Mysore has always been a place of natural beauty and cultural heritage of our Motherland. This place is a famous tourist spot of India and never lets down the tourists and its visitors with its humble, clean and friendly environment. This place is the cultural capital of Karnataka and as it is named it has places for all kinds of people ranging from great historian sites to the beautiful gardens and plant nurseries to the marvelous and enthusiast Mysore zoo. People who have different mindset towards nature should visit this place because it comprises of every part of nature and in a very beautiful way.
1. Bangalore
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At a distance of 139 km from Mysore, 261 km from Tirupati, 347 km from Chennai, 348 km from Mangalore, 573 km from Hyderabad, 514 km from Kochi and 595 km from Goa, Bangalore (also known as Bengaluru) is the capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is third most populous city and 5th largest City in India. It is also known as the Garden City of India. Bangalore is often referred as Silicon Valley of India due to large number of technology companies established in the city.
2. Coorg (madikeri)
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At a distance of 265 km from Bangalore, 117 km from Mysore, 132 km from Mangalore, 322 km from Coimbatore & 362 km from Kochi, Coorg or Kodagu is a district in Karnataka and Madikeri is the district headquarters. At an altitude of 1525 meters on Western Ghats, it is also known as the Scotland of India. Coorg is the most famous places to visit in India and among popular 2 day trip near Bangalore. It is also one of the top destinations of Karnataka Tourism.
3. Shivanasamudra Falls
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At a distance of 130 km from Bangalore & 81 km from Mysore, Shivanasamudra is a famous waterfall situated in Mandya District of Karnataka State. This is one of the best waterfalls near Bangalore and also among popular one day trip from Bangalore. These waterfalls are also known as Siva Samudram, literally meaning Shiva’s Sea. Shivanasamudra is a segmented waterfall with several parallel stream formed adjacent to each other.
4. Hogenakkal
At a distance of 47 km from Dharmapuri, 88 km from Hosur, 85 km from Salem, 146 km from Bangalore, 345 km from Chennai, 180 km from Mysore, 114 km from Yercaud and 217 km from Coimbatore, Hogenakkal Falls is a waterfall in on the Kaveri (or Cauvery) River located in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. It is a major waterfalls near Bangalore and also one of the best waterfalls in India, sometimes referred to as the ‘Niagara of India’.
5. Ooty
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At a distance of 89 km from Coimbatore, 128 km from Mysore, 265 km from Bangalore,158 km from Kozhikode, 244 km from Munnar, 254 km from Kodaikanal, 18 km from Coonoor & 556 km from Chennai, Ooty is one of the best hill stations in India and also one of the top places to experince Tamilnadu Tourism.
6. Belur
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At a distance of 25 km from Chikmagalur, 40 km from Hassan, 165 km from Mangalore, 154 km from Mysore and 217 km from Bangalore, Belur is very famous temple town situated in Hassan District of Karnataka State. It is renowned for the grand Hoysala Temple dedicated to Lord Chennakesava, an incarnation of Vishnu. It is the best of three Hoysala temples nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Sites (other two being the temples at Halebid & Somnathpur). The Hoysala temples are known for minute & intricate carvings and sculptures with metal like polishing. It is one of the best heritage sites in Karnataka, situated on Bangalore to Chikmagalur route. Belur is one of the well known Karnataka tourist places.
7. Srirangapatna
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At a distance of 18 km from Mysore, 26 km from Mandya and 124 km from Bangalore, Srirangapatna or Srirangapattana is a historical town in Mandya district of Karnataka. Located near the city of Mysore, Srirangapatna is among the popular tourist places in Karnataka owing to its cultural, religious and historic importance and also one of the top places to visit in Mysore. The entire town is surrounded by the river Kaveri to form a river island.
8. Halebidu
At a distance of 17 km from Belur, 34 km from Chikmagalur, 32 km from Hassan, 148 km from Mysore & 211 km from Bangalore, Halebidu is located in Hassan District of Karnataka State. Halebidu (or Halebid) is famous for the beautiful Hoysala Temples of Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara built in 1121 AD. It is one of the three Hoysala temples nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Sites, other two being the Belur temple & Somnathpur temple). The Hoysala temples are known for minute & intricate carvings and sculptures with metal like polishing. Halebidu is among the most popular tourist places in Karnataka.
9. Banasura Sagar Dam
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At a distance of 22 km from Kalpetta, 21 km from Mananthavady, 46 km from Sulthan Bathery, Banasura Sagar Dam is the largest earthen dam in India and second largest in Asia. This is one of the most popular tourist places in Wayanad. Banasura Sagar Dam across the Karamanathodu River, a tributary of River Kabini, is ideally placed in the foothills of Banasura hills, which got its name from Banasura, the son of King Mahabali, the famous ruler of Kerala. It is said that Banasura undertook severe penance on the top of the hills. Banasura hill is the third largest peak in the Western Ghats.
10. Belavadi
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At a distance of 82 km from Kemmangundi, 64 km from Chikmagalur, 27 km from Belur & 12 km from Halebid, Belavadi is a village situated in Chikmagalur District and is famous for Sri Veera Narayana Temple built in Hoysala architectural style. The place is described as Ekachakranagara of Mahabharata and is said to be the place where Pandava prince Bheema killed the demon Bakasura and protected the village and its people.
11. Dubare Elephant Camp
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At a distance of 29 km from Madikeri and 15 km from Kushalnagar, Dubare Elephant Camp is an elephant training center situated on the banks of the river Cauvery in Kodagu district of Karnataka. Dubare is a natural island formed by Cauvery River. Dubare is one of the most famous places to visit in Coorg and also one of the top attractions you must include in Coorg packages.Dubare is an important base for the Karnataka Forest Department’s elephants. Dubare Elephant Camp is a project undertaken by forest department and jungle lodges & resorts. This camp has plenty of elephants which are trained under naturalists. The elephants used for Mysore Dussehra are trained at this camp.
12. Brindavan Gardens
At a distance of 16 kms from Srirangapatna & 19 Kms from Mysore, Brindavan Gardens is a famous & beautiful garden laid out below the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam. The construction work of the garden was started in the year 1927 and completed in 1932. The garden was designed by Sir Mirza Ismail, Diwan of Mysore based on Shalimar Gardens of Kashmir in the Mughal style. Spread over an area of 150 acres, the Brindavan Gardens is considered as one of the best gardens in India. The garden is enriched with fountains, terraces, parterres, running and cascading water channels, lush green lawns & flower beds.
13. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
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At a distance of 16 Kms from Mysore & 3 Kms from Srirangapatna, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is a small sanctuary spread across 67 sq.kms. The sanctuary comprises of six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. It was declared in 1940 as a result of many requests from Dr Salim Ali who surveyed the birds in this area. Since then, the sanctuary has become a paradise for bird watchers. The sanctuary is a breeding ground for many migratory birds from all over the world. It is home to a wide species of birds including cormorants, darters, white ibis, spoon billed storks, open billed storks, painted storks, white necked storks, egrets, herons, terns, swallows, kingfishers, sandpiper etc.
14. Kukke Subrahmanya Temple
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At a distance of 100 Kms from Mangalore, Kukke Subrahmanya Temple located in Subrahmanya (or Kukke Subramanya) is one of the most famous temples in Karnataka and one of the important temples of Lord Subrahmanya (Lord Murugan). This temple is famous for Sarpa Dosha. Lord Subrahmanya is worshipped as the protector of all serpents. The epics mention that the divine serpent Vasuki and other serpents found refugee under Lord Subrahmanya when attacked by Garuda.
15. Emerald Lake
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At a distance of 17 km from Ooty and 27 km from Coonoor, Emerald Lake, a serene lake with emerald blue waters, is located near Emerald village in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Situated amidst dense forests, it is one of the top Ooty tourist places. The lake is part of the Silent Valley National Park situated on the way to Avalanche village. The blue waters of Emerald Lake surrounded by lush green meadows and forest is simply mesmerizing. The water is crystal clear and of course cold. This is a great place to enjoy the day with breathtaking views of the slopes of Nilgiris. Emerald Lake is also a haven for a variety of birds. It is a mini paradise for bird lovers and ornithologists as they get to see and study a number of native birds. It is also notable for the scenic sun rise and sun set views near the lake. The Tea gardens is a great spot to spend some time as it gives a memorable experience.
16. Bannerghatta National Park
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At a distance of 23 km from Bangalore City Railway Station, Bannerghatta National Park is the most famous wildlife park and also one of the top tourist places in Bangalore. This park is spread in reserve forests of Anekal Range with an elevation of 1245 – 1634 m under the Bangalore Forest Division. This park is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants which connects the BR Hills and the Sathyamangalam forest. Bannerghatta National Park was founded in 1971 and declared as a national park in 1974. Spread over an area of 25,000 acre and a portion of the park became a biological reserve called the Bannerghatta Biological Park in 2002. The park consists of the main Nature Reserve, a zoo, a children’s park, an aquarium, a crocodile park, a museum, a butterfly park, a snake park and a safari park. The forest consists of deciduous trees and thorny scrubs.
17. Janapada Loka / Folk Art Museum
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At a distance of 52 Kms from Bangalore City Railway Station, the Folk Art Museum or Janapada Loka is situated on the Bangalore – Mysore highway near Ramanagaram. This is one of the popular places of interest in Bangalore. Numerous collections of masks, artifacts, costumes, collection of folk music and videos of folk dances are exhibited in the museum. Spread over 15 acres, the artifacts in the museum are kept in three buildings namely Lokamahal, Lokamatha Mandira and Chitrakuteera. In Lokamahal the visitors can find interesting folk puppets, utensils, instruments, weapons and masks. In Lokamatha Mandira a wide variety of baskets, utensils and earthen jars are featured which were used to store & grain pickles. In the Chitrakuteera a number of photographs covering different aspects of folk life is displayed.
18. Channapatna
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At a distance of 58 Kms from Bangalore towards Mysore, Channapatna is a small town famous for wooden toys. This place is also famous for door hangings, powder boxes and traditional jewellery. Fort of Jagadevaraya family built sometime during 16th century is also an interesting place to visit in Channapatna. Timmapparaja Urs mansion, a three storied building made of brick and mortar and was home to Timmapparaja is also worth visiting. The building is a typical example of Hindu mansion from 19th century.
19. Biligiri Ranga Hills
At a distance of 85 km from Mysore, 40 km from Chamarajanagar and 170 km from Bangalore, the Biligiri Ranga Hills popularly known as the BR Hills is a lofty hill range in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is considered to be the wildlife corridor that connects Eastern Ghats to Western Ghats. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit near Mysore and is one of the top attractions you must include in Mysore packages.BR Hills is famous for BRT Wildlife Sanctuary (Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary). The sanctuary is situated at an altitude of 5091 feet and is spread across an area of 540 km. It was declared a tiger reserve in 2010 by the Karnataka State Government. The highest peak within the sanctuary is the Kattari Betta. The wildlife sanctuary is inhabited by a number of animals including elephants, sloth bears, bison, deer, porcupines and a number of other animals.
20. Kumara Parvatha Trekking
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At a distance of 15 km from Kukke Subramanya, 30 km from Somwarpet, 65 km from Madikeri, 115 km from Mangalore, 260 km from Bangalore, Kumara Parvatha, also known as Pushpagiri, is a beautiful mountain peak located in Pushpagiri reserve forest near Kukke Subramanya town in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Situated at an elevation of 1712 m above sea level, Kumara Parvatha trek is one of the toughest treks and most popular trekking destinations in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. The trek distance is around 25 km (with return) and usually done in 2 days.