Mukurthi

Mukurthi isn't a trek we can casually add to a calendar - the park exists specifically to protect the Nilgiri tahr and the shola-grassland ecosystem it depends on, and access reflects that. We're including it because, done right, it's one of the most intact high-altitude landscapes left in the Western Ghats, and that's worth the extra verification work before we open bookings.

Routes inside Mukurthi run through open grassland broken by shola forest pockets, climbing toward Mukurthi Peak within a park that ranges from 1,500m to over 2,600m. Casual and commercial tourism is not permitted in the park - access is limited to forest-department-supervised groups with a valid permit, mandatory forest guides, and a capped group size. We are still confirming exactly what a private trekking group like ours can arrange.

• Rolling shola-grassland habitat of the endangered Nilgiri tahr
• High-altitude terrain in the Nilgiris, above 1,500m throughout
• One of Tamil Nadu's most strictly protected trekking landscapes

Fitness level required: high. Group size runs 4–10 people. Age range: 14–55 years.

• Trekking shoes with ankle support
• Warm layers - temperatures drop quickly at altitude
• Rain cover / poncho
• 2L water capacity

• Mandatory Forest Department guide accompanies the group at all times
• High-altitude terrain with fast-changing weather even in the dry season
• No bathing or wading in park streams - a standing Forest Department rule to protect water quality and wildlife
• Trek proceeds only within whatever route the day's permit allows

Mukurthi National Park protects one of the largest surviving populations of the endangered Nilgiri tahr, and entry is tightly controlled by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Casual and commercial tourism is not permitted inside the park; access requires prior permission from the Range Officer at Ooty, a mandatory forest guide, and a capped group size, and the park closes seasonally during the monsoon (June-September) and at times of fire risk. We are verifying exactly what access a private trekking group can obtain before offering this as a confirmed booking.

A ₹1,000 Booking Advance secures your booking request. Final confirmation is issued only after operational and permit verification. The advance is non-refundable and non-transferable, as it blocks your spot in the group.

If we cancel a trek due to weather, safety, or forest department restrictions, you get a full refund or a free reschedule.

Mukurthi's permit rules are the strictest of any trek we're scouting - casual and commercial tourism is explicitly restricted by the Forest Department, so route, distance, and even whether a private group booking is possible at all are still being confirmed.