VANAMCOVE 
Agasthyakoodam
Sage Agastya's 1,868 m peak — a permit-only 3-day trek through shola and grassland to Kerala's second-highest summit
Why this weekend?
The day-by-day plan
- 5:00 AM KSRTC bus from Thampanoor (or taxi ₹2,500–3,500) to Bonacaud
- Report at the Bonacaud Forest Checkpoint by 7:00 AM — pass, ID, medical certificate
- Briefing and baggage check; leave all plastic behind (₹100 fine per item)
- Trek ~16 km to Athirumala Base Camp (5–7 hrs) — streams, shola, Muttidichan Para
- Book dinner coupons at the camp canteen, rest under the stars
Geography & terrain
Agasthyakoodam (1,868 m) is the second-highest peak in Kerala and the highest of the Ashambu Hills, the southernmost spur of the Western Ghats on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border. The trek rises from Bonacaud village (~52 km north-east of Thiruvananthapuram) through the Agasthya Vanam Biological Park, ringed by the Neyyar and Peppara wildlife sanctuaries, and ends on a bare summit plateau looking from the Arabian Sea coast to the Tamil Nadu plains.
History & culture
The mountain is named for Sage Agastya, one of the seven great sages (Saptarishis) of Hindu tradition, who is believed to have meditated and settled on its peak on his journey south; a shrine and statue mark the spot, making the trek a pilgrimage centuries older than adventure tourism. The surrounding forest became the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in 2001 — the first biosphere reserve in India to span two states — and the historic Bonacaud tea estate at the trailhead was one of Kerala's grandest colonial plantations. Women were barred from the peak by tradition until the Kerala High Court lifted the ban in November 2018; Dhanya Sanal became the first woman to summit in January 2019.
Where to stay
Budget
₹1,000–2,500/nightMid-range
₹2,500–5,000/nightComfort
₹5,000+/nightThings to do
Summit shrine and views
Shola-grassland band
Agasthya Vanam medicinal garden (base)
Neyyar dam lake (on the way)
Fees & timings
Eat & drink
- Karimeen pollichathu
- Appam with stew
- Malabar porotta
- Sadya on banana leaf
Getting there
- Fly
- Thiruvananthapuram International (TRV) — ~52 km from Bonacaud via Trivandrum; taxi ₹2,500–3,500 one way, or KSRTC bus + taxi from the city
- Train
- Trivandrum Central (TVC / Thampanoor) — ~52 km / 2 hr from Bonacaud; well connected from Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Delhi and Mumbai
- Road from Thiruvananthapuram
- 51–60 km / 2 hr via Vithura
- Road from Kollam
- ~110 km / 3 hr
- Road from Kochi
- ~270 km / 6 hr via NH-66
- Road from Neyyar Dam
- 32 km / 45 min
- Getting around
- KSRTC bus from Thampanoor to Bonacaud Post Office (first bus ~5:00 AM; last return ~5:45 PM — change at Vithura); taxi Trivandrum→Bonacaud ₹2,500–3,500; autos and share taxis for the last short hops
Budget snapshot
- Total
- ₹9,500–16,500 (3 days)
- Per day · Stay
- ₹1,000–5,000/night (Trivandrum or Bonacaud base)
- Per day · Food
- ₹600–1,200 (camp meals extra)
- Per day · Transport
- ₹1,000–1,400 (bus) to ₹2,500–3,500 one-way taxi
- Per day · Activities
- ₹1,000 (trek pass ₹3,000 over 3 days)
Month by month
Practical info
- Language: Malayalam; English works at the checkpoint and in Trivandrum
- Season: 14 Jan–11 Feb 2026 (announced yearly); closed June–September monsoon
- Booking: forest.kerala.gov.in; 100 passes/day — book the day booking opens
- Medical fitness certificate dated within 7 days is mandatory — no certificate, no entry
- No plastic past the checkpoint (₹100/item fine); no physical offerings at the shrine
- Camp canteen at Athirumala runs 6:30 AM–8:30 PM on coupons; book meals ahead
- Forest office (permit queries): Wildlife Warden, Trivandrum, +91-471-2360762
- Foreign nationals: not currently permitted on the trek
Practical tips
- Permit, photo ID and the medical fitness certificate (dated within 7 days) — originals and printouts
- No plastic past the checkpoint — ₹100 fine per item; carry a steel bottle and cloth bags
- Leech-proofing: gaiters, salt or repellent, and check shoes at every rest stop
- Cold nights at Athirumala (5–10°C) — warm layers and a good sleeping bag; the camp is basic
- Torch, raincoat and a first-aid kit; stream crossings wet boots — carry a spare pair
- Don't attempt the final rope climb with vertigo; keep pace with the guide at all times
Frequently asked questions
The 2026 trekking pass was ₹3,000 per person — ₹2,420 trekking fee plus ₹580 ecosystem management special fee — covering the forest permit and the Athirumala camp stay. Meals at the camp canteen are extra and paid separately with coupons. A ₹100 fine applies per plastic item carried past the checkpoint.
Only for a short season each year — in 2026 it ran 14 January to 11 February, split into two windows (14–31 Jan and 1–11 Feb). The dates typically fall between Makar Sankranti and Shivaratri and are announced in December–January. The forest is completely closed through the monsoon (June–September).
Online at forest.kerala.gov.in — the trekking link appears only during the season, in two booking phases (early January for the first window, late January for the second). Only 100 passes are issued per day (75 online, 25 offline at the PTP Nagar Forest Office in Trivandrum) and they sell out within hours, so book on opening day with ID details for everyone ready.
Anyone aged 14 or above; trekkers aged 14–18 need a parent's or guardian's consent letter. A medical fitness certificate from a registered medical practitioner (Modern Medicine), issued within 7 days of the trek date, is mandatory. Women have trekked since the November 2018 High Court ruling. As of 2025–26, foreign nationals are not currently permitted.
Strenuous. About 16 km on day one (5–7 hours, with the steep Muttidichan Para climb), then ~6 km and ~1,000 m of ascent to the summit on day two — the final rock has safety ropes and is not for anyone with vertigo. Total round trip is roughly 50 km over three days.
The official Forest Department programme is three days and no trekking is allowed after dark, so two days only works for the very fit who can return from the summit to Bonacaud by evening of day two. Most trekkers plan for three.
Trivandrum (52–60 km, full hotel range) is the usual base; Bonacaud village has only basic options at the trailhead. The permit includes the night at Athirumala camp on the mountain.
Fly to Trivandrum International (TRV) or take a train to Trivandrum Central (both ~52 km from Bonacaud). Taxis cost roughly ₹2,500–3,500 one way (2 hours); the KSRTC bus from Thampanoor leaves at 5:00 AM for the 7 AM checkpoint report — the last bus back from Bonacaud is around 5:45 PM.
Pass printout, original photo ID, medical certificate, leech-proofing (gaiters, salt), warm layers for the cold camp nights, torch, raincoat, steel water bottle (no plastic allowed), packed lunch, and a first-aid kit. No physical offerings at the summit shrine — carry everything out.
Sage Agastya's 1,868 m peak — a permit-only 3-day trek through shola and grassland to Kerala's second-highest summit
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