The best of Karnataka: A 7-day itinerary

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Ghoomophiro

Karnataka is increasingly growing popular venue among tourists because of the diversity of geography, wildlife, natural vegetation, food, art and culture, mountains, valleys, rivers, sea beaches,  historical sights, temples, shrines, adventures ….. and well everything that the state offers. Today Ghoomophiro brings you a 7-day itinerary that will with least of effort from you will try to ensure you get a bit of, preferably the best of all the pleasures this state has to offer.

How to reach Karnataka?

We recommend setting your first camp in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India. It has its own international airport 40 kilometers away from the city and a railway station right at the heart of the city. Air, rail or road – the city is well connected by all those ways to the rest of the world.

Day 1

Brunch at MTR

Okay before you head to the most iconic place of the city, you might be hungry in that case we recommend to let your first meal in the state be Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) – a south Indian legend and the best place to enjoy authentic Udupi food.

Afternoon- Bangalore Palace

Okay now your bellies full, you can easily spend your afternoons in Bangalore Palace. An amazing palace that needed 80 years to be completed and has courtyards that are reminiscent of the Victorian era. We won’t go into details and let the beauty of the palace speak for itself.

A late lunch – Street Food

Before moving to the next destination, we recommend trying some street. Otherwise, if you are more into luxuries the ITC Pavillian about 20 minutes from the palace is a good alternative.

Evening – ISKCON Temple

The ISKCON temple at Yeshwanthpur Industrial Suburb has a building which shows architectural genius and is the perfect place to spend your first evening in Karnataka. The temple opens at 4:15 p.m. and is bound to impress you especially if you have a religious bent of mind.

Nightlife

From temples to night clubs, may gods forgive us but then Bangalore is not seen if you have not seen its nightlife and for this you must head to MG road where you can visit a number  of clubs (Arbor, Hoppipola, Indian Brewing Company to name a few) – we suggest trying more than one of them

Day 2

Breakfast and Head to  Mysuru

Since you must be tired or having a bit of hangover from last night, we shall start the second day a bit late but not too late for you can rest a little in your three hours long ride to Mysore after having breakfast in hotel itself. We recommend hiring a personal ride especially if you are traveling in groups.

Early Lunch

Take lunch in one of the local food points, preferably Vinayaka Mylari. For the sweet dish, try Mysore’s own invention – Mysore Pak.

Afternoon attractions – Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace will make you forget the Bangalore Palace a little. It attracts the second largest number of tourists in India, second only to Taj Mahal among monuments.

Mysore Palace. Those facts should be enough for you to imagine the aesthetic pleasure the palace has to offer to its visitors.

Afternoon attractions  – Saint Philomena Church

Also known as St. Joseph’s Cathedral is one of the tallest in Asia. This church is designed with Neo-Gothic architecture that takes its inspiration from the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Evening Attractions

And now is the time you get yourself shopping – maybe buy a few souvenirs too. We recommend rosewood artifacts, Mysore paintings, small stone sculptures, etc for souvenirs. Shoppers might want to buy sandalwood products (you can buy the government factory and see them manufactured), coffee powder (brought here from Croog, famous for its coffee plantations), and Mysore sarees.

Dinner – Tiger Trail

What makes Tiger Trail amazing is the sights you will be feeding your sights on as you eat your food. We highly recommend getting your hands on famous Mysore Paan as a sweet dish.

Night attractions – Karanji Lake

The beautiful Karanji lake is surrounded by a butterfly park, India’s biggest walk-through aviary and a little further is located a natural museum of History. Take your time and enjoy all these as much as you can before setting to rest for the night.

Day 3

Breakfast – The Old House

The old house is exactly what the name suggests – an old house only also an amazing food point to enjoy breakfast.  The trouble is you will have to be here early to find a seat or you will just have to settle for some other food point.

Morning  – Chamundeshwari Temple

Breakfast is done. Drive the 13km to the Chamunda Hill and keeps your eyes open to enjoy the enchanting views that will greet you in the one-hour journey. Chamundeshwari temple is one of the 18 Shakti peeths of the country and is one of the important places of pilgrimage for Hindus.

Lunch – Foodie Restaurant

This semi-popular food restaurant falls on your way back to Mysore and is a great place to have your lunch.

Afternoon – Jaganmohan Palace and Art Gallery

The Jaganmohan Palace used to be the home to the famous Mysore royal family (of which Tipu Sultan was the most famous ruler) before the construction of the Mysore Palace. The palace has now been turned into an art gallery. This is just the place for the art lovers to lose themselves in.

Evening – Drive to Hasan and see Bhagawan Bahubali temple en route

Once you have been able to break away from the art gallery. Drive for 3 hours to reach Hassan. The Jain temple Bhagawan Bahubalit temple falls in the way and it has a gigantic Gomateshwara statue that was carved out of a single stone as far back as in 981 A.D.

Dinner at a local’s house

There are not a lot of commercial entities, thus we recommend having some packed food with you or eating at a local’s house. You can go to bed early tonight.

Day 4

Early Morning – Vasantha Mantapa and Chennakeshava Temple

Hoysala is famous for its ancient temple Vasantha Mantapa. Visit the temple after having some local breakfast or snacks. Then head to Belur and see Chennakesava Temple there which has been recommended as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Then head to Chikamagalur – a one and a half hour drive away.

Lunch and afternoon attractions – Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

We know you must be tremendously hungry by this time. First, have your early lunch at Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.

And once you are full, spend the afternoon exploring this amazing sanctuary full of exotic flora and fauna after wishing for yourself luck good enough to see a tiger.

Trek to Kudremukh

Spend the evening hiking on the trek to Kudremukh. The trek is surrounded by brilliant vegetation and is quite easy.

Dinner and Nightime

Take a guest house here and after dinner, request your guesthouse to set a campfire out in open. While your night away doing lazing bonfire things, playing antakshari, telling stories, etc.

It’s time for some backpacking, to experience nature up close and personal. A visit to Kudremukh can only be possible via an easy trek. Once up there, you’ll thank yourself for going ahead with it.

Day 5

Morning – Kudremukh National Park

After having an early breakfast, you can try your luck once again at spotting a tiger in Kudremukh National which has countless other gifts endowed to it by nature for every visitor here to enjoy.

Lunch

Mangalore is a coastal town and thus it has delicious seafood to offer. Thus unless you are a vegetarian, we recommend some local seafood, fishes in particular specifically at Machali, a famous local restaurant.

Afternoon – St. Aloysius Chapel

Constructed by Italian Jesuits who have played a tremendous role in education and general social upliftment of Mangalore’s Catholic community, the church is an architectural marvel with beautiful paintings done all over the walls that are

Evening  – Sultan Battery and Tannirbhavi Beach

As evening arrives, head straight to Sultan Battery to enjoy the tremendous sight of sunset from the Batterywatchtower. Once done with that, go to Tannirbhavi Beach and while away your time lazying around the beach.

 

Dinner

Have your dinner by poolside in the Cardamom Restaurant and make sure to follow it up by Pabbas Ice Creams

Day 6

Morning  – Mangala Devi Temple

The temple is dedicated to Mangaladevi. after whom the city is named. It was built by great Hindu saint Lord Parashurama. This brilliant piece of architecture is mostly made of wood staying true to the region’s ancient traditions.

Once you have your fill with the temple, head straight to Coorg.

Lunch

Eat at some local food joint of your preference.

Afternoon – Madikeri Fort

Madikeri is a hill in Coorg and its top has the fort that has in it artifacts that once belonged to the legendary local ruler Tipu Sultan.

Evening – Go microlight Flying

Microlight Flying is one of the rarest experiences to be had in India but Coorg, the adventure capital of the country, offers it for you. The microlight gliders can hold up to two people and have the ability to rise up to 5000 meters and fly at an impressive speed of a hundred kilometers per hour. Please note that there are a number of other adventures you can have instead – rock climbing, river rafting, kayaking, Quad Biking, etc. The choice of adventure is up to you.

Dinner

Have dinner at a food joint nearby and go to bed early in order to be freshened up for the last adventure of the trip and journey back to home.

Day 7

Morning – Dubare Elephant Park

This elephant Park is one of its kind in India – and a must-visit place for the elephant lovers of the country. The elephants are groomed, trained, fed by naturalists in a natural environment and you can participate in these activities under their guidance.

Once you are done here, if you still have time before your flight back home, you can head to a coffee plantation and experience walking amidst them.

Conclusion

We have tried to bring as much of best of Karnataka as possible to you in these 7 days. You can change this itinerary according to your wishes. Nature lovers may want to spend more time in Mangalore or Coorg; while adventure lovers will definitely wish to spend more time trying their hands at adventures Coorg has to offer and a lover of urban nightlife won’t find just one night at Bangalore sufficient. If, on the other hand, you are greedy for all those things like us, you may want to elongate your trip or visit it again. After all, you can never have enough of Karanatka. J