Things to Do in Mysore

1. Take a trip to Mysore Palace: If you are planning on your Mysore itinerary, the first place to be there is your Mysore Palace. The grandeur of this place makes your heart melt with an enriching holiday experience.

This grand edifice exhibits an Indo-Saracenic style of architecture with an intricately carved interior. The place has a vast, beautiful garden surrounding it on all four sides. Standing high as a three-story edifice, Mysore Palace is comprised of stone and marble domes.

Location: Sayyaji Rao Rd, Agrahara, Chamrajpura, Mysuru, Karnataka 570001
Timings: The Mysore Palace is open for visitors on all working days from 10:00 am to 05:30 pm.
Price: 40 INR per head for adults; 20 INR per head for children in the age group of 10 to 18 years; 200 INR per head for foreign travellers.

2. Visit Chamundeshwari Temple: Standing on the Mysore’s eastern edge, Chamundeshwari Temple is situated at a height of around 1000 feet. You can either reach the temple gate by driving through a valley road or by taking stairs. At the main shrine, you can find the idol of Goddess Shakti’s fierce incarnation and the locals worship here almost every other day.

You can either carry fruits or coconuts or flowers to offer deity and seek her blessings. If you visit the temple on usual days, you may not trap yourself in crowds and long queues. However, be very careful to reach here during festivals as the place is crowded.

Location: Chamundi Hills, Mysore, Karnataka, India
Timings: Darshan or pooja timings here at Chamundeshwari Temple are restricted from 07:30 am to 02:00 pm; 03:30 pm to 06:00 pm; and 07:30 pm to 09:00 pm. Do not forget to try free prasad (meals) offered here from 12:30 pm to 02:30 pm.
Price: There are no fees here for darshan. However, If you are planning to offer any form of Pooja or Abhishek, you have to pay accordingly.

3. Explore Railway Museum: If you are eager to explore the developmental stages of Indian Railways, head towards the Railway Museum of Mysore. Besides photographs, the museum also has locomotive exhibits to introduce how technology transformed the look of locomotives till date.

Chamundi Gallery and Sri Ranga Pavilion are famous attractions of this Museum. Chamundi Valley has pictures and photograph exhibits while Sri Ranga Pavilion has royal coaches for display. Interestingly, you can find relics of the very first steam engine and railway signals that were built in India.

Location: KRS Rd, Opp. CFTRI, Medar Block, Yadavagiri, Mysuru, Karnataka 570005
Timings: Railway Museum is functional on all working days from 09:30 am in the morning to 05:30 pm in the evening.
Price: For adults, you have to pay a sum of around 15 INR per head, and for children, the cost is about 10 INR per head.

4. Take a walk at Brindavan Garden: Presently reckoned as a terrace garden, Brindavan Garden lies behind the mighty Krishna Raja Sagar Dam. Extending to an area of around 60 acres, this terrace gardens has three terraces resembling the shape of a horseshoe.

Throughout the slopes, you can find colourful varieties of Bougainvilleas and adorable ornamental plants. No sooner you step in, you find yourself in a land of many fountains decorated all over by bright lighting.

Location: KRS Dam Road, Mandya, Karnataka 571607
Timings: Brindavan Gardens opens at 07:00 am in the morning and closes by 08:00 pm in the evening on working days. For weekends, it is between 08:00 am in the morning to 09:00 pm in the evening.
Price: For adults, you have to pay around 15 INR per head, and for children in the age group of 5 to 10 years, the entry fees are about 05 INR per head.

5. Visit Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens: Marking its presence for around a century, Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens homes to a unique flora and fauna collection. It exhibits Chamunda Lake on its backdrop and an artificially carved lake at its premises.

Once you enter this zoological gardens, you can spot big cats prowling throughout the enclosure with menacing eyes. Also, there are birds of all colours to present a colourful delight to your eyesight.

Location: Mysore, Karnataka, India
Timings: Gates are open for a visit from morning at 08:30 am to evening at 05:30 pm. However, the Zoological Gardens remains closed on Tuesday.
Price: Entry fees are 60 INR per head for adults and 30 INR per head for children.

6. Indulge in some fun at GRS Fantasy Park: If you want to try a hand at some thrilling water activities, reach GRS Fantasy Park. There are kids rides, family rides and thrilling rides to keep your family engaged throughout your visit.

Parking, specialised care, medical assistance, changing rooms, lockers, restaurants, banquet halls, and conference halls are some facilities available here.

Location: Off KRS Rd, Metagalli, Mysuru, Karnataka 570016
Timings: From Monday to Saturday, you can explore the Park from 10:30 am in the morning to 06:00 pm in the evening. On Sundays, the park remains open till 07:00 pm.
Price: Entry fees here falls in the range of 500 to 800 INR per head.

7. Admire the beautiful Lalitha Mahal: Reckoned as the second largest palace of Mysore, Lalitha Mahal lies close to Chamundi Hills. Painted all in white, the architecture of the palace is endearing. Although now it has been transformed into a heritage hotel, the original veneer of the royal ambience is still preserved as it was.

The palace exhibits Renaissance Style of Architecture and is a two-storied structure. You can find the presence of iconic double columns to support the palace structure.

Location: Lalitha Mahal Palace Road, Lalitha Mahal Nagar, Siddhartha Layout, Mysuru, Karnataka 570028
Timings: The palace is open for visitors from morning 10:00 am to evening at 06:00 pm on all seven days of the week.
Price: Entry fees are 100 INR per headcount

8. Take blessings at St. Philomena's Cathedral: Built somewhere around in the year 1956, St. Philomena’s Cathedral exhibits a Gothic style of architecture. The cathedral homes to lofty towers and stain glass windows.

If you are confused about the time to visit here, plan your Cathedral visit in the evening to witness the illumination of nightlight. There is a crypt with a beautiful statue here. You can attend either Kannada, English or Tamil masses organised daily.

Location: Lourdes Nagar, Ashoka Road, Lashkar Mohalla, Mysuru, Karnataka 570001
Timings: St. Philomena’s Cathedral is open from morning at 05:00 am to evening at 06:00 pm
Price: There are no entry fees here.

9. Explore Chamundi Hills: Located at a distance of around 13km on the eastern side of Mysore, Chamundi Hills has an elevation of about 1000 meters. Throughout the year, it keeps on attracting the photographers and nature lovers to lose themselves in its mesmerising beauty.

Reaching the hilltop, you can capture a panoramic view of the city including the Mysore Palace and Karanji Lake. Mahabaleshvara Temple is the unique identifier of this hill.

Location: Mysore, Karnataka
Timings: There are no time restrictions to climb the hill. However, people usually start climbing it early in the morning to climb down by sunset.
Price: There are no entry fees to climb Chamundi Hills.

10. Get mesmerised by the Karanji lake: When nothing adores you in the city of Mysore, head towards Karanji Lake for a peaceful stroll. It has a nature park lying close to it and homing to a wide array of beautiful butterflies. The walk-through aviary of Karanji Lake is the biggest one in India.

Do not forget to miss on Regional Museum of Natural History located on its banks. Grey pelican, Ibis, Egret, and Cormorant are some of the common migratory birds found here.

Location: Chamundi Hills, Adjacent to the Mysuru Zoo, Mysuru, Karnataka, 570001, India
Timings: The lake is open for visitors from 08:30 am in the morning to 05:30 pm in the evening.
Price: For adults, you need to pay 10 INR per head while for children and senior citizens, the cost is around 05 INR per head. Bringing in a still camera shall cost you approximately 10 INR while the video camera shall cost about 25 INR.

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Mysore is the second biggest city in Karnataka located not very far from the capital of Bangalore. Mysore is a heritage city surrounded by small hamlets and undulating hills. Adventure activities in Mysore are very limited but the place do offer scenic nature trails; one can hike up to Chamundi Hills which has a temple at the top where the summit offers exceptional views of the Mysore city.

The Nagarhole National Park located within a huge forest range is situated south of Coorg is a great place for jeep safari escapades. Tourists would love the cycling and walking tours conducted at the city every Sunday by various cyclist clubs.

Since Mysore experiences a tropical type of climate, it is better to plan your visit here either in Monsoons or Winter. After facing the wrath of summers, from July to February, there are many things to do in Mysore. Summers restrict your sightseeing here as the heat of Mysore is an unbearable one.

On the other hand, people from far off places rate winters to be the best season for exploring temples, forts and palaces here. More specifically, during Diwali celebrations, the city is adorned with lights and a lot of firework exhibits.

Mysore is surrounded by exceptional natural landscapes and is dotted with unending stretches of protected forest reserves making Mysore one of the most sought after destinations from where one can embark upon a wildlife safari adventure.

Bandipur is one of the best wild life reserves for elephants, tiger and other wild animals near Mysore and a wild life safari here is a must. At the Nagarhole National Park treat yourself to breath taking sights of nature while on a jeep safari in one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in South India.

For those who are confused about the things to do in Mysore, there are many sightseeing opportunities. Amongst all, people never forget to miss on including Mysore Palace, Somnathpur Temple, Brindavan Gardens, Mysore Zoo, Chamundeshwari Temple and GRS Fantasy Park in their itinerary.

This is not all that Mysore has to exhibit. Folklore Museum, Trinesvaraswamy Temple, Nanjangud, Melukote Temple, and Bonsai Garden are some other add-ons.

Taking a look into the geographical position of Mysore, there are no beaches here. However, if you are looking for some beach activities to do in Mysore, you can make your way towards nearby ones. Both Mangalore and Kerala lie close to Mysore and homes to many beautiful beaches.

To list a few of those, surrounding Mysore are Mangalore Beach, Kozhikode Beach, Tannirbavi Beach, Beypore Beach, Kappad Beach, Kaup Beach and Bekal Fort Beach. Locals in Mysore reach here for a weekend retreat to beat the twitching heat of summers.

Camping can be an incredible experience for all nature lovers. Camping out in the wild and sleeping under the carpet of a billion stars provides one with the much needed solace from the hustle and bustle of the city. Wild Acres Genuine Camping located at a farm near Mysore, provides amazing camping spots from where campers can spot various species of birds, deers and peacocks.

Venture out towards BR Hills to camp out amidst nature. This experiential wildlife camp is situated amidst the thick forests of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Sanctuary in Karnataka.

For those who are real-life travellers, you have a lot of things to do in Mysore. Mysore’s fame extends from its grandeur of Mysore Palace to the extensive animal collection at Mysore Zoological Park. Tourists adore the beauty of Brindavan Gardens and the waterfalls inside it.

Besides, places to visit, Mysore is reckoned for the stay places, homestays and their hospitality services. The Mysore delicacies are worthy of your investment. You can even try for other regional dishes with a real flavour of Mysore. Do not forget to carry Mysore Pak and silk sarees while you plan on your return journey.

Mysore is located amidst scenic locales characterised by wide open spaces, dense forests, beautiful mountains, lakes, streams, wonderful weather etc. All these make Mysore one of the most favourable places to embark on adventurous treks. Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta, located at a height of 1450m is the highest peak in Bandipur National Park and the trekking trail provides exceptional views of the heavily wooded forest.

Tadiandamol trek is one of the most beautiful and less known treks around Mysore located at an elevation of 5740 ft. Other adventurous treks are trek to Chamundi Hills and BR Hills.

Mysore offers a combination of both homestays and hotels to complete your stay here. Ankit Vista Green Village, Golden Palms, Royal Orchid Resort, Gudi Wilderness Camp, Windflower Resorts and Spa, Silent Shores Resorts and Spa are some best places here to accommodate yourself within.

When it comes to hospitality, the services being offered here is unsurpassable, and the hospitality team stands unrivalled. Affordability makes them unique amongst other places, and all of them customise their accommodation packages with a wide array of things to do in Mysore. Food served here is a mixture of regional delicacies, and you can customise your platter as and when you want.

Cycling is a great activity that is fuss free and extremely enjoyable. From the vantage point of the saddle the heritage town of Mysore looks mystical with its clean lanes and bylanes that reminisce you of the city’s past glory. Start riding from Cyclopedia via Ring road towards Gundalpet Road for an uninterrupted stretch of power riding.

The routes from Mysore to K R Nagar to Melkote is a beautiful stretch for extensive cycling as this stretch is of 200km. Other popular cycling routes in Mysore are Karigatta and Sri Suttur Mutt,

Mysore, like every other city in India, offers an array of exploratory opportunities to all the tourists visiting the city. Mysore is widely known for its rich culture, cuisine and history. Embark on a theme-based walking tour throughout the city or go out on an offbeat tour to the local markets selling premium spices and the famous sandalwood of Mysuru.

A few of the must visit heritage sites in Mysore are Srirangapatnam, Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Gumbaz, Tippu's Summer Palace, Maharaja's Palace, St.Philomena's Church, Chamundi Hills, Maharaja's Palace, Zoo, Art Gallery, and Brindavan Gardens.

Exploring every nook and corner of Mysore within a day is impossible. However, you can smartly plan on your Mysore one-day itinerary to include places with a maximum number of tourist spots. One day Mysore travellers, can begin their journey from Brindavan Gardens and cover places such as Chamundi Hills, Mysore Palace, Jagan Mohan Palace, St. Philomena’s Cathedral, and other nearby places.

Although you may not enjoy all the things to do in Mysore within a day, these places will surely leave you with a bundle of good memories to carry forward for the years to come.

For those who love to enjoy the nightlife, Mysore has a lot in store for you. Visiting Mysore Palace on Sunday night is worthy of your time and money investment. The palace is beautifully illuminated with lights all around to embrace its elegance. The fountains at Brindavan Gardens too are illuminated to present them in dancing postures.

If nothing suits you, it is easier to take a night walk and enjoy the street deserts at night or go for a night stay or camping. Savandurga offers a lot of adventurous things to do in Mysore at night. You can either trek there or enjoy water activities under guidance. However, take care of yourself while enjoying water activities at night.

Shopping is amongst the undetachable activities to do in Mysore. As soon as you step out with your shopping bag on Mysore streets, the first thing that pops up in your mind is the age-old Mysore Pak.

Every other store in Mysore sells this exquisite delicacy of Mysore which remains fresh for a period of 24 to 48 hours under proper packing. Other than Mysore Pak, this city is famous for sandalwood products, coffee, wooden toys, khadi clothes, paintings, rosewood souvenirs, and silk sarees.

Mysore city is a heaven for all the food lovers. Almost every turning point in Mysore, there is some or other new thing to try on. However, for those who stand for a rich and luxurious taste of Mysore, La Uppu, By The Blue, Depth n Green, The Foodie Restaurant, The Old House, Vinayaka Mylari, and Barbeque Nation are bang on spots.

Foods served here are prepared by highly professional and experienced chefs and are 100 percent hygienic and safe for consumption. These food zones do not compromise on the food quality ahead of price and serve food from all regions. So, you can simply customise your Mysore platter with some flavour of your native region.