It's that time of the year when you begin to yearn for a getaway from the city, even if it's just for a day. Come the weekend, Bangaloreans head for the hills.
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These are the top 10 day trip destinations from Bangalore, including hill stations, temple towns, water sports, natural beauty and wildlife along the Cauvery River, and even the second most famous movie town for tourists in India.
These are stops on the way from Bangalore to Mysore. Ramnagaram is famous as the location where Ramesh Sippy's movie Sholay was shot, with Amitabh Bachhan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, and Amjad Khan.
Gabbar Singh ruled over the area from this very rocky lair. You can visit the same rocks and spots made famous by these stars in the movie.
Channapatna is a famous wooden toy market, simply a must-stop if you have kids. Don't miss the Sri Kengal Anjaneya Swamy Temple on the way.
Srirangapatna is likewise famous for its ancient Vishnu temples – the Ranganathaswamy Temple, with its giant statue of a Sleeping Vishnu.
Also visit Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Tipu Sultan's birthplace and palace, and Daria Daulat Bagh.
When you get to Mysore, the first thing you do is go to the famous Mysore Zoo. Magnificent collection of exotic bird species to start with, and then the great Indian wildlife – lions, a Bengal tiger, a white tiger, white deer, white peacocks and pea hens, bison, chimpanzees, African elephants, rhinos, bears, and giraffes.
Special sections include a Jurassic park style enclosure for large birds, a huge collection of colorful parakeets, and a massive reptile zone that's literally full of snake pits.
Go to the Chamundeshwari Temple and count your blessings. After 7 pm in the evening, head for the Mysore Palace. The lighting is a massive spectacle that attracts tourists from all over the world.
What to buy? Devaraja market is quite famous. Famous for Silk sarees, Khadi cotton, Agarbattis, Sandalwood products, paintings, Rosewood artefacts, Stone sculptures. All are found easily in the market. Other tourist attractions in Mysore include Jagamohan Palace, Railway Museum, and Vrindavan Gardens.
Route – Via Mandya- Srirangapatna- Mysore
Distance - 150 km
Plenty of people in Bangalore, who live and work here, are from Kolar. In fact, many of them commute between Bangalore and Kolar on a daily basis. To them, it may seem like nothing. But to the first-time visitor, Kolar is literally a gold mine of tourist attractions. Visit the Kolar Gold Mines, Kotilingeshwara temple, Antaragange Caves, Kolaramma Temple and Lord Someshwara Temple.
Route- via NH 75
Distance- 70 km
If you're looking for a picnic day trip destination out of Bangalore, then Hogenakkal Falls it is. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions, located in Tamil Nadu, midway between Bangalore and Salem.
The frothing white waters of the Cauvery and the ancient rocks are well worth a day trip, and you can enjoy Coracle rides (boating), bathing, swimming and other water games and activities in the area.
?What to buy? Buy food from floating shops and enjoy. Try fish fry and other local delicacies.
Route- Via hosur then MDR588 or NH44
Distance- 180 km
Horsley Hills is a hill station and popular summer vacation destination in Andhra Pradesh, halfway between Bangalore and Tirupati. The rolling series of hills provides plenty of room to stretch your legs, do some amateur mountaineering and outdoor nature exploration.
What to do? Visit the Windy rocks, View Point, Zoo, Gangotri Lake, and the 150-year old Kalyani eucalyptus tree. Route - via Hoskote Chintamani road Distance- 150 km What to buy? Traditional handicrafts and garments.
Shivanasamudram is a lovely tourist spot on the Cauvery, in between Bangalore and Coimbatore, and just a short hop from Mysore. The river splits into two here and then the two tributaries plunge down 90 and 70 meters before they merge into one and flow on as the Cauvery.
What to do? Visit the hydroelectric power project, and then the two falls - Gagana Chukki and Bharat Chukki. From the View Point, you can trek down the hill and all the way to falls and have a swim, get boat rides, and visit the Ranganathaswamy Temple. Route - via NH275 or Kanakpura road and NH948 What to Buy? Temple trinkets and wooden toys made in Channapatna.
Gateway into the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, which spans across the districts of Bangalore, Mandya and Mysore. Explore the untamed forests along the river banks, and get up close to wild elephants, crocodiles, and a scintillating collection of birds and monkeys of different shapes and colors.
Do what Bheemeshwari is famous for - water sports and fishing. There are fishing camps, adventure camps and nature resorts that you can book into for a guided outdoor holiday.
What to do? Bheemeshwari adventure and nature camp. Wildlife sanctuary, kayaking, ziplining, river rafting, coracle rides , trekking, cycling, and rope activities. What to buy? Souvenirs from local shops, and nature books about the flora and fauna.
Route- via Kanakpura road and NH948
Distance- 105 km
Shravanabelagola may be unprounounceable at first, but it's a historic religious destination. It's a 2-hour trip from Bangalore, half-way to Madikeri and then the Kerala coast at Payyanur and Kasargod. The main attraction here in Shravanabelagola is the massive statue of Bahubali, the founder of Jainism, at the Lord Gomateshwara Temple.
What to do? Gomateshwara Temple / Bahubali Statue, Chandragiri and Vidyagiri which have many Basadi structures, Look for inscriptions and Bhattaraka Math. What to buy? Religious items, momentos and local jewellery.
Route- via NH75
Distance- 145 Km
Chunchi Falls is a breathtaking water falls, about 2 and a half hours from Bangalore, on the way to Coimbatore. It's also not far from Shivanasamudram above, so you could possibly combine both in the same day trip.
Also on the itinerary for this day trip are Sangama, which is the meeting place of two rivers - Cauvery and Arkavathi. Mekedatu (goat's leap) is a place along the Cauvery where it narrows down into a valley, and the flow of the river picks up huge speed as it rushes through the steep rocks.
What to see? Chunchi Falls, River Kaveri at Sangam and Mekedatu Valley. What to buy? Local food.
Route - Via kanakapura road, Kanakapura Sangam Road Distance - 89.5 to Chuchi falls . Sangam- Mekedatu - 119 km, Sangam - 115 km approx
