Royal Karnataka & The Finest Hill Stations of South India
Seven days through the most beautiful landscapes of southern Karnataka and the Tamil Nadu highlands — a circuit that connects India's technology capital, a royal Maharaja city, the UNESCO Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and one of the most dramatically situated hill stations in all of India.
Bangalore opens the tour with its garden heritage and colonial-era palaces. Mysore — the most gracious city in Karnataka — follows with two full days for the palace, Chamundi Hills, the Silk Factory, and Brindavan Gardens. The drive through Bandipur National Park leads up the 36 hairpin bends of the Ooty ghat.
Ooty at 2,240 metres — India's most famous hill station — gives you the Botanical Garden and Doddabetta Peak before the road descends and climbs again to Kodaikanal on the Palani plateau at 2,133 metres. Kodaikanal is geologically, botanically, and visually different: more rugged, more dramatic, with the extraordinary Coaker's Walk cliff promenade and the shola forests of Berijam Lake Reserve.
What makes this journey special
Your journey, unfolded
Welcome to South India! Transfer from Bangalore Airport. Lalbagh Botanical Garden (240 acres, Victorian glasshouse). Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace (1784, teak and ivory, now a museum). Drive past Vidhana Soudha. Evening: Bangalore's vibrant dining scene.
Drive to Mysore (145 km, 3 hrs). Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas) in Indo-Saracenic grandeur. Chamundi Hills for the Sri Chamundeshwari Temple and giant Nandi sculpture. Devaraja Market at dusk.
Jaganmohan Art Gallery. Mysore Silk Factory tour. Brindavan Gardens (19 km) and the Musical Fountain evening show. Sunday visitors: Mysore Palace illumination at 7 PM.
Drive south (125 km, 4 hrs) through Bandipur National Park — elephants, bison, and deer commonly seen. Climb the 36-hairpin Ooty ghat road. Arrive Ooty at 2,240m. Evening stroll through colonial-era town.
Morning in Ooty: Botanical Garden (22 ha, 1848; fossilised tree 20m years old) and Doddabetta Peak (2,637m). Drive to Kodaikanal (190 km, ~5 hrs through Palani Hills). Arrive at 2,133m. Evening walk around Kodaikanal Lake.
Full day in Kodaikanal. Coaker's Walk — 1 km promenade on the cliff edge with 2,000m drops to the plains (a telescope for long-distance viewing). Pillar Rocks — three 122m vertical granite pillars above the valley. Berijam Lake — 25 km through dense shola forest reserve (permit arranged by us). Bear Shola Falls. Evening: Kodaikanal Solar Observatory — one of Asia's oldest.
Final morning in Kodaikanal — a walk by the lake as the mist clears from the valley. Descend to Coimbatore Airport (100 km, ~3 hrs) for your departure, or continue to Madurai (120 km) for the Meenakshi Amman Temple — one of India's greatest temple complexes.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included ✓
- ✓ Accommodation in handpicked hotels throughout
- ✓ Daily breakfast throughout
- ✓ Private air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers
- ✓ English-speaking driver-guide throughout
- ✓ All applicable taxes
- ✓ Airport / station transfers
- ✓ Mysore Palace guided tour
- ✓ Brindavan Gardens entry
- ✓ Ooty Botanical Garden entry
- ✓ Berijam Lake forest permit (arranged by us)
Not Included ✗
- ✗ Flights / trains to / from destination
- ✗ Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- ✗ Lunches & dinners (except where specified)
- ✗ Personal expenses & shopping
- ✗ Gratuities for guides & drivers
- ✗ Temple / monument entry fees (unless stated)
- ✗ Nilgiri Mountain Railway (optional — book separately via IRCTC)
- ✗ Bandipur jungle safari (optional)
- ✗ Kodaikanal Solar Observatory entry (nominal)
Your questions, answered
Ooty sits on the Nilgiri plateau — rolling hills, tea estates, pine forests, English colonial character. Kodaikanal is on a granite plateau in the Palani Hills — more rugged and dramatic, with spectacular cliff-edge walks, shola forests, and a lake in a natural amphitheatre. Generally quieter and less commercial. Both are included in this tour and the contrast is remarkable.
Yes — Berijam Lake is 25 km from Kodaikanal through one of Tamil Nadu's finest montane shola forests. A Forest Department permit is required (limited to ~60 vehicles/day — we arrange this in advance). Allow 4–5 hours for the round trip. The forest drive is as rewarding as the lake itself.
Absolutely. Every Discover India tour is fully private and tailored to you. We can adjust duration, swap destinations, or add extensions. Submit an enquiry — no obligation.
We include carefully vetted 4-star and 5-star hotels throughout — heritage properties, boutique city hotels, and resort stays. Upgrades available on request.
Most nationalities can apply for an Indian e-Visa at indianvisaonline.gov.in. Takes 3–5 business days. Apply at least 2 weeks before travel.
October to March is ideal — cooler temperatures, clear skies, and the post-monsoon lush landscape. Ooty and Kodaikanal are pleasant almost year-round; June–September brings mist and mild rains to the Nilgiris.
60+ days: full refund minus admin fee. 30–59 days: 75% refund. 15–29 days: 50%. Under 15 days: no refund. Travel insurance strongly recommended.
