Mysore tourism has grown over the years as millions of tourists have opted to travel this city often referred as the cultural capital of Karnataka State in India. The palaces are prime tourism attractions in Mysore that is why the city is called the City of Palaces. Mysore is a nice tourism destination to travel along with your entire family. The people of Mysore are generally very nice and always helpful to the tourists.
Another strong tourism point for Mysore is cleanliness. Mysore is the second cleanest city in India. The rich culture and history are major plus point for Mysore tourism. Mysore is great combination of old history and modern technology that adds to the charm of this city. Tourists often fall in love with Mysore. Without doubt Mysore is one of the finest holiday destinations in South India.
When to Go
The peak tourism period of Mysore is from October to March. The weather during this period is quite pleasant to travel Mysore. The temperature varies between 16 to 27 C. Weather conditions during summer in Mysore is not suitable for tourists due to hot weather. The temperature could touch around 40 during the summer. Monsoon weather could be extreme there tourists should avoid a trip to Mysore during Monsoon.
Places of Attractions
Mysore Palace - The biggest tourism attraction in the city is Mysore Palace also known as Amba Vilas Mysore Palace. Millions of tourists travel Mysore to see the palace. Rosewood doors, ivort work, marble figurines and several paintings adds to the beauty of the Mysore Palace. This palace was once home of the famous King Tippu Sultan. During the night over 100,000 bulbs gives a unique view of the palace. This view is only offered for one hour 7PM to 8PM on Weekends and national holidays.
Chamundi Hills - The Chamundi Hills are around 8 to 10 km from the Mysore. The Chamundi Hills are famous for the Chamundeshwari temple situated atop the hills at the height of 3,489 ft. The architecture and design of the temple is very beautiful.
Brindavan Gardens - The Brindavan Gardens of Mysore is a beautiful garden that has a botanical park, fountains and much more. The Brindavan Gardens is good place to travel with your entire family. Take a boat ride with your children and enjoy the picnic. The best attraction of Brindavan Gardens is Musical Fountain. The light show at the Musical Fountain begins at 7PM in the evening.
Mysore Zoo - Another popular tourism attraction in the city is Mysore Zoo or Shri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens. The Mysore Zoo is among the oldest zoo in India. There are animals from more than 40 different countries in the Mysore zoo. The main attractions are White Tiger, Elephants, Royal Bengal tigers, Himalayan black bear. The Mysore zoo also attracts thousands of migrating birds during the winter season. Tourists visiting Mysore during October to January should visit the zoo for birdwatching.
St.Philomena's Church - The St.Philomena's Church is one of the largest and most majestic churches in India. The design of the St.Philomena's Church was inspired from the Cologne Cathedral.
Railway Museum - The Railway Museum of Mysore is the second rail museum to be opened in India. The museum exhibits the evolution of Indian Railways during the period of more than 100 years ago. Sri Ranga Pavilion, the royal coaches that belonged to the King of Mysore is the prime attraction of the Railway Museum.
Jaganmohan Palace - The Jaganmohan Palace served as the temporary home of the royal family after Mysore Palace was burnt down in the fire. During the reconstruction of the Mysore Palace, Jaganmohan Palace was the home of royal family. Today the Jaganmohan Palace has been turned into a art gallery that showcases art of talented Indian artists.
Lalitha Mahal Palace - The King Kirshna Raja Wodeyar Bahaddur IV built this palace to host Viceroy of India. The palace was built in 1931 and it is located near the Chamundi Hills. This palace has now turned into a hotel.
Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion - The palace was constructed by the Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar for his eldest daughter. The giant palace is spread in the area of 6 acres.
Karanji Kere Lake - The Karanji Lake is a very beautiful lake situated behind the Mysore zoo on the footstep of Chamundi Hills. The lake was built 100 years ago. Today it is a nice place to for birdwatching. Several species of migrating birds come to the region. Romantic couples should visit the lake and take a boating trip.
Kukkarahalli Lake - This lake is home of 180 species of birds. Tourists who love wildlife photography should visit the Kukkarahalli Lake.
Shopping in Mysore
The city of Mysore is famous for silks, Jasmine, Sandalwood, handicrafts and stone carving. Shopping in Mysore is a great experience. The best shopping opportunities in Mysore are offered at the Krishnaraja Circle, Devaraja Market, Ashoka Road and Dhanvantri Road.
Hotels in Mysore
There are plenty of hotels in Mysore with world class amenities. Some of the palaces are also turned into hotels in Mysore. Although these palace hotels in Mysore are bit expensive, nevertheless there are plenty of budget hotels in Mysore as well. Most of the Mysore hotels are well positioned around the popular tourism attractions in the city. Some good hotels in Mysore include Nalapad Residency, Hotel Paradise Mysore, Ginger Hotel Mysore, Hotel Sandesh, Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel etc. You can book hotels in Mysore via Easy Destination. Using our hotel price comparison service you will be able to find the best deal available for the hotels in Mysore.
How to Reach
By Air - The Mysore Airport is around 12km from the city. Mysore airport is a domestic airport. Airlines like Kingfisher operate flights to Mysore. There are flights to Mysore from Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Mumbai etc.
International tourists who want to travel Mysore will have to land at the Devanahalli Bangalore International Airport that is around 170km from Mysore. Several airlines operates international flights to Bangalore.
By Train - Reaching Mysore via train is quite easy and affordable. There are daily trains to the main train station of city - Mysore Junction to the city Bangalore.
The superfast Shatabadi Express that starts from Chennai then Bangalore to Mysore is the most comfortable way to travel. Shatabadi Express takes 7 hours to reach Mysore from Chennai and 2 hours to reach from Bangalore.
Apart from Shatabadi Express there are plenty of other trains from the Indian Railways from Bangalore to Mysore. The Tippu Express covers the journey from Bangalore to Mysore of 140km in 2.5 hours.
By Road - Mysore is well connected via road. There is a bus almost every 5 to 10 minutes from Bangalore to Mysore. The KSRTC buses to Mysore are quite comfortable especially the luxury Volvo buses. The price of the bus ticket from Bangalore to Mysore is Rs.250 or $7.
Mysore can also be reached by car. Tourists can hire a car in Bangalore to travel Mysore. You may find heavy traffic on the highway that connects Bangalore and Mysore. Its better to travel Mysore by train instead of car. Besides since all tourism attractions in Mysore are walking distance you don't really need to hire a car. Hiring Car for Mysore could be quite expensive.
