Viewpoint drive · Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Lady's Seat & Pagoda Point viewpoints
Short paved drives from the loop road to two of the plateau's signature cliff edges: Lady's Seat looks straight down the ghat's hairpins toward Salem (a telescope is sometimes set up), while Pagoda Point offers a wide valley panorama beside a small shrine. Both get busy at sunset.
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At a glance
Lady's Seat & Pagoda Point viewpoints
Cliff-edge viewpoints reached on sealed plateau roads — Lady's Seat over the Salem plains and the ghat switchbacks (best at sunset), and Pagoda Point about 5 km from town with a small Rama temple. The drops are largely unfenced and the rock gets slippery near water, so keep well back from edges, especially after rain and with children.
- Type
- Viewpoint drive
- Access
- Open
- Difficulty
- easy
- Terrain
- sealed plateau road
- Duration
- About 30–60 minutes each including the drive out.
- Region
- Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
What to expect
Short paved drives from the loop road to two of the plateau's signature cliff edges: Lady's Seat looks straight down the ghat's hairpins toward Salem (a telescope is sometimes set up), while Pagoda Point offers a wide valley panorama beside a small shrine. Both get busy at sunset.
Highlights
- Lady's Seat sunset view down the 20-bend ghat
- Pagoda Point valley panorama with a hilltop Rama shrine
- Both reached on easy sealed plateau roads
Best time & conditions
Late afternoon to sunset; clearest October–February.
How to reach
From Yercaud town follow the plateau loop road signposted to Lady's Seat (~2 km) and Pagoda Point (~5 km).
Frequently asked questions
Short paved drives from the loop road to two of the plateau's signature cliff edges: Lady's Seat looks straight down the ghat's hairpins toward Salem (a telescope is sometimes set up), while Pagoda Point offers a wide valley panorama beside a small shrine. Both get busy at sunset.
Access & permits
Access: Open.
Tamil Nadu Tourism (Govt of TN) — lists Lady's Seat & Pagoda Point (opens in a new tab)More routes in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Publicly sourcedSalem–Yercaud ghat road (20 hairpin bends)
The classic approach — the roughly 28–32 km climb from Salem up the Shevaroys with 20 hairpin bends (the historic Arthur Havelock ghat), whose bends are named after Tamil scholars, kings and freedom fighters. It is a fully sealed mountain road: climb and descend slowly, use engine braking on the way down, and sound the horn on blind curves. The surface can be slick and foggy during and just after the monsoon — a seasonal hazard, not a closure.
sealed ghat road
in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Publicly sourced32 km plateau loop road
A loop road on the plateau (commonly cited as ~32 km) strings the main viewpoints together for a half-day drive through the coffee, orange and spice plantations that quilt the Shevaroys. Sealed plateau roads; some lanes narrow near the viewpoints.
sealed plateau road
in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)
Publicly sourcedShevaroyan (Servarayan) Temple drive — Shevaroy peak
A drive across the plateau toward the Servarayan (Shevaroyan) temple near the highest point of the range (~1,628 m per Wikipedia) — an ancient cave shrine to the hills' presiding deity, about 5 km from the lake, with sweeping views on the way up. Reached on public plateau roads then a short walk; it is an active place of worship, so dress respectfully and follow on-site rules. The lane narrows near the top — drive it slowly.
sealed plateau road + short walk
in Yercaud (Shevaroy Hills)