Karnataka is a large state in southwest India, stretching from the Arabian Sea coast across the forested Western Ghats to the Deccan plateau. It combines the UNESCO-listed ruins of Hampi, the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, the royal city of Mysuru, coffee-covered Coorg hills, and the beaches of Gokarna and Udupi, with Bengaluru as India's technology capital.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Nandi Hills Sunrise Trip
A 1,478 m granite hill fortress once used as a summer retreat by Tipu Sultan, known for sunrise above the clouds, the old fort walls, Tipu's Drop cliff and the Yoga Nandeeshwara temple below the hill.
Savandurga Monolith Hike
One of Asia's largest monolith hills, rising about 1,226 m with two granite peaks (Karigudda and Biligudda), a moderate 3-4 hour climb, and cave temples at the base. The Arkavathi river flows nearby and the trek is best before 10:00 to avoid heat.
Bannerghatta National Park and Butterfly Park
A national park with a biological park containing a safari, zoo, rescue centre, butterfly conservatory and a small Bannerghatta hill temple. The park is closed on Tuesdays.
Ramanagara and Ramadevara Betta
A rocky landscape famous as the shooting location of the film Sholay, with the Ramadevara Betta hill (about 3 km climb), a vulture sanctuary and Ramanagara silk-cocoon market (one of Asia's largest). Rock-climbing routes attract weekend climbers.
Shivanasamudra Falls and Talakadu
Twin waterfalls (Gaganachukki and Barachukki) on the Cauvery river, with the sand-buried temples of Talakadu about 30 km away. The falls are best from July to October after monsoon; in the dry season the flow may be thin.
Sravanabelagola Gomateshwara Statue
The 57 ft monolithic statue of Gomateshwara (Bahubali), carved around 981 CE, stands on Vindhyagiri Hill and is a major Jain pilgrimage centre and site of the Mahamastakabhisheka festival. Visitors climb about 620 stone steps barefoot; a palanquin (doli) can be hired.
Mysuru Day Trip from Bengaluru
The former capital of the Wodeyar kings, with the Indo-Saracenic Mysore Palace, Chamundi Hill, Devaraja Market and the Brindavan Gardens. A one-day trip covers the Palace, market and Chamundi Hill; the palace is lit on Sundays and holidays and during Dasara.
Srirangapatna and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Island fortress town on the Cauvery with Tipu Sultan's Daria Daulat Bagh summer palace, the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Tipu's tomb (Gumbaz) and the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, where boat rides pass roosting pelicans, storks and crocodiles.
Somanathapura Chennakesava Temple
A 13th-century Hoysala temple on a star-shaped platform, a masterpiece with more than 190 intricate sculptural friezes of Vishnu avatars, elephants and dancers. Managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Belur and Halebidu Hoysala Temples
The Hoysala capital cities: Belur's Chennakeshava Temple (1117 CE, still active) and Halebidu's Hoysaleswara Temple (12th century) hold some of India's finest soapstone sculpture. Together they form part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing for Hoysala sacred ensembles inscribed in 2023.
Kabini Backwaters and Nagarhole Safari
A reservoir on the edge of Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park, famed for elephant herds, tigers and leopards, with dawn and dusk boat safaris and jeep drives; black panther sightings occur occasionally.
Bandipur National Park Safari
A tiger reserve on the Nilgiri Biosphere edge with elephant, gaur, sambar and bird life on jeep and bus safaris. Night traffic on the road through the reserve is restricted.
Hampi from Hosapete
The ruined capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Virupaksha Temple, Vitthala Temple (stone chariot), Lotus Mahal, Elephant Stables and Hemakuta Hill are spread across 41 sq km of boulder-strewn landscape.
Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal Circuit
Badami's sandstone cave temples (6th century Chalukya), Pattadakal's UNESCO-listed temple complex and Aihole's cradle-of-Indian-temple-architecture site with over 100 temples make a compact day of Chalukya history.
Jog Falls from Shivamogga
India's second-highest plunge waterfall, where the Sharavathi river drops about 253 m in four cascades (Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket). The flow is thin in the dry season, though the Karnataka government releases water on some weekends in summer.
Murudeshwar Temple and Netrani Island
A pilgrimage town with one of the world's tallest Shiva statues (123 ft), a 20-storey temple tower with a lift and a temple on three sides bounded by the sea. Boats run to Netrani Island (Pigeon Island) for scuba and snorkelling in the dry season.
St Mary's Island and Malpe from Udupi
An island group of hexagonal basalt columns formed about 88 million years ago, reached by a ferry from Malpe harbour. Also close to Krishna Matha temple in Udupi, famed for its temple food.
Dandeli Wildlife and Rafting
A forest town on the Kali river with Class I-III white-water rafting, kayaking, the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and the Syntheri Rocks canyon. Rafting is limited during the monsoon.
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Guided full-day tours from Bengaluru to Mysuru or Nandi Hills start around INR 1,500-3,500 per person (~$16-36); KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation) runs Mysuru and Hampi tours, bookable at kstdc.co
- Private
- Car with driver INR 2,500-4,000 per day for 8 hours / 80 km (~$26-42); outstation rates apply for Mysuru-Coorg or Hampi-Badami trips
- Public
- Trains (IRCTC) and KSRTC buses link most trip towns; Vande Bharat and express trains on Bengaluru-Mysuru; Konkan Railway to Murudeshwar; local buses to Hampi and Malpe
- Rental
- Self-drive from Zoomcar or Revv from INR 1,800-3,000 per day (~$19-31); two-wheelers from Royal Brothers INR 400-800 per day (~$4-8) in Mysuru, Gokarna and Hampi
Multi-day tours from Karnataka
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from KarnatakaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early from Bengaluru (before 06:30) to beat traffic on NH44, NH275 and Kanakapura Road, especially on Saturdays and Sundays
Book Vande Bharat or Shatabdi trains to Mysuru on irctc.co.in for the cheapest confirmed seats
Book safaris at Kabini and Bandipur through the Karnataka Forest Department or Jungle Lodges & Resorts weeks ahead
Check ASI opening hours; most monuments are open 06:00-18:00 and Hampi's Vitthala Temple is ticketed
Water levels matter for Jog Falls and Shivanasamudra: visit between July and November for full flow
Carry cash for small entry fees, coracles and autos; UPI is widely accepted in cities but not everywhere in the ghats