Weekend Getaways from Bangalore: Best Places to Visit near Bangalore

The capital of the south Indian state ‘Karnataka’, Bangalore is known for its blooming gardens and IT parks. The city is home to several prestigious software companies, educational institutes, tele-communications and defense organizations. The city is ideally known as ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and can be rightly called the ‘Country of the Geek’. The breathtaking botanical gardens and inspiring temples adds more charm of the city. 

With rapid industrial development, pollution and hustle bustle of the cramped and crowded city, it becomes quite difficult to cope up with the pressures of day to day life. The city of Bangalore is encompassed by architectural gems, wonderful landscapes and beautiful places that are diverse and have not been explored as much as they deserve. A Bangalore Weekend Getaway package is a good opportunity for tourists who want to spend some quality with their dear ones, away from the hustle bustle of the city life. 

Mysore

Located 143 kilometers southwest of Bangalore, just about 3.5 hours drive from the city, Mysore offers a perfect juxtaposition of traditional culture still preserved and fast growth towards modernity. It is one of the most important tourist hubs in Karnataka and noted for its beautiful architecture.

It was once a sleepy city and later evolved into a city of apartments, complexes, malls, supermarkets and IT companies. One of the most important attractions in Mysore is Mysore Palace, a beautifully built palace with rosewood doors having ornamental carvings and inlaid ivory works. The palace is illuminated with nearly 1 lakh bulbs during weekends from 7 PM to 8 PM.

Coorg

If your idea of a weekend getaway from Bangalore is all about high hills covered with greenery, Coorg, also known as ‘Scotland of India’, is an ideal place for your family to spend a memorable weekend. Nestled amidst the lush Western Ghats, Coorg offers wonderful natural beauty with waterfalls and lush green coffee plantations. Some popular attractions in Coorg include Abbey Falls, Mallali Falls, Honnamana Kere and wildlife parks such as Nagarhole National Park and Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Ooty

Positioned 265 kilometers away from Bangalore, Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is a picturesque hill station in the Nilgiris district. It is one of the most picturesque hill resorts which wrap vast tea gardens, lovely breeze, green pastures and scenery. The town is famous for its abundant natural beauty and is clearly evident through some of the most popular tourist places in Ooty. Some of the popular attractions in Ooty include Botanical Garden, St. Stephen’s Church, Rose Garden and Ooty Lake.

[Check out some of the best hill stations in India to plan your summer holidays]

Bandipur National Park

Located just 217 kilometers away from Bangalore, Bandipur National Park is one of the oldest wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka. It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is highly protected by the Indian government. It is home to 70 Royal Bengal Tigers and over 3,000 Indian elephants. The park is also famous for its sandalwood trees and rare species of timber and bamboo trees. Due to fine weather conditions throughout the year, the Bandipur National Park can be visited anytime from April to October.

[Don't missout to see top national parks in India]

Wayanad

Located 265 kilometers away from Bangalore, Wayanad is one of the most exotic and picturesque hill stations in Karnataka. It has been the most charming place for nature lovers. The aesthetic locales, rippled topography, craggy terrains and picturesque scenery from all across the country. A sheer heaven for all nature lovers, Waynad is home to some major tourist attractions such as Pookat Lake, Banasura Sagar Dam and Soochippara Waterfalls.

Jog Falls

Cascading from a height of 253 meters, Jog Falls is arguably the tallest waterfall in India. It constitutes of four different cascades- locally known as Raja, Rani, Rover and Rocket. These four cascades combine to form a huge waterfall. The waterfall is locally known as Geruoppe Falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi. Other places to visit near the falls include Dabbe Falls, Tunga Anicut Dam, Thyvare Koppa Lion and Linganamakki Dam. 

Tirupati

Located 251 kilometers east of Bangalore, Tirupati is an important cultural and pilgrimage site in Chittoor District. It is located at the foothills of Eastern Ghats and houses richest temple, Venkateswara Swamy Temple, and thus regarded as one of the best options for weekend getaway from Bangalore. The temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara and the main attraction which compels thousands of pilgrims to set on a trip to the region. Tirupati is the busiest and one of the most important pilgrimage centers in the world.

[Also check out the top 10 temple in India]

Hampi

It would not be an overstatement to call Hampi as the land of architectural delight. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hampi summons scores of tourists from all around the world. It is a charismatic land known for its 500 plus monuments of the 15th century Vijayanagar Empire. The monolithic sculptures and monuments of Hampi represent creative talent of human being which makes this place the most stupendous one. It is located at a distance of 344 kilometers away from Hampi.

[Read more about Hampi Group of Monuments]

Kabini

One of the most popular wildlife destinations in Karnataka, The Kabini Forest Reserve is known for its accessibility, verdant landscape surrounding a lake, and sights of elephant herds. It is situated on the banks of the Kabini River and is spread over 55 acres of forestland, water bodies and steep valleys. Considered to be one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, Kabini, located 218 kilometers away from Bangalore, is famous for its spectacular wildlife and birdlife.

[Here are some more wildlife vacation ideas in India]

Madikeri

Abbi falls in Madikeri

Located 266 kilometers away from Bangalore, Madikeri is beautifully situated in the centre of Coorg, a popular hill station in Karnataka, India. Also known as Mercara, Madikeri is a congested market town that is spread out alongside a series of ridges. It is a popular weekend getaway from Bangalore and is highly popular among trekking enthusiasts. Huthri, a weeklong festival that commemorates the start of the rice harvesting season, is celebrated in Madikeri around November and December. 

Pattadakal

Also known as the ‘City of Crown Rubies’, Pattadakal is a World Heritage Site famous for the Chalukya monuments. The town consists of 10 temples, each of which displays interesting architectural features that are a mix of different northern and southern Indian architectural forms.

9 out of 10 temples are Hindu temples and the remaining one is a Jain temple. The 7th and 8th century monuments still stand tall with the passage of time and attract tourists in numbers. It is located 443 kilometers away from Bangalore. 

Srirangapatna

Located 125 kilometers away from Bangalore, the fort town of Srirangapatna is steeped in bloody history and is built on an island straddling the Cauvery River. The former seat of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan’s power, Srirangapatnam was the de facto capital of south India during the 18th century. There are lots of resorts and lodges that make for budget accommodation in the town. 

Hassan

Located 189 kilometers away from Bangalore, Hassan is a quiet and peaceful town that dates back to the 11th century, during the Hoysala dynasty. It lasted from the 11th and the 14th century. The city is named after the Hindu goddess ‘Hassanamba’, the city’s goddess and presiding deity. Some people consider it the temple-architectural capital of Karnataka. 

The list of weekend Getaway from Bangalore ends here. However, if you do not wish to step outside your home, then you can also spend the day in the city at many of its popular hangout places. Some top places to visit in Bangalore include Cubbon Park, Lal Bagh, Vidhan Soudha and Tipu Sultan Palace.

Interested in these ideas? Plan your escape by selecting one of the 75 weekend Getaway from Bangalore at IndianHoliday.com

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