CAPITAL
BENGALURU
BEST TIME TO VISIT
OCTOBER-MARCH
HOW TO REACH FROM DELHI…
The fastest way to reach BeBengaluru is by air, which takes nearly three hours and costs marginally higher than by train, which will take 34-46 hours. The 2A class fare starts at Rs.3,070 for the longer duration train, while it goes up to Rs.5,840 for the one that takes around 34 hours, while the price of sleeper class starts at Rs.760.
Cost by air
Rs.4,423 (Delhi-Bengaluru,2 hrs, 40 mts)
Cost by train
Rs.3,070 onwards (Class 2A)
(Delhi-Bengaluru, 45 hrs 30 mts)
Note:One way, per person. Flight cost on Skyscanner on 22 February. Train cost on Ixigo.
WHERE TO STAY…
There is a range of options in most cities, ranging from 1-5 star hotels and resorts to apartments, homestays, guesthouses and bed & breakfasts. Prices vary from less than Rs.1,000 to upwards of Rs.20,000 a night.
COST: Rs.52,000 for 13 nights
WHAT TO EAT…
The Karnataka cuisine is an amalgam of foods from different regions and communities of the state, including Mangalore, Udupi, Uttara and Dakshin Kannada, Kodagu, Saraswat and Nawayath cuisines. Popular dishes include Mysore dosa, korri gassi (chicken curry), kane rava fry (fried fish), bissi bele bhat (vegetable dish), maddur vada (fried snack), Mangalorean biryani, ennegai (eggplant dish), Coorg pandi curry (pork gravy dish), kundapura koli saaru (chicken curry), and ragi mudde (millet flour balls). Among desserts, you can pick from Mysore pak, haalbai and chiroti.
COST: Rs.750-1,000 per person, per day
WHAT TO DO…
Try to include some of these must-visit tourist attractions in your state trip.
NATIONAL PARKS & SANCTUARIES
National parks: Bannerghatta (Bengaluru), Bandipur (Mysore), Nagarhole (Mysore), Kudremukh (Chikmagalur), Anshi (Uttara Kannada).
Sanctuaries: Dandeli (Uttara Kannada), Pushpagiri (Kodagu), Bhadra (Chikmagalur), Brahmagiri (Kodagu), Cauvery (Mandya).
TEMPLES
Vidyashankara temple (Sringeri), Durga temple (Aihole), Keshava temple (Somnathpur), Murudeshwar Shiva temple (Bhatkal), Kotilingeshwara temple (Kolar), Badami Cave temple (Bagalkot), Banashankari Amma temple (Bagalkot), Vitthala Temple (Hampi), Kollur Mookambika temple (Kollur), Gokarna Mahabaleshwar temple (Gokarna), among others.
PALACES & FORTS
Palaces: Mysore palace (Mysore), Bangalore palace (Bengaluru), Lalitha Mahal (Mysore), Jaganmohan (Mysore), Tipu Sultan (Srirangapatna), Shivappa Nayak (Shivamogga).
Forts: Bidar (Bidar), Bijapur (Bijapur), Madikeri (Kodagu), Bellary (Ballari), Chitradurga (Chitradurga), Gajendragad (Gadag), among many others.
BEACHES
Om, Kudle, Paradise beaches (Gokarna), Malpe, Padubidri (Udupi), Panambur (Mangalore), Kasarkode (Uttara Kannada).
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
You could take shorter, focused tours for temples or wildlife, or longer ones covering main tourist sites and cities
DAY 1-2: BENGALURU Visit the famous temples, palaces, Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, and UB City for lunch and shopping. Go pub hopping on MG Road and wildlife lovers can visit the Bannerghatta Park.
DAY 3-4: MYSORE It will take 3 hours to arrive. Visit the Mysore palace, Jagmohan palace, Lalitha Mahal palace, and many temples, including Sri Chamundeshwari, Sri Nandi, Chennakeshava, etc. Also pick from lakes, gardens and museums.
DAY 5: KODAGU Arrive in 2.5 hours and check out the Iruppu, Mallalli and Abbey waterfalls in this beautiful hill station. You could also visit Nagarhole Tiger Reserve and Pushpagiri sanctuary. Visit other sites and temples if you have time.
DAY 6-7: CHIKMAGALUR Drive here in 4 hours, via Hassan, where you can spend the day visiting its famous temples. At Chikmagalur, explore coffee plantations, lakes and waterfalls like Jhari falls, Hirekolale lake, Hebbe falls, Kemmangundi Z point and Ayyanakere lake.
DAY 8-9: MANGALORE You can either spend the day in Mangalore 4 hours away and stay the night in Udupi or spend the night in Mangalore and go to Udupi the next day, an hour away. Visit various beaches and temples in these cities.
DAY 10: GOKARNA Get here in 3.5 hours, chill on the beach and indulge in water sports.
DAY 11-12: HOSPET Stay in Hospet and visit Hampi for its 7th century temple complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire. It’ll take about 6 hours to arrive here.
DAY 13: BADAMI Drive in 3 hours. Known most for its Badami rock cave temple, it also has other temple clusters like Sri Bhootanaatha Gudi, Shri Shakambhari Banashankari Shakti, Sri Chikka Mahakuteshwara, and Sri Durga Temple Complex, among others.
DAY 14: BACK TO DELHI