open from 10 AM to 7 PM.
5. Ooty Municipal Market
Ooty Municipal Market is a must visit to explore the fresh fruits and vegetables of the area. The freshness and the taste of fruits from this market will give a perfect start to your day. Not only this, there are shops selling flowers, locally made oils and chocolates too. You will also find many stalls and small shops selling tea and coffee here.
Visit this market for a fresh cup of tea while enjoying the misty mornings of Ooty. Located on the Commercial road, this is a massive market with around 1500 shops and 15 entry and exit points. The best time to visit this market is early morning when the fresh products arrive.
6. Tibetan Market
When in Ooty, make it a point to buy a few woollen items. Tibetan Market offers many interesting choices for woollen clothing here. From shawls, sweaters, caps, socks and gloves to woollen pants, you will find almost every woollen clothing item you can think of.
What makes the shopping experience even more enjoyable are the rates of the items. Products are reasonably priced here, almost half of the cost at which we buy in cities. It opens from 11 AM to 8 PM and is located at Vannarapettai. It is quite near to the Ooty Botanical Gardens.
7. Main Bazaar
Located in the city centre, Main Bazaar is another place to explore if you are planning to buy authentic local products ranging from eatables, handicrafts to Toda silver jewellery. At this market, you will also get ample choices of readymade clothing, fashion jewellery. This vibrant market also has many eateries where you can try freshly made local food items.
8. Ooty Lake Market
Located near the Ooty Lake, this market is the perfect place to visit after spending a few hours of relaxation and boating at the lake. You will find several shops, selling flowers, locally made oils, handmade bags, clothes and local tea leaves and powders. Many street vendors sell snacks along with hot tea and coffee for you to pamper your taste buds as well. It is best to visit the Ooty Lake Market before sunset.
Apart from visiting these shopping centres of the town, it is worth visiting the legendary shops of Ooty, which have been catering to locals and tourists for decades. No shopping in Ooty is complete if you haven’t bought the chocolate here. Visit the Moddy's Ooty Chocolates for some of the tastiest chocolates in not only Ooty but the entire country. Started in 1951 by Mr Janardhan Rao, this store offers a splendid range of chocolates, especially dark chocolates.
King Star Bakery at Charring Cross is another place to visit for homemade chocolates. Some of the popular items at this bakery are coffee chocolate, dark chocolate, fig and honey, milk chocolate and fruit and nut chocolates.
Doddabetta Tea Factory Souvenir Shoppe is one of the shops that every tourist must visit if they want to take back one of the best teas of the area. Located on Doddabetta Road, this tea factory offers varied flavours of tea powder and tea leaves along with tea oils. You can also shop for teapots, cups and plates here.
Another place to visit if you are a tea lover is the Chamraj tea shop. One of the oldest shops in Ooty, it offers an exquisite array of tea. The types of tea flavours that you can find here include Oolong, Nilgiri, Assam tea, etc. It is located on the Upper Bazaar road. For the book lovers, Higginbothams is the shop to explore. One of the oldest bookstores in the town, it has an extensive book collection along with postcards. It is located on the Commissioner’s road.
