Mysore Travel Guide
Plan your visit to Mysore, Karnataka: the best time to go, how to reach, what to see, and practical, current tips from the Way to India Travel Desk.
When to visit Mysore, and the illumination nights
The best months are October to March, and the great show is the lit palace, but only on certain nights. Time your visit to a Sunday, a holiday, or the October Dasara.
- October to March: pleasantThe comfortable season for the palace, Chamundi Hill and the gardens, with the great Dasara festival falling in this window. April onwards grows hot.
- Come for an illumination nightThe palace is lit with nearly 100,000 bulbs only on Sundays, public holidays and during Dasara, for about an hour in the evening. If the lit palace matters to you, plan your visit to fall on one of these nights.
- Dasara, the great festivalMysore Dasara runs in 2026 from about 11 October to Vijayadashami on 21 October, with the palace lit nightly and the famous Jamboo Savari elephant procession on the final day. It is spectacular but the most crowded time, so book far ahead.
The palace interior closes by 5:30 pm, and the illumination (free to watch from the grounds) is only on Sundays, holidays and during Dasara, around 7 pm to 8 pm. So see the inside by day and the lights on the right evening; they are two separate visits.
How to reach Mysore
Mysore is an easy trip from Bengaluru, now much faster on the new expressway, and a good railway hub in its own right.
- By road on the new expresswayMysore is about 145 km from Bengaluru, and the new expressway has cut the drive to about 90 minutes to two hours (it used to be three to four), with a car toll of around 165 rupees one way. An easy day or weekend trip.
- By trainMysore is a railway hub with frequent trains from Bengaluru, including fast services, and connections across the south. A comfortable, scenic way to arrive.
- By airMysore has a small airport with limited flights; most visitors fly into Bengaluru and drive or train down. We arrange a car and driver for the day or the wider Karnataka loop.
Fly into Bengaluru, then drive or train to Mysore in about two hours. It is the royal heritage city of the south, easily paired with Coorg and Ooty.
Fly into Bengaluru and continue to Mysore on the expressway. It pairs with Hampi and the Hoysala temples for a Karnataka heritage trip.
Bengaluru is the hub by air and rail; from there Mysore is a quick expressway drive or a fast train, often combined with Srirangapatna on the way.
The Palace, Chamundi Hill and Brindavan
Mysore's draws cluster close: the great palace in the centre, the temple-topped Chamundi Hill, and the musical-fountain gardens at Brindavan.
- The Mysore PalaceThe opulent Indo-Saracenic palace of the Wodeyars, open about 10 am to 5:30 pm; entry about 70 rupees for Indians and 200 for foreign nationals, under-10s free. Cameras are deposited at the gate (no photography inside), with a separate grounds camera fee of about 50 rupees.
- Chamundi Hill and the templeAbout 13 km up, the Chamundeshwari temple, the giant monolithic Nandi bull on the steps, and a fine view over the city. Darshan runs about 7:30 am to 2 pm, 3:30 pm to 6 pm and 7:30 pm to 9 pm, so plan around the midday break; you can drive up or climb the thousand-odd steps.
- Brindavan GardensThe terraced gardens below the KRS dam at Srirangapatna, about 21 km away, famous for the evening musical fountain (around 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on weekdays, later at weekends). Entry about 50 rupees per adult.
- The zoo, the church and the marketThe Mysore Zoo (one of India's oldest and best), the neo-Gothic St Philomena's Church, the Jaganmohan art gallery and the colourful Devaraja Market round out a full day or two.
Photography is not allowed inside the palace, so cameras and sometimes phones are deposited at the entrance; the grounds and the exterior are fine. Plan the inside by day and the illumination on the right evening. The next section ties the palace and Dasara together.
The Palace and the Dasara
Mysore is its palace and its Dasara, the royal heritage of the Wodeyars made visible in stained glass, carved doors, and a hundred thousand lights. Here is how to see them at their best.
- See the inside by dayTour the palace interior (about 10 am to 5:30 pm) for the Durbar Hall, the stained glass, the carved doors and the royal portraits, ideally with a guide to tell the Wodeyar story. Cameras are left at the gate.
- See the lights on the right nightCome back in the evening on a Sunday, a public holiday or during Dasara for the illumination, when nearly 100,000 bulbs trace the palace against the night. It is free from the grounds and the photograph everyone remembers.
- Plan around DasaraIf you want the full Dasara (around 11 to 21 October in 2026), with the lit palace nightly and the Jamboo Savari elephant procession on Vijayadashami, book accommodation and any procession seating far ahead, as the city fills.
- Climb to Chamundi for the viewPair the palace with Chamundi Hill, the goddess who gives the festival its meaning. Go in the cool morning, take in the Nandi and the city view, and time it around the temple's midday closure.
The silk, the sandalwood and Srirangapatna
Beyond the palace, Mysore is a city of crafts and a gateway to Tipu Sultan's island fortress.
- Buy genuine Mysore silkMysore silk sarees, woven with real gold zari, are a signature buy. Purchase from a Karnataka Silk Industries (KSIC) showroom for the genuine article, as imitations are widely sold.
- And real sandalwoodMysore is the home of sandalwood; buy the oil, soap and carvings from the government Cauvery emporium for authenticity, and enjoy the scent through the old city.
- Taste Mysore PakThe rich gram-flour-and-ghee sweet was born in the palace kitchens. Try it fresh from a famous local sweet shop, along with the city's good South Indian food.
- A half-day at SrirangapatnaAbout 15 km away, Tipu Sultan's island capital, with his summer palace (Daria Daulat Bagh), the fort and the Gumbaz mausoleum, is a rewarding history stop on the Bengaluru road.
Mistakes to avoid in Mysore
Mysore is easy and rewarding, but a few things catch visitors out.
- Do not expect the lights every nightThe illumination is only on Sundays, public holidays and during Dasara. If you want the lit palace, plan your visit to fall on one of those evenings.
- Do not carry a camera into the palacePhotography is banned inside and cameras are deposited at the gate. Take your palace photos of the exterior and the grounds, and enjoy the interior with your eyes.
- Do not buy fake silk or sandalwoodImitations abound. Buy silk from a KSIC showroom and sandalwood from the Cauvery emporium for the genuine article and a fair price.
- Do not under-plan a Dasara visitDuring Dasara (mid-October 2026) the city is packed and rooms and procession seats go early. Book far ahead, or visit just before or after for a calmer trip.
Mysore for every kind of traveller
Mysore suits very different visitors. Here is what it offers you, and the one tip that matters for each.
- Families with childrenThe palace, the zoo, the musical fountain and the Chamundi Nandi are a great family mix. Plan an illumination evening and the zoo, and keep Dasara in mind for the elephants.
- Heritage and history loversThe Wodeyar palace, Srirangapatna's Tipu Sultan sites and the art gallery reward a guided, unhurried day or two. Read the royal and the Tipu stories as you go.
- Senior travellersVery comfortable: the palace is largely flat and the drive from Bengaluru is now short. For Chamundi, drive up rather than climb the steps, and time the temple around its midday break.
- PhotographersThe lit palace on a Sunday or Dasara night, the Indo-Saracenic detail, the Dasara elephants and the Chamundi view. The illumination evening is the shot; remember no cameras inside by day.
- ShoppersGenuine Mysore silk (KSIC) and sandalwood (Cauvery emporium), plus the Devaraja Market for spices and incense. Buy authentic, not the roadside copies.
- Budget and weekend travellersCheap and easy from Bengaluru on the expressway, with low entry fees and good cheap food. A perfect short heritage break.
Planning Mysore from abroad
Mysore is the royal heritage city of the south, an easy and rewarding trip from Bengaluru for overseas and NRI travellers, with the palace, the Dasara and the silk.
- Make it a trip from BengaluruFly into Bengaluru, then drive the new expressway (about 90 minutes to two hours) or take a fast train. Mysore pairs with Srirangapatna, Coorg, Hampi and the Hoysala temples.
- Time the palace and the lightsSee the interior by day (about 10 am to 5:30 pm, cameras left at the gate) and the illumination on a Sunday, holiday or Dasara evening. For Dasara (mid-October 2026) and the elephant procession, book far ahead.
- Buy genuine silk and sandalwoodTake home real Mysore silk from a KSIC showroom and sandalwood from the Cauvery emporium, classic, authentic gifts from the royal city.
- Gentle and senior-friendlyThe palace is flat and the drive is short. For older parents, drive up Chamundi Hill rather than the steps, time the temple around its midday break, and let us arrange the car and the guide.
Tour packages that visit Mysore
Every journey below is private, hand-crafted and fully customizable. Tell us your dates and we tailor the itinerary, the pace and the priests or guides around you.
6D / 5NBangalore Mysore Ooty Kodaikanal Tour Package
- Visit Famous Brindavan Garden
- Visit Bandipur National Park
7D / 6NBangalore Mysore Ooty Tour Package
- Visit Vidhan Sudha
- Visit Nandi Temple
5D / 4NBangalore Mysore Coorg Tour Package
- Visit Tipu Sultan’s palace
- Visit Bangalore Palace
6D / 5NSai Baba of Puttaparthi Tour
- Visit Cubbon Park
- Visit Srirangapatnam
6D / 5NCoorg Kabini Tour Package
- Visit Cubbon Park & Bull Temple
- Visit Dariya Daulat Palace
7D / 6NBangalore Mysore Ooty Coorg tour package
- Visit Tipu Sultan’s Palace
- Visit Chamundi Hill
4D / 3NBangalore Mysore Ooty Package
- Visit Mysore Palace & Brindavan Garden at Mysore.
- Visit Doddabeta peak in Ooty.
7D / 6NKarnataka Heritage Tour
- Visit Bangalore Sightseeing.
- Visit Mysore Palace.