This trip was planned amid chaos. I resigned from my job, my brother’s marriage was just a week before the trip and I was getting calls from my new employer to join as early as possible and also we had to shift to Punjab for this job just after the trip. Paaro got all crazy while packing for the trip as she didn’t know what to pack for the trip and what to pack for Punjab.
Days required– 6-7 days
Nearby places to visit –From Bengaluru-Ramnagar (Sholay fame), Nandi Hills
From Mysuru – Srirangpatna, Brindavan Gardens
It’s a short weekend trip for people from Bengaluru.
Best time to visit – after Monsoon or during winter (October -February). Two special things can draw up your Bengaluru-Mysuru trip: Aero show by Indian Airforce which is usually held in the month of February every 2 years and Dussehra celebration of Mysuru in October.
How to reach –
First & foremost – Make Bengaluru entry and exit point of your expedition. Take a flight/train/bus to Bengaluru, then from there go to Mysuru by road and then to Ooty. Return to Bengaluru by bus and head back to your city. This is the most convenient way that works out for most of the travellers.
- Self-drive – If you are a road trip guy, you can use this option as roads are in good conditions. Renting a car for self-drive is easily accessible from Bengaluru (e.g., Zoom cars, etc).
- By cab/taxi- you can rent a cab/taxi from Bengaluru to reach out Mysuru and Ooty. This is a very suitable but little expensive way.
By air –Kempegowda International Airport is serving in Bengaluru,well-served by the city’s public transport agency Vayu Vajra (airport shuttle bus service by govt.) which connect the airport and the city through 11 routes.Ask the ticket counter person about the bus number that will go to your area.
Direct flights are available from Delhi and all major cities in India.
- By train – Trains available from all major cities but train journey are time-consuming.
- By bus – you can easily book bus from official Karnataka govt. Website(www.KSRTC.in) and Redbus. They run luxury air-conditioned buses which are super comfortable.
How we travelled – Took a flight to reach Bengaluru then switched to bus to go to Mysuru and Ooty.
Why? It is time friendly (even money friendly if you book flights timely) to book a flight to Bengaluru and bus for Mysuru and Ooty as it is very economical, comfortable and convenient.
Where to stay – you can stay anywhere in Bengaluru as the city has very many modes of public transport-City buses, metro, taxis, rickshaw, Ola/Uber. For accomodation, you can look around near Majestic (their main bus terminus) or near Bengaluru palace or botanical garden so that you can reserve your time to reach these tourist places and commute to next destinations.
Mysuru – stay close by bus stand/Lashkar Mohalla.
Ooty- near bus stand (railway station is adjacent to bus stand)
How to go around – Bengaluru – If you have your own vehicle/driver then there is no issue or else use City buses, metro, taxis, rickshaw, Ola/Uber.
Mysuru – If you have your own vehicle/driver then there is no issues, otherwise go for City buses, taxis, rickshaw, Ola/Uber.
- Mysuru has unique TRIN TRIN public bicycle sharing system for locals and tourists. If you are fit enough, then you can register yourself and use it to travel all over Mysuru in a very cheap and healthy way.
Ooty – you can easily find a taxi (near main bazaar/bus stand) for a day tour that will take you to all major destinations. We used self-driven electric bike rentals here- GREEN BIKES by Sathya (Read our experience of E-bike tour in Ooty in different blog).
Places to visit:
Bengaluru
Bengaluru Palace – Ticket charges for entry and camera are high. Only history lovers would like the palace, as not a much-maintained palace. Also, most of the area is closed.
Botanical garden – another place to visit preferably in evening time.
Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace
*Bengaluru is well-known for its pub culture (also known as Pub Capital of India) so once you are done visiting these places, you can opt for any famous Pub in Bengaluru.
Mysuru
Mysuru Palace- a must-visit place in Mysuru. It will take around 60-90 minutes to cover the Palace premise. You have to take off your shoes there. Camera/phones/bags are allowed.
*Do Not miss the illumination at night. There is a light and sound show although it is in the local language but, the alluring illumination of Mysuru Palace cannot be missed. It is for 10minutes on weekdays but on Sundays and public holidays, it is for 30-40minutes. Confirm the timing with locals. But it is usually after 7:30 pm.
If you plan out this trip around Dussehra celebration, then you can see Mysuru and Mysuru Palace in full glory. It is a 10-day festival, starting with Navaratri and the last day being Vijayadashami. Palace is lightened up daily with nearly 100,000 light bulbs from 7 pm to 10 pm on all days of the festival. Various cultural and religious programs highlighting the dance, music and culture of Karnataka are performed in front of the glorified Palace.
Mysuru Zoo and Lake- common tickets for both attractions are available but the lake can be missed if there is a shortage of time. The zoo is one of the largest and oldest in India and will take 3hours to cover 3km long zoo but if one is running out of time or there is any health issue, then Zoo provides with battery-operated vehicles which then cover up the zoo in 1hour.
Chamundeshwari Temple- Take AC or routine bus for Chamundeshwari Temple from local bus stand (ask the locals) as it is a very cheap and convenient way. There is no need to book a taxi/cab to visit this temple.
Rail Museum- a small museum is there beside the railway station that can be covered in noon.
St. Phelomena’s Church
If you have one more day then a few more places around Mysuru can be covered- Brindavan garden and Srirangapatnam.
Ooty
A toy train journey- one should must go for in Ooty. There is a toy train running between Ooty and Coonoor that is a 1-hour journey. Tickets can be booked from IRCTC but you have to book them in advance. The view from the train and experience is just amazing.
Places in Ooty – Dodabetta peak, Tea plantation, Chocolate factory, Botanical garden, Boathouse/Ooty lake.
These places can be covered by taxi/auto in a day.
Not much of places or market area to see in Ooty like other hill stations.
But if you have 1 more day, you can go to Pykara by cab/taxi or green bike tours.
Where to eat
There is an extensive list of Pubs in Bengaluru to try.
But if you are planning to stay there for 1 or 2 days, you cannot try all of them.
The Biere Club, Monkey bar, Arbor Brewing Company, Pecos, Watson’s, Toit are some which I would recommend.
Now if you love south Indian cuisines, especially Dosa then Bengaluru and Mysuru are heaven for you. These two cities have so many legendary decades-old eateries that you will not able to cover them all.
In Bengaluru
Central tiffin room (CTR), Mavalli tiffin room(MTR), Vidyarthi Bhawan, Indian coffee house. All these outlets are very old. You may not like their ambience but do try their Dosa and coffee.
In Mysuru
Mysuru Paak from very famous Guru sweet mart – this very small outlet sells very famous Mysuru Paak and you have to be on time as by evening they go out of stock. We bought the last kilo of Paak and it was only 5 pm. It is loaded with ghee and if kept in the refrigerator it would lasts for up to 15-20days.
Try south Indian food at Gayatri tiffin room(GTR)/VINAYAK MYLARI/ANIMA MADHAV BHAWAN.
Itinerary –
Day 1- Reach Bengaluru. Visit the Palace and garden. Dine at one of the famous Dosa joints or taste the beer at famous Pubs.
Day 2 – Reach Mysuru by morning bus. It is 4-5hour journey. Have lunch at any famous Dosa joint. Visit the Palace. Enjoy the illumination at night.
Day 3 – Visit Mysuru zoo and lake. Have lunch. Go to the Rail Museum. Then take a bus for Chamundeshwari temple. Visit St. Philomena Church in the evening.
Day 4 – Take a bus to Ooty. Enjoy toy train journey between Ooty and Coonoor.
Day 5 – Take a full/half-day tour of Ooty. Take the night bus for Bengaluru.
Day 6 – Fly back to your city.
Few tips for fellow travelers –
- Book your flight tickets in advance (2-3months) to get a cheaper price. Book your bus tickets online 7days in advance. It is always better to book in advance than regretting it later.
- Try to use local means of transportation. Usually, there is no need to book cabs for everything.
- Take either night buses or early morning buses so that you can get more time to explore the city.
- Try to explore some offbeat destination (Ramnagara near Bengaluru) or new experiences like TRIN TRIN in Mysuru and Green bikes in Ooty.
Ratings (it is subjective and based on personal opinion)
Destination overall rating 8/10 – Bengaluru may not be good for sightseeing but Mysuru and Ooty are worth visiting.
Travel Expense 3/10 – we cut down our expenses on travel. We ate like locals, traveled like locals and saved money like locals.
Travel ease 8/10– we covered 3 cities in 6days. One can easily travel like local here within the city.
Food 8/10 – just loved the food here but can’t say for you if you don’t like south Indian cuisines.