Agastya
The peak is named after the sage Agastya, said to have done penance here. A small statue of him stands on the summit.
After the trail · the almanac
The trek in four numbers
A long forest walk to a rocky summit, open a few weeks a year by online pass only.
1,868m
Agasthyarkoodam
48km
Bonacaud to the top and back
70a day
Passes in the 2026 season
29days
Length of the 2026 season
💪 Moderate to challenging🎫 Online pass only📅 Jan–Feb⛺ Forest camp shed🧗 Fixed ropes
Day by day
Three days, or two
This is the Forest Department's plan. Fast walkers go back to Bonacaud on Day 2.
How high you are on each kilometre
- Day 1Bonacaud → AthirumalaGrassland, then the forest climb16 km · leave 8 am🛏️ Camp shed · 1,020 m
- Day 2Athirumala → summit → AthirumalaPongalappara, rock and fixed ropes16 km · start early🛏️ Athirumala, or on to Bonacaud
- Day 3Athirumala → BonacaudBack the same way16 km🚌 Thiruvananthapuram
Stories and nature
The sage's mountain
An old ban lifted
Kani tribal custom kept women off the climb. After a court order, women joined the trek in 2019. The Kani now call the sage Mootha Kani, King of the Kanis.
A biosphere reserve
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve joined UNESCO's world network in 2016. Its slopes hold about 2,000 medicinal plants.
Elephants and tigers
Elephants, bison, leopards, tigers, bears and deer live in these forests. The Thamirabarani rises on the east side; the Neyyar and Karamana flow west.
When to go
A few weeks in winter
The forest is closed to trekkers most of the year. The season usually runs from mid-January to February.
Jan–Feb
The 2026 season ran from 15 January to 11 February. Passes sell out fast.
Oct–Nov
In 2026 the Trivandrum Wildlife Division also sold an off-season package, 15 October to 15 November: ₹5,000 a person, two nights at Athirumala.
Rest of the year
No trekking.
Rain
Wet granite makes the rope pitches harder.
Plan your trip
Getting to Bonacaud
Thiruvananthapuram is the base. Bonacaud is about 61 km away.
- Thiruvananthapuram🚌 Via Nedumangad and Chullimanoor; buses from the Central depot
- Vithura🚌 On to the forest station
- Bonacaud
Nearest railway station: Thiruvananthapuram Central, about 61 km. Nearest airport: Trivandrum International, about 69 km from Bonacaud.
Pass
Book online with the Kerala Forest Department. In 2026 the pass cost ₹3,000. Payment works only by RuPay debit card or net banking.
Rules
Over 14 only. Carry a fitness certificate and the photo ID you booked with.
Banned
No alcohol, smoking, cooking, plastic or puja items in the forest.
Foreigners
The Forest Department's booking page says foreigners may not do this trek.
Good to know
The small things
Cash, signal, water, permits and help on the way. Checked October 2026; confirm with your operator.
Book on the state portal
Register at serviceonline.gov.in/trekking, then book. Pay by RuPay debit card or net banking; other cards don't work. The pass can't be transferred, and money is not refunded once it is issued. Kerala Forest Department
₹3,000 and a fitness certificate
The 2026 fee was ₹3,000: ₹2,420 trekking fee and ₹580 ecosystem fee. Bring a fitness certificate from a registered modern-medicine doctor, dated within 7 days of the trek. No certificate, no entry. Hindu Devotional Blog
Be at Bonacaud by 8 am
The group leaves the Bonacaud forest station at 8 am. Staff check the original photo ID named on your ticket first. For questions, call the Wildlife Warden, PTP Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram: +91 471 2360762. Kerala Forest Department
Bus to Bonacaud
Bonacaud is about 61 km from Thiruvananthapuram Central, via Nedumangad, Chullimanoor and Vithura. Buses run regularly from the Central bus depot. Onmanorama, Jan 2026
Food on coupons
Collect food coupons at the Bonacaud forest office. The Athirumala canteen serves lunch and dinner on them; in 2019 it ran 6:30 am to 8:30 pm. Take a packed lunch or snacks for the summit day. Tripoto
Dorm at Athirumala
The base camp is a dorm with a tin roof. It has toilets and bathrooms, and the canteen serves dinner. TripXL
No plastic, no puja items
Plastic is strictly banned. So are puja materials, alcohol and drugs. Check posts in Neyyar, Peppara and Kottoor are watched during the season. Onmanorama, Jan 2026
Little or no signal
Expect little or no mobile network on the trek. The Forest Department uses its own wireless stations at Bonacaud and Athirumala. Airial
Leeches
Carry a small pack of salt for leeches. Carry two 1-litre bottles; streams and waterfalls along the trail can refill them. AMJ Shots, 2018
Off-season trek
The Trivandrum Wildlife Division also sells an off-season trek, 15 October to 15 November 2026, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It costs ₹5,000 for one person or ₹25,000 for a group of up to 5, with two nights at Athirumala. Report at 8 am at the Bonacaud picket station. Trivandrum Wildlife Division
What to pack
Your checklist
Tick items as you pack. Your ticks stay saved on this device.
Clothing
Shoes
Gear
Papers and money
Health
List from Hiker India: Agasthyarkoodam trekking (things to carry).
Rent or buy
Where to get gear
Many operators lend tents, sleeping bags and spikes. Ask yours before you rent.
Thiruvananthapuram before you leave
DecathlonBuy · trek shoes, rain jackets, quick-dry clothes, torches, poles, backpacksUlloor, P T Chacko Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram 695011 · +91 95132 10553 · Website
Shop details are from each shop's own page. Phone to confirm prices and stock.
Who runs it
Choose an operator
Only the Kerala Forest Department issues passes, for the January–February season and, through its Trivandrum Wildlife Division, an off-season trek. We found just 2 companies selling guided trips from Trivandrum in October 2026; both say their price includes the forest permit, so confirm the pass is in your own name.
Prices are base prices from each operator's own page (October 2026); most add 5% GST. Ratings are what each operator shows, not an independent audit. Names marked † show last season's price or one seen only in a search snippet.