Places to visit in Karnataka

Empires, coffee hills and coast.

Capital BengaluruPlaces in this guide 11

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Places to see

Hampi

Vijayanagara

Boulder-strewn ruins of the Vijayanagara capital, a UNESCO site.

Best time: Oct–Mar

Coorg (Kodagu)

Kodagu

Coffee country of misty hills, waterfalls and Kodava food.

Best time: Oct–May

Heritage

Mysore Palace

Mysuru

Indo-Saracenic palace lit by nearly 100,000 bulbs on Sundays and during Dasara.

Best time: Sep–Feb

Gokarna

Uttara Kannada

Temple town with quiet beaches like Om and Kudle.

Best time: Oct–Mar

Jog Falls

Shivamogga

One of India’s highest plunge waterfalls, mightiest in the monsoon.

Best time: Jul–Oct

Hills

Chikkamagaluru

Coffee estates and the Mullayanagiri peak, Karnataka’s highest.

Best time: Sep–Mar

Badami Cave Temples

Bagalkote

Sixth-century rock-cut cave temples above Agastya lake.

Best time: Oct–Mar

Hills

Mullayanagiri

Chikkamagaluru

Karnataka's highest peak among coffee country's misty hills.

Best time: Sep–Mar

Spiritual

Murudeshwar

Uttara Kannada

Giant Shiva statue and temple tower on a headland by the sea.

Best time: Oct–Mar

Bandipur National Park

Chamarajanagara

Tiger and elephant country at the foot of the Nilgiris.

Best time: Oct–May

Shravanabelagola

Hassan

Hilltop statue of Gommateshwara, a 57-ft monolith revered by Jains.

Best time: Oct–Mar

Food to try in Karnataka

Masala dosa, Bisi bele bath, Mysore pak.

Crafts and products

Mysore silk, Channapatna toys, Coorg coffee.

Festivals

Mysuru Dasara, Mysuru: Sep–Oct. The lit-up palace and the Jamboo Savari procession.

Timings, permits and prices change. Check official sources before you travel.