One day covers the heart of Mysuru if you leave at 08:30: Chamundi Hill and the Nandi statue, Mysore Palace, lunch, the zoo, St Philomena's Cathedral and Devaraja Market. You are back by about 17:00 after about 32 km by cab. Skip Tuesday, when the zoo is closed.
6 places32 km by cabtimed against opening hours
Day 1
Chamundi Hill, the palace and the zoo
Chamundi Hill before the queues, the Nandi statue on the way down, Mysore Palace at late morning, lunch, the zoo, St Philomena's Cathedral and Devaraja Market. Back by about 17:00. Not on a Tuesday, when the zoo is closed.
08:30 to 16:486 places32 km by cab
1Chamundeshwari Temple, Chamundi Hill
2Nandi statue, Chamundi Hill
3Mysore Palace
Lunch
4Mysuru Zoo
5St Philomena's Cathedral
6Devaraja Market
Back
★
Leave central Mysuru
13.2 km · 27 min by cab
1
Chamundeshwari Temple, Chamundi Hill
1 h here
The 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.
Temples & churchesOpen 07:30 to 14:00, 15:30 to 18:00 and 19:30 to 21:00, every day
Tip: It closes from 14:00 to 15:30 and from 18:00 to 19:30. General darshan is free but queues are long on Fridays and in Dasara; a paid queue is faster. The hill road is good; the 1,000 steps are for walkers.
3.1 km · 6 min by cab
2
Nandi statue, Chamundi Hill
20 min here
A 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.
Temples & churchesOpen air, by the hill road; go in daylight?
Tip: It is a short stop beside the hill road. People walking the steps reach it at about the 700th step.
7.7 km · 17 min by cab
3
Mysore Palace
1 h 45 min here
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.
Palaces & fortsOpen 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
Tip: Cabs park by the south gate. On Sundays and public holidays the palace is lit with about 100,000 bulbs from about 19:00 to 19:45, and every evening during Dasara. Watching from the grounds is free.
Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
1.8 km · 6 min by cab
4
Mysuru Zoo
1 h 45 min here
Closed on Tuesdays
One 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.
Gardens, lakes & birdsOpen 08:30 to 17:30; closed on Tuesdays (open on some Tuesdays during Dasara)
Tip: Closed on Tuesdays, except some Tuesdays in Dasara. Ticket counters close about 30 minutes before 17:30. Battery cars run inside if you do not want to walk.
2.5 km · 7 min by cab
5
St Philomena's Cathedral
30 min here
A 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.
Temples & churchesAbout 05:00 to 18:00, every day; Mass in the early morning and about 18:00
Tip: Entry is free. Dress modestly and keep quiet if a Mass is on, usually early morning and around 18:00.
2.2 km · 6 min by cab
6
Devaraja Market
45 min here
Mysuru'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.
MarketsShops about 07:00 to 20:30, every day; many open earlier and close later?
Tip: The old building is being restored after a court case, so some stalls may sit outside it. Sayyaji Rao Road beside it is the main shopping street; watch your bags in the crowd.
1.3 km · 4 min by cab back
★
Back at central Mysuru
Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The roads round the palace and Sayyaji Rao Road are slow at peak hours, and during Dasara many central roads close for the processions, so allow more time. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Book a cab for this day
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.
1 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator
We are still listing Mysuru operators. Write to [email protected] and we will put you in touch.
Opening times for this plan
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
Place
Open
Best time
Visit
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
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
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
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
Devaraja Market
Shops about 07:00 to 20:30, every day; many open earlier and close later?
Yes, the city itself. You miss Srirangapatna, Ranganathittu and the Brindavan Gardens fountain, which need a day of their own in the 2-day plan.
Why start at Chamundi Hill?+
The temple opens at 07:30 and the queues grow through the morning. Mysore Palace opens at 10:00, so the hill fits before it, and the plan reaches the palace at about 10:40.
Can I add Brindavan Gardens to a one-day trip?+
Only if you drop the zoo and the market. The gardens are about 20 km north and the fountain plays after dark, so you would be back late. The 2-day plan gives it a full afternoon.