Mysuru is the old capital of the Mysore kings, and its sights fit in two days by cab. Day one is Chamundi Hill, Mysore Palace and the city centre. Day two is Tipu Sultan's island fort at Srirangapatna, the birds at Ranganathittu, and the musical fountain at Brindavan Gardens after dark. A third day adds the Hoysala temple at Somanathapura, the zoo and the rail museum.
Each plan is a real route by cab, timed against opening hours.
Chamundi Hill, the palace and the zoo
6 places · 32 km by cab
See the plan →Chamundi Hill and Mysore Palace · Srirangapatna, the birds and Brindavan Gardens
12 places · 95 km by cab
See the plan →Chamundi Hill and Mysore Palace · Somanathapura, the zoo and the rail museum · Srirangapatna, the birds and Brindavan Gardens
16 places · 170 km by cab
See the plan →Call or message a local Mysuru operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
We are still listing Mysuru operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
With the best time to go and how long to stay.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mysore Palace | 10:00 to 17:30, every day. Lit up on Sundays and public holidays, about 19:00 to 19:45, and every evening during Dasara | Late morning, after it opens at 10:00. On a Sunday, come back at 19:00 for the lights. | 1 h 45 min |
| Jaganmohan Palace and Art Gallery | 08:30 to 17:30, every day; a few listings say 10:00 to 17:00 | Early afternoon, after the main palace. | 45 min |
| Devaraja Market | Shops about 07:00 to 20:30, every day; many open earlier and close later? | Late afternoon, when the flower stalls are busy. | 45 min |
| St Philomena's Cathedral | About 05:00 to 18:00, every day; Mass in the early morning and about 18:00 | Any time in the day; it is lit up in the evening. | 30 min |
| Mysuru Rail Museum | 09:30 to 17:30, last entry 16:30; closed on Mondays | Afternoon, before last entry at 16:30. | 45 min |
| Chamundeshwari Temple, Chamundi Hill | 07:30 to 14:00, 15:30 to 18:00 and 19:30 to 21:00, every day | Early morning, before the queues build. | 1 h |
| Nandi statue, Chamundi Hill | Open air, by the hill road; go in daylight? | On the way down from the temple, in the morning. | 20 min |
| Mysuru Zoo | 08:30 to 17:30; closed on Tuesdays (open on some Tuesdays during Dasara) | Morning or early afternoon; animals rest in the heat. | 1 h 45 min |
| Karanji Lake | 08:30 to 17:30; closed on Tuesdays | Afternoon, after the zoo next door. | 1 h |
| Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna | About 07:30 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 20:00, every day | Late morning, before it closes for the afternoon. | 45 min |
The home of the Wodeyar kings of Mysore, rebuilt between 1897 and 1912 after the old wooden palace burned down. Inside you walk through the Kalyana Mantapa, the wedding hall with its coloured-glass ceiling, and the long Durbar Hall with its painted pillars looking out over the grounds.
In the 1-day planAn older royal palace from 1861, a few minutes west of Mysore Palace, now the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery. It holds paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, old musical instruments, and the famous Lady with the Lamp, which seems to glow in the dark room.
Day 1 of the 2-day planMysuru's old covered market, more than a hundred years old, a short walk north of the palace. Stalls sell heaps of jasmine and marigold, bright kumkum powder, bananas, betel leaves and sandalwood.
In the 1-day planA tall neo-Gothic church finished in 1956, with twin spires that you can see from across the city. Inside are stained-glass windows and, down steps under the altar, a crypt with a statue of St Philomena.
In the 1-day planAn open-air museum next to Mysuru Junction with old steam engines, a small gallery and the Mysore Maharani's royal carriage from the days of the princely state. Children like the small toy train that runs round the grounds.
Day 2 of the 3-day planThe temple of the goddess Chamundeshwari, the family deity of the Mysore kings, on top of Chamundi Hill about 13 km from the city centre. Its tall gopuram tower faces a big statue of the demon Mahishasura, and from the edge of the hill you look down over Mysuru.
In the 1-day planA huge black stone Nandi, the bull of Shiva, carved from one rock in the 1600s about halfway down Chamundi Hill. It is about 5 m tall and hung with carved bells and chains.
In the 1-day planOne of India's oldest zoos, opened in 1892 by the Mysore kings, with wide green enclosures for elephants, giraffes, big cats and many birds. Paths are long, so plan on about two hours.
In the 1-day planA lake run by the zoo, just east of it, with a big walk-through aviary, a butterfly park and pedal boats. Herons, cormorants and painted storks feed in the shallows.
Day 2 of the 3-day planA large Vishnu temple that gave Srirangapatna its name, first built more than a thousand years ago. Inside, Vishnu as Ranganatha lies on the coiled serpent Adishesha.
Day 2 of the 2-day planThe fort town of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, on an island in the Kaveri. A small memorial marks where he fell when British troops stormed the fort on 4 May 1799. The old gates, walls and Colonel Bailey's dungeon, where British prisoners were kept, are a few minutes away.
Day 2 of the 2-day planTipu Sultan's summer palace from 1784, built of teak in a garden by the river. Every wall is painted with scenes, including a big mural of the Battle of Pollilur, and a small museum shows Tipu's coins, swords and old paintings.
Day 2 of the 2-day planThe domed tomb Tipu Sultan built for his father Hyder Ali and his mother, where Tipu himself is buried. It stands in a quiet garden of cypress trees on the east side of the island, with carved doors inlaid with ivory.
Day 2 of the 2-day planThe point at the east end of Srirangapatna island where the two arms of the Kaveri meet again. Families come to sit by the water, and coracle boats wait on the bank.
Not in our plans. Add it if you have time.Small islands in the Kaveri where thousands of water birds nest: painted storks, spoonbills, openbills and pelicans. A boatman rows you past the islands, close to the nests and to crocodiles sunning on the rocks.
Day 2 of the 2-day planTerraced gardens with fountains below the KRS dam, laid out in the 1920s and 1930s when the dam was built across the Kaveri. After dark the fountains are lit and the musical fountain plays to songs.
Day 2 of the 2-day planA star-shaped Hoysala temple from 1268, about 35 km east of Mysuru. Every wall is covered with fine carvings of gods, dancers, elephants and horsemen, and it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list with Belur and Halebidu.
Day 2 of the 3-day planOn Sundays and public holidays, from about 19:00 to 19:45, and every evening during Dasara. Watching from the palace grounds is free. Some guides say the lights stay on to 20:00.
10:00 to 17:30, every day. The tour takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. There is also a sound and light show on most evenings except Sundays, but guides disagree on its days and it stops during Dasara, so check at the Varaha Gate.
In the evening only, from about 18:30 or 19:00, for about an hour on weekdays and longer at weekends. The gardens open at 06:30, so arrive in the late afternoon and stay on.
No, the zoo and Karanji Lake are closed on Tuesdays, except some Tuesdays during Dasara. They are open 08:30 to 17:30 on other days.
In September or October, for ten days. In 2026 it runs from 11 to 21 October, with the Jamboo Savari elephant procession on the last day. The palace is lit every night and the city is very crowded, so book early.
Lalitha Mahal is a palace hotel; visitors who are not staying pay an entry fee to look round. Balmuri and Edmuri are low weirs on the Kaveri near KRS, often closed after drownings. Neither is in the plans.
October to February, when days are warm and dry. March to May is hot. The birds at Ranganathittu nest from about June to November.