Karnataka covers more ground than most people expect. Hampi is a boulder-strewn ruined capital you need two days for. Coorg and Chikmagalur are coffee country with hills to match. Mysuru has the palace, the Western Ghats have Jog Falls, and the coast at Gokarna and Murudeshwar is quieter than Goa an hour north.
What you actually see
Hampi
A ruined Vijayanagara capital spread across a boulder field.
Mysore Palace
Lit up on Sunday nights, and worth timing your visit for.
Coorg
Coffee estates, misty mornings and the Raja's Seat sunset.
Jog Falls
253 m in four separate drops — deafening in monsoon.
Bandipur
Elephants and tigers, on the road between Mysuru and Ooty.
Murudeshwar
A 37 m Shiva statue looking out over the Arabian Sea.
When to go
October – February
The best all-round window — dry, cool, and comfortable at Hampi.
June – September
Monsoon. Jog Falls is at full roar and the coffee hills are green.
March – May
Hot inland; the hill stations and the coast stay manageable.
Karnataka in photos
Photos from trips we have run.
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