Mysore

Train/drive from Bengaluru to Mysore(2.5 hours)

Shatabdi Express INR 400-600. Or drive the new expressway (3 hours). KSRTC Airavat bus INR 300-500

Check into hotel(30 minutes)

Green Hotel (eco-heritage, INR 2,000-4,000), Hotel Mayura Hoysala (government, INR 1,000-2,000), or Radisson Blu (INR 5,000+)

Devaraja Market walk(1.5 hours)

120-year-old market with heaps of flowers, sandalwood, spices, and incense. The jasmine and tuberose sections are intoxicating. Free. Best 6-10 AM or 5-8 PM

Mysore Palace illumination (Sundays and festivals)(1.5 hours)

97,000 bulbs light up the palace at 7 PM on Sundays, national holidays, and during Dasara (Sep-Oct). Free viewing from outside. One of India's most spectacular sights

Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas)(2.5 hours)

Indo-Saracenic palace with stained glass, carved doors, and the golden howdah (elephant throne). Entry INR 200 foreigners, INR 70 Indians. Open 10 AM-5:30 PM. No photography inside. Allow time for the queue

Lunch at Hotel RRR(1 hour)

Mysore's most famous thali — unlimited South Indian meals on a banana leaf (INR 150-200). Near Dhanvantri Road. Queue expected but fast

Drive up Chamundi Hill(30 minutes)

Or walk the 1,000 steps (1 hour). 13 km from city center

Chamundeshwari Temple(1 hour)

12th-century hilltop temple dedicated to the warrior goddess. Free. Panoramic city views. The massive Nandi (bull) statue halfway down the steps is carved from a single rock

Mysore Pak at Guru Sweet Mart(30 minutes)

The sweet was invented here — ghee, gram flour, and sugar. INR 400-600/kg. Fresh and warm is best. Sri Krishna Sweets is the other trusted option

Brindavan Gardens (KRS Dam)(2 hours)

Terraced gardens below the KRS Dam, 19 km from Mysore. Musical fountain show at 7 PM (when available). Entry INR 30. Boating INR 50-200. Best visited evening for the lights

Lunch at Mylari Hotel(45 minutes)

Famous for one dish only — Mylari dosa. Soft, buttery, and legendary. INR 40-60. Nazarbad area. Closes by 12:30 PM

Keshava Temple, Somnathpur(1.5 hours)

13th-century Hoysala temple entirely covered in exquisite stone carvings — 194 Ramayana panels, 652 elephants, and scenes from the Mahabharata. Entry INR 300 foreigners. One of India's most perfectly preserved medieval temples

Government Silk Factory visit(1 hour)

Watch Mysore silk saris being woven on looms. Buy authentic silk directly (saris INR 3,000-20,000). Mananthody Road. Open Mon-Sat 10 AM-6 PM

Lunch at Vinayaka Mylari(45 minutes)

Another Mylari rival — equally delicious dosa (INR 40-60). Near the bus station

Government Sandalwood Oil Factory(45 minutes)

See sandalwood oil extraction. Buy genuine Mysore sandalwood soap and oil at factory prices (soap INR 35-100, oil INR 200-500). Near Ashokapuram. Open Mon-Sat

Evening yoga class(1.5 hours)

Mysore is the birthplace of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. Drop-in classes at KPJAYI (Sharath's shala) or Mysore Mandala (INR 500-1,000). Serious practitioners come here for months

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace (Daria Daulat)(1.5 hours)

Teak palace with original 18th-century murals depicting battles with the British. Entry INR 300 foreigners. Beautiful gardens

Gumbaz (Tipu and Hyder Ali's mausoleum)(45 minutes)

Elegant domed tomb in a cypress garden. Free. Peaceful

Srirangapatna Fort and Ranganathaswamy Temple(1 hour)

Island fort ruins and one of the most important Vishnu temples in South India. Free. Remove shoes at temple

River rafting on the Kaveri(1.5 hours)

Grade I-II rapids from Srirangapatna. INR 500-1,000. Safe and fun for all ages. Multiple operators

Jaganmohan Palace Art Gallery(1.5 hours)

Mysore school paintings, Raja Ravi Varma originals, and musical instruments. Entry INR 20. Near the main palace

St. Philomena's Cathedral(45 minutes)

Neo-Gothic church (1936) modeled on Cologne Cathedral. Free. Stained glass and twin spires

Lunch at Oyster Bay(1 hour)

Multi-cuisine in a heritage bungalow. Biryani and grilled fish (INR 300-600)

Mysore heritage walk(2 hours)

Walk through the Agrahara (Brahmin quarter), past 100-year-old shopfronts, and the old city's architectural gems. Self-guided or with Royal Mysore Walks (INR 500-1,000)

Farewell dinner at The Old House, Gokulam(1.5 hours)

Contemporary Mysorean cuisine in a colonial bungalow. Thali with local specialties (INR 400-700)

Last Devaraja Market visit(45 minutes)

Buy sandalwood, spices, and flower garlands

Train/drive to Bengaluru(2.5 hours)

Shatabdi Express or drive the expressway

Morning safari(2.5 hours)

Jeep safari INR 1,500-3,000. Bandipur and Nagarhole share wildlife. Elephants almost guaranteed. Best Oct-Feb

Mysorean cooking class(3 hours)

Learn bisibele bath, Mysore masala dosa, rasam, and payasam. Book through hotels or Airbnb Experiences (INR 1,500-2,500)

Devaraja Market deep dive(1.5 hours)

Spice section, flower garland makers, banana leaf plate pressers — the market's artisanal corners most tourists miss

Namdroling Monastery (Golden Temple)(2 hours)

Three massive gold-plated Buddhas. 5,000+ monks. Free. Photography allowed

Tibetan lunch at monastery stalls(45 minutes)

Momos, thukpa, Tibetan bread. INR 50-150

Sera Monastery(1 hour)

Second Tibetan monastery in Bylakuppe. Watch monk debates (afternoon sessions)

Talakadu buried temples(1.5 hours)

Temples buried under sand dunes by the Kaveri River — five are excavated and active. Legend says a Mysore queen's curse buried the city. Surreal landscape. Free

Shivanasamudra twin falls(1.5 hours)

The Kaveri splits around an island forming Gaganachukki and Bharachukki falls. Spectacular in monsoon and post-monsoon (Jul-Jan). Entry INR 20. Coracle rides below the falls

KSIC Silk showroom(1 hour)

Government silk showroom — authentic with fixed prices. Saris INR 3,000-20,000

Check into plantation homestay(30 minutes)

INR 2,000-4,000/night including meals

Kodava dinner(1.5 hours)

Pandi curry, akki roti, bamboo shoot curry

Dubare Elephant Camp(2 hours)

Arrive by 7:30 AM. Bathe and feed elephants. INR 200-500

Tadiandamol Peak trek (optional)(4 hours)

Or simply rest at the plantation

Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu(1.5 hours)

12th-century temple with the most intricate stone friezes in India — every centimeter carved with deities, dancers, animals. Free entry. The Nandi pavilion is massive

Chennakeshava Temple, Belur(1.5 hours)

Took 103 years to build (1117-1220). The bracket figures of celestial women are masterpieces — each with a different hairstyle and pose. Entry free. Hire a guide (INR 200-500)

Boat safari(1 hour)

Row through islands of nesting birds — painted storks, spoonbills, river terns, and marsh crocodiles on the banks. INR 50 + boat INR 25. Best Dec-Jun

Afternoon at leisure — Mysore Zoo (optional)(2 hours)

One of India's oldest and best-maintained zoos. White tigers, giraffes, gorillas. INR 100 foreigners. Near the palace