Nature

Mattupetty Dam

#3of 10 places to visit in MunnarMunnar, Kerala

Also known as Madupatty Dam

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:30 – 17:00 daily. Entry: ₹10. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 09:30 – 11:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · By Traveliac Editorial Team · 5 min read

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Photo: DdraconiandevilL / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 09:30 – 17:00 daily; Boating runs 08:30 – 17:00 with the last trip at 16:30 and a break from 12:00 – 14:00
Entry fee: ₹10; Ticket from
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: 09:30 – 11:00
Best months: Oct – Mar
Address: Mattupetty, Munnar, Idukki district, Kerala 685616

About Mattupetty Dam

Mattupetty Dam holds back a reservoir at roughly 1,700 metres elevation, 13 kilometres from Munnar town on the road toward Top Station, and charges about ₹10 for walk-in entry as of 2026, with boating billed separately. Built in 1953 as a masonry gravity dam, Mattupetty was designed primarily to regulate water flow into the Pallivasal hydroelectric scheme downstream rather than as a tourist attraction, and the Kerala State Electricity Board still operates it for power generation today. Tourism grew up around the dam almost by accident, once the still reservoir water and the surrounding grass-covered hills proved to be one of the more photogenic stops on the Munnar sightseeing circuit. Boating on the reservoir runs through the District Tourism Promotion Council of Idukki, with speedboats, slow motorboats, and larger pontoon boats available from a jetty below the dam wall. The water itself sits cold year-round given the altitude, and swimming is not permitted — this is an active irrigation and power reservoir, not a recreational lake, and currents near the dam wall are unpredictable.

Best time of day: 09:30 – 11:00. When the reservoir is calmest, the cross-hill wind has not picked up, and the boat queue is shortest.

Mattupetty Dam timings

Opening hours: 09:30 – 17:00 daily; Boating runs 08:30 – 17:00 with the last trip at 16:30 and a break from 12:00 – 14:00
Closed on: Open every day

Mattupetty Dam ticket price

Entry fees for Mattupetty Dam
Ticket	Price
Indian visitors	₹10
Foreign visitors	₹10
Children	₹5
Camera	Free

Walk-in entry to the dam viewing area costs roughly ₹10 per person; boating is billed separately by boat type rather than per head. As of 2026, boat charter rates have varied between sources (roughly ₹300–₹1,200 depending on boat class and season), so verify at the counter before choosing a boat.

Prices last checked 18 September 2026. Confirm on the official website before you go.

Best time to visit Mattupetty Dam

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

09:30 – 11:00
Morning OpeningBest time to go
Reservoir surface is calmest and the boat queue at the jetty is shortest right after the 09:30 opening.
Quiet
11:00 – 13:00
Tour Bus Peak
Munnar sightseeing coaches converge here as the first stop on the Top Station circuit; boat wait times can exceed 45 minutes.
Very busy
13:00 – 15:00
Afternoon Lull
Boating resumes after the midday break at 14:00; crowd thins as tour groups move on toward Echo Point and Top Station.
Moderate
15:00 – 17:00
Late Afternoon
Last boat trip departs at 16:30. Wind picks up over the open reservoir, making for a cooler but less crowded visit.
Quiet

History of Mattupetty Dam

Mattupetty's reservoir was engineered in 1953 to feed the Pallivasal Hydro Electric Project, one of the earliest hydroelectric schemes in the erstwhile Travancore state, built to power the tea-processing factories that the British-run Kannan Devan Hills plantations depended on. The dam's location, in a natural basin ringed by grass-covered hills, was chosen for its catchment rather than its scenery, though the two turned out to align.

A decade later, in 1963, the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project established a cattle-breeding and dairy research farm on the slopes above the reservoir, importing Brown Swiss cattle to crossbreed with local stock and improve milk yields across the Kerala highlands. The farm still operates on the hillside overlooking the dam and is visible, though not directly open for casual walk-in tours, from the main viewing area.

Rules & etiquette at Mattupetty Dam

Boat tickets are sold at the jetty counter below the dam wall, not at the main road-level entrance, so first-time visitors sometimes buy the ₹10 walk-in ticket and then have to walk down a further flight of steps to queue again for boating. Life jackets are compulsory on every boat and are provided at the jetty; refusing to wear one gets a booking cancelled on the spot by DTPC staff.

Swimming anywhere in the reservoir is prohibited, a rule enforced because the dam continues to regulate live water flow to the Pallivasal project downstream and depth near the intake can change without warning. Plastic carry bags are discouraged at the gate as part of a wider Idukki district plastic-reduction drive; carrying reusable water bottles avoids friction with the entry staff.

Tips for visiting Mattupetty Dam

1
Arriving right at the 09:30 opening, or just after the midday boating break ends at 14:00, avoids the worst of the queue — tour buses from Munnar hotels tend to cluster their Mattupetty stop between 11:00 and 13:00 as part of the standard Top Station day circuit. The pontoon boat is the steadiest option for anyone prone to motion sickness on open water; the speedboat is quicker but bounces noticeably on windier afternoons.
2
Mattupetty pairs naturally with Echo Point, roughly 2 kilometres further along the same road, and with Kundala Lake beyond that — most taxis quote a combined half-day fare covering all three stops plus Top Station rather than charging per destination. The grassy slopes above the parking area, away from the boat jetty crowd, are a quieter spot to sit with the reservoir view without paying for a boat ride at all.

How to reach Mattupetty Dam

The red star is Mattupetty Dam; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Mattupetty, Munnar, Idukki district, Kerala 685616Directions in Google Maps

From Munnar town (bus stand)
₹300–₹450
13 km · 25–30 min
Round-trip taxi). Shared jeeps on the Top Station circuit charge roughly ₹80–₹100 per seat.
From Echo Point
2 km · 5 min
Usually included in the same taxi or tour package covering both stops.
From Cochin International Airport (COK)
₹3,000–₹4,000
125 km · 4 hours
Prepaid taxi).

Nearest airport

From Cochin International Airport (COK)

approximately 125 km, 4 hours by road.

Nearest railway station

From Aluva Railway Station (AWY)

approximately 120 km, 3.5–4 hours by road.

Mattupetty Dam FAQs

Is swimming allowed at Mattupetty Dam?

No. Swimming is prohibited throughout the reservoir because it continues to regulate live water flow for the Pallivasal hydroelectric project downstream, and depth near the dam's intake can change without warning. Boating is the only permitted water activity.

What is the entry fee and does it include boating?

Walk-in entry costs roughly ₹10 per person as of 2026. Boating is billed separately by boat type at the jetty below the dam wall, with prices ranging from a few hundred rupees for a standard boat to over a thousand for a larger pontoon boat, so verify at the counter.

What is the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project visible near the dam?

Yes, it is a real dairy-cattle research farm established in 1963 on the hillside above the reservoir, where Brown Swiss cattle were crossbred with local stock to improve milk yields across Kerala's highlands. It is visible from the main viewing area but is not set up for casual walk-in tours.

How far is Mattupetty Dam from Munnar town, and can it be combined with other stops?

Mattupetty Dam is 13 kilometres from Munnar town, about 25–30 minutes by road. It sits on the same route as Echo Point, Kundala Lake, and Top Station, and most taxis quote a single combined half-day fare covering all four rather than charging per stop.

Written by Traveliac Editorial Team (Kerala Field & Heritage Desk); reviewed by Traveliac Standards Desk. Facts last checked 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places