Few cities can match the weekend getaways from Bangalore. Within a day's drive of Bengaluru you'll find coffee estates in the clouds, a palace lit by thousands of bulbs, elephants on the Kabini backwaters, the boulders of Hampi, a canyon, a French town by the sea and the Nilgiri hills.
Here are 12 of the best weekend getaways from Bangalore, sorted from the shortest drive to the longest. For each, we've listed the drive time, the best months, how many days to give it and what a night's stay costs. The drive times are JrnyLoop's estimates for real roads, from central Bengaluru and without breaks. Getting out of the city on a Friday evening can easily add an hour or two.
Weekend getaways from Bangalore at a glance
| Place | Drive from Bengaluru | Best for | Best months | Budget stay from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mysuru | ~2¾ h | Palaces, food | Sep–Mar | ₹900 a night |
| Kabini | ~4½ h | Elephants, safaris | Oct–Jun | ₹3,000 a night |
| Chikmagalur | ~4½ h | Coffee, peaks | Sep–Mar | ₹1,200 a night |
| Tirupati | ~4½ h | Pilgrimage | Sep–Feb | ₹800 a night |
| Sakleshpur | ~4¾ h | Estates, a star fort | Jul–Feb | ₹1,500 a night |
| Yercaud | ~4¾ h | A quiet hill station | Oct–Jun | ₹1,000 a night |
| Coorg | ~5 h | Homestays, waterfalls | Oct–May | ₹1,200 a night |
| Wayanad | ~5½ h | Caves, lakes, forest | Sep–May | ₹1,200 a night |
| Gandikota | ~5¾ h | A red canyon | Oct–Feb | ₹800 a night |
| Hampi | ~6 h | Ruins, boulders | Oct–Feb | ₹800 a night |
| Pondicherry | ~6¾ h | French quarter, beaches | Oct–Mar | ₹1,200 a night |
| Ooty & Coonoor | ~6¾ h | Tea hills, toy train | Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov | ₹1,000 a night |
"Budget stay from" is a simple room for two in JrnyLoop's Budget stay style. Comfort and Premium stays cost more.
1. Mysuru: the palace city
The easiest weekend from Bengaluru, and still one of the best. Mysuru is the city of the Wadiyar kings: a grand palace, a hill temple, gardens and a famous sweet.
See Mysore Palace (time your visit for when it's lit up with nearly 100,000 bulbs on Sunday evenings), climb or drive up Chamundi Hill, walk through Devaraja Market for flowers and incense, and visit St Philomena's Church. Add Srirangapatna on the way in, and the Brindavan Gardens in the evening. Breakfast at Mylari for its soft dosa, and buy Mysore pak.
- Drive: about 2¾ hours, 143 km · Ideal trip: 1–2 days
- Best months: September to March
- Stay: near the palace for convenience, Jayalakshmipuram for nicer hotels
- By train: frequent trains, including fast day trains, make it an easy rail trip
Dasara in October is Mysuru at its most spectacular, so book months ahead if you're going then.
2. Kabini: elephants on the backwaters
On the southern edge of Nagarhole National Park, the Kabini backwaters draw elephant herds to the water, and the forest around them is one of the best places in India to see a leopard (and, for the lucky few, the famous black panther).
Do a jeep safari in Nagarhole and a boat safari on the backwaters, where herds come down to drink, and end with a coracle ride at sunset.
- Drive: about 4½ hours, 206 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: October to June (March to May for the biggest herds at the water)
- Stay: riverside jungle lodges, or homestays near Karapura for less
- Getting there: by road; there's no railway nearby
Safari seats are limited. Book through your lodge or the Jungle Lodges site well ahead, especially for weekends. Kabini is one of the pricier weekends on this list: most stays are full-board jungle lodges.
3. Chikmagalur: coffee country and Karnataka's highest peak
Chikmagalur is where coffee first came to India, and it's still a district of estates, misty ridges and waterfalls.
Drive up Mullayanagiri, Karnataka's highest peak, early in the morning, then Baba Budangiri. Visit Hebbe and Jhari falls by jeep, and give a half day to the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, with some of the finest stone carving in India. Breakfast on benne dosa at Town Canteen.
- Drive: about 4½ hours, 250 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: September to March
- Stay: an estate homestay for the full experience, or Chikmagalur town for less
- By train: the nearest stations are about 40 km away
The road up Mullayanagiri is single lane, so go early to avoid getting stuck in traffic coming down.
4. Tirupati: the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara
The temple of Sri Venkateswara on the seven hills of Tirumala is one of the most visited places of worship in the world, and a weekend trip for many Bengaluru families.
Walk up the Alipiri footpath if you're fit (or drive up), visit the Sri Padmavathi Temple in Tirupati, the natural rock arch at Silathoranam, the waters of Akasa Ganga and Papavinasanam, and the Sri Kalahasti temple nearby. Take home the Tirupati laddu.
- Drive: about 4½ hours, 258 km · Ideal trip: 1–2 days
- Best months: September to February
- Stay: TTD cottages at Tirumala for budget rooms, Tirupati town for more choice
- By train: Tirupati is well connected by train
Book your darshan and TTD rooms online well ahead. Traditional dress is required for darshan.
5. Sakleshpur: estates and a star-shaped fort
Sakleshpur is the quieter, more offbeat alternative to Coorg and Chikmagalur: a Malnad hill town of coffee and cardamom estates in the Western Ghats.
Climb to Manjarabad Fort, built in the shape of a star, walk through a working coffee estate, look out over the forests from Bisle Ghat viewpoint, and visit Magajahalli Falls after the rains. The Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu are close enough for a half day. Eat Malnad chicken curry with akki rotti.
- Drive: about 4¾ hours, 237 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: July to February
- Stay: a coffee-estate homestay, usually with meals included
- Getting there: by road is simplest
The railway-track "Green Route" trek is prohibited. Don't attempt it. In the monsoon, carry salt and leech socks for estate walks.
6. Yercaud: the quiet hill station
Yercaud, in the Shevaroy hills above Salem, is a small, unhurried hill station with coffee and orange estates, a lake and wide views over the plains. It's the hill station to choose when you want quiet over sights.
Row on Yercaud Lake, watch the view from Lady's Seat and Pagoda Point, visit the Shevaroy Temple at the top of the hills, and see Killiyur Falls after the rains.
- Drive: about 4¾ hours, 181 km · Ideal trip: 1–2 days
- Best months: October to June
- Stay: near the lake, or an estate stay for more space
- By train: trains to Salem, about 30 km below
The Summer Festival in May brings crowds; any other weekend is calmer.
7. Coorg: coffee estates and misty hills
Coorg (Kodagu) is many people's favourite weekend from Bengaluru: plantation homestays, waterfalls, mist and some of the best home cooking in Karnataka.
Visit Abbey Falls, watch the sunset from Raja's Seat in Madikeri, see the elephants at Dubare in the morning and the golden Namdroling Monastery at Bylakuppe on the way in or out. For the views, take a jeep up to Mandalpatti or drive to Talakaveri, the source of the Kaveri. Eat pandi curry with kadambuttu, and drink the local coffee.
- Drive: about 5 hours, 254 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: October to May
- Stay: a plantation homestay, or Madikeri town for less
- Getting there: by road; there's no railway in Coorg
The monsoon (June to September) is lush and beautiful, but leech-heavy: carry salt and socks. We used a Coorg road trip to show how a JrnyLoop plan works, with a day-by-day example.
8. Wayanad: caves, lakes and rainforest
Wayanad, in the hills of northern Kerala, mixes spice plantations, forest, lakes and something you won't find elsewhere on this list: prehistoric rock carvings.
See the carvings in Edakkal Caves, the reservoir at Banasura Sagar Dam, Pookode Lake and Soochipara Falls, and the river islands of Kuruva. Fit trekkers can climb Chembra Peak, with its heart-shaped lake.
- Drive: about 5½ hours, 270 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: September to May
- Stay: Vythiri for resorts, Kalpetta for budget rooms
- Getting there: by road, through Mysuru
The highway through the Bandipur forest closes to traffic at night, so plan to cross it in daylight. In the monsoon, check landslide advisories before you go.
9. Gandikota: the Grand Canyon of India
Gandikota is the most surprising weekend on this list: an old fort village on the rim of a red granite gorge carved by the Pennar river, often called the Grand Canyon of India.
Watch the sunrise from the canyon viewpoint, explore the fort, the Madhavaraya Temple and the old Jamia Masjid, and spend a night camping on the canyon edge. On the way back, stop at the Belum Caves, one of the longest cave systems in India.
- Drive: about 5¾ hours, 277 km · Ideal trip: 1–2 days
- Best months: October to February
- Stay: the APTDC Haritha resort, or a canyon-edge camp
- By train: the nearest stations are about 30 km away
Shade is scarce on the rocks. Reach the canyon by 6 am, and carry plenty of water.
10. Hampi: boulders and a lost empire
The ruins of the Vijayanagara empire are scattered across a landscape of giant boulders by the Tungabhadra. It's a long weekend rather than a short one, but there's nothing else like it.
See the Virupaksha Temple, the Vittala Temple and its stone chariot, the Royal Enclosure and Lotus Mahal. Watch the sunset from Hemakuta Hill and take a coracle across the river.
- Drive: about 6 hours, 338 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: October to February
- Stay: Hampi Bazaar or "Hippie Island" across the river for budget stays
- By train: an overnight train to Hosapete, 13 km away, saves a day of driving
Rent a bicycle or an e-scooter; the ruins spread over about 25 square kilometres. Ferries to Hippie Island stop around 6 pm.
11. Pondicherry: French lanes by the sea
Pondicherry is a different world in a weekend: mustard-yellow villas in White Town, the seaside Promenade, French bakeries and slow cafés.
Walk White Town in the morning, spend an afternoon at Paradise or Serenity Beach, and visit Auroville and the Matrimandir viewing point. Rent a bicycle or a scooter to get around.
- Drive: about 6¾ hours, 334 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: October to March
- Stay: White Town for heritage villas, Auroville or Serenity Beach for less
- Getting there: by road is simplest from Bengaluru
12. Ooty and Coonoor: tea hills and a toy train
The Nilgiris are the classic south Indian hill station trip: lakes, tea estates, cool air and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage toy train.
In Ooty, see Ooty Lake, the Government Botanical Garden and Doddabetta Peak, and visit a tea factory. Ride the toy train, and spend a quieter day in Coonoor, with Sim's Park and its tea-covered slopes. Pick up homemade chocolates in Ooty.
- Drive: about 6¾ hours, 296 km · Ideal trip: 2–3 days
- Best months: March to June and September to November
- Stay: Charing Cross for the centre, Fernhill for nicer hotels, Coonoor for quiet
- By train: the toy train climbs up from Mettupalayam
The road through the Bandipur and Mudumalai forests closes at night; cross in daylight. Summer weekends (April and May) are very busy, so start early.
Which one is right for you?
- The easiest escape: Mysuru, by road or train, back by Sunday evening.
- Coffee and mist: Coorg, Chikmagalur or Sakleshpur, in an estate homestay.
- Wildlife: Kabini, with safaris booked ahead.
- History: Hampi, or Mysuru and Srirangapatna.
- Something different: Gandikota's canyon, or Pondicherry's French quarter.
- A classic hill station: Ooty and Coonoor, or quiet Yercaud.
- Pilgrimage: Tirupati, with darshan booked online.
Make it a long weekend: places that pair well
Got three or four days? Several of these work even better together, and JrnyLoop can plan them as one trip with up to three stops on the way:
- Mysuru and Coorg. Mysuru is on the road to Coorg anyway. Spend a night there, see the palace, and carry on to the hills.
- Chikmagalur, Sakleshpur, Belur and Halebidu. Two coffee towns and the finest Hoysala temples, all within a couple of hours of each other.
- Kabini and Wayanad. The forests run into each other across the state border. Safaris first, then the caves and lakes of Wayanad.
- Ooty and Coonoor. Base yourself in quieter Coonoor and spend a day in Ooty, with a ride on the toy train between them.
- Gandikota and the Belum Caves. Already close together; add a night at the canyon and the caves on the way home.
- Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram. The shore temples of Mahabalipuram are about two hours up the coast from Pondicherry.
When you add a stop on the way, JrnyLoop routes through it in order, plans what to see there if it's one of its guides, and still splits any long drive at a sensible overnight halt.
How to plan your Bengaluru weekend with JrnyLoop
If Bengaluru is your home city, JrnyLoop's home screen already shows Weekend getaways from Bengaluru: places within a day's drive, nearest first. To plan one:
- Pick the place and tap Plan a trip. Bengaluru is your start.
- Set 2 or 3 days and your dates, so JrnyLoop can check the season and the weather.
- Choose how you're going. By car, the travel day gets realistic drive times, breaks and stops worth making on the way, like Mysore Palace on the way to Coorg. By train, open Getting there, pick your train, and the day takes its real times.
- Check the budget and the packing list, and you're done.
Not sure where to go? Where can I go? shows the places that fit your days and budget, with the cost per person for each. Going with friends? Invite them and let a poll decide.
Tips for weekend trips from Bengaluru
- Beat the Friday traffic. Leaving the city after work can take hours. An early Saturday start is often faster.
- Cross the forests in daylight. The highways through Bandipur and Mudumalai close at night, which matters for Ooty and Wayanad.
- Book homestays and safaris early. The best Coorg and Chikmagalur estates, and Kabini's safari seats, go weeks ahead for weekends.
- Watch the monsoon. The Western Ghats are gorgeous from June to September, but plan for rain, leeches and the odd landslide.
- Keep the plan offline. Estates and ghat roads often have no signal. Open the trip in the JrnyLoop app before you leave.
Pick your weekend
Bengaluru's weekends are hard to beat: coffee country, a palace, a canyon or a toy train, all within a day's drive. Pick one and plan your weekend getaway on JrnyLoop.
Going in the cool months? See our places to visit in India in winter. Driving yourself? Read how to plan a road trip in India.
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