Ooty Taxi Fare Chart 2026
Full-day sightseeing, per-kilometre outstation and point-to-point drop fares for the Nilgiris, with the four charges most operators leave until the driver asks for cash.
In short
A full day of Ooty sightseeing is 8 hours and 80 km. In 2026 that costs ₹2,000–2,500 for a sedan, ₹3,300–3,800 for an Innova and ₹5,500–6,500 for a 12-seat tempo traveller. Green tax of ₹150–300 is collected in cash at the check-post and is not inside any cab fare.
Reviewed 20 September 2026 · fares re-checked each quarter against our own tariff and three local operators
Full-day, per-kilometre and drop fares
One table, five vehicle classes. Every figure includes fuel, the driver and 5% GST.
| Vehicle | Full day 8 h / 80 km | Extra hour | Outstation per km | CJB → Ooty drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan — Dzire / Etios, 4 seats | ₹2,000 – 2,500 | ₹150 | ₹12 | ₹2,500 |
| SUV — Ertiga / Xylo, 6 seats | ₹2,800 – 3,200 | ₹250 | ₹16 | ₹3,400 |
| Innova — 7 seats | ₹3,300 – 3,800 | ₹300 | ₹18 | ₹4,200 |
| Innova Crysta — 7 seats | ₹3,900 – 4,500 | ₹350 | ₹21 | ₹4,900 |
| Tempo Traveller — 12 to 14 seats | ₹5,500 – 6,500 | ₹500 | ₹32 | ₹7,500 |
What the fare covers, and what is paid at the gate
Inside the fare
- The vehicle, fuel for the contracted distance and a hill-experienced driver
- 5% GST, shown as its own line on the invoice
- Driver's own food and stay on multi-day trips
- Vehicle insurance, fitness certificate and routine maintenance
Paid at actuals, told in advance
- Nilgiris green tax — ₹150–200 a car, ₹200–300 an SUV, cash at the municipal check-post
- Attraction entry: Botanical Garden ₹50, Doddabetta ₹10, boating from ₹250
- Parking at Doddabetta, Pykara and the Botanical Garden
- Tolls on the Coimbatore side, and the Avalanche forest permit where it applies
Why an Ooty day is 8 hours and 80 km
Eighty kilometres sounds short until you drive it. The Ooty town circuit alone — Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Ooty Lake, Doddabetta and the tea museum — runs to about 45 km, but Doddabetta is a 2,600 m climb on a single-lane road where a loaded Traveller does 20 km/h. The Pykara side adds 40 km each way, and Coonoor with Sim's Park and Dolphin's Nose is a 38 km round trip down 14 hairpin bends.
So the 8 hour clock, not the 80 km, is usually what runs out first. We build the three standard day-plans to fit inside it without cutting the last stop short, and if your plan needs a ninth hour we tell you the extra-hour rate before you leave rather than after you return.
Point-to-point drop fares from Ooty
One-way runs with no return leg, priced per vehicle. Every figure includes fuel, the driver, tolls, parking and 5% GST; inter-state permits on the Karnataka runs are inside the fare too.
| Route | Distance | Sedan | Innova | Tempo traveller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooty → Coimbatore airport (CJB) | 88 – 90 km | ₹2,500 | ₹4,200 | ₹7,500 |
| Ooty → Coimbatore Junction | ≈ 87 km | ₹2,500 | ₹4,200 | ₹7,500 |
| Ooty → Mettupalayam | 46 km | ₹1,800 | ₹2,900 | ₹5,200 |
| Ooty → Coonoor | 19 km | ₹900 | ₹1,400 | ₹2,600 |
| Ooty → Masinagudi | 37 – 40 km | ₹1,700 | ₹2,700 | — |
| Ooty → Mysore | 125 km | ₹3,600 | ₹6,000 | ₹10,500 |
| Ooty → Bangalore | 265 – 275 km | ₹6,500 | ₹11,000 | ₹18,500 |
The five charges that cause every fare dispute
Almost every argument between a passenger and a driver in the Nilgiris comes down to one of five lines, and all five are avoidable by naming them in writing before the trip. Driver bata is ₹500 a night on our trips and is inside the quoted price, never collected in cash at the end. Green tax is ₹150–200 for a car, ₹200–300 for an SUV and ₹300–500 for a minibus, paid by you in cash at the check-post because the municipality collects it there — no operator can include it honestly. Parking and entry at Doddabetta, Pykara and the gardens are at actuals and are yours. Tolls and the inter-state permit on Karnataka runs are ours and are inside the fare. And GST at 5% appears as its own line on the invoice rather than being folded into a round figure.
The sixth, which is not a charge but causes as much trouble, is the definition of a day. Ours is 8 hours and 80 km from the time we collect you. Beyond that the extra-hour rate in the table above applies, and the driver is instructed to tell you when the eighth hour is approaching rather than presenting the arithmetic at the end.
Overruns, night holds and cancellations
If the day runs long
- Extra hours are charged at the rate shown in the fare table, per started hour
- Extra kilometres beyond 80 are charged at the outstation per-kilometre rate
- A night hold after 22:00 is ₹250 to ₹500 depending on vehicle class
- The driver warns you before the eighth hour, not afterwards
- Nothing is added to the bill that was not in the written quote
If plans change
- Cancellations more than 48 hours out: the vehicle advance is refunded
- Inside 48 hours a retention applies, and the exact figure is in your written quote
- A vehicle upgrade or downgrade is re-priced at the published band, not negotiated on the day
- Road closures on the Coonoor ghat in monsoon mean re-planning, not a cancellation charge
- Hotel portions follow the hotel's own terms, which we pass on unchanged
Choosing the vehicle: why we will not send a coach up Sigur
Vehicle choice in the Nilgiris is a routing decision, not a comfort decision. The Coonoor ghat on NH181 has 14 hairpin bends and is wide enough for coaches, which is why every large group uses it. Sigur ghat on the Mysore side has 36 bends on a steep, narrow climb, and a 20-seater on it is a bad idea that becomes a dangerous one when something comes the other way — so groups heading for Mudumalai or Mysore go round by Gudalur, which is longer and permitted for buses.
Inside Ooty the constraint is different: the approach roads to Doddabetta and Dolphin's Nose are single lane, so a 14-seat tempo traveller takes longer and parks further away than two cars would. For a group of twelve staying three nights, we often quote the traveller for transfers and a pair of cars for the sightseeing days. That costs slightly more and saves an hour a day, and we would rather explain the option than quietly pick one for you.
Questions we answer daily
How much is a taxi for one day in Ooty?
A full day of 8 hours and 80 km costs ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 for a sedan, ₹2,800 to ₹3,200 for an SUV, ₹3,300 to ₹3,800 for an Innova and ₹5,500 to ₹6,500 for a 12 to 14 seat tempo traveller. Fuel, driver and 5% GST are inside those figures.
Is green tax included in the taxi fare?
No, and no honest operator includes it. The Nilgiris green tax is collected in cash at the municipal check-post — ₹150 to ₹200 for a car, ₹200 to ₹300 for an SUV and ₹300 to ₹500 for a minibus. We list it on your confirmation so the amount is never a surprise.
What does Coimbatore airport to Ooty cost?
₹2,500 in a sedan, ₹3,400 in an SUV, ₹4,200 in an Innova and ₹7,500 in a tempo traveller, all-inclusive for the 88 km run. It takes 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours via Mettupalayam and the Coonoor ghat.
What is driver bata and when do I pay it?
Bata is the driver's allowance for food and a bed on trips that keep him out overnight. It is ₹500 per night on Ooty trips and it is quoted up front in the written price, not collected from you in cash at the end.
Are outstation trips charged per kilometre?
Yes. Outstation runs are billed per kilometre — ₹12 for a sedan up to ₹32 for a tempo traveller — against a minimum of 250 km per day, plus ₹500 bata per night. For a round trip the minimum usually decides the bill rather than the actual distance.
What happens if we run past 8 hours or 80 km?
Extra hours are billed at ₹150 for a sedan, ₹250 for an SUV, ₹300 for an Innova, ₹350 for a Crysta and ₹500 for a tempo traveller, per started hour, and extra kilometres at the outstation per-kilometre rate. A hold past 22:00 adds ₹250 to ₹500. The driver tells you before the eighth hour rather than after it.
What does a taxi from Ooty to Bangalore cost?
₹6,500 in a sedan, ₹11,000 in an Innova and ₹18,500 in a tempo traveller for the 265 to 275 km run, including the inter-state permit and 5% GST. Leave Ooty by 5 pm: the Bandipur and Mudumalai forest gates close to cars and buses from 21:00 to 06:00 and there is no night alternative.
Can I hire a car in Ooty without a driver?
We do not offer self-drive. Every vehicle comes with a driver who runs these ghats weekly, which on 14 to 36 hairpin bends is the part of the service that matters. If you have brought your own car and would rather not drive the climb, we can supply a driver for it at ₹1,400 to ₹1,800 a day plus his bata.
How is the fare different for a tempo traveller in Ooty?
A 12 to 14 seat tempo traveller is ₹5,500 to ₹6,500 for a full sightseeing day, ₹32 per kilometre outstation and ₹7,500 for the Coimbatore airport run. It also changes the routing: it cannot take the Sigur ghat and it parks further from Doddabetta, so for twelve people over three days we often quote a traveller for transfers and cars for the sightseeing.
Where to go next
- Sightseeing cab packages The three day-plans and what each covers
- Ooty trip cost calculator Build a total for your dates and group
- Nilgiris e-pass guide Free, compulsory, and we file it for you
- Ooty tour packages Stay, cab and sightseeing in one price
- From Coimbatore 88 km, the gateway route
- Tempo traveller rates Group hire for 8 to 14
- CJB airport transfer Flight-tracked from the terminal
- Best time to visit Month by month, honestly
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