Karnataka travel guide 2026–27

Plan Mysuru, Coorg, Hampi, Chikmagalur and Gokarna: when to go, routes from Bengaluru, how many nights and what our Karnataka trips cost.

By the Agrima Holidays Team · Updated October 2026 · 5 min read

Why go

Karnataka gives you palaces, coffee hills, ruined cities and quiet beaches, all within a day's drive of Bengaluru. You can see the Mysuru palace lit up on a Sunday night, wake up in a coffee estate in Coorg, and spend two days among the boulders of Hampi in the same week.

Roads are good on the main routes. Hill roads in Coorg and Chikmagalur are narrow and slow in places.

When to go

October to March is the best time across the state. Days stay between 25 and 30°C on the plains and cooler in the hills.

April and May get hot in Hampi and north Karnataka, often near 40°C. The hills stay pleasant.

The monsoon runs from June to September. Coorg, Chikmagalur and the Western Ghats get heavy rain, with waterfalls at full flow and green everywhere. Some trails and roads close. Hampi stays mostly dry.

Festivals:

• Mysuru Dasara, ten days in September or October, with the palace lit every night and the Jamboo Savari procession on the last day

• Hampi Utsav, in some years, with music and dance among the ruins

• Kodava Huthri, the harvest festival of Coorg in November or December

Month by month

Average night low to day high, from long-term climate averages. Higher places run colder.

How many nights

• 2 nights: Mysuru, with Srirangapatna on the way
• 4 nights: Mysuru and Coorg
• 5 nights: Mysuru, Coorg and Chikmagalur
• 3 nights: Hampi and Badami
• 7 nights: Mysuru, Coorg, Chikmagalur and Gokarna

Hampi is about 6 to 7 hours from Bengaluru by road, or overnight by train to Hosapete. Combine it with Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal for a heritage loop.

Getting there

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is the main gateway, with flights from across India and abroad. Mysuru has a small airport with limited flights. Mangaluru airport serves the coast and Coorg. Hubballi and Belagavi serve the north.

By train, the Vande Bharat and Shatabdi trains run from Chennai and Bengaluru to Mysuru. The Hampi Express runs overnight from Bengaluru to Hosapete, 13 km from Hampi.

Mysuru

The stops that appear most often in our Karnataka itineraries:

• Coorg
• Mysore
• Gokarna
• Hampi
• Chikmagalur
• Ooty

The Mysuru Palace, home of the Wadiyar kings, is the main sight. Inside, the Durbar Hall and the Kalyana Mantapa have stained-glass ceilings and painted walls. On Sundays, public holidays and during Dasara, nearly one lakh bulbs light the palace from 7 to 7:45 pm.

Chamundi Hill, above the city, has the Chamundeshwari temple and a giant Nandi carved from a single rock. Climb the 1,000 steps or drive up.

Srirangapatna, 15 km away, was Tipu Sultan's capital. See the Daria Daulat Bagh summer palace and the Ranganathaswamy temple.

Brindavan Gardens at the KRS dam hold a musical fountain show in the evening.

Shop for silk saris at the government silk factory, sandalwood products and Mysore pak.

Coorg

Coorg, or Kodagu, is coffee country, with estates on misty hills at around 1,100 m.

• Abbey Falls, close to Madikeri
• Raja's Seat, a garden with a view over the valleys, best at sunset
• Dubare elephant camp, on the Kaveri river, where you watch elephants bathe in the morning
• Namdroling Monastery at Bylakuppe, home to one of the largest Tibetan settlements in India
• Talacauvery, the source of the Kaveri
• Coffee estate walks and plantation tours

Stay in a homestay or plantation bungalow. Kodava food, especially pandi curry, a pork dish, and akki roti, is a highlight.

Chikmagalur

Chikmagalur is where coffee first came to India, from seeds brought from Yemen by Baba Budan in the 17th century.

• Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka at about 1,930 m, with a short climb from the road head
• Baba Budangiri, the shrine and the hills around it
• Hebbe and Jhari falls, reached by jeep
• Coffee estate stays and tours of curing works

The roads up Mullayanagiri get crowded on weekends. Go on weekdays if you can.

Hampi

Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara empire, one of the richest cities in the world in the 16th century. The ruins spread over boulder-strewn hills along the Tungabhadra river. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Plan two full days. The main sights:

• Virupaksha temple, still in worship

• Vittala temple with the stone chariot and the musical pillars

• The Royal Enclosure, Lotus Mahal and Elephant Stables

• Hampi Bazaar and the Achyutaraya temple

• Sunset from Hemakuta hill or Matanga hill

Rent a bicycle or hire an auto for the day. Coracle rides on the river run in the dry season.

Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, about 3 hours away, hold some of the earliest stone temples in India.

Gokarna and the coast

Gokarna is a temple town with quiet beaches south of Goa. Om beach, Kudle beach and Half Moon beach are linked by cliff paths. The Mahabaleshwar temple in town is an important Shiva shrine.

Murudeshwar, a little south, has a huge Shiva statue on the shore and a good spot for snorkelling at Netrani island.

Udupi is known for the Krishna temple and its vegetarian food.

What to eat

• Mysore masala dosa, with red chutney inside
• Bisi bele bath, a spiced rice and lentil dish
• Ragi mudde with saaru in the villages
• Coorgi pandi curry and kadambuttu rice balls
• Mangalorean fish curry and neer dosa on the coast
• Filter coffee everywhere
• Mysore pak and dharwad peda for sweets

Our Karnataka packages

Prices start from ₹11,900 per person on twin sharing.

Practical tips

• Mysuru Palace bans photography inside. Leave shoes at the counter
• Book Dasara dates months ahead. Hotels fill fast
• In Hampi, carry water and a hat. There is little shade
• Leeches appear on trails in the monsoon. Wear long socks
• Weekends are crowded in Coorg and Chikmagalur with Bengaluru traffic

Tell us if you want to start or end in Goa. Gokarna and Hampi both connect easily.