Karnataka Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Karnataka

Our trips are in Hampi and in Mysore, about 140 km south-west of Bengaluru, and each place has its own page: Hampi and Mysore. The rest of this list is for a longer route; the sights, and the journeys between them, are in our Karnataka guide.

See Hampi's ruins with a guide

Our Hampi ruins tour gives you a day on the south bank of the Tungabhadra, from the Virupaksha temple, still in worship, to the stone chariot in the Vittala temple and the elephant stables of the Royal Centre. Your private guide and car stay with you, and the guide can arrange a bicycle, moped or auto-rickshaw for the stretches between monuments.

Climb Hampi's boulders

The granite around the ruins is, in Karnataka Tourism's words, a well-known spot for rock climbing and bouldering. Our Hampi bouldering session brings a guide who picks problems for your level, crash pads and a transfer from where you stay; there are no ropes, and beginners are welcome. More in adventure experiences in Karnataka.

Tour Mysore Palace and stay for the lights

Our Mysore Palace tour collects you from your hotel and takes you through the Durbar Hall and the stained-glass Kalyana Mandapa with a private guide. On a Sunday or public holiday, stay on: the Mysore Palace Board lights the building from 7 to 8 pm.

Take a day trip from Bengaluru to Mysore

With a free day in Bengaluru, our Mysore day trip from Bengaluru drives you to Mysore and back with a private guide, centred on the palace, with Chamundi Hill's temple and viewpoint added when there is time.

Go to Mysore for Dasara

Dasara, the state festival, runs for ten days in September or October, and Mysore is its centre: the palace is lit every evening, and on Vijayadashami a procession of decorated elephants carries the goddess from the palace to Bannimantap, followed by a torchlight parade.

See the Chalukya cave temples at Badami

Badami's four cave temples are cut into a red sandstone cliff above Agastya Lake, with a fort path above them that takes 30 to 45 minutes, boats on the lake and sandstone climbing routes where local guides help beginners. Pattadakal, a World Heritage Site, and Aihole are a short drive away.

Look at Hoysala carving at Belur and Halebidu

In Hassan district, about 120 km north of Mysore, Belur's Chennakeshava temple and Halebidu's Hoysaleswara temple are among the Hoysala temples Karnataka Tourism lists as World Heritage; Halebidu's outer walls carry thousands of carved elephants, lions and scenes from myth.

Walk a coffee estate in Coorg

Coorg, or Kodagu, about 120 km west of Mysore in the Western Ghats, is coffee country: Karnataka Tourism suggests a plantation walk to see how coffee is grown and processed, the path through the estates to Abbey Falls and treks to Tadiandamol and Brahmagiri. See our Coorg guide.

Go on a jeep safari

Bandipur National Park and Tiger Reserve and the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple sanctuary, both in Chamarajanagar district south of Mysore, run jeep safaris that need booking and permits in advance; from Coorg, Karnataka Tourism points to Nagarhole for elephants, deer and the occasional tiger. Avoid driving through the forests at night.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

The tour packages are sightseeing with a private guide: a day across Hampi's Sacred and Royal Centres; the Mysore Palace tour, for when you are staying in Mysore, with help booking tickets and advice on the lights; or a full day to Mysore and back from Bengaluru. Hampi bouldering is the experience, a couple of hours of active climbing that pairs well with the ruins tour the next morning. Hampi is about 340 km from Bengaluru, six to seven hours by road, so give it nights of its own.

When to go for these

• Hampi: October to February, at about 15 to 30°C by Karnataka Tourism's figures; bouldering is most comfortable from about November to February, and April and May are very hot.
• Mysore: Karnataka Tourism calls it a year-round city, with October to March the most comfortable for sightseeing; Dasara falls in September or October.
• Badami: October to February; from March to May it often passes 40°C.
• Coorg: October to March for walks and viewpoints.
• Monsoon: June to September brings moderate to heavy rain to the south of the state, when Coorg's falls and rivers are at their fullest.

Planning tips for Karnataka

Distance shapes the route: Mysore is about 140 km from Bengaluru, Hampi about 340 km, and Badami about 140 km beyond Hampi. Shoes come off at Mysore Palace and at working temples such as Virupaksha, where modest dress is expected. Book safari seats and permits before you travel.