Mysuru in 3 days: what to see, in what order

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.

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.

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.

Tip: It is a short stop beside the hill road. People walking the steps reach it at about the 700th step.

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.

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.

An 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.

Tip: Photography is not allowed inside. It is quieter than the main palace, so it is a good stop for the hottest part of the day.

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.

Tip: Entry is free. Dress modestly and keep quiet if a Mass is on, usually early morning and around 18:00.

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.

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.

A 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.

Tip: No worship takes place, so there is no midday closure. It takes about an hour each way, so it is a half-day on its own.

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.

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.

A 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.

Tip: Closed on Tuesdays, like the zoo. It is a calm hour after the zoo's crowds.

An 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.

Tip: Closed on Mondays. It takes 30 to 45 minutes, so it fits at the end of a day.

A 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.

Tip: It closes from about 13:00 to 16:00, so go before lunch. Dress modestly; shoes stay outside.

The 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.

Tip: The ruins are open-air with little shade. Ask the driver to stop at the Water Gate and the dungeon too.

Tipu 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.

Tip: Closed on Fridays. Shoes come off before you go in.

The 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.

Tip: Entry is free. Leave shoes at the stand by the steps.

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.

Tip: Nesting is busiest from about June to November. Boats can stop when the river runs high in the monsoon.

Terraced 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.

Tip: The musical fountain starts at about 18:30 or 19:00 and runs about an hour, longer at weekends. Walk to it early for a good place. The drive back to Mysuru takes about 35 minutes.