Weekend getaways from Bangalore

A Complete Guide on Weekend Getaways from Bangalore

Introduction

The IT capital of India, Bangalore is quite popular for its nightlife, parks, lakes and pleasant climate. One has a lot of options when it comes to relaxation and spending a good time. But if you want to move out of the city for a short trip, then also there are countless options of weekend getaways from Bangalore. One can select from a number of places offering different types of attractions like pristine beaches, lush green hills, wildlife, historic and religious sites. All these beautiful locations are just a short drive away from the city. Here is a curated list of top weekend getaways from Bangalore:

Also Read: The Minimalist Guide to Weekend Getaways

Mysore

Distance from Bangalore: 140 kms/ 4-5 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Mysore
Mysore Palace

Located on the foothills of Chamundi hills, Mysore is known for its royal heritage, famous silk sarees, rich culture and sandalwood. The highlight here is the majestic Mysore palace – a UNESCO heritage site. Mysore palace is the former residence of the royal family of Mysore and is still the official residence. The palace compound includes a museum, silk showroom garden and souvenir shop. There is an impressive light and sound show that happens every day between 7-8 pm except on Sunday and public holidays. Mysore is also famous for its grand Dussehra celebration. It is a 10 days festival which sees the entire city lightening up and coming alive.

Entry: INR 70 per person

Major attractions:          

Brindavan gardens, Chamundeshwari hills, Mysore Zoo, Srirangapatnam

Bandipur

Distance from Bangalore: 235 kms/ 6-7 hrs

Best time to visit: October to May

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Bandipur
Bandipur National Park

Bandipur national park was once the hunting ground of the maharaja of Mysore. The park was declared as a reserve in 1974 and since then has become a popular tourist attraction. Bandipur is rich in flora and fauna – one could see tigers, Indian elephants, leopards, sloth bears and many varieties of birds and reptiles. With 100+ tigers Bandipur has the second largest population of tigers in India after Jim Corbett. Apart from animals Bandipur is also known for a wide range of trees like teak wood, rosewood, sandalwood and many others.

There is a ban on traffic from 9pm – 6am to ensure the safety of animals of the park. Another interesting fact is that Bandipur national park shares its boundaries with three other national parks namely – Nagarhole national park in Karnataka, Wayanad national park in Kerala and Mudumalai national park in Tamil Nadu. Bandipur is one of the most visited wildlife weekend getaways from Bangalore.

Entry fee: INR 250 + camera fee. Safari: INR 3000 for 1 Jeep (upto 6 persons) and INR 300 per person for Bus

Major attractions:          

Wildlife and Safari

Also Read: A Complete Guide on Kerala Tourism Places

Nagarhole National Park

Distance from Bangalore: 225 kms/ 6-7 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the year (Best April – May)

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Nagarhole
Nagahole National Park

Located on the North side of Bandipur, both these national parks are divided by Kabini river. Nagarhole also offers a wide variety of flora and fauna. This region was declared as a national park in 1999. Nagarhole has a good range of animals like tigers, leopards, elephants, deers and other animals. One of the best ways to explore Nagarhole is through Jeep safari.

Park entry fee: INR 50 + camera fee. Jeep safari: INR 300 per person

Major attractions:          

Wildlife and Safari

Kabini

Distance from Bangalore: 160 kms/ 4-5 hrs

Best time to visit: October to May

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Kabini
Boat Safari at Kabini

Once a private hunting area, this famous wildlife offers a rich variety of flora and fauna, making it a must see for all nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. The highlights here are Jungle safari, elephant safari and boat safari on Kabini river. Boat safari is an interesting option and it takes you along the Kabini river. The duration is some 2 hrs and you enjoy the picturesque landscape and wildlife.

Major attractions:          

Wildlife and Safari

Coorg

Distance from Bangalore: 250 kms/ 7-8 hrs

Best time to visit: October to April

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Coorg

Officially known as Kodagu, Coorg is the most popular hill station in Karnataka. It is well known for its breathtaking views, greenery, spice and coffee plantations. Madikeri is the region’s centre point with all transportation and facilities.

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Coorg
Coffee Plantation, Coorg

Coorg is best known for its widespread fields of coffee plantations. Coorg is one of the highest coffee producing regions in India. While you are here, go for a coffee plantation trail and enjoy the freshly brewed coffee made from fresh cocoa beans. The coffee grown here is apparently the best mild coffee in the world as it is grown in the shade and the weather conditions of Coorg makes it ideal for the growth of coffee. Arabica and Robusta coffee beans are a major highlight of Coorg coffee plantation.

Major attractions:          

Coffee plantations, Raja’s seat, Abbey falls, Dubare elephant camp visit and Rafting

Mangalore

Distance from Bangalore: 350 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Managalore
Bengre Island, Mangalore

Also known as Mangaluru, this port city is famous for its coconut palms, beautiful beaches and religious sites. Mangalore is one of the major cities in Karnataka making it an important industrial and commercial hub in the state.

Panambur beach, located at a distance of 10 kms from Mangalore is a major highlight of this region. The beach is owned and maintained by a private enterprise – Panambur beach tourism development project. This beach is said to be the safest and best maintained beach in India. The beach is visited by a large number of tourists and locals as it hosts several events like boat rides, kite festival, angling competition and sand sculpture.

Mangalore is famous for its seafood and ice creams. Some of the must try items are – neer dosa, chicken ghee roast, fish curry and fish fry. Machali is a popular restaurant for non veg food. Apart from non veg, vegetarian food is also easily available and Mangalorian thali is a must try.

Major attractions:          

St. Aloysius Church, Kadri Manjunath temple, Gokarnath temple and Sultan battery

Udupi

Distance from Bangalore: 400 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: June to September (Monsoons)

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Udupi
View of Kaup Beach from Lighthouse, Udupi

The coastal town of Udupi is located 60 kms north of Mangalore. This region is known for its vegetarian cuisine and there are many restaurants within the country which offer Udupi cuisine. One can visit beautiful beaches and many temples located in and around the city.

Major attractions:          

Malpe beach, St. Mary’s Island, Krishna temple, Kaup beach and Lighthouse

Chikmagalur

Distance from Bangalore: 245 kms/ 6-7 hrs

Best time to visit: Throughout the Year

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Chikmagalur
Hirekolale Lake, Chikmagalur

Popularly known as “Coffee land of India”, Chikmagalur is the first town to be planted with coffee beans in India during British rule. As soon as you enter Chikmagalur you’ll get this never-ending fragrance of coffee in the air due to the coffee plantations. A coffee plantation visit is a must do activity here and one can opt for a guided tour of these plantations. The region is also a very popular trekking spot and has many trekking points like Mullayangiri and Kemmanagudi. Cool and pleasant weather conditions throughout the year adds Chikmagalur to the list of preferred weekend getaways from Bangalore.

Major attractions:          

Coffee Plantations, Hirekolale lake, Mullayangiri and Rafting

Shimoga/ Shivamoga

Distance from Bangalore: 300 kms/ 6-7 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Shimoga

Shimoga is located in the central part of Karnataka on the banks of river Tunga. It has been renamed officially as Shivamoga – which means “Shiva Mukh” or “Face of Shiva”. Shivamoga has its history as it was ruled by various rulers of Chalukya and Kadamba dynasties.

Major attractions:          

Jog Falls

Distance from Bangalore: 410 kms/ 9-10 hrs

Best time to visit: September to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Jog Falls
Jog Falls

Karnataka has few of the best waterfalls of India and Jog falls is one of the famous ones. It is the 11th highest waterfall in India, sourced by Sharavathi river. The waterfall is located 100 kms from Shivamoga and is 2 hrs drive. The fals are diviede into 4 segments, basis the characteristic of the streams. Raja – unbroken stream, Roarer – with strong and violent current, Rocket – which falls down at a high speed and Ravi – the quiet stream.

Major attractions:          

Dabbe falls

Distance from Bangalore: 375 kms/ 8-9 hrs

Best time to visit: September to March

Dabbe falls is around 20 kms from Jog falls and can be covered on the same day. The waterfall can be reached by trekking the dense forest. Trek covers a distance of about 7 kms and the route is very scenic and adventurous. The best time to visit here is post monsoon as the trek can be a bit dangerous during monsoon months. Once you have reached down the waterfall, you can take a dip into the waters and click amazing pictures of the surrounding area.

Major attractions:          

Murudeshwar

Distance from Bangalore: 470 kms/ 10-11 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Murudeshwar
Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar is a coastal town situated 470 kms from Bangalore. The place is named after Lord Shiva and is known for the second largest statue of Lord Shiva in the world. This statue is located inside Murudeshwar temple and is quite an impressive one. The temple is built on the Kanduka hills which is surrounded by Arabian sea on three sides and offers amazing views.

Murudeshwar is also known for its rich sea life and is a hotspot for scuba diving. Netrani island is a famous coral beach and a popular site for scuba and snorkelling.

Major attractions:          

Murudeshwar temple, Beach, Fort and Netrani Island

Hassan

Distance from Bangalore: 180 kms/ 4-5 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Hassan
Bhagawan Bahubali Statue. 120 kms from Hassan

Also known as the temple architecture capital of Karnataka, this town is famous for its temples and scenic beauty. Hassan was once ruled by the Hoysala rulers and they are said to be the reason for the development of Hassan.

Major attractions:          

Hoysala temples, Bahubali statue (120 kms), Gorur dam, Bisle ghat and Manjara fort

Hampi

Distance from Bangalore: 340 kms/ 8-9 hrs

Best time to visit: October to March

Weekend getaways from Bangalore Hampi

Hampi is a temple town and UNESCO heritage site located in North Karnataka on the banks of river Tungabhadra. Going back to history Hampi was the capital of Vijaynagar empire around 1500 AD and it is said that this was the second largest city in the world at that time. Today one can see the ruins of many temples and other structures spread out in a vast area. The town is famous for its massive and well carved temples. Virupaksha and Vitthala temples are the most famous and must-see monuments here.

Major attractions:          

Virupaksha & Vitthala temples, Hanuman temple, Hampi bazaar and Hippie Island

Conclusion:

So, to sum up Bangalore is an amazing place to live and enjoy the city life. However, if you move out you are surrounded by a number of destinations that make for perfect weekend getaways from Bangalore.

Also read: A Complete Guide on Weekend Getaways from Mumbai

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