Nature · Travel guide · 13 min read

The Waterfalls of Idukki: A Guide to Kerala's Falling Waters

Idukki is a district of mountains, rain and rivers, and in the monsoon its hillsides come alive with hundreds of waterfalls, from roadside cascades to remote forest falls. Where the main falls are, what kind of waterfall each one is, when to see them, and how to stay safe.

By GK Global, Adimali, Munnar · Trails & Tales by GK

In the monsoon, Idukki becomes a district of falling water. Every cliff seems to sprout a white thread; streams that were trickles in April roar over the rocks; and the sound of water follows you along every road. Idukki is Kerala's most mountainous district, crossed by the headwaters of the Periyar and its tributaries, and soaked by two monsoons. It has more waterfalls than anyone has counted, from famous roadside cascades to falls hidden deep in the forest.

This guide describes the best-known waterfalls of Idukki, what kind of waterfall each one is, when to see them at their best, and, most importantly, how to visit them safely. Several of them appear in our video gallery.

Why Idukki has so many waterfalls

Idukki's waterfalls are a product of its geology and its rain. The district lies on the high plateau of the southern Western Ghats, where ancient, hard crystalline rocks, mainly gneisses and charnockites, form steep scarps, terraces and gorges. Rivers flowing off the plateau drop abruptly over these rock steps on their way to the plains.

The water comes from the southwest monsoon (June to September), which brings very heavy rain to the western slopes, and the northeast monsoon (October to December), which brings rain to the eastern, rain-shadow side of the district around Marayoor and Chinnar. Because Idukki receives rain from both monsoons, its waterfalls can be seen in good flow for much of the second half of the year.

Types of waterfalls

Geographers classify waterfalls by the way the water falls. The main types found in Idukki are:

• Tiered (stepped) falls: the water drops in a series of distinct steps, often with pools between them. Cheeyappara and Thommankuthu are classic examples.
• Cascades: the water tumbles down a series of small rock steps or over a sloping rock face, staying in contact with the rock. Attukad and many smaller roadside falls are cascades.
• Plunge falls: the water drops vertically, losing contact with the rock.
• Horsetail falls: the water stays in contact with a steep rock face, spreading out like a horse's tail.
• Seasonal or ephemeral falls: falls that appear only in the monsoon, such as the countless thin falls that streak the cliffs around Munnar and Eravikulam.

Many falls combine several types, and the same waterfall may look quite different in the dry season and in full monsoon flood.

The waterfalls

Cheeyappara Waterfalls

Location: beside National Highway 85 (Kochi–Munnar road), between Neriamangalam and Adimali, about 40 km from Munnar.
Type: tiered: the water descends in seven steps down a high rock face.

Cheeyappara is the first great waterfall most travellers see on the way to Munnar. It falls right beside the road, and it keeps flowing even in summer, though it is at its most spectacular in the monsoon. Monkeys often gather at the roadside here; please do not feed them.

▶ Video: Cheeyappara Waterfalls

The seven-tiered falls beside the Kochi–Munnar road near Adimali. More in our video gallery

Valara Waterfalls

Location: near the Kochi–Munnar road between Neriamangalam and Adimali, about 14 km from Adimali, close to Cheeyappara.
Type: a chain of cascades and drops on the Deviyar (Thottiyar) river, a tributary of the Periyar, in a deep, forested gorge.

Valara is a tall waterfall surrounded by dense forest, best seen in the monsoon and the months after. The Kerala State Electricity Board has a hydroelectric scheme on the Thottiyar upstream.

▶ Video: Valara Waterfalls

A tall waterfall in a forested gorge close to Cheeyappara. More in our video gallery

The waterfalls around Adimali

The hills around Adimali, the gateway town on the road to Munnar, are full of seasonal waterfalls, many of them on small streams that flow into the Deviyar and the Periyar. Some can be seen from the road; others lie on estate tracks and village paths.

▶ Video: Adimaly Waterfalls

Waterfalls around Adimali, the gateway to Munnar and home of GK Global. More in our video gallery

Attukad Waterfalls

Location: between Munnar and Pallivasal, about 9 km from Munnar, reached by a short walk.
Type: cascade: the water pours over a broad, rocky slope surrounded by forest and tea.

Attukad is one of the most popular waterfalls near Munnar, at its best in the monsoon and post-monsoon months. The rocks are steep and slippery.

▶ Video: Attukad Waterfalls

Attukad falls, between Munnar and Pallivasal. More in our video gallery

Lakkam Waterfalls

Location: on the Munnar–Marayoor road, near the boundary of Eravikulam National Park, about 25 km from Munnar.
Type: a small cascade on a stream flowing down from the Eravikulam plateau, with a pool below.

Lakkam is managed as an eco-tourism site by the forest department with the local eco-development committee, and has been one of the few places where bathing is allowed in a designated, supervised area; check the current rules on site. It flows year-round but is best after the monsoon.

Thoovanam Waterfalls

Location: inside the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, near Marayoor, on the Pambar, one of the few rivers in Kerala that flow east into Tamil Nadu.
Type: a tall, tiered fall over rocks in dry deciduous forest; it is often given as about 84 feet high.

Thoovanam can be reached only by a guided forest trek organised by the forest department, through elephant and gaur country. Because Chinnar lies in the rain shadow and receives most of its rain from the northeast monsoon, Thoovanam is often at its best from about October to December. (Read about the Marayoor valley in our articles on the sandalwood forest, Marayoor jaggery and the dolmens.)

Erachilpara Waterfalls

Location: near Kanthalloor, north of Munnar.
Type: a large monsoon waterfall on the hillsides of the Kanthalloor valley.

Erachilpara is at its most impressive during the rains, when it draws visitors from across the region.

Power House Waterfalls

Location: near Chinnakanal, on the Munnar–Kumily road, about 20 km from Munnar.
Type: a tall fall down a steep rock face, seen from the road.

The falls are a short stop on the drive towards Anayirangal and Thekkady. (Read about the Chinnakanal landscape in our article on Arikkomban.)

Thooval Waterfalls

Location: near Nedumkandam, Udumbanchola taluk, in the Cardamom Hills.
Type: a cascade and falls over rock into deep pools.

Thooval is a beautiful waterfall, but it is also one of the most dangerous in the district. More than 13 people have drowned there. In October 2026, after another death, the District Collector banned visitors from entering the waterfall and the nearby danger zones, and from bathing there, citing the lack of safety measures, warning boards and barriers. Please respect the ban and view the falls only from safe points, if at all.

▶ Video: Thooval Waterfalls

Thooval falls near Nedumkandam, in Idukki district. More in our video gallery

Valanjanganam Waterfalls

Location: beside National Highway 183 (Kottayam–Kumily road), about 1 km from Murinjapuzha and 5 km from Kuttikkanam, near Peermade.
Type: a single drop from a rock ledge, seen from the road.

Valanjanganam is a popular stop on the road to Thekkady and Periyar, at its best in the monsoon.

Thommankuthu and Anayadikuthu

Location: near Thodupuzha, about 17–20 km from the town, in the lower hills of western Idukki.
Type: Thommankuthu is a seven-step tiered waterfall, with a pool at the foot of each step, set in forest; Anayadikuthu, about a kilometre away, is a smaller fall with a concrete bridge over its top.

Thommankuthu is said to be named after a hunter, Thomman, who made it known in the early twentieth century. It is a forest eco-tourism site with trekking trails. Anayadikuthu, which flows most strongly in the monsoon, is often described as one of the safer falls in the district for families, though care is still essential.

Other falls

Many other waterfalls are found across the district, including Keezharkuthu near Thodupuzha, Njandirukki near Poomala, the falls of the Anchuruli tunnel at the Idukki reservoir, and countless seasonal falls along the roads around Munnar, Vattavada and Top Station.

When to go

• June to September (southwest monsoon): waterfalls are at their most powerful, but this is also the most dangerous season, with landslides, falling rocks, flash floods and road closures. Many sites are closed during red and orange alerts.
• October to December (post-monsoon and northeast monsoon): often the best time: the falls are still full, the skies are clearer, and the eastern falls such as Thoovanam are at their best.
• January to May (dry season): most falls shrink; some, like Cheeyappara and Lakkam, continue to flow.

Cautions and warnings

Waterfalls are beautiful but dangerous. Every year people drown, fall or are injured at waterfalls in Kerala, many of them young visitors who underestimated the danger. Please follow these rules:

• Do not enter the water except where it is officially permitted and supervised. Pools below waterfalls are often much deeper than they look, with strong currents, whirlpools and hidden rocks.
• Never climb on the rocks at the top or sides of a fall. Wet rock covered with algae is extremely slippery, and many deaths have been caused by a single slip.
• Watch for sudden rises in water level. Heavy rain upstream, even when it is not raining where you are, can send a flash flood down the stream within minutes.
• Obey all closures, bans and weather alerts. During red and orange alerts, the district administration may ban travel to waterfalls, night travel in the hills, trekking and water activities.
• Do not stop on the highway. At roadside falls like Cheeyappara and Valanjanganam, park only in designated places, and watch for traffic on the narrow ghat roads.
• Beware of landslides and falling rocks during and after heavy rain. (Read about the 2018 floods and the 2020 Pettimudi landslide in our article on Munnar's changing climate.)
• Respect wildlife. Some falls lie in forest frequented by elephants, gaur and other animals. Go only with authorised guides where required, and leave before dark. Do not feed monkeys. (Read our article on human–wildlife conflict.)
• Expect leeches in the monsoon. Wear closed shoes and long socks.
• Never drink alcohol before or during a visit to a waterfall.
• Take your waste home. Plastic and food waste pollute the streams and attract animals.

Seen safely, the waterfalls of Idukki are among the great sights of Kerala: a reminder of how much water these hills gather and give to the plains below. (Read also our Munnar sightseeing guide and our articles on the shola forests that feed many of these streams.)