Ertiga taxi from Chennai to Yercaud — what it costs and how long it takes
| Distance | 360 km |
|---|---|
| Drive time | 6h off-peak · up to 7h at busy times |
| One way, from | ₹7,980 incl. GST |
| Round trip, from | ₹14,889 incl. GST |
| Highway | NH48 to Salem, then the Yercaud ghat |
| Best departure | Leave by 5am; the ghat is best in daylight |
How that fare is built
| Item | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Chargeable distance | 360 km | 720 km |
| Rate per km | ₹20 | ₹19 |
| Distance cost | ₹7,200 | ₹13,680 |
| Driver bata | ₹400 | ₹500 |
| Toll and parking | At actuals, with receipts — quoted on the call | |
| Sub-total | ₹7,600 | ₹14,180 |
| GST at 5% | ₹380 | ₹709 |
| Total, from | ₹7,980 | ₹14,889 |
One way is charged for your direction plus the minimum distance. A round trip charges both legs with the daily minimum applied — which is why the one-way total is lower even at a higher per-km rate. Prefer a single agreed figure with toll and permit folded in? Ask for an all-inclusive quote.
The one nobody mentions
Ask anyone in Chennai about hill stations and you will hear Ooty and Kodaikanal. Yercaud sits on the Shevaroy hills above Salem, at around 1,500 metres, and it receives a fraction of their visitors.
That is the entire reason to go. In season, Ooty’s viewpoints have queues and its lake has traffic. Yercaud has neither. If what you want from a hill station is cool air and quiet rather than activities and restaurants, this is the better booking — and the climb is the gentlest of any we drive.
What you give up is choice. There are fewer hotels, fewer places to eat, and less to do. Some people find that the point.
The road
Six hours of good four-lane highway to Salem on the NH48, then a short ghat of twenty or so hairpins up the Shevaroys. The climb takes well under an hour and is well surfaced — nothing like the Valparai or Kollimalai roads.
Salem is the natural break for a meal. It is an industrial city and not a destination, and we would not suggest staying.
What is at Yercaud
Yercaud Lake sits in the middle of the small town, with a path around it and boats on it — pleasant rather than dramatic.
The viewpoints are the reason to be here. Pagoda Point for sunrise, with cairns of stacked stones and the plains laid out below. Lady’s Seat and Gent’s Seat on the western edge for the sunset and the view down the ghat road you drove up. Killiyur Falls needs a walk down and back and runs properly only after rain.
The hills grow coffee, oranges and pepper, and some of the estates take visitors. There is also a silk farm and an orchidarium for anyone who wants a structured afternoon.
Mostly, though, Yercaud is somewhere to sit outside in the cool and do very little. The Anna Park and the shevaroy temple on the hilltop fill a morning; the rest of the time is yours.
Why this route suits an Ertiga
Six hours of flat highway followed by a short easy climb, with luggage for two or three nights — the configuration an Ertiga handles best with four or five aboard and the third row folded. Six adults over six hours is a stretch; on a route where the whole point is arriving relaxed, we would rather size up.
Still coming to this page: named toll plazas and amounts, named break stops. Those come from our own drivers rather than from a map, and we would rather leave them off than print a figure we have not checked. Ask on the call and we will tell you the toll for this route.
All bookings include a professional driver. We do not offer self-drive rentals.
Booking this route
We drive Yercaud to Chennai as well, at the same rate — the fare depends on the distance and the direction of travel, not on which end you start from. There is one page for both directions rather than two pages saying the same thing.
Related routes
Chennai to Yercaud — FAQs
Why Yercaud instead of Ooty or Kodaikanal?
Because it is empty. Yercaud gets a fraction of the visitors of the better-known hill stations, the climb is short, and in season you are not queueing at viewpoints. What you give up is choice of hotels and things to do — it is a quiet place, deliberately.
How long is the drive?
About six hours to Salem on good highway, then a short ghat climb of twenty or so hairpins. The climb is the easiest of any hill station we serve.
Is a permit needed?
No. Yercaud is in Tamil Nadu, above Salem. A hill charge applies on ghat routes and we quote it upfront.
Day trip or overnight?
Overnight, certainly. Six hours each way for a hill station is not a day trip. Two nights is better and lets you use the second day properly.
Is it worth stopping at Salem?
Only practically — Salem is an industrial city rather than a destination. It is the natural place to break for a meal before the climb.