One of the largest cities of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is a major hub for industry, textiles, and manufacturing, and is also the gateway to several other tourist destinations in South India. However, there is a lot more to Coimbatore than just that. From ancient temples to classy new buildings, from breathtaking mountains to jaw-dropping waterfalls, from a mouth-watering cuisine to pleasant weather all year round, Coimbatore has everything you could possibly need to make for a perfect holiday experience.

There are several temples in and around Coimbatore, with most of them being of important historical significance. The intricate architectural designs of these temples coupled with the religious beliefs attached to them will beckon you to visit them, and get a good peep into the opulent native culture of Coimbatore. The most famous temples in the city include the Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, the Maruthamalai Murugan Temple, the Sree Ayyappan Temple and the Thirumoorthy Malai Temple. A lot of these temples are situated on hilltops, so you can get a good view of the entire city and its surrounding landscapes from the top.

Camping and trekking are very popular things to do in Coimbatore, so if you’re looking for a thrill, don’t forget to check out the most exciting trekking trails that the city has to offer, such as the Dhoni Hills, the Vellari Mala, the Perumal Peak, and the Thalaiyar Falls trek.

Coimbatore is home to a massive 112 feet tall statue of Lord Shiva, known as the Adiyogi Shiva Statue. Featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, this architectural masterpiece is a very popular tourist spot in Coimbatore and stands as a symbol of self-transformation and inner peace.

The Coimbatore Textile Museum is a very important piece of the town’s history, as this museum depicts the growth of the Indian textile industry right from the age of spinning wheels to sewing machines used in the modern day.

Places to Visit

Vydehi Falls

The Vydehi waterfalls is situated some 35 km away from the Coimbatore city. People who pay a visit to Coimbatore must make it a point to visit the Vydehi waterfalls, as it is one of the most familiar waterfalls and is highly known for its magnificence.

The falls has pulled towards itself a large number of visitors because of its scenic attraction and beauty. People can avail a taxi or cab to pay a visit to the extravagant Vydehi waterfalls. This can be placed on top of the places-to-visit list when planning a vacation to Coimbatore. People can indulge into utmost pleasure of the serenity of the place and can make their trip worth remembering by visiting these falls.

Kovai Kondattam

Kovai Kondattam is an amusement park located about 2 kilometres away from Perur, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. A fun-filled destination ideal for spending hours of unending entertainment with friends and family, Kodai Kondattam is an eco-friendly theme park. The park was built by Tamil actor Vijay and caters to a large base of visitors with its numerous water-based and dry rides. This destination is not only a popular picnic spot but is also an unlikely venue for conferences, parties, receptions and corporate bookings. Visit this destination for a thrilling adventure.

The sheer number of rides at Kovai Kondattam is mind-boggling and will have you spoilt for choice. Most famous residents here include Aqua dance, Wave pool, Dashing Cars, Rock Climbing, Hara-kiri & video parlour. Other attractions here include Family Pool, Kids’ Pool, Water Slides, Water Falls, Dashing Car, Family Train, Giant Wheel, Chair-O-Plane, Aqua Dance Pirate Ship, Merry-go-round. The park also holds facilities to celebrate birthdays, weddings and anniversary and an amphitheatre to hold live performances.

Marudhamalai Hill Temple

The Marudhamalai hill temple is located at a towering height of 500 ft in the highland on the Western Ghats.

15 kms away to the north-west of Coimbatore city, the temple has an excellent invigorating atmosphere. Vehicles are allowed to pass through the Marudhamalai temple and the devasthanam has granted three buses from the low slope of the hill to get through the temple on top. The Marudhamalai temple has its main deity as Lord Muruga and the temple attributes quite delightful facilities to the habitu making their visit a comforting one while offering their prayer to the deity. The major feature of this hill is that it grows important medicinal herbs, which is used extensively in making ayurvedic medicines.

Adi Yogi Shiva Statue

Surrounded by verdant green farms at the foothills of Velliangiri Mountains in the Western Ghats, Adiyogi Shiva Statue is the world’s biggest bust statue dedicated to the famous Hindu deity Shiva, which is carved out of 500 tonnes of steel. Located in the Isha Yoga Complex in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, the sculpture stands tall at the height of 112 feet. The Guinness World Book of Records recognised the statue as the “largest bust sculpture” which is 34.3-metre tall excluding plinth, 45 meters long and 7.62 meters wide. Designed by the founder of Isha Foundation- Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the statue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 24th of February, 2017. The sculpture was constructed with the idea to inspire and promote yoga, and the statue is called “Adiyoga” meaning “the first yogi” as Lord Shiva is known to be the originator of yoga.

The figure was designed to portray moksha- a theme in the yogic culture. But despite the obvious connotations to Hinduism religion, the place is considered a non-religious spot and the image is just like an iconic inspiration. People of all races and religions are invited and encouraged to take part in the many cultural activities and games organised under the shadow of the mammoth statue. The parent foundation frequently organises several talks, cultural programmes, discourses, dinners and outdoor games. At the base of the sculpture is a shrine which can be used to meditate and chant. The spot is bustling with tourists and locals alike and you can see people meditating or taking selfies with the elephantine figurine at all times of the day. There is also a cafeteria which sells reasonably south Indian food that you can devour.

Vellingiri Hill Temple

This revered hill temple is situated some 40 km away from the city Of Coimbatore. The temple has essentially been dedicated to lord Siva and sits on the Velliangiri Hill which has an imperial altitude of 6000 feet.

The Velliangiri hill temple is contemplated to be the most conspicuous worship abode in and around Coimbatore and an immense number of tourist groups visit this hill temple to offer their prayers. Furthermore, the hill is known for its exorbitant natural resources. If you have the knowledge of herbal science, you will be able to find several varied essential rare herbs grown on the hill, which are used for medication. The Velliangiri Hill temple has the main deity as Lord Shiva, and people visiting this temple can indulge into the pleasing aura of the ambience and offer some heartfelt prayers.

Perur Pateeswarar Temple

Arulmigu Patteeswarar Swamy Temple, or the Perur Pateeswarar Temple, is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Patteeswarar located at a distance of 9 kilometres from the city of Coimbatore. The grand temple has immense religious, cultural and historical importance for the followers and devotees of Lord Patteeswarar who visit from all over the world to offer their prayers. This temple is also commonly known as the temple dedicated to Lord Nataraj. The ancient artwork, paintings, sculptures and carvings attract art lovers too. Arulmigu Patteeswarar Swamy Temple is also one of the biggest temples in Coimbatore.

Tourists can explore the temple and observe its splendid artwork which is a specimen of ancient art and traditional architecture. Many devotees often claim a visit to the temple gives them a positive vibe and helps them reinvent themselves. The idol of Lord Patteeswarar is seen with a scar on his head that was given by Kamdhenu, and her footprint is also preserved inside the temple. A truly mesmerising one, do take some time out to visit the attraction when exploring Coimbatore. 

VOC Park & Zoo

VOC Park and Zoo, also known as the V.O.Chidambaranar Park and is an Amusement Park and Zoological Garden mostly visited by locals of Coimbatore for recreational purposes. The park and zoo is a preferred picnic spot for families who get their kids to have a wonderful time and introduce them to the world of animals. The park has a play area for the kids, an aquarium and a Jurassic Park where not just children but even adults can have fun. It is a perfect place to get the imagination running to build stories. The zoo houses over 500 animals belonging to about 30 species including birds, mammals and reptiles. 

Siruvani Waterfalls

Siruvani Waterfalls is an exhilarating waterfall located in the scenic region of Siruvani. Also known as Kovai Kutralam Falls, it is about 37 kilometres away from Coimbatore city and the waterfall is predominantly manifested for its exaltedness.

The waterfall is set in the deepest fragment of the impenetrable woodland and due to this reason vacationers are not allowed to visit the falls after 5 pm. The key inception of drinking water in Coimbatore is supplied by Siruvani. Tourists cannot make their visit to this falls anytime because only a few buses are available to visit the place. With a sterling panoramic view, the dam is a place that will leave you not just enchanted but also fill you with inner joy.

Siruvani Dam

Siruvani dam is situated some 37 kilometres to the west of Coimbatore city amidst the lush green Western Ghats. Siruvani dam is the chief source to supply water to Coimbatore city. The dam is intertwined by underways and aqueducts for harnessing the hydel energy for power generation and irrigation purposes from Aliyar, Parambikulam, Nirar, Sholiyar, Thunakadavu, Palar, Thekadi rivers.

Sree Ayyappan Temple

Located in the centre of the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India; the Sree Ayyappan Temple is a significant temple that is dedicated to Lord Sree Ayyappa. This temple in Coimbatore has been built on the same lines as of the original Sabarimala Temple in Kerala and thus is rightly honoured as the second Sabarimala Temple by devotees. In fact, not only the style of architecture but also the styles and methods of performing pooja at both the temples are similar. A visit to the Ayyappan Temple would thus make you feel as if you are in Kerala.

The Ayyappa Temple has been built following the traditional styles of architecture and is a pure delight for architecture lovers, history buffs as well as religious devotees. The temple attracts a huge number of devotees from all across the country all year round. These pious devotees visit the temple to seek the blessing of Lord Ayyappa, as well as use the temple as a mid-station for rest before they set out on their Sabarimala Pilgrimage. 

The temple is well known for its purity and divinity, and also has shrines that are dedicated to other Gods such as Lord Shiva, Sri Murugan, Lord Vinayagar, Maha Vishnu and Durga Ji. The Dhwajasthambha of the temple is covered with gold, making the temple a one of its kind in Tamil Nadu. Festivals like Makaravilakku Day, Nagarajas Pooja, Ashtadhravya Ganapathy Homam and Navratri are also celebrated each year at the temple with great zeal and enthusiasm, making the temple truly a devotee’s delight and one of the must-visit places while on your next trip to Coimbatore.

Must Try Food in Coimbatore

1. South Indian Food at Shree Anandhaas

2. North Indian Cuisine at On The Go

3. Biryani at Sree Subbu Mess

4. The French Door Cafe & Restaurant

5. Barbecue Restaurant Afghan Grill

6. Buffet at The Pavilion

7. North Indian Restaurant Cream Centre

8. Sree Annapoorna Sree Gowrishankar South Indian Restaurant

9. Annalakshmi Restaurant

10. Haribhavanam SKP

How To Get Here

The city has six major arterial roads and three National Highways, NH-47 (Kanyakumari-Salem), NH-67 (Nagapattinam-Ooty) and NH-209 (Bangalore-Dindigul) passing through the city. The city has a civil airport at Peelamedu and an Airforce base at Sulur. Broad Gauge trains connect to all parts of India. A by-pass tollway was built recently to avoid unnecessary traffic into the city.

By Air

The Peelamedu Airport connects Coimbatore to all the major cities of India.

Nearest Airport: Coimbatore Airport (CJB) 

By Road

State Road Transport Corporation of Tamil Nadu and Kerala manage buses to Coimbatorefrom various cities in the state.

By Train

Coimbatore has two railway stations- Coimbatore Junction and Coimbatore North Railway Station. These connect Coimbatore to most major cities in India.