Wonders of Karnataka Tour

You will be met at Bengaluru International Airport by your Authentic India Tours representative and transferred to your hotel in Mysuru, a city with a rich cultural heritage, which is located at the foot of the Chamundi hills.

Later in the day you can visit the Chamundi Hills and the famous Nandi Bull Statue,

Any trip to India should include some souvenir shopping and this evening there will be plenty of time to admire the colourful silks Mysure is famous for. These can be purchased from shops around the city, You can also take a stroll through the 125 year old Devaraja fruit and vegtable market. With its vibrant colours, array of smells and multitude of people, this place never disappoints. With more than 700 stalls and dedicated lines, it’s always bustling with energy.

Approximate travel time and distance: 3 – 4 hours, 150 kms

Accommodation: Royal Orchid Metropole, Mysuru

Meals included: Breakfast

An exciting day is on the cards for all for culture lovers with a morning tour of Mysuru. As the former capital of the Kingdom of Mysuru, it is known as the ‘City of Palaces’. The most spectacular of these is Mysuru Palace, with its high domed ceilings, ornate marble pillars and towering stone arches. After visiting the palace, we drive to the Sri Rangapattanam district to see the Tipu Sultan’s lavish Summer Palace and the ruins of the Tipu Sultan’s Fort, both of which boast large, manicured gardens.

In the afternoon you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city with a trip to the famous Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. Enjoy a rowing boat cruise along the River Cauvery, where you will see hundreds of birds roosting on the rocks, gliding across the water, or fishing for food. Expect to see sleek black cormorants, river terns and black crowned night herons.

Accommodation: Royal Orchid Metropole, Mysuru

Meals included: Breakfast

The next couple of days is a real treat for nature lovers. After breakfast, you travel to Nagarhole National Park, which is amongst the most popular national parks in India. It’s an area of lush forest threaded by the Kabini River and backwaters, which provides water for hundreds of different animals. Here you can spot wild elephants and sometimes even a tiger.

In the afternoon, explore a forest track in a jeep, looking out for animals hidden in the undergrowth, before taking a motor boat and canoe ride across the reservoir. You will spend the night in a luxury safari lodge, giving you the opportunity to pamper yourself whilst surrounded by nature.

Approximate travel time and distance: 2 hours, 90 kms

Accommodation: Kaav Safari Lodge, Begur

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Spend the day at one with nature in the national park.

An early morning game drive is recommended, as the animals are most active at this time of day. You will be travelling in an open-top vehicle, so make sure you bring something warm to wear. Look out for elephants, tigers, spotted deer, mongoose, peacocks and jungle fowl.

Later you can go on an expedition with a local naturalist, so make sure you pack sunscreen and a hat.

Accommodation: Kaav Safari Lodge, Begur

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and Dinner

This morning, is your last chance to experience an early morning game drive with a local wildlife expert in Nagarhole National Park.

In the afternoon we drive to the thriving hill station of Kodagu, a tranquil area with green, tea-carpeted hills, misty forests and numerous coffee and spice plantations. Kodagu is well known as the place where most Indian coffee is produced, but it is also home to a large variety of animals.

On route visit the Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe, where colourful prayer flags flutter in the wind. Here you can experience the Golden Temple, ornately decorated both on the inside and the outside with vibrant friezes of Tibetan art, regularly used by the monks as a place of worship and prayer.

You will spend the night at a boutique homestay on a coffee and pepper plantation.

Approximate travel time and distance: 3 hours, 120 kms

Accommodation: School Estate, Kodagu

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Spend the day relaxing and exploring the tranquil 200 acre estate, where you will find cardamom, coffee, pepper and areca nut plantations.

Accommodation: School Estate, Kodagu

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today you leave the natural beauty spot of Kodagu for a mountainous drive to the town of Hassan, located in the heart of the Malanad region.

The district of Hassan provides the culture injection you want when you visit India. It has a rich heritage, and was at the height of its glory during the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 10^th to the 14^thcenturies. Here you will discover the World Heritage Site Hoysala Temples, as well as ancient Jain monuments.

Approximate travel time and distance: 3 hours, 100 kms

Accommodation: Hoysala Village, Hassan

Meals included: Breakfast

Today your day will be packed with the fascinating history of the Hoysala Empire as you visit the heritage towns of Belur and Halabidu.

First, you will visit Belur, a UNESCO world heritage site. Here you will be amazed by the intricate carvings and statues of the Chennakeshava and Veeranrayana Temples, which should be top of any South Indian temples to visit.

This is followed by a visit to Halebidu, the regal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th Century. You will have the chance to admire the ornate Hoysaleswara Temple, before returning to the Holsaya Village for a second night.

Accommodation: Hoysala Village, Hassan

Meals included: Breakfast

Today we embark on a long journey to the beautiful town of Hampi, which has been charming travellers throughout the ages.

Hampi rose to fame in the 14^th century, when it became the capital of the great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously rich Princes built a myriad of Dravidian temples and palaces for people to admire, but 200 years later the Deccan sultans had pillaged and abandoned it. Hampi is now a UNESCO world heritage site, making it a destination not to be missed when you visit India. Your accommodation tonight is at the Heritage Resort Hampi, a luxury resort with an in-house organic farm.

Approximate travel time and distance: 7 hours, 340 kms

Accommodation: The Heritage Resort, Hampi

Meals included: Breakfast

You will have 2 days to discover and explore this wonderful world heritage site. The ancient ruins and temples of Hampi are surrounded by lime green paddy fields, banana plantations and surreal hillsides littered with large, rust coloured boulders.

Your tour will include the most important ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire, including the imposing Virupakhsha Temple, located on the banks of River Tungabhadra. You will also visit the Elephant Stables, where they used to ‘park’ the royal elephants in 11 domed chambers, and the intricately carved palace known as the Royal Enclosure.

On day 11 you can also start your day with a pre-dawn walk to Matanga Hill to watch the sunrise. Hampi is one place where it pays to wander. Jump on a coracle across the Tughabadhra River to reach the hilltop ‘Monkey Temple’ – a fabulous viewpoint – or follow the sandy tracks east through fields littered with chunks of carved masonry and discarded colonnades to discover forgotten cave shrines and reliefs sculpted from giant boulders.

Accommodation: The Heritage Resort, Hampi

Meals included: Breakfast

As you travel to Badami, you can immerse yourself in history by visiting the cultural centres of Aihole and Pattadakal. Aihole is one of the oldest settlements in India, home to impressive rock carvings and temples including the fascinating 5th Century Lad Khan Temple. Pattadakal, now a world heritage site, is a complex of 7^th and 8^th Century Jain and Hindu temples. It provides an excellent example of the eclectic architecture of the Chalukya dynasty, which combined aspects of North and South Indian styles.

This evening’s tour features the famous rock cut cave temples of Badami, which were carved deep into the rock during the 6^th & 7^th Centuries.

Approximate travel time and distance: 4 hours, 180 kms

Accommodation: Krishna Heritage, Badami

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast you will be driven to the coastal state of Goa. The area is famed for its relaxed atmosphere and golden sand beaches, fringed with coconut palms.

Arrive in time for a dip in the ocean and to sip on a cocktail as you watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea. You will spend the night at the Coconut Creek Resort, a beautiful laid back beach resort.

Approximate travel time and distance: 5 – 6 hours, 240 kms

Accommodation: Coconut Creek Resort, Goa

Meals included: Breakfast

Spend the day lounging on the beach, soaking up warm rays of Indian sun and swimming in the sea.

For those looking for something a little more active, take a trip into the nearby town of Panaji, a former Portuguese colony. Wander the winding cobbled streets of its Old Town, where you will discover all sorts of hidden gems, including art galleries, churches and museums.

Several nearby beaches, such as Calangute, also host weekly street markets. Here you can purchase colourful clothing, handicrafts and spices as souvenirs.

Accommodation: Coconut Creek Resort, Goa

Meals included: Breakfast

All good things must come to an end and today in plenty of time you will be taken to Goa International Airport for your flight home or to your next destination.

Meals included: Breakfast

Pricing and Inclusions

The price guide for this 16 day Karnataka tour package is

• £2890 in low season
• £3090 in high season

The prices do not include flights.

Authentic India Tours is a member of ABTA and ATOL. All the holidays on this website are ABTA protected. If you would like us to arrange your holiday including flights we will be happy to provide a quote and your holiday will also be ATOL protected.

This is a private tour and can be tailor-made to meet your exact requirements. Prices will vary depending on the number of people, length of tour, accommodation & season. Reductions are normally available for groups of three or more. Some hotels operate an additional peak pricing rate during busy times which is normally from mid December to mid January.

Please get in touch with your dates and we will be pleased to provide you with your personal itinerary and accurate quote.

Included with this South India tour are the following:

• Authentic India Tours meet & greet assistance on arrival
• All internal transfers and sightseeing tours using an air-conditioned vehicle
• Accommodation for 15 nights on twin sharing basis
• Standard category rooms at all hotels unless otherwise mentioned
• Meal plan: Kaav Safari Lodge & School Estate on full board; Bed & Breakfast elsewhere
• English speaking guide for sightseeing tour of Mysuru (Mysore), Hassan, Hampi & Badami
• Entrances at all national parks, museums and monuments as per the itinerary
• Mineral water on all days of travel

Price does not include:

• International flight tickets
• Travel insurance & Visas
• Expenses of personal nature like laundry, tips, beverages etc
• Meals other than mentioned in the above meal plan
• Camera & video fees at national parks, museums & monuments

The Prices mentioned above are per person based on two people sharing a twin room. The prices which were valid at the time of publication may be subject to change, based on your date of travel and local market fluctuations. You will be informed of any price differences prior to booking.

For a quote based on your dates of travel, any alternative accommodation or changes to this itinerary, please call Authentic India Tours on 01792 315499 or email us at  info@aitholidays.com

Please remember all our private tours are designed to meet your exact requirements, and this Karnataka tour is just an example to help inspire you.

For more information please email info@aitholidays.com or call our India specialists on 01792 315499.

ABTA and ATOL Protected Tour Package

Authentic India Tours is a member of ABTA and ATOL. All the holidays on this website are ABTA protected. If you would like us to arrange your holiday including flights we will be happy to provide a quote and your holiday will also be ATOL protected.