Mysore Tourism And Travel Guide

A traveller’s tour to South India is never complete without a trip to Mysore. Mysore, also known as Mysuru, lies at the foot of the Chamundi Hills, on the Southwest of Bengaluru, in the state of Karnataka. The City of Palaces, which is the avatar of tourism, has ancient temples, sanctuaries and places of natural beauty that are bound to fill you with a sense of wonder.

Mysore is not only renowned for its illustrious Mysore Palace, the Dussehra festival which invites thousands of tourists from world over, its cuisine or remarkable art forms, but also for the impeccable town planning system and an ITS Intelligent Transport System that helps enhance the tourism industry in Mysore. Mysore is also one of the country’s cleanest and most beautiful cities, with a light pleasant weather throughout the year, plenty of heritage places to see and a lovely lush landscape, with a whole lot of parks around. If you are planning to visit Mysore, our travel guide should help you work out a perfect trip.

A well planned town and transport system offers very easy accessibility to and from Mysore by air, road or rail. Mysore Railway station is well connected to most places around the country and is convenient for travel.

By Air:
The domestic airport at Mysore has flights to and from Chennai. You can otherwise fly to Bengaluru and take a train to Mysore. You could also opt for a KSRTC Flybus from Bengaluru to Mysore.

By Train:
There is excellent rail connectivity between Mysore and most other major cities, like Darbhanga in Bihar and Ajmer in Rajasthan and the latest Mysore-Udaipur-Mysore Palace Queen Humsafar Express. There are a good number of trains running between Bengaluru and Mysore with the Shatabdi clocking the fastest. The fastest way to reach Mysore would be to travel by train.

By Road:
There are state owned and private buses that operate between Mysore and most major cities. Depending on time taken to travel and climatic conditions, you could take a train to Bengaluru and travel by road to Mysore.

Getting Around:
Travelling around Mysore is fun. If you book a KSRTC FlyBus from Kempegowda International Airport to Mysore, you can travel royally with an in-built chemical toilet and GPS device in the bus. Reserve a seat on a FlyBus as you book your flight ticket. In Mysore you’ll have KSRTC buses, cabs, auto rickshaws, bicycles or decorated horse drawn tongas to get around.

Mysore has a very considerate and moderate weather which is neither too hot nor too cold. But the ideal time would be from October to March, when you can plan sightseeing, activities and so forth.

Summer(March-May):

Summer is moderately hot and dry. Long walking tours around monuments or trekking up the hills might be cumbersome in the heat. The heady scent of Mysore Mallige flowers is on the air.

Monsoon(June-September):

Monsoon is quite humid and wet, with intermittent rains that may be inconvenient for sightseeing and any adventure sports that you may be keen on indulging in.

Post Monsoon(October-December):

The seasons turn lovely, with a light breeze and occasional showers. Book rooms in advance, for the tourist season begins now!

Winter(January-February):

The right time to travel to Mysore is winter. You'll be in time for the birds and flowers of winter. The weather is pleasant during the day and chill sets in with sunset and lasts till sunrise. It’s nice to wake up to a beautiful day, with a haze that sometimes lasts till late morning. Keep pullovers, shawls and sweaters handy.  

Bird Watching:

Winter is the perfect season for watching the birds that fly to the numerous lakes and rivulets of Mysore all the way from the Himalayas and Western Ghats and from across continents, too. Mysore Zoo encourages eco-tourism with a winter Bird Festival. Take a boat ride or walk along the banks of the waters, with binoculars and your camera handy to spot Pelicans and Painted Storks.

Trekking:

Try the Kunti Betta Trek from Pandavapura, about 30 km from Mysore. It’s a short trek uphill, but check out the amazing views of the lake and plains from the top. A Trek to Chamundi hills, up and down a flight of steps is another popular trekking site for tourists. There are a good number of shops for refreshment and space to park cars at the base.

Winter Fest:

Plan your trip for winter, if you would want to enjoy Dussehra and stay on for the Winter Festival or Maaghi Utsav. Usually organised at the premises of the Mysore Palace during Christmas and New Year time, the Winter Festival woos tourists with its extravagant Flower shows, Paramotoring and Water Sports, Puppet Shows, Movies and Bicycle tours. Relish a number of delicious local dishes like the Makaali roots and Bamboo rice payasam at the Food Festival.

Lake Trip:

You’d be amazed at the number of beautiful lakes you can find in Mysore. Spend summer afternoons or lazy winter evenings, in the serenity of the lake front, taking a walk or sitting on the stone benches under shady trees. Take a trip to the Kukkuranahalli Lake in the Manasagangotri in Mysore University Campus or one of Mysore’s largest and ancient lakes, the crystal clear Lingambudi Lake about 30 km from Mysore.

Tour Silk Factory:

You can take a tour round the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) in the heart of the city, and watch how silk is being processed and produced to make the most gorgeous saris, stoles, scarves and neckties that are sold at an outlet in the factory’s grounds.

Trails:

There are a number of trail trips you can join while exploring the city. Go on a Jeep Trail, a Heritage Trail, a Walking Trail or a Temple Trail and one of the most interesting, a Food Trail, that takes you on a gastronomic walk across to some popular food joints to taste some of the most delicious traditional cuisine of Mysore.

Art Gallery:

Some of India’s finest art forms are intertwined with the fine arts of Mysore. Visit the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in the Jaganmohan Palace to observe some of the finest works of Raja Ravi Varma, Nikolai Roerich of Russia, Mysore K. Venkatappa and portraits of Rembrandt among others, that belong to the bygone eras.

Mysore’s local cuisine is lip smackingly delicious. Apart from its trend setters like Mysore Pak, Mysore Masala Dosa and Bonda, the city offers a variety of Dosas, Thali meals with vegetables and the traditional Kosambari or salad and Saaru, a lentil soup. Try the special Bisibelabath, a spicy hot dish with rice and veggies, and the protein packed Ragi muddae which are actually steam cooked millet balls. Chiroti, a super soft flaky pastry, Shavige Payasa and of course, the Mysore Pak should be the desserts to finish off your meal.